2009 Mazda6

aviboy97

I have heard many people getting great fuel economy in the TL's. Not even the VCM Accord get's near that in the real world, so if you are looking for over 30mpg highway in a performance oriented V6 sedan, you might not have much to choose from.

samiam_68

Don't forget the warranty and level of service is better with the Acura. Also, the resale value.

aviboy97

"Also, the resale value."

The more you pay for it, the more you get when you trade it. Simple math. However, premium cars have taken a huge hit lately due to our struggling aconomy.

Comparing resale on a premium brand to a no premium brand is worthless, IMO.

drosa

But I am not paying morefor the premium car In this case I comparing 08 TL vs a 09 Grand Touring with conv package for about the same negotiated price and the TL having a much better finance rate.

By the way in comparing fuel economy of 6 vs TL lets not forget TL runs on PREMIUM or at the least 89 octane

aviboy97

What price did you negotiate for an 08 TL? What finance rate is Acura offering?

drosa

I took a 2nd test drive with no salesman yesterday and was really able to open the car up and go nuts. It is fast and has great power, it drive a bit big though.

I am having a hard time deciding against the fully loaded GT non navi S at 28.6K out the door(S plan and MAC loyal) w/ 6% financing or

'08 TL which I am hoping to get for $29.5 K out the door w\ 2.9 financing.

I am also throwing the fully loaded non navi S touring in the mix at (26.9) out the door w\ 6% financing to make it more difficult.

My wife and I drove both yesterday and like the TL a bit better. Mazda 6 Dealer has to find the car we want. Acura TL - have to make decision quick because they are running out.

m6user

I've always thought the EPA highway figure was pretty much highway driving estimate. What is the EPA highway mpg designed to mimic?

4rman

Thanks guys for your input. I know it's just brake dust.... but as I said I like to keep my cars clean and shiny. I have not pulled the trigger on the Camry yet but am leaning towords the 09 SE. I can see the :shades: factor in this car but why do they over look such obvious things. I live in Minnesota and try cleaning the wheels in winter. It's not fun to say the least. I know it's such a small thing to gripe about but to me, it's in the details. I am curious to hear the 09 M6 owners experience with the excessive brake dust. I really like the features of this car.

weathergirl

You might already know this but just in case...Please make sure you test out the bluetooth on the Camry SE before you buy it. (If you plan to use that feature.) I read a lot of complaints about it not working correctly on the Camry and it sounded like Toyota didn't have a fix for it. Most of the complaints were posted on the Toyota forum on Edmunds and by doing a search for "Toyota bluetooth complaints" on Google and Yahoo. The Toyota website also has a list of compatible phones, just in case you're curious. I was also leaning towards the SE, but that was before the new Mazda 6 came out. That bit of info was something I came across in my research. The bluetooth is a feature I really wanted my car to have, but I'm not going to pay extra for it if it doesn't work properly! Good luck in your decision making!

4rman

Thanks weathergirl for the heads up. That's a good point... I'll do some research on this.

Did you end up buying the M6? Is it the v6 or i4? I test drove the one a couple of weeks ago and loved the features offered in the i touring with packages. May be I should test drive it again.

weathergirl

I am waiting to get the S plan certificate through the WKA. I hope to have it tomorrow. I want a black 09 M6 i Touring with the Convenience Package and the Moonroof/Bose Package, with the black cloth and leather seats. I will probably get the splash guards and I am undecided on the spoiler. They aren't as obnoxious in person as the brochure makes it look. One of my local dealerships is offering a limited lifetime powertrain warranty (unlimited mileage) on all the 09's. Unfortunately, they don't have what I want in stock. Hopefully, they'll be able to find one once we make a deal. I really love the look of the dual exhaust on the V6, but I drive a lot and have to be more practical with the mpg's. The difference in price between the i and s helped make that decision easier, too. What really sold me on the M6 was the interior. It sounds silly, but that's what you'll be looking at when you're driving it. I liked the red and blue gauges and the radio setup on the dash better in the Mazda. Try test driving them back to back...I just liked the M6 better after I did that.

