Mazda6 Sedan

combustible1 · February 2003

Hello everyone. Been reading this discussion, and several others for months now. Only yesterday did it dawn on me to register!

To add my two cents on color choice:

Nobody has mentioned this factor for choosing a Mazda6 color.. that is, the contrast between the red tail lights and the car color. The contrast looks sharpest on some colors more so than others. Black and white look especially sharp against the tail lights. Yellow and silver look quite good too. The one that is rather luckluster in this dept. is the red (on red). They blend into each other too much.

On color alone, here's how I see it.

yellow - sharp! I LOVE it.. but this 38 year old guy couldn't see myself buying it. So ostentatious. Call me a coward, if you must.

black - very good. but the usual reservations about black apply.

white - good. clean looking. sharp. safe. novelty might wear off after a bit for me though.

steel grey - very nice. my most likely choice (assuming I buy this car, that is).

silver - I like. but my last two cars (used) were this color. (this color chosen not necessarily by choice, but by circumstance).

red - very nice. my second color choice for serious consideration. Lack of tail light contrast may hurt it's chances.

blue - I like it in a way.. but somethings juuust not quite right about it. I go back 'n forth on this one.

I prefer the grey leather interior over beige (beige growing on me though). Black would be last choice. Why does anyone choose black??? Unless I lived in the Artic, I can't EVER see getting black!

So exterior color may be determined by the available interior color for that given color.

combustible1 · February 2003

You people have freaked me out about your "boy racer" mocking of the extra cladding. Before I started reading this discussion, I thought the the sports package looked SHARP. Still do. And the non-sport version looks too plain to these eyes.. although I'm starting to like it.

The tide seems to have changed somewhat lately in this discussion (with some more positive comments about the sports package cladding).

I'm 38, and I DO care what others think.. Call me a wimp if you must, but I don't want to look silly to others if most people in general have a negative image of the car with ground fx.

Is a 38 year old too old to have a car with ground fx?? (Bare in mind, everyone thinks I look much younger than my actual age!) :-P

johnclineii · February 2003

If you like it, buy it. No one is too old for the car they want to drive. Only you are the ultimate judge.

Even if others think nothing at all about a sport package on your car, if you are still concerned about what others will think, you will perceive that they observe the package when in fact most people pay little to no attention to what others drive.

Buy what you feel comfortable with.

Sorry this doesn't seem to be much help. I guess I would say if you are still asking the question, you aren't really ready to buy yet.

r2s2 · February 2003

Thanks Stretchsje. That's the other question. My dealer says he can't . . . that dealer allocation is king. Grrrrr.

mike1770 · February 2003

I'm with some others on the sport package: The car with GFX looks a bit overdone, without it looks a little plain. I bought my Grey 6s without, but I sometimes wish it had a switch inside to "add" the sport pack when I wanted it. (Hehe, wouldn't that be cool?!?!)

I'm thinking that, a bit down the road, I'll add 17" wheels, lip spoiler, and maybe the sport grill. I think that would give the car the best of both worlds.

dinu01 · February 2003

The Maxima was for my cousin and had the usual Maxima strong point: that 3.0 V6 is absolutely amazing! It had a little bounce off the pavement, kinda like a PRO w/low profile tires, but that is most likely because of the low-profile 17s and the sport suspension.

Across the Nissan dealer was a Mazda dealer and I saw a base 6 outside in black with those sexy hubcaps (just being sarcastic here). Those hubcaps DESTROY the car's styling! Mazda should just add the sport package to ALL their cars in the base version - this will help keep a good image of this car, an image that is ruined by the sight of a 6 w/hubcaps.

Now inside is where they had "the good stuff" - a GT w/GFX package I4 or V6 (didn't see any badges, didn't open the hood) in blue. Now this shade of blue was rally blue, yet last time I saw a 6 in blue it looked like navy blue, sa maybe the car looks differenty under different lights?

