For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Fusion have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Mazda6 doesn't offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Fusion Titanium offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Mazda6 doesn't offer all-wheel drive.

The Fusion's driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Mazda6 doesn't offer a driver alert monitor.

Compared to metal, the Fusion's plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda6 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Fusion and the Mazda6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Fusion is safer than the Mazda6:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Fusion is safer than the Mazda6:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are over 5 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Fusion's warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Fusion first among midsize cars in their 2019 Initial Quality Study. The Mazda6 isn't in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 12th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 16th in reliability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 21st.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Fusion Titanium 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Mazda6 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Fusion SE/SEL FWD 1.5 turbo 4 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the Mazda6 Grand Touring/Signature turbo 4 cyl. (23 city/34 hwy vs. 23 city/31 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Fusion ECOBoost FWD'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. (Start/Stop isn't accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Mazda6 doesn't offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Fusion AWD's standard fuel tank has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Mazda6 (18 vs. 16.4 gallons).

The Fusion has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Mazda6 doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Fusion higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Mazda6 (3 to 7). This means the Fusion produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Mazda6 every 15,000 miles.

The Fusion stops shorter than the Mazda6:

For better traction, the Fusion SE's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Mazda6 (235/50R17 vs. 225/55R17).

The Fusion Titanium's tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mazda6 Touring/Grand Touring/Signature's 45 series tires.

The Fusion's drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Mazda6 doesn't offer drift compensation steering.

The Fusion Titanium executes Motor Trend's “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Mazda6 Touring (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G's vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G's).

The front grille of the Fusion uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Mazda6 doesn't offer active grille shutters.

The Fusion has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mazda6 (102.8 vs. 99.7).

The Fusion has .8 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mazda6.

The Fusion has a much larger trunk than the Mazda6 (16 vs. 14.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Fusion easier. The Fusion's trunk lift-over height is 24.4 inches, while the Mazda6's liftover is 28.5 inches.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Fusion. The Mazda6 doesn't offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Fusion has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Mazda6 has no towing capacity.

The Fusion has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery's water level. The Mazda6 doesn't have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery's cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

The Fusion SEL/Titanium'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 Mazda6 doesn't offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Fusion and the Mazda6 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Fusion is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Mazda6 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

If the windows are left open on the Fusion the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Mazda6 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don't have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Fusion SE/SEL/Titanium's exterior PIN entry system. The Mazda6 doesn't offer an exterior PIN entry system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don't have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Fusion SE/SEL/Titanium's exterior PIN entry system. The Mazda6 doesn't offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Fusion's power window, power lock and power mirror switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Mazda6's power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Fusion (except S) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Mazda6 doesn't offer a house-current electrical outlet.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Fusion is less expensive to operate than the Mazda6 because it costs $116 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Fusion than the Mazda6, including $43 less for a water pump, $246 less for fuel injection, $281 less for a fuel pump and $126 less for front struts.

The Ford Fusion outsold the Mazda6 by almost six to one during 2018.