Mazda6 Wagon

suydam · January 2005

I was a little nervous about the tires on my new 6 wagon after several posts, but after a month of winter driving I can report that they are not as bad as some posts have indicated. I live in Ohio where the snowfall is moderate (inches rather than feet) but we do have a steep and winding driveway, and the wagon has been doing fine. We just got 6 inches of snow with supposedly more on the way, and the wagon made it to the store and back for groceries with no problems (ok, so it slid a little going up the unplowed driveway, but it made it to the top).

jahnu04 · January 2005

Last friday afternoon, we had a heavy snowfall, 6 - 8 inches, took me 3 hours to reach home from work. I should say my MZ6 wagon did a wonderful job on messy roads and did not have any problems of sliding/slipping for 30 miles. Had more than 6 inches of snow on my driveway and had no problems at all. My daughter's day care home has a steep driveway and so far had no problems driving up. That was not the case with my 95 camry, never used to go up on icy/snowy driveway. I am glad my wagon drives great.

mz6greyghost · January 2005

The NHTSA has issued a recall for certain 2004 Mazda6 models. According to the website, it only affects 190 vehicles, so chances are you aren't affected. It has to do with the locking mechanism on the rear seat belts. If you need more information, go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov, click "Recalls Search From Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)" found in the middle of the page. For the NHTSA campaign number, type the following: 04V582000. It will give you the details of the recall, as well as numbers to contact Mazda and the NHTSA.

Good luck...

PF_Flyer · February 2005

Calling all 6 owners, enthusiasts, etc...

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carshopper8 · February 2005

I just picked up my squall blue wagon with gray leather. Gorgeous, and getting lots of attention. Question for you: do your heated seats seem to cycle on and off? On all my previous cars, I'd end up turning the seats down because they were constantly on and got too hot! But these seems to go on and off - am I nuts, or is something wrong?

grahamb · February 2005

I got my recall letter about this about a month ago. I feel so special that I was one of the 190 chosen!!...errr...or something.

I haven't had a chance to get to a dealer just yet.

Oh yeah...and mine is a hatch...just realized I'm in the wagon forum.

bodble2 · February 2005

The mazda.ca site states that the M6 is available with a "Thatcham category 1 alarm". Is that some sort of high-end alarm system? Has anyone bought one for their M6, and what fancy features does it have?

ccwinslow · February 2005

I also have a squall blue w/gray leather. Now have 10k miles on it. (And loving it.) The heated seats do cycle on and off. Usually they get too hot before they go off, and I have to turn them off myself.

suydam · February 2005

I have the squall blue with gray leather too; a very nice combo. My leather and heater were added aftermarket at the dealers so I don't know if they are the same as factory installed. My heater gets so toasty after a couple of minutes that I turn it off, so I don't know if it cycles or not. It's really been great on these 10 and 12 degree mornings we've been having lately!

dan bitman · February 2005

is the 3.0L on M6 and MPV, the same dated FORD engine ????

Don't be surprised of the low MPG...

channacas · February 2005

It is normal for the heated seats to cycle on and off. I am glad it does. I turn it off anyhow after awhile since it is too warm for me.

kmcg · February 2005

I'm thinking of buying a 2004 wagon because of the great incentives, but I'm having a hard time comparing it to the 2005 model when it comes to side airbags. I think the dealer told me no side airbag option on the 05 wagon, and that's what the printed brochure says (sedan only). The Mazda website says side airbags are standard on all the 05 wagons. The 04 had a side airbag option, but it was tied to Bose and Sport packages, which then gets pricey.

So does anyone hear know the difference between 04 and 05 wagons in this regard? Is it really possible they're not available in the 05's?

Thanks! Kathy

bugsjr · February 2005

im trying to buy a 6 wagon from the dealership here in Hawaii, its almost march and these guys still want over 22k for an 04 wagon (sport package, racks). bunch of jokers! I offered 19500 out the door and they got extremly pissed off! lol I walked on them and should be expecting a phone call by the end of the month from them. You guys think I should drop it down to 18k out the door just for making me wait? Like you guys i'm not seeing very many 6 wagons on the road, tons of 3's and protoges' though.