Sat inside for a few seconds - what a nice interior! It had the leather seats and moonroof with all the toys. Well put together, no gaps, felt very solid and the door closed like it was a bank vault. Loved it!

The GFX looked ok, although the side skirts said boy racer. The front bumper was ok, but the rear one was a bit too much - looks way too similar to the Corolla body cladding that make an unattractive car more buyable (is that a word?), hence my reservations on the GFX. Because of this, I still don't think it's worth it. I mean I like the black cloth interior one can get w/GFX, but I'm not crazy about the body cladding. For a decent price (under $1000 CAD), I would probably give it a hard thought, but for more, for myself it's not worth it.

Now if they just had a few cars, maybe I could get a test drive...

Dinu

jason777 · February 2003

I think it looks great, it says something like boy racer - But it is a car that most boys can't afford but wished they had!

Jason.

johnclineii · February 2003

I suppose this is all very nice, but I have different questions about the Sports Package.

How does the ride compare?
Clearance? I have several very steep alleys that even my 2000 Impala LS's ground effects, such little as they are, drag on.

Durability? Will the low profile wheels be that much more prone to damage?

And noise. Is the car with the sports package that much noiser?

I might be able to answer these questions myself, if I had even SEEN a car with the package. Around here, all we have is the regular ones.

Also, has ANYONE gotten their $35 card for test driving the 6 yet?

stretchsje · February 2003

You can order the car. Go to a different dealer. Some dealers suck- I had to go to eight dealers or so before someone admitted being able to order the car. If you find one that will work with you, it's a painless process. Rumor is that Mazda corporate is flipping out over Dealerships behaving this way.

Donuts in a FWD car? I guess not. We can still do some sliding and what not. Right? I bet with two-footed driving, one could hit the throttle and the brake, jerk the wheel, and get the '6 to spin a 180.

NO! I went out to my car- and COULDN'T SEE IT. They're calling for two to three feet here in the metro DC area. That's crazy!!! I can't wait- I love snow, and don't mind driving in it. It keeps other people off the road- no traffic! Unfortunately, it doesn't look like much has been plowed here yet, so I'm not going to brave it just yet. I've been wishing for no snow or lots of snow- I'm tired of this 4-6 inch garbage.

So, I'm about to WALK to Blockbuster to exchange a scratched movie they rented me, then stop by the grocery store to buy some firewood (which I'll then carry uphill five miles both ways in three feet of snow).

OK, so it's not uphill or five miles. I'm just paying homage to stories I'd hear from my grandparents about school. Point is, I can't get my car out. It's on a slope, on ice, covered in snow, and blocked in by a snowplow's huge drift.

BTW, I like how the red blends with the taillights well.

dinu01 · February 2003

Yes you can: Find an empty parking lot WITHOUT lamp posts, drive straight, turn the steering wheel abruptly, pull the handbrake and release it very quickly (and on and on and on like that). As it locks the rear wheels you lose traction and the back end slides, yet as you release it you get some traction which allows you to keep this going. You must keep the wheels spinning, yet they must have a touch of grip to complete the turns. Tricky, but doable.

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT good for your handbrake and tranny!!!

Dinu

barryso · February 2003

"I suppose this is all very nice, but I have different questions about the Sports Package.
How does the ride compare?"

The 17" tires do make a major difference in the way the car rides. The 17" tires stick better and corner better than the 16" tires ... but the 16" tires do ride better.

The car still handles better than most of its competition on the 16" tires (IMHO). It has a great ride/handling combo.

Others will claim I'm full of it and the 17" are the way to go. So it goes. Wait until your dealer gets 'em in stock and take them for a ride.

Either way, you can always change the tires later on.

"And noise. Is the car with the sports package that much noiser?"

I believe the 17" tires are a bit noisier than the 16" after comparing them back-to-back.

combustible1 · February 2003

I drove the 6s with 17" wheels right before driving one with the 16". It was a relatively short test drive though, with the salesman in the car alongside (although kept his mouth shut).

