First-ever Lifted Mazda 6 Wagon Off road Build

Last week I came across an extensively modified Mazda 6 Wagon photographed in locations that unmistakably tell that they’ve been taken in the land of the rising sun. What made this car stand out among other modified Mazdas that I see everywhere on social media are the wheels and suspension modifications. But instead of a lowering kit and wheels with skinny tires, the owner decided to outfit it with a lift and beefy BF Goodrich tires, which made it an ideal candidate for a feature in Offroadium magazine.

Luckily, the language barrier did not become a problem. Thanks to our shared passion for custom off-road vehicles, we easily found a common language, as often happens in the car community. The owner kindly described all the modifications he had made to his car and answered every single question that I had about his unique build.

List of Mods

Suspension

• Lift kit using Mazda CX-8 crossover suspension control arms and components
• Approximately 2.5 inches of lift

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Exterior

• CURT hitch added
• Headlights changed to US specifications
• Yakima roof basket installed

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Tires & Wheels

• Tire size: 235/70R16
• Wheels: Genuine Ford Explorer Ranger wheels
• Wheel specifications: 16 inch diameter, 7J width, +12 offset

The Choice of Platform

To some, a choice of a basic station wagon for an off road build may be quite questional, for obvious reasons (the ground clearace is very low and it doesn’t have didcated off-road features), but after seeing the diversity of vehicles people actually use for their outdoor activities I’ve come to understand that it doesn’t really matter as long as the vehicle can handle the tasks the owner needs it to fulfil.

Because in the end, you don’t need a dedicated 4×4 to go camping on a weekend, explore basic local trails, or visit a secluded fishing spot. And if that’s the case, slightly higher ground clearance and improved grip from the all-terrain tires may be just enough.

What is satisfying though is driving a unique vehicle that hasn’t been modified in this style before. It presents many challenges in terms of the parts research and custom fabrication, but for a creative car enthusiast and an experienced mechanic, it’s definitely a rewarding and exciting project.

The Off road Build

Suspension Modifications

If you look at how this car is lifted, you’ll see that the owner is not new to car repairs and modifications and knows his way around Mazda cars. In order to gain 2.5 inches of ground clearance, he decided to utilize parts from a bigger model in the Mazda line – the CX-8 crossover, which comes with slightly bigger control arms and allow for more articulation.

Except for the control arms, he also used custom spacers that install on top of the struts, which is quite a common solution to lift unibody cars and crossovers. The increased ground clearance significantly enhanced the wagon’s off-road capabilities, and freed up the space in the wheel wells to mount oversized All-Terrain tires.

Tires & Wheels

Thanks to these modifications in the suspension department, the owner of this Mazda 6 was able to free up space in the wheel arches to install oversized off-road tires to improve the car’s grip and performance on rough terrain. He went far above the factory-recommended size and opted for 235/70R16 off-road tires, equal to 29 inches in overall diameter, which is about the same size as what’s used on AWD crossovers such as the CX5, Forester, RAV4 etc.

While a 29-inch tire may not seem big for off-roading as you might think, it provided a solid improvement of the overal ground clearance by a couple of inches. and made this wagon look like a real high-roller.

But what’s more interesting in this wheel and tire combo is the rim selection. From the first look, I figured out that those are the wheels from some 2000s American SUV that we used to see all over back in the day. After the owner provided me with information about them, I confirmed I wasn’t wrong.

They turned out to be 16-inch light alloy rims from a Ford Explorer, which were also installed on Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series trucks. The reason for this choice is simple: both the Mazda 6 and the 2000 Ford/Mazda trucks utilize the same bolt pattern of 5×114.3.

Throughout the years, I’ve seen various wheel and tire combinations, but this particular setup really stands out from the mainstream and makes the car look even more unique.

Exterior Modifications

The exterior modifications on this wagon are pretty common for an off-road oriented crossover build. On the back is the cargo basket mounted on the CURT 2 inch hitch receiver. On top is the the Yakima roof basket, that completes the adventure ready look. Among other subtle touches are the US spec headlights with amber reflectors and the front-end bug-screen that were added to gain that distinct USDM look.

New Wheels Trend?

This wheel choice raises an intriguing question: could this evolve into a new trend in the automotive scene? It’s certainly possible, knowing that the Japanese car culture is pushing the boundaries of car modifications. The combination of old-school SUV wheels on a modern, lifted wagon creates a fresh look that might just catch on among automotive enthusiasts looking for something different.