I agree, the extra features in the packages are neat! I have yet to see the welcome lighting system though. Maybe you'll have more luck.

I haven't tried out the bluetooth on the Mazdas yet, so maybe I'll ask for a demonstration next time. I haven't heard of any complaints, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

barry626

Bluetooth works perfect on my 09 S Grand Touring.
Big reason I got rid of my 08 Altima Coupe, bluetooth sucked big time!

I bought the black & beige interior & love it!

I ordered $800.00 in accessories @ Madzagear.com...
much cheaper then the dealer I bought my car from.

I installed the splash guards few days ago & really not to hard to do.
Spoiler & LED Door sills I'm having dealer install later this month.

So many people are confused by what the "Welcome Lighting" is?
It's the dash & radio lights that turn on when u open the drivers door.

jeffyscott

I've always thought the EPA highway figure was pretty much highway driving estimate. What is the EPA highway mpg designed to mimic?

Not all highways are freeways. For example, a lot of my commute is on state highways that have occassional stop lights.

The tests include speeding up and slowing down and even stopping (in the high speed test), so they should not be expected to reflect getting on the freeway and driving at a steady speed until your tank is empty. You can see the test schedules at:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml

I am not sure how the 3 new tests are factored in to the final "highway" rating. My guess would be the high speed test affects the highway rating and the A/C and cold temp are used to adjust the city figure. I base that guess on looking at the comparison, which shows that the average speed for high speed test is about the same as the highway test, while the average speed for cold and A/C is the same as for the city test.

m6user

Thanks. That's helpful information. It seems that an all freeway, steady speed til tank is empty drive should net one several mpgs over the EPA highway estimate. It seems that reports on the 09 Mazda6 V6 experience haven't been this way but the I4 experience has. Interesting......maybe people who buy the V6 have a naturally heavier right foot.

maxamillion1

Post some pics! I saw the splash guards on a Black 6 i GT Sunday. They really compliment the looks of the car. I am NOT a fan of the rear spoiler though...at least not on the i Grand Touring.

4rman

I work for a company that already has the S PLAN with Ford/Mazda. It basically saves me $588 off the best price offered by the dealer which was $2K below sticker. So a total savings of $2588. I test drove the exact model you are looking to buy i.e. black with conv. and Bose/sunroof package. I looked at couple with spoilers and they look pretty decent. If I decided to go with it, I may negotiate it as part of the deal(for free).

The welcome lighting is interesting but not a biggy for me. Lights mounted on the side mirrors turn on when you open the door along with dash lights. I really like the adjustable headlights as you can move them up and down and they come with the conv. package. One of the things I noticed that was very cool was the Bluetooth stereo capability. If you have a device that can broadcast in BT stereo (like some of the Samsung MP3 players, you can listen to all you music without wires and adopters hanging from the dash.

My local dealer is supposed to get one with the two packages in silver around the 17th. May be I'll give it one more try. Good luck with your purchase.

barry626

Bluetooth Radio is really nice!
I bought a transmitter & connected to my ipod classic.
Sends music to car digitally & sounds FANTASTIC!
Only downside doesn't send title, artist, album info

kapaaian

Whether to get a spoiler or not is pretty simple. If you get a color, spoilers look good. If you get non-colors, bad. So basically, if you get Black, silver, gray, white, don't get a spoiler or hold off for a lip one. Kona Blue, Sangria Red, Black Cherry, spoilers look good.

I haven't seen Icy Blue in person yet, but I would imagine it would hold. Smokestone, who knows and if you want this car in that color, shoot yourself ;-)

barry626

Who says dark colors don't look good with Spoilers? Nonsense!
Why would Black Cherry look good with Spoiler & Black doesn't? pretty much same color!

kapaaian

It's not a matter of light or dark. It's a matter of Color vs. Shades of black,grey,white, etc.

Also, if you haven't seen black cherry on the new 6 in person, it is a bit lighter than the Black Cherry of the CX-7/9. It's probably midway between the old Dark Cherry and the CX's Black Cherry.