The fastest I drove was 60 miles an hour. At that speed, I can't say that I noticed a noise volume difference. I really need to get back into one again, and alone this time.

I rented a '02 Maxima with 17" wheels recently, and man those wheels SCREAMED at highway speeds, particularly on coarse pavement.

no thanks.

fowler3 · February 2003

how Canadians drive in snow every day. What they call taking the long way to school or work. LOL!

Wish we had snow instead of the 3 to 4 inches of sleet and freezing rain coming our way. Had this in December, tired of it. Especially if power goes off. Hate losing the Internet, have battery-powered TV.

Those who worry about what others think if they buy a yellow, red, or blue 6 shouldn't give it a thought. Who is most impressed by a new suit, people seeing the one wearing it, or the person wearing it? Most people do not know it is new and may comment on the (old) tie.

Put it another way, do you like the cars and colors your friends bought? Did they care what you thought? No!

Buy what is right for you, just as you do what is right for you in everything else. A buyer does not have to justify his/her purchase.

For those with deep pockets it may be a difficult choice between a 6 and another car. For the rest of us, with a limited budget, the Mazda6 is the best choice. One can spend $5K to $7K more, but I wonder if another car would provide that much more enjoyment. The Mazda6 is the car Mazda should have been building all along. Often, it takes time to find the right road and get into enjoying the trip.

fowler3

combustible1 · February 2003

I'm leaning towards getting a 6s w/o gfx, with the spoiler (not the lip, too subtle), and getting some nice wheels.

At a local dealer, I saw a couple examples of 16" aftermarket wheels on a 6s w/o the gfx package, and it looked pretty sharp.

This way, if there IS a noise difference between 17" and 16" wheels, an important factor for me, I can go with the 16" and still enjoy the looks of the car, which otherwise, would look sharper with the 17's.

maltb · February 2003

are much more fun anyway. Just make sure you have a big lot with NO obstacles.

fowler3 · February 2003

In magazine road test reviews of the 6s with the sport package and 17" wheels, the drivers did say the ground fx, especially the wheels and low-pro tires, contributed to more road noise, which they found objectionable.

Read the report at http://www.newcartestdrive.com

fowler3

carguy58 · February 2003

I don't get how the 6 got a lower score on exterior styling than the Camry did. They also said all 4 Japanese sedans look too generic. Do I smell German bias? BMW and Volkswagon always get these hyped up reviews on exterior styling. All they had to brag about was the Volkwagon's exterior styling. They also said the engine had nice detail. Who cares about the engine's detail? They also said the interior was nice: I'll agree with that. They said the brakes were a little soft and the steering was not responsive enough. The Camry's review was pretty good and right on the mark I thought because thats what the Camry is known for: nice ride but not much excitement driving wise. They didn't like the Camry's radio buttons with the Navigation System. Why did the Altima rate over the camry? All they said was the Altima's engine was good. They said the ride was choppy. It just seemed like to me the Altima's strengths were how fast it can go down a dragstrip. They didn't like the Altima's exterior styling. I'll disagree with exterior styling: Sure its a little bloated but at least it stands out in a crowd. To me the Altima got a little favorable review: loose suspension and choppy ride are good for sports cars not sedans. Ok the 6's review: to me they didn't favor the 6's exterior styling because there's no German emblem on the car. Also they said the automatic transmission was not a strength of the car and they were very dissapointed of it. Since Mazda is focusing on "fun to drive" I would agree the Auto Trans is not the best thing. They applauded the 6's value. The Accord: they bragged about the Accord so much and had nothing bad to say about it except the exterior styling. I thought the plastics above the dashboard of the Honda was a downgrade from last generation plastics covering the top of the dashboard from the photo I saw. I would rank them like this from the review I saw: 5.) altima, 4.) Passat, 3. Camry, 2.) Accord, 1. 6. Even 1 reviewer picked the 6. Some picked the Accord and another picked the passat. Nobody picked the Camry or Altima. I think Volkwagon and Nissan has to be dissapointed with that review: Mazda and Honda did their homework on a car that can drive good: 6(excitement, and Accord: smooth road feel.)

ruefus · February 2003

"Is anyone besides Stretch and a few others here buying the car?"

