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I looked at a couple hatches on Saturday for the first time, and they are beautiful. The problem for me, as it has always been, is finding a model configured the way I'd like. All I want is side curtains and a sunroof, which is possible with the hatch, but good luck finding one configured that way on the lots. I'm hesitant to place an order because there are so many variables before delivery.
Incentives will always vary, but I believe these cars are a good deal with a $1,500 rebate. Remember, if you are a recent college graduate, you can get an extra $500 from Mazda. (But, if your name is accurate, you are probably a couple years away from college graduation, right?)
Turned 18,000 today. Had the rotors turned at 16,800. Picked up a vibration after a pad grinding stop cresting a hill one afternoon. Did I mention how much I love the brakes on this auto? Otherwise it is still perfect.
I love this automobile more each day. The Duratec is a gem, and the AT seems to be holding up well. I average around 21-22 mpg 60/40 C/H with a medium foot. It drops quickly with RPM's. I still run Mobil1 0-20 with a K&N HP-2010 filter. This oil holds up very well in this engine.
I leave my garage each morning with the same grin I had on 5/3/03.
Anyway, I'll report back at 20,000.
Mark. : )
Do you have the recirculating function going? Using only outside air will limit the amount of cold air you get.
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I wish on the 6i that it's possible to get just side curtains and a moonroof. But you have to buy all these other packages just to get what you want, totally sucks...
I was 'aweepin an''awailin a lot over this when I was shopping for the 6i sedan.
But I love the car and I'm getting over it. It's unconscionable on Mazda's part to use pricing policy to actively discourage consumers from equipping their vehicles with the latest safety equipment. I feel strongly about that. But I ponied up in the end. They got me.
And the more time passes between the present and the day I wrote the check at the dealer, the less I dwell on it. So they really got me! I didn't want the sport pak or the moon or the Bose or even the 17" tires, but I ended up with them. And now I even can say to myself that I like having the Bose sometimes and the sportpak does include fog-lights which are actually useful. The moon and the 17" tires I could still do without. But hey, that's life.
Bite the bullet or try to find another car that you can accept. That's the choice I had to make. Good luck!
I am torn between the overall excellence of the Accord and Camry and the sportiness of the Altima and the MZ6. Each has its strengths. The things causing me pause on the 6, aside from the packaging, is the relative lack of low-end torque in both motors and the smaller seating area in the rear. Just wish I could make up my mind, and then find a car configured the way I like.
What kind of RPMs does the 6 V6 auto model run at 80 MPH in top gear? My 626 is geared very low and is taching almost 4K RPM at 80 MPH in 5th gear.
The Legacy is an interesting car, but I don't need the AWD and it is pretty small. The MZ6 is much better for what I need it for.
P100: The price isn't bad, and the rust stain issue seems to have been solved. There are a couple of warranty repairs that all 03s needed, so you should check into that before you buy. Can't help you on the performance issue, but you are unlikely to get the same gas mileage that you enjoy with your 626. On the other hand, the 6 is in a different league as far as performance and style.
VW has some issues, but the Passat remains average in reliability according to Consumer Reports.
I'm still on the sidelines waiting for the right time to get my 6. I'm finally making enough money to pony up for more than just the base 6i. The two factors that are plaguing my decision- besides being in the negative on my loan, and waiting to own a place with a garage to house my baby- is: manual or automatic, and (now) hatchback or sedan. After owning a hatch for over a year (VW Golf), it has been a blessing for moving to a new home and just hauling stuff around. Unfortunately, I'm not crazy about the standard Sports package, rear passenger window treatment (looks too different from the Atenza hatch I fell in love with) and the bumper. Despite the different side profile, I can make do. It's been a year and a half since I first test drove a 6s, and it's maddening to see them more and more everyday! I want my 6!
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In fact, he said the wagon now has a $1,500 rebate. I'm in Florida. The incentives might be different where you are.
Just curious... Rich?
Thanks,
MARTIN
They do, and that's why those shifters have better feel. Generally, any manual transmission RWD car has better shift feel than a manual transmission FWD car because the shifter goes directly into the tranny instead of going through a bunch of cables and/or linkages. I don't think this has anything to do with how long the throws are though. My Mustang 5.0L had long throws.
"If you wanted to get a shorter throw, you'd either have to take the shift knob off and cut the lever down (not a good idea)"
I'm curious, why is this a bad idea? I had a sawed-off ghetto short throw shifter in my Integra and never had any problems with it. I sawed it down a couple inches. My friend has it now and it's got over 180,000 miles on it. Original clutch too.
I would think that you'd have to be very careful about not messing the threads up, but other than that, why wouldn't it work.
newcar31-how did this affect your integra as far as "feel"?