Erick

robr2 · February 2005

What's the market like there? Can you easily go to another dealership to cross shop or is there only one? If there is only one dealership you may not have much luck.

bugsjr · February 2005

yes, there are several dealerships across the island. They all have a surplus of 6 wagons. I've staked them all out. Im thinking these guys im currently dealing with will be more plyable as they have about a dozen 04 models on their lot.

E

slickdog · February 2005

I looked at both '04 and '05 wagons when I purchased my '04 in November. For '04, the side air bags and curtains only came installed in models with the moonroof and Bose stereo options installed. For '05, all wagons have the side air bags and curtains (actually, all but the base i sedan have them).

The dealer probably should have said that the side and curtain airbags are standard rather than optional for '05, but the statement "no side airbag option" seems to have left you with the impression that they are not available at all, which isn't the case.

kmcg · February 2005

Thanks for clearing that up! The 04's are a great deal now, but if you don't want the moonroof and premium audio packages, you're in effect paying $2,000 for the side air bags. This should help me with my decision.

slickdog · February 2005

That's exactly what I thought when I bought my wagon, but at the time my dealer only had one '05 wagon which I liked, and they had so many '04's left they weren't really interested in haggling much over it. Combine that with the fact that Mazda had a $4K rebate on the wagons then, and I would have been stupid to not buy the cheaper '04 just because of the two extra options. I really just wanted the extra airbags, but the Bose stereo and the moonroof are nice and the rebate essentially paid for them anyway.

Good luck.

bugsjr · February 2005

Hey folks, i know this is a bit personnel, but I figured some of you could help me out on this one. Im still shopping for the wagon, Im using the invoice prices i found on Edmunds.Com and AutoTrader.Com. So far one dealership wont go below 21399 otd (out the door) for a 04 sqbu wagon w/auto trans and racks (thats it), and the other wont drop below 24344 otd for 04 sqbu wagon w/5speed manual trans, bose, sunroof (didnt see side airbags installed),clear taillights (to be removed for stock). Im trying to get both of them under 20k otd. Ive managed to fustrate every finance guy (including 1 woman) that I have haggled with, ive walked out on just about every dealership on the island (the ones that i didnt walk out on walked out on me lol). Im preapproved already so all I need is an out the door price. Im I insane and asking to low of a price, or is the dealership actually very worried about giving me a good price? What are some of the out the door prices have you all been paying? Any suggestions would be great. You can even email me direct at leonge007@hawaii.rr.com if you do not want to post any prices on this board.

mahalo,
Erick

ccwinslow · March 2005

I paid $23.5K OTD last August for a squall blue wagon with:

Bose
Luxury package (leather etc)
5-spd manual
Sports package
Moonroof
Moonroof deflector

Think that's it. As I recall the sticker price was $28K or so.

C. C.

bugsjr · March 2005

thanks
Erick

suydam · March 2005

You might have higher prices because of where you live. If no dealership is willing to consider your offer it may be too low. Look at it this way -- how much more are they asking for a new 05? Price one of those with similar options and you may get a better idea. I have the feeling that the prices we are paying in the lower 48 may not be good comparisons for you. What's Edmund's TMV for your area?

PF_Flyer · March 2005

Time for another chat session with your fellow forum residents! Should be another fun hour as we discuss the automotive (and some not-so-automotive) issues of the day.