I will concede that at night, B. Cherry and Black look the same though ;-) My wife does have a black cherry CX-7.

austinman7

I'm considering moving up from the sport model to the touring and/or grand touring in my Mazda6 shopping and was wondering -- those of you who have the blind spot monitoring and rain-sensing wiper features, do you find them helpful? Also, can they be overriden or turned off if desired?

Thanks for your input.

jeffyscott

It seems that an all freeway, steady speed til tank is empty drive should net one several mpgs over the EPA highway estimate. It seems that reports on the 09 Mazda6 V6 experience haven't been this way

Wow is that right, folks are getting only 25 mpg on a freeway cruise, that is surprising. It'll be interesting to see what CR gets when they test one, their highway test is, I beleive, based on steady cruising at 65 mph.

barry626

Yes both can be turned off.

Wipers is a pain sometimes,
When I turn stalk for slower or faster speeds seems to do zip?
If I leave it alone seems to work nice on it's own depending how hard rain is.

Blind Spot Monitoring. Works most part great!
Once rear fenders get dirty need to clean them in areas of senors.

rnmom

My TL 05 lease is coming up in a few weeks. My husband loves the 05 . We wish to continue to lease and the Tl lease is 419.00 with over$ 3000 down. So we are thinking of downsizing the Honda Coupe is something we looked at but to get Blue tooth you have to purchase a navigation system I don't want that. So we are think of the 6 haven't looked in person yet. I Any idea of what the model would include blue tooth , leather seats Moon roof heat seats and dual climate control... IS the V6 that . as fast as the TL. ANy help would be appricated... I am very confused

aviboy97

kapaaian-

Are you in sales or are you management?

What region are you located in?

kapaaian

Midwest Region. District 5. I'm in sales, but function as inventory manager and the closest thing to assistant new car sales manager we have. No benefits as of yet though ;-)

r000

The V6 in the Mazda 6 has more horsepower and torque than the TL, so yes it's just as fast.

To get the features you want you should be looking at the follow two trim levels:

1. Mazda 6 s Touring with CONVENIENCE PACKAGE and MOONROOF & BOSE PKG
or
2. Mazda 6 s Grand Touring with MOONROOF & BOSE PKG

With the Grand Touring you get the following extra features:

Full leather seating (instead of half leather in the touring)
Driver's seat memory (3 settings)
Auto dimming inside mirror w/ Homelink® system
Auto-dimming, heated outside mirrors w/ ground illumination
LED rear lights

Good luck

weathergirl

RE: "I installed the splash guards few days ago & really not to hard to do.
Spoiler & LED Door sills I'm having dealer install later this month."

How do the splash guards attach? I'd love to save money and try doing it myself! My boyfriend is very hesitant at drilling holes in a brand new car, though. Any advice?

I think the lighted door sills are very spiffy. I might have to save up so I can add that later.

Thanks guys for the info on the welcome lighting system, too! This forum is so much more helpful than the dealerships have been!

barry626

No drilling to rear splash guards.
Front has to be drilled only 1 area "Bottom".
Actually can be mounted 3 screws out of 4 & still hold nice & tight.
Comes with all needed screws & instructions are pretty clear.

LED door stills are really neat can't wait to get my installed.
Buy them online for only $255.00 dealer charges close to $400.00.

crasht51

I recently purchased an 09 Mazda6 with navigation. Must say it is woefully lacking in Shopping POIs, especially in comparison to the Garmin Nuvi we have in my wife's car. Only Shopping categories are Grocery Stores and Malls. Here are a few businesses it does not contain entries for:: Lowes, Home Depot, Sports Authority. This is the only item in which I am disappointed; the rest of the car is great. I sent an e-mail to Mazda expressing my dissatisfaction.

shereba

I just leased a 2009 I-touring with the Conv. and Bose pkgs.

This was the breakdown:

Base price: 22,605
S-plan base: 20,895

Conv. pkg: 1,610
S-plan conv: 1,288

Bose pkg: 1,760
S-plan Bose: 1,408

Emissions: 100
S-plan emis: 87

Destination: 670

Total Sticker: 26,745
S-plan: 24,348

Private Launch: -1,000
S-plan Add'l Incentive: -400
MAC Lease Incentive: -500

Total Discount Under Sticker: $4297!