On the Integra, there was also a washer to keep the boot up against the shift knob, but I sawed that off too. The shifter was tapered, so the boot fell down the shifter as far as it could until the taper held it up. Threads? I sawed most of those off. Because of this, you will probably need an aftermarket shift knob that doesn't need to be threaded on. An aftermarket knob similiar to the factory knob in the Mazda6 is gonna be spendy, but you might be able to leave enough threads on for the factory knob. I dunno.
The only precautions I took was making sure the metal shavings didn't fall down where they shouldn't be and put the shifter in neutral. I just put part of a plastic garbage bag over the shifter when I was sawing it off to keep the shavings out of bad places.
As far as the Mazda6 is concerned, the shifter doesn't look as truckish as my Integra's did, so I think I'm going to leave it alone for now. I also like the stock shift knob better than most of the aftermarket knobs. The Mazda6 has one of the nicest factory shift knobs of any car IMO.
I'm having the clutch repalced as soon as the parts come in (to rid my car of the dreaded clutch shudder), then I think I'll give it a try, unless in the meantime someone can give me a good reason not to.
Like I mentioned before, my Integra that I sold to a friend has over 180,000 miles on it now with the original clutch. I don't know if that's because Honda makes a good clutch, or if I'm easy on clutches, or both.
You guys are all correct though, it won't hurt to take a little off the top, just as long as you can get the knob back on. In my civic, I bought a Neuspeed short throw shift kit and to prevent the boot from falling down, I just took one of my wife's hair ties (fabric covered rubber band)and wrapped it around the lever a few times until it was tight. Then, when I installed the console on top, I just pulled the hair tie up against the underside of the boot and it holds it snug against the knob.
Well, maybe some of you can help me. After about 18 months of indecision, I've finally decided to go with a Mazda 6. The decision now is the 4 or 6.
For gas mileage (I do a lot of running around in town) I'd like to get the 4, but we often use my car as the family hauler which means four people and a lot of stuff. There, the 6 would come in handy.
I know this question has been asked before, but are you 4 cylinder owners satisfied with the performance of that powerplant, or should I go ahead and get the 6?
I have a manual 6i and it's plenty for me. To keep things in perspective, a manual 6i is about equal in acceleration to the last generation Accord and Camry V6 automatics and the Mazda6s automatic.
Around town, I get 24-26 mpg and on the highway (constant 80-85 mph) I get 31-32 mpg.
I drove the V6 and decided I couldn't live with sub 20 mpg tanks. 20/20 hindsight tells me that was probably a good decision.
What more can be said about this car, I wonder? Many of its competitors' boards are filled with complaints about quality control and a variety of problems. For me, at this stage in the 6's life cycle, no news is good news.
CL
When the incentives were too good to pass up (June 03), I headed to Mazda dealer. They had a couple 6i manuals and I figured I should at least try it. The 4 cyl is also smooth, revs well, and sounds really nice for a 4 cyl. The V6 is sweet, but I really think people should try the 4 cyl too if you're getting a manual. I think my experience with a gas guzzling Mustang makes me appreciate fuel efficiency more than usual.
Sweet16: Haven't seen any i hatch sticks around here (Orlando) either, although there is a very nice s hatch with manual, leather and side curtains on the lot at my local dealer. Sticker is just over 27K. For that kind of money I would be looking at an Acura TSX...
I originally drove an '03 6i MTX due to the lack of MTX 6s' in our area last Fall. Great car! Plenty of power in most situations, sounds great, a bit more tossable than the 6s, and very smooth. However, the weather had not changed when I drove it and it was a pretty hot day. Think high eighties/low nineties. We had the A/C on and three adults on board (including me as the driver).
Now I live in an area with a lot of steep hills and always make sure to test drive vehicles up and down some of them. The 6i did struggle somewhat on a lot of the hills which made the driving experience a little annoying due to the constant shifting. Since I have to climb large hills all the time, and the family has grown to three (add extra weight for all the baby gear in the huge trunk too) the V6 MTX became a necessity (I drove a 6s ATX too but didn't want to settle for that tranny so I waited for the '04s).
So IMO it would be wise to consider what I've said above, or at least take a really thorough test drive of both before pulling the trigger. The extra $$ I spend for gas is worth it so long as I'm not frustrated by the driving experience. I'm definitely 100% satisfied with my choice.
there will be 3 versions of the 'i' model
-base
-sport
-grand touring
's' model
-sport
-grand touring
There will be a 6 speed auto trans that will be available on some versions, but I'm not clear on the mix yet.
ABS and traction will be standard on the 'i'
Tire pressure montoring system will be available on all versions..std on some.
all get pass. side weight sensor airbag.
side airbags/curtains optional on base 'i' std on sport and GT. Std on 's' models
sport grill std on all sport models
sirius compatible audio std on all models
delete gray interior with blazing copper
For 2004 there are 108 different build combo's...2005 will reduce the number to 57 different build combo's.
The first 2005 allocation runs 6/17 for Aug. production cars and september/october delivery
Any word on when the 5-door will change over to 2005? Same time as the sedan or later?
Just break-in? Thanks!