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cnybro · March 2005

I bought my 04 MZ6SW on Dec 31. It's Squall Blue, Sport + Lux packages, Auto, Bose, Sunroof, wheel locks, auto-dim mirror w/compass, roof racks, pin stripes for $21.5K plus TTL. I love this car! A stick would have been better, but what the heck. I've since tinted the windows which makes it look extra sharp. Still have not seen many on the road, which is good since I have a unique vehicle. The cargo tray is highly recommended.

slickdog · March 2005

I too have enjoyed the uniqueness of the wagon, having only seen 3 others in my area since last November when I bought mine! I also purchased the cargo tray, because the floor in my cargo area was marked up by a suitcase just two weeks after I purchased the car. I have the all weather floor mats as well, which have proven to be a worthwhile investment.

eben · March 2005

As near as I can tell, the invoice on the 2004 wagon with a/t and roof rails is ~$22,000. According to Mazda's website there's a rebate of $3,250 for 2004 wagons, plus $1,000 if you finance through MAC. Unless the taxes where you are are really high, it seems to me you should be able to get to $20,000 otd.

sadlo · March 2005

Has anybody seen the new Consumer Reports auto issue? They said they can no longer recommend the Mazda 6 due to reliability issues. Didn't want to hear that...I'm thinking about buying an 05 wagon.

mz6greyghost · March 2005

I wouldn't take the 6 off your short list yet, nor would I put too much faith into CR's reliability rating...

Check out the posts in the "Mazda 6 sedan" forum for the past week to see what I mean.

jhammer22 · March 2005

hmm .. Pickig up my Mazda6 wagon tonight. It's the basic model with sport package and the 5 speed. sticker was 24335 I think and I got it for 16871 plus TT&L. Had to finance through MAC at 5.75%, which isn't a bad rate. If I can find a better rate by over 1.25% I may refinance in a month or so. I was at the dealership looking at a $5000 used Camry and saw about 7 Mazda6 wagons with these very good prices in the wondows. Test drove, and that was it. Had to have one. : )

slickdog · March 2005

Sounds like you got a very good deal. Congratulations, and enjoy it!

jhammer22 · March 2005

I smiled all the way home tonight. One thing of note though. Maybe I could get some opinions. IS it just me or is this clutch tricky to get it going in 1st from a stop. I haven't driven a stick in a long time and managed to kill it once. Do I just need to give it a little more gas and slip it a bit more? I hate to wear on the cluth, but it just doesn't seem to be very easy to take off? Any thoughts, or do I just need to get used to it? thanks

Jason

ccwinslow · March 2005

It will take some getting used to. Besides the Mazda6 wagon I have a '96 Honda Accord 5-spd. Totally different feel. My new-driver daughter stalls out in the Mazda occasionally but not in the Honda. Plus, the engine in the Mazda is so quiet, if we have the radio/CD player on even at a relatively low volume, it's hard to hear when it's time to let the clutch out!

slickdog · March 2005

The throttle is electronic, so it may not always behave quite like you expect, and the engine isn't all that torquey. The engine speed also has a tendency to start bouncing up and down if you load it too quickly without sufficient throttle when engaging the clutch in 1st or reverse. I've been operating MT vehicles since before I even had a license to drive, but my wagon actually made me feel a bit like a novice during the first couple weeks after I purchased it.

The MT Mazda6 is definitely not the easiest car to launch from a stop. I can get going with the engine at idle but it requires a rather slow clutch release which usually takes enough time to aggravate the people behind me. Throttling up just over 1000 RPM usually permits a reasonably quick start but slips the clutch a bit more than I like to on a regular basis. Starting the clutch release at idle and slowly throttling up more as it engages is a nice compromise between the two abovementioned techniques but it's tricky and you need to be reasonably well focused on what you're doing (well, at least I do) and really feather the throttle else you load the engine too quickly or over-rev it and slip the clutch excessively. You'll probably get much better at it with practice as I have. I think as long as you're not releasing the clutch while holding the engine speed at 1500+ RPM for every start and time the rest of your shifts properly it should hold up quite well.

