The wagon body style has been experiencing a long, slow phasing out here in the US. They can't get enough station wagons over in Europe, but here in the US, even with gas prices higher than ever, we still spend less than many others do elsewhere in the world, meaning that we're happy to go with a full-on SUV rather than the happy compromise that is the station wagon.The Mazda6 wagon was one that we only got for a single generation, from 2003 to 2008, even though Mazda kept building them for Japan, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand all the way up until the 2020s, in some regions. While you can still grab one of these at a fair price, the Mazda wagon's relative scarcity sees it slowly becoming something of a collector's item. Here's why. Kinda Rare, And Kinda Cool Bring a Trailer 20 years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find many American gearheads who called station wagons "cool." But the relative scarcity of this body type, in 2026, makes them unique, and the sleek, low-roof profile brings to mind hatchbacks and coupe-style SUVs. The first-gen Mazda6 looks like nothing so much as a stretched-out Mazda hot-hatch, and it's hard not to be charmed by it.The first-gen Mazda6 sedan is fairly common, with average prices in the range you'd expect for a two-decade-old four-door, averaging around $4,000, according to our price tracking tool. Wagons are a little harder to find, with the following being the only current listings we could turn up on the used market. A 111,085-mile 2005 Mazda6 S is selling for $5,995 in Oregon. A 207,042-mile 2004 Mazda6 S is selling for $2,995 in California. And that's about it. Note that these listings might not even be available anymore by the time you read this, so we're sharing them only to give you an example of what's out there. Why Would You Want A 20-Year-Old Mazda Wagon? Bring a Trailer The simple fact that these cars are pretty hard to find in decent condition gives them a lot of cool points right off the bat, but we really like the V6 engine found in the S Touring model.The Mazda6 wagon was released in the US right as the industry was transitioning more into SUVs and crossovers (hence why we only got the sedan version when the second generation launched for the 2009 model year). Reviews at the time praised the car as a cost-efficient alternative to bigger family cars, with special mention being made of the V6 engine.In particular, anyone who drives one of these cars will likely note how nice the engine sounds. Give it a listen and see what we mean.0-60 times have been clocked below seven seconds, with quarter-mile times below 16 seconds, so, while it's not quite a muscle car, we think the S model earns its "Sports Wagon" categorization. If You Want Something Really Special, You Could Wait For The Atenza To Hit The States Mazda Here in the US, and for our neighbors in Mexico and Canada, we only got the sedan for the 2009 model moving forward. No wagons, and no hatchbacks. It's a shame, because the S Touring model got a substantial power boost for its second-gen relaunch.A Mazda Atenza wagon is largely the same car as a Mazda6 sedan, but it's a wagon, and, if you're importing a JDM, it's going to be right-hand drive. You Can Buy A JDM Atenza Now, But You Can't Drive It Unfortunately, the 25-year rule means that the Atenza won't be legal to drive on public roads in the US until 2034. That said, it's legal to buy and import right now, but you'll need to trailer it home, and it'll only be legal on the track, which defeats the purpose when we're talking about something designed to be a functional daily-driver.Even so, it wouldn't be a bad idea to invest in one now if you'd rather grab it while the price is low, and get ahead of other JDM collectors. We were able to turn up the following listings on the import market. A 28,589-mile 2012 Atenza is selling for $9,779. A 36,793-mile 2011 Atenza is selling for $6,504. A 39,217-mile 2012 Atenza is selling for $9,824. A 67,744-mile 2011 Atenza is selling for $4,271. An 85,530-mile 2012 Atenza is selling for $8,169. These listings come courtesy of Car From Japan. All of these prices include the sale price and freight, and all ship to Baltimore, Maryland. There's no telling what will be available when you're ready to buy, but these listings should give you a rough idea.If you have the storage space to spare, and if you've got a buddy who can tow the car home for you, grabbing an Atenza right now, while they're still affordable, might not be a terrible idea. But, if your plan is to resell, there's no guarantee that the car is going to skyrocket in value, and, even if it does, it probably won't earn you enough to justify eight or nine years of storage fees.If you're going to go out of your way to grab one of these cars before they're street legal, our advice would be to buy it for yourself. When you can finally take it off your own property, it'll be like opening a Christmas present. Watch Out For Excessive Oil Consumption In The Four-Cylinder Mazda6 Bring a Trailer First-gen Mazda6 wagons with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine have been noted for excessive oil consumption. One driver in the r/mazda6 subreddit reports their car using up "a quart every 2,000 miles or so" starting at around 170,000 miles.CarComplaints lists the 2004 Mazda6 as the most troubled of the first generation, with 14 engine complaints on file, including one for the engine burning oil, and eight for total engine failure at an average of 98,850 miles, with a typical repair cost of $3,800 to swap in a new engine. This may sound obvious, but your best bet to avoid buying a dud is to look for something with low miles, and with extensive service records, so you can make sure that the previous owner wasn't putting off oil changes and skipping basic upkeep. The Mazda6 Should Be Cheap To Maintain Mazda RepairPal estimates an annual maintenance cost of $357 for a first-gen Mazda6, with the following accounting for the most expensive common fixes. Fuel tank replacement $1,068 - $1,228 Oil pump replacement $1,022 - $1,332 Air conditioning expansion valve replacement $394 - $512 Horn replacement $206 - $280 Camshaft position sensor replacement $184 - $256 Add the car's low maintenance costs to decent fuel economy, with a four-pot averaging 24 mpg, combined, and a V6 averaging 20 mpg, for $2,500-$3,000 a year in fuel expenses according to the EPA, and you've got a fairly low cost of ownership.It's unlikely that the Mazda6 wagon is going to double or triple in value anytime soon, but collectors dig the car for its relative scarcity, reliability, and surprising power for a 20-year-old family car, cranking out 212 horses and clearing 60 mph in under seven seconds. If you're looking for a cool used car, and you're tired of driving the same old Toyota sedans and crossovers, you could do a lot worse than this charming, stylish sports wagon.