I absolutely LOVE the car, and the dealership was willing to take all the incentives!

I also heard that since all of Mazda's leasing will be taken care of by Chase after the 15th, the additional $500 MAC lease incentive may not apply after this date...

Hope this helps!

r000

So what is your monthly lease payment? How much was due at signing?

aviboy97

Are you, or did you, compete in your districts 2009 Mazda6 walk around challenge?

shereba

With no money down, the 27 month lease held the best residual, and the payment is 385.55.

For every thousand dollars put down, the payment adjusts 40-50 dollars.

With 2K down, the payment was somewhere around 282.

However, it's usually not best to put money down on leases in my experience, because if the car is ever totaled, that money is pretty much wasted.

Also, it's taxable... You could put this amount in a savings account and make interest!

drosa

I am actually deciding on the '09 Mazda 5 S or an '08 TL Base. I did test drive both. The 6 is faster and has more power but the TL feels more stable and comfortable. For 5 people or a family the Mazda wins hands down. For a daily commuter I prefer the TL.
With the Mazda you will have to look into trims and packages to get Leather and moon roof.
For all Leather you have to get the Grand Touring. If you start with Touring you can get the leather/cloth in the convenience package. For Moonroof you have to get the moonroof/bose package. These start the add up.

larry48161

How do I find the compass on my 2009 Mazda 6i GT. The options on the sport say there is a compass/auto-dim mirror available with or without homelink. This is the only reference I that I can find to the compass. I never realized how much the air conditioner compressor can affect mileage on a 4 cyl. Love my 6.

Larry

cecilt1

I'm currently own an '06 TL 6 speed with navi and my normal 2+ year itch to get a new car or something used that I like has set in. I thought I would love the new '09 TL but the looks have not got me giddy yet. Therefore I started looking around. The looks of the '09 Mazda 6 look great. I have not driven it yet. Here are my questions:

1) My last 3 cars have been entry level luxury (BMW 323, BMW 330 and TL). I know the Mazda competes with accord, camry etc. In your opinion, would this be a step backwards. I'm not as concerned about it being a Mazda(name) as I am about the interior quality, the quietness on the highway at 75 mph, the handling, the shifting, etc.
2) Would the 6 hold its own against a TL? Seems reviewers like the i better than the s. Would going to an i (stick or auto) be a big disappointment since I have mostly driven 6 cylinders that are low 6 second 0-60 mph.
3) How do MAzda's hold value. I buy my cars and buy ones I know I can sell on my own(I hate to trade) quickly and for a good price. Will Mazda provide this same level of comfort at resale time
4) Fit and finish of the new Mazda. Does it squeak, rattle, vibrate.
5) Can you drive at 75 mph and have an easy converstion while on blue tooth or is it a strain.
6) Big question. A 6 s GT with nav and bose is $32k. An '09 TL with nav is close to $40k. Is there an $8k difference in this car from the TL. Does an entry level luxury have better suspension components, use more aluminum for lighter weight, stonger bushings/stabilzer bars. Just curious what drives the price when both are equally equipped. Thanks for reading and I hope to get some good feedback especially from anyone who owns or has owned a TL and now has a 6.

surfing19

I also own an 06 Acura TL with Navi Auto, Plus better yet, I just purchase the 09 Mazda Grand Touring "i" with automatic transmission and the Sunroof/Bose package *A must have if you are use to the Acura DVD System.

Dont worry, this car does compare and even to me better then my Acura TL. I went with the 4cyld Mazda because I was over putting gas in my Acura everyday! Yeah, the only downfall that I miss is the ability to go 0-60 in less then 6sec, but that thinking is outdated. The ability to have that power is no longer smart.

Even though this car doesn't have the pickup my Acura had, I've found myself not wanting to even drive the Acura, I am actually liking the Mazda more then my Acura, I get better gas Millage, its has more features, and its fun to drive.

As far as the navi, I went to Sams Club and got there $285 TomTom which works just as nicely as the Acura Navi.

