Compare the2023 Genesis G70VS 2021 Mazda 6

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the G70 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Genesis G70 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The G70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The G70 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the G70 and the Mazda 6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The G70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The 6’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G70 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Mazda covers the 6. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Mazda 6 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The G70’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Mazda 6’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the G70 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 6.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the G70 has larger alternators than the Mazda 6:

The battery on the G70 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the G70’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Mazda 6’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G70 second among compact premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Mazda 6 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 15th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 12th.

The G70 2.0T’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 65 more horsepower (252 vs. 187) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 186) than the Mazda 6’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The G70 2.0T’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 more horsepower (252 vs. 250) than the Mazda 6 Grand Touring/Signature/Carbon Edition’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The G70 3.3T’s standard 3.3 turbo V6 produces 115 more horsepower (365 vs. 250) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (376 vs. 320) than the Mazda 6 Grand Touring/Signature/Carbon Edition’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the G70 2.0T 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mazda 6 4 cyl.:

As tested in Motor Trend the G70 3.3T 3.3 turbo V6 is faster than the Mazda 6 Grand Touring/Signature/Carbon Edition 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the G70 2.0T’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip with its optional disable switch. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Genesis G70, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Mazda 6.

The G70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the G70’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Mazda 6:

The G70 3.3T’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Mazda 6 are solid, not vented.

The G70 stops much shorter than the Mazda 6:

For better traction and acceleration, the G70 has larger rear tires than the Mazda 6 (255/35R19 vs. 225/55R17).

The G70’s 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mazda 6 Sport’s standard 55 series tires. The G70’s tires are lower profile than the Mazda 6 Touring/Grand Touring/Signature/Carbon Edition’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the G70 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Mazda 6 Sport.

The G70 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Mazda 6’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the G70 is .2 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Mazda 6.

The G70’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Mazda 6’s (60% to 40%). This gives the G70 more stable handling and braking.

The G70 handles at .95 G’s, while the Mazda 6 Signature pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The G70 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.7 seconds quicker than the Mazda 6 Touring (24.9 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The G70 is 8.3 inches shorter than the Mazda 6, making the G70 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the G70 is quieter than the Mazda 6 Grand Touring:

The G70 has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom and .4 inches more front shoulder room than the Mazda 6.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the G70. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the G70’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The G70 Advanced/3.3T Sport Prestige also has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The G70 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Mazda 6 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the G70 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Mazda 6. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The G70 3.3T/Sport Prestige’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the G70 and the Mazda 6 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the G70 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Mazda 6 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The G70’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Mazda 6’s power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The G70’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the Mazda 6 Grand Touring/Signature/Carbon Edition.

When the G70 3.3T/Sport Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Mazda 6’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the G70 and the Mazda 6 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the G70 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis G70 Advance/Sport Prestige has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Genesis G70 and the Mazda 6, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The G70 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2019. The Mazda 6 hasn’t been picked since 2015.

Motor Trend selected the G70 as their 2019 Car of the Year. The Mazda 6 has never been chosen.