Yep, absolutely - That'd be me. Just took it home yesterday. Here's a link to the details and a couple pics: http://www.goonish.com/atenza/read.php?TID=1964

As for whether or not the car is selling, I spoke with the owner of the dealership. When I asked him how the car was doing he said "Mazda made it difficult to begin with by launching a car in December. With the economy such as it is, it's taking time."

The car has been a resounding success everywhere else in the world. Give it time - now that I own one, I can tell you that it's MORE car than you see in the showroom. Subtle refinements everywhere.

r2s2 · February 2003

Congrats Ruefus! Looks awesome!

skyray · February 2003

Nope, I haven't bought one yet. But I'm just waiting for my Miata to sell -- not exactly prime Miata sales season in Vermont. :-)

I'm actually okay with the wait, though. I want the in-dash MP3 player which is supposed to start shipping sometime in March, and I'm anxious to see what the new build combos coming online in March are as well.

jyu4444 · February 2003

An average automobile owner do not care about how fast or how the vehicle handles the road. Majority of them care about the way it looks and how the vechicle will take them from point a to b with out giving them any kind of headaches. Therefore the winner in this category should have been the Camry. I'am 23 and I would buy the Accord over the Camry, but I promise you, when I'am 30, I would definately choose the Camry over all the others, if the difference in the vehicles stays the same.

vocus · February 2003

Colors: I personally like the Lapis blue, but probably would pick yellow for its uniqueness. I saw the steel grey, but prefer the new VW grey (which is called 'platinum grey').

Snow: I am in MD, and we have about 12" of snow on the ground right now. The weather report says it's suppose to stop snowing on Tuesday morning. I can only see the taillamps of my car, that's all. I also live on a side street, so no plow can fit up here. I am ready to move to FL once I find my car...

Donuts: In a FWD car, it can be done. Pull the handbrake, rotate the steering wheel, and try not to hit anything.

ruefus · February 2003

"Majority of them care about the way it looks and how the vechicle will take them from point a to b with out giving them any kind of headaches."

Are you telling us the Camry is better styled than the Altima, Accord and 6? Don't think I've ever heard that one before.

"I promise you, when I'am 30, I would definately choose the Camry over all the others, if the difference in the vehicles stays the same."

As if 30 is some magical day when you 'get old'. You should have that old-man-syndrome looked at by a professional. Seriously. Do you have kids or something? You're 23 and calling a Camry a no-brainer at 30? What'll you do for an encore? Buy the ultimate old-man's car, namely a Buick?

I'm 32 and never even bothered to even sit in a Camry while shopping. I took one look at that hideous, boring & pregnant looking lump of a car and wrote it off.

ruefus · February 2003

People oscillate back and forth on the GFX. More than anything else, I think its become more of a sport to bash it than anything else. A bandwagon effect if I ever saw one.

One person posts that they don't like it and BAM - five others pipe up going "yeah, what so and so said."

In the right color - the sport package DOES look sharp. I believe it so much, I bought one.

igota6ssssss · February 2003

I do like the yellow, but thought it would attract too much attention from the cops, so I went with the blue 6S with everything.

Cool touch with the Zoom Zoom on the reflectors...how did you do that?

Has anyone seen how the sport grill looks on a different color than the one shown on the brochure? It does look sharp, but I'd like to see it on a blue one.

aromas · February 2003

Weont to the auto show today. They had 3 6's on display, 1 red, 1 white(both GFX) and 1 base blue. Those wheel covers sure do ugly up the car. All 3 seemed really popular with the crowd. I like the the way the GFX look from the front and back but I just can't past those side skirts, it just seems to cheapen the look. I was standing there guaging people's reactions like an expectant 6 owner that I am. Most people seemed impressed especially with the trunk space as from the outside it appears small. Then again every car looks hot at the auto show.

