The Mazda MX-6 appears to generate very little interest in the petrolhead world, which is strange, as the car doesn’t do anything particularly badly. In fact, it performs in most areas with aplomb, yet it never received the acclaim of its brotherly MX-5 and sadly died young. We think it’s a forgotten gem, and here's why.
Forgotten Hero: The Mazda MX-6
On sale for a brief six years in a crowded market, flashy competitors drowned out the humble MX-6’s presence. Rivals ruled the roost and the MX-6 quietly came and went between 1992 and 1998. Even the Fiat Coupe, with its terrifyingly high reported breakdown rate, achieved higher sales figures worldwide. It’s natural rivals, the likes of the Toyota Celica and the Ford Probe, have since gone on to become hugely popular with time, while the MX-6 has been relegated to a mere asterisk in Mazda’s vast history.
This outlines an interesting theory, as while those not yet smitten with its retro looks and blue oval have judged the Ford Probe harshly, the Probe has gathered a rather large following. The Mazda is almost identical despite its aesthetics, having shared the same factory and platform with its sister creation in America. Is this a case of owner prejudice favouring, and therefore saving, the Probe from the transparent status inherited by the MX-6? We think so, with looks and badge proving the popular car from a forgotten gem.
Beaten by its brother and shadowed by its sister, the MX-6 begins to sound like the quiet middle child – acknowledged by its attendance only. But you’d be wrong to think that; the MX-6 has a lot to offer prospective buyers.
The Mazda was a reminder that growing up didn’t necessarily mean reaching for the saloon or the 4x4. The engine may not have been the most powerful or the most charismatic V6 in the world when launched, but it allowed easy and comfortable cruising paired with brutal punch when requested. The engine complements the car perfectly – modest, sophisticated and very much capable of quietly bettering it’s rivals. Fun could still be had in coupe form with impeccable reliability.
The main problem, besides a rather complex electrical system, was the cheap feeling from almost everything to hand. The seats felt rigid and unsupportive, the steering wheel and gear stick felt like what they were – cheap plastic – and the pedals were lightweight and too small. A sin, as some extra capital pumped into the interior components could have made for a more favourable impression.
Don’t let the interior put you off though. Floor the accelerator and hit the road or gently saunter from A to B and you’ll be impressed with it – it still feels like it did when it left the factory over twenty years ago. They are hardly expensive – many costing as little as £700 in decent condition. Besides a clapped out Land Rover, nothing is this practical and enjoyable for this price. Except, unlike the Land Rover, you can easily reach top lane motorway speed without developing a nervous tick. Reports also show that the MX-6 is a hell of a lot more reliable than it’s Ford sibling, too.
The engine can fool you into thinking it’s a larger unit, with a healthy dollop of high end power and low-down torque. Bumps and pot holes are absorbed with ease through the strut suspension set-up. The same set-up allows a firm ride without the lower-back breaking stiffness associated with other sporting coupes. Fuel consumption proves its age – with a Range Rover like 28mpg; no matter how you drive it. But unless you’re looking for a power sliding, fire breathing Ferrari equivalent or a frugal city run-around – the MX-6 won’t leave you disappointed.
If you fancy a mature and discretely quick coupe that can offer reliability and practicality, you can’t find much better than a used MX-6. It’s leaps ahead of the Ford Probe and much more exclusive than the MX-5. It doesn’t appeal to the boy racer, meaning your reputation won’t suffer when seen driving it. Interiors may be dated and its looks aren’t collectively liked, however a well-kept MX-6 is not only valuable - but also dignified enjoyment wrapped in a coupe body.
The Probe V6 may be similar mechanically with a higher approval rating for its looks, but it’s the Mazda that will give you thousands of miles worth of trouble free motoring. Those who opt for the MX-6 won’t regret it.