The Mazda 6 costs less to repair after a low speed accident than any other volume-selling model in the Australian market, according to crash data released by NRMA Insurance.

The repair bill for a Mazda 6 Classic was just $2,884, which at 8.3 per cent of the car’s purchase price, is the lowest repair to purchase percentage of the 46 models tested by NRMA Insurance in 2004.

NRMA Insurance subjects each vehicle, including Compact 4WDs and people movers, to a pendulum test, replicating a 15 km/h collision with a solid object or a 30 km/h crash into the rear of another vehicle.

A Mazda 6 owner would be considerably better off than drivers of rival mid-size models, with the NRMA Insurance tests showing that a Subaru Liberty required repairs totaling $4,737, while a Honda Accord Euro owner would have to fork out $6,140 – more than double that of the Mazda 6.

Other new-generation Mazda cars also performed well with the Mazda 2 proving to be more affordable to fix than any of its direct rivals and below that of much larger, locally made cars.

With a repair bill of $3,072, Mazda’s smallest car is more affordable to repair than the Holden Commodore, which costs $3,320 to fix.

The Mazda delivered a much smaller crash bill than the Honda Jazz, which would cost its owner $5,965 (up $2,893 on the Mazda 2), while the Toyota Echo required $4,453 worth of repairs, an increase of $1,381 on the Mazda.

Mazda’s newest edition to its range, the Mazda 3, also performed well delivering a lower repair bill than its closest sales rivals.

With a bill of $4,295, the Mazda 3 was $350 cheaper to repair than a Holden Astra, $544 below the Toyota Corolla, $2,278 under a Nissan Pulsar and $2,848 cheaper to fix than a Mitsubishi Lancer sedan.

Further demonstrating the improved low speed crash design incorporated into all Mazda’s new-generation models, the Mazda 3 is 31 per cent cheaper to fix after a low speed crash test than the superseded 323.