The hatch and wagon were also there, both looked great especially the hatch. 1 guy made a comment to his buddy that for what the 6 costs you're better off with an Accord. I replied take it out for a drive and you'll change your mind(couldn't resist). He gave me a dirty look as I walked away. Heard alot of people say to the Rep when does it come out so maybe future sales will improve as people discover that it is already out there.

The RX8 looked super hot, that's my next car when I hit my mid-life crisis. Off topic: the new Max looked great in person but the interior looked terrible. (dash and guages).

All you Torontonians who are going, go during the week if you can. It was way too busy today and I didn't see everything I wanted to because of the volume. Actually had to take a shuttle bus from the north side to the south side of the convention centre because the escalators broke because of the traffic.

jhtlag · February 2003

The lighting's a little low, but I like the shop lamps reflections in the paint. Like others said, the yellow w/ the GFX looks really good. On the other hand, "Jeez, tough crowd" you'll get no sympathy from me!

Disagree with Fowler, though, I would have to believe if you get the yellow, you will get noticed and if you're in the right mood it would be great.

Personally, I think Mazda should give everyone on this board a several thousand dollar discount and get us our cars quickly so that we can drive them around; I would have to believe that would jump start their sales. It's a chicken and the egg thing, we can get out there and get the buzz going for this spring!!!

I measured 16" of snow. TV said 18". Your Mazda6's will do no good here as MD has closed all government maintained highways.

ruefus · February 2003

By the way, when I went to pick up the car they gave me a $500 rebate courtesy of Mazda. That combined with the 4.49% financing racks up a nice deal.

Add the S-plan I was able to get and you could say I stole this car.

chikoo · February 2003

garbage magazine....never was impressed by it...you just reinforced my convictions....

aromas · February 2003

If my memory serves me didn't R & T also give the Camry the top mark in the slaloms?(HUH, WHAT, HUH) Someone please explain, does not compute.

stretchsje · February 2003

R&T's comparison was pretty lame- their ratings made no sense at all. I was, however, more upset with Car and Driver's comparison. That's a magazine I usually agree with. I thought for sure the '6 would finish first there- heck, the Protege won the hearts of that magazine. Why wouldn't the '6?

chikoo · February 2003

the current ads are so nuch childish.....no person in his 30+ would give a second thought when he goes out to buy his family car......

They need to be more innovative....like VW.

mazdamarla · February 2003

$500 rebate??? How'd that happen? They're not advertising any special rates or rebates!

johnclineii · February 2003

My guess is a college grad rebate...

As for the ads, Mazda MUST break from the clutter and be seen. It worked in your case, you remember the ads. It is NOT necessary for you to react FAVORABLY to an ad for it to work. You now know about the fact there IS a Mazda6, which many did not before they saw those "cute" "adorable" "weird" "annoying" (Pick your own adjective) ads. So they did their job.

stretchsje · February 2003

...were given away at the Chicago auto show, apparently. It also could be the graduation rebate- some dealers take advantage of that by forging diplomas.

I agree, ads don't have to get a favorable reaction to work. They are, however, most peoples' first impression of the car. Doesn't everyone here 'like' VW's because of the commercials? I do. Wouldn't buy one due to price and reliability, but I do think of VW's as being a super-cool kinda brand.

Same with Apple computer and their commercials, but boy-- if those aren't the stupidest... OS X is great, but when are they going to include a two-button mouse?!?!

Er... oops, I've ranted off topic. Another snow day

ruefus · February 2003

if it's a college grad rebate then it's good for those graduating in the last decade.

And if it's forged, which makes no sense to me, the dealer went to a lot of trouble on my behalf for no reason what-so-ever. I'd been committed to the car for nearly 12 weeks since it was ordered specifically for me. $500 more or not - I'd contracted to buy that car back in December.

It didn't come from an auto-show since one hadn't been through town for some time.

