A solid list of safety features is the price of entry in the family sedan arena these days, and the Mazda6 has standard all-disc antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags and an electronic stability system.

Mazda also offers a blind-spot warning system that keeps track of the area on either side of the Mazda6 and displays an icon in the side mirrors to warn when it may be unwise to change lanes. If you put your turn signal on anyway, it'll sound a warning tone. While there is arguably some safety benefit to this system, I find it largely unnecessary because if you properly position your side mirrors you can eliminate nearly all of the blind spots around you.

In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal-offset crash test, the Mazda6 received a Good overall rating — the highest score possible. There are six individual scores that factor into the overall rating, and the Mazda6 received Good scores on all but right leg and foot protection, which rated Marginal. As of publication, the IIHS hasn't subjected the Mazda6 to its side- or rear-impact crash tests.