Strong demand continues to keep Mazda6 ahead

The Mazda6 is the car that put the Japanese marque on the fleet map and now into its fifth year in showrooms it remains ahead of the upper medium sector pack in terms of residual values. Strong residual values over three years/60,000 miles and low pence per mile operating costs, coupled with low list prices, have been instrumental in the Mazda6 helping the brand become the UK’s fastest growing marque over the last five years.

Mazda now sells more than 50,000 vehicles a year in the UK – almost 250 per cent up on five years ago – and fleet demand for its cars, particularly the upper medium model, has been instrumental in that success.

Despite the age of the Mazda6, residual value forecasts remain above 30 per cent at three?years/60,000 miles for most models so ensuring that compared with rivals, such as the Citroën C5, Peugeot 407, Renault Laguna and Vauxhall Vectra the car remains the cost?effective fleet choice. Add in its sector-beating list price and company car drivers enjoy wallet-friendly benefit-in-kind tax bills and excellent specification levels.

The Mazda6 is the company’s best-selling car in the UK and the 2.0 TS five-door, which has a retail price of £15,422 will be worth £4,650 (30%) at three-years/60,000 miles, according to used car value experts at CAP Motor Research.

Move to the five-door 2.0d TS 121ps, which has a retail price of £16,077, and CAP predicts that the car will be worth £4,975 (31%) at three-years/60,000 miles and the £16,577 2.0d TS 143ps will be worth £5,125 (31%). Similar residual values are enjoyed by Mazda6 estate and saloon petrol and diesel models.

Simon Harris, consumer editor at car buying guide Parker’s, said: “The Mazda6 has always performed above the class average for resale values since its launch in 2002, and it remains a more attractive proposition than its higher-volume rivals.

“A combination of excellent equipment levels, rewarding driving dynamics, good build quality and a spacious interior mean used car customers recognise the strength of the overall package, seeing it as a more desirable product than typical upper medium cars.”

Meanwhile, Martin Ward, manufacturer relationships manager at CAP, recently took to the road in a Mazda6 2.0-litre diesel Sport: “Now into its fifth year, I was surprised how young and fresh the Mazda6 felt. I wanted to reacquaint myself with the car and found that it continues to compete very well with a lot of much newer models. In fact, it beats many rivals that have been in showrooms for a lot less time.

“Specification compares very well with today’s models and the car has a quality finish. On the road handling was first class and noise levels are very low compared with newer opposition. The Mazda6 felt and drove like a newly launched model. It remains an excellent choice as a fleet car whether as a new acquisition or for private buyers as a used model.”

James Hopkins, Mazda’s fleet and remarketing director, said: “A combination of competitive list prices and strong residual values have been instrumental in making the Mazda6 an enticing package for fleets and company car drivers. Crucially, it means that fleets which choose the Mazda6 are losing significantly less money than fleets choosing rival products.

“For drivers the Mazda6 epitomises the Mazda brand, with sports styling and exhilarating dynamics as well as practicality and value that’s unrivalled in the upper medium sector. Indeed, the recent Auto Express driver power survey placed the Mazda6 at number 7 overall far ahead of its rivals with an excellent all round performance, with strong showings in the handling and reliability categories.

Standard specification on the Mazda6 range includes: manual air conditioning, 16?inch alloy wheels, height/reach adjustable steering wheel, electric windows front and rear, a radio/CD unit with four speakers, remote central locking, six airbags and ABS anti-lock braking.