I am leasing the mazda for 2yrs.. I was able to get the car at invoice, so my lease payment for the Grand Touring I Automatic, with Sunroof/bose Package is only $300 Per month.

atlantabenny

I test drove an i-GT and found the interior quality to be quite good. I liked the seat memory for the occasions wife drives my car.

Salesperson and son were my passengers. Salesperson suggested that I let it rip, especially in the curves to test handling. Which I did. The car was very composed but found myself flooring it to move. In comparison, I've never had to floor my wife's 03 Accord 4-cyl to motivate the car quickly.

Style, obviously a subjective matter, to me was spot-on except for minor cosmetic treatments like the silver fog light surround and the tail lights' shiny borders. "Less make-up" is my preference.

Reviews tell me that the S trumps all the mainstream 6-cyl competitors in performance, but having an M35 averaging 19.2 mpg, I really was curious about the 4-cyl i. If that car's auto tranny was as responsive as the Accord's, it would be hard to resist.

aviboy97

You were not happy with your fuel economy in your TL? I have heard from many many owners that the TL got 30mpg or better highway, and averages around 25mpg.

surfing19

Yes, I do get 30ph On the interstate only! Therefore, thats savings only comes in play when I go on RoadTrips, But as soon as I get off the interstate the Gas Millage drops to the Teens!

I do a lot of slow stop and and go traffic in Florida, and for some reason the Acura will maybe get 200miles per tank or less!. Now the Mazda with the same driving habits gets 350-370 in town and around 500 miles on the Interstate, where the Acura at most on the interstate would get around 330 miles. Lets not forget the Mazda also takes Regular Gas 87 vs 93gas in the Acura....LOL. don't put 89 in the mazda, it doesn't like it!

cecilt1

My '06 TL straight highway at 75-85 will get 30 - 32 mpg. Around town with some highway use it is typically 22-25. I don't live in a metropolitan area so not faced with bumper to bumper traffic but if I was it would probably be lowe 20's combined.

cecilt1

Drove the 6i GT 6 speed and the 6sGT. The 4banger was too noisy and not quick enough or at least not quick enough for me. I thought it was a good car and it drove and handled well. Just too much whine from the engine filtering into the cabin as you wind it out. The S was much better. Good accelration. Felt strong, no torque steer. Fit and finsih were pretty good. Not on par with my TL but good none the less. I think Mazda has a winner with this car against the Camry, Accord and Altima but I think the TL is more luxurious. I am going to keep it on my short list though. This car has a great price for what you get.

ohblue

Can the S-plan be applied if the car I want can only be ordered from the factory? I've checked the inventory of every dealer 100 miles from my house and no luck. I'd rather order what I want and have it delivered from the factory than have them do a dealer swap and have some guy abusing my car driving it to a closer dealer.

jeffb1124

You can order from the factory and still qualify for the s-plan pricing. Here is a link to Mazda going over the terms for the s-plan:

S-plan Explained

ohblue

Thanks...

chikoo

> In comparison, I've never had to floor my wife's 03 Accord 4-cyl to motivate the car quickly.

This is because it has lots of torque low down. The downside will be that it will not be fun revving the engine to redline.

yankeekm91

I have a 6 i Touring and I was wondering what the engine redline is. The tach goes up to 7000 but there is no "red" portion. Is that because the engine redlines at 7000 and Mazda decided to to max the tach out at that? Or does redline occur before that mark and Mazda decided not to label the redline RPM?

To the guy who said that you must floor it to motivate the car to move quickly, I disagree. In my experience, holding the throttle halfway is more than sufficient to "motivate" the engine.

aviboy97

The tach goes up to 7000 but there is no "red" portion.

Yes there is. You need to look closely. At 6,200 rpm's (I believe) the red hash marks become thicker all the way to the end of the tach....there is your red line.

jason777

I test drove the Mazda today, I liked everything but the dash, I think compared to my 2004 Mazda6 it is ugly. They should take a look at Infinitis designs. They have much better dashes. The V6 engine is scary fast, it felt faster than a G35 although at 305 vs 272 I can't imagine how it could be.