Here's How Much The 2021 Mazda 6 Has Depreciated In 5 Years

The Mazda 6 was a sharper-driving alternative to typical sedans such as the Camry or Accord. When it launched with its extensively redesigned body and updated SkyActiv technology in 2014, Mazda offered the 184-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Edmunds praised the responsive gas engine, precise steering feel, and agile handling, but it came at the expense of a wooden, overly stiff ride.

The Mazda 6 gained some tech updates for the 2021 model year, marking the first time that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard across the lineup. It was still a worthy alternative to a Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, or Honda Accord, with Car and Driver ranking it second of the best midsize family sedans for 2021, just behind the first-placed Accord. This is high praise for a vehicle competing in a segment of newer rivals underpinned by more modern platforms, newer engines, and abundant tech features.

By that time, the third-generation Mazda 6 platform was already seven years old, so it's interesting to know how it retained its value given its stellar reputation. 2021 was also the final model year of the Mazda 6 in the USA. KBB data suggests a 2021 Mazda 6 has a resale value of around $14,850 in 2026. From that, we can verify the actual five-year depreciation by comparing it with the car's sub-$25,500 base price, and it turns out the Mazda 6 lost 41% of its value since it rolled out of the dealership.

According to CarEdge data, brand-new Mazda cars and crossovers will, on average, depreciate by 40% after 5 years. It lines up with the five-year depreciation of a 2020 Mazda CX-5 and Mazda3 hatchback. The 2021 Mazda CX-30 is the outlier in the group, with KBB revising its depreciation forecast to 14% in the last 3 years from 23% not long ago. It's impressive, given the CX-30 is essentially a fourth-gen Mazda3 in a crossover body, especially considering an equivalent Mazda3 loses value faster than its crossover derivative.

As mentioned above, the 2021 Mazda 6's resale value is around $14,850, which puts the trade-in value at $12,800, as per KBB. Edmunds has a different take, but they based the depreciation on a more premium Mazda 6 Carbon Edition (which started at $32,950 in 2021), and they projected a trade-in value of $18,303 (outstanding condition) to below $17,000 for examples that are in average or rough condition. Based on Edmunds' data, the depreciation rate for a 2021 Mazda6 Carbon Edition is between 44.5%, a bit higher than the 40% average for Mazda cars. But that's hardly surprising given that higher-trim models that cost more money don't necessarily retain their value better than lower-priced base models.