I didn't ask questions, I just took the money and ran.

johnclineii · February 2003

You didn't go off point, you proved my point. Great advertising (technical wise) doesn't sell the product. The BEST it can do is raise awareness. Product sells product. Price sells product. Advertising generates traffic to look at or consider the product. It does NOT sell the product.

Most people, even now, have no idea what a Mazda6 is. In this case, owners may very well end up being among the best advertisers for the 6.

mazdamarla · February 2003

So I wonder how that unexpected, unplanned-for rebate would work out if one was paying in cash and had a bank check made out in the amount one was originally TOLD it would cost. Would the dealer then give you a check for $500?

ruefus · February 2003

I suppose since the car was costing them $500 less, they'd be able to cut a check. I don't see why they couldn't.

dinu01 · February 2003

Going on Wednesday at the AutoShow. Can't wait to see the 6, RX-8, new Maxi, and just get re-acquainted with that new car feel and smell. I haven't been to one since I was in grade 12 - 5 years ago.

I wonder if the Mazda reps will have any clue about the 3 - I'm getting pretty curious about the Mazda3 HB.

Dinu

jyu4444 · February 2003

good for you, rebates are dime a dozen, and 4.49%, well edmunds.com actually has an ad for 3.99% on the front page. Have you ever done any kind of homework on the mazda 6's reliability or the 626. You own a newer version of the 626, come on. Why am I gonna pay almost the same price for a 626 when I could pay just a ted bit more and own one of the most reliable vehicle in the world? I have known so many people who owned mazdas and infect my brother used to own one (626). 60000 miles and the transmition went bad. You heard father like son, well 626 like 6. Good for you.

dinu01 · February 2003

Congrats! Nice pics! Can we see some pics of the Optitron gauges at night?

BTW, we do expect the standard 1000 miles report - you can thank Stretchsje for that

Dinu

meinrad · February 2003

Dinu, I went to Pittsburgh Auto Show this past Saturday and fell in love with the Black RX-8 they had on display.

Was in and out of a few different 6's. I really only liked the interior with leather and sunroof. The rear seat was it's biggest drawback in my opinion. I felt the slope of the roof made ingress/egress awkward and legroom wasn't outstanding. I also like it much better with the gfx on it, even though the wing doens't do much for me.

I'm sure it's a blast to drive, but just sitting in a convention center it left me wanting.

johnclineii · February 2003

Jyu444, you might want to do your homework before you make statements like the 6 is just a 626. It isn't. No way, no how.

dinu01 · February 2003

"An average automobile owner do not care about how fast or how the vehicle handles the road."

I don't really care about 0-60 times, but I sure care about handling and road feel.

"Majority of them care about the way it looks and how the vechicle will take them from point a to b with out giving them any kind of headaches."

True! And if that's all you care about, then you made a good decision for you and got a Honda. Besides, if you don't get what handling is all about, you don't get Mazdas. The 6 is not for you.

"Therefore the winner in this category should have been the Camry."

If you say so...

"I'am 23 and I would buy the Accord over the Camry"

I'm 22 and I will not step foot in a Toyota showroom until their styling is improved.

"I promise you, when I'am 30, I would definately choose the Camry over all the others"

I bet you would.

Dinu

dinu01 · February 2003

But as a typical owner of a certain brand, one cannot see past that "H" on the hood to actually do some research and test drive another make, so we don't expect you to know that the 6 is an entirely new machine.

That's ok though, because you're happy with your car and we are happy with Mazdas.

Dinu

jyu4444 · February 2003

So the vehicle has no prior history, so therefore it may do well or may do horrible. From the previous mazdas, well I'am not willing to take that chance

johnclineii · February 2003

Yes. We all know that.

You are happy with your car, please let us discuss what is either ours or might be. If you have NO intention whatever of owning a Mazda6, you probably don't have much to add here, with all due respect.

jyu4444 · February 2003

making a mistake like a lot of you guys have made

pat · February 2003

Thank you Jason, you have made your point. No need to beat it into the ground.

Mazda6 Sedan

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