Have fun!

jhammer22 · March 2005

The advice is much appreciated. Good to know I'm not the only one to find this manual a littls tricky. I've owned a number of sticks over the years, but this ones been the trickiest. I just want to make sure I'm not over hard on the clutch. Once I get going, I have no problems. I just about have to turn the radio down so I can hear the engine to get it started though. It is certainly quiet. I do love the car though. The tilt/telescoping wheel and no moonroof meant it fit me well (I'm a touch over 6'4" and 250 pounds). Wish there was a little more room for my feet (god I'm an ogre), but other than that, I'm thrilled with the purchase. I need to talk my wife into trading our 2004 Dodge grand caravan on a 04 Mazda6 with moonroof/leather/auto/Bose. The local dealer has a few around 19 grand. : ) If they straight up traded, I'd probably do it. hehe.

uffdaole · March 2005

Recently completed 2217 mile trip. Minn south and return. 04 wagon, 9000k, cruise at approx 75mph mostly.gas usage 90.2 gal. figures to 24.5 mpg, 2 mpg better than old 98 subaru 4 banger. Car ran flawless and could not be happier with it. Great road car!

rhv · March 2005

I ran across both a Sepang Green ('04) and Squall Blue ('05) wagon with 5-spd while recently searching for Wagons.

I don't disagree that maybe the mazda build too didn't allow certain colors, but somehow there is/was inventory with those combinations. Perhaps your exterior color choice conflicted with the interior choice?

RHV

rhv · March 2005

Got my new '04 MT wagon last Friday. Drove it back to MN from IA - about 260 miles. Filled up and realized I got just over 22mpg. Not the greatest. Then I filled up the tires and realized they had only been at 28-30 psi. Max psi is listed at 41 - what does everyone else like for pressure on theirs? I set mine to 39ish on all tires. We'll see how the mpg goes.

RHV

ericzoom · March 2005

Never go by the max pressure that's printed on the actual tire,always use as a reference the pressure listed on the drivers door jam. Also always check tires when they are cold. I keep mine between 32-34 psi checked cold. If you are carrying more weight in the car,such as people or luggage you can increase the psi a little bit.

dudleyr · March 2005

39 is on the high side, but it won't do any harm other than offer a slightly harder ride, and it will help your mpg. I usually go 35-36. Do check the tires when cold that is how they are supposed to be checked.

The people who followed Ford's reccomendations on inflation with Firestones are the ones that had problems - underinflation causes more heat and makes the tire more likely to fall apart.

slickdog · March 2005

Actually, overinflation can cause harm, although I don't think a couple PSI would be significant. 39 PSI does seem rather high and I wouldn't do it with my tires.

Overinflation can result in the center of the tread surface on the tires bulging out more than intended if the vehicle's weight does not put enough load on them to compensate for the excess pressure. This can reduce traction and tread life, and increase the chances of tire damage when impacting potholes.

The max inflation pressure specifies what you can get the tires up to safely (on any vehicle) when it is standing still, but it doesn't mean you can operate your vehicle safely on the road that way.

I recommend that you stay close to the manufacturer specifications. It's probably rare that they get it wrong, and I don't think you'll find more reliable information than theirs to base your decision on. It may not be wise to trade off some of your vehicle's traction and tire longevity just to get a small increase in mileage.

dudleyr · March 2005

In general the higher the inflation the less sidewall flex which means less heat, less wear, better handling, better gas mileage and a stiffer ride. There is a point where handling could diminish, but it is well above the number on the sidewall.

Yes the tire may wear slightly more in the middle if it is near the top of the inflation range, but in reality it is just wearing less on the sides, so the tire is not wearing out any faster.

And no the number on the sidewall is not a static number it is perfectly safe to inflate to that number and drive a vehicle all day long within the tires speed range.

Car tires don't pop from overinflation - a bicycle tire goes to 120 psi and it has about 10% of the strength of a car tire (or less).

Manufacturers reccomendations are not just for the best performance (again look at the Explorer) they want the car to have a smooth ride so people won't complain how stiffly the car rides. Also imperfections in tire balance and alignment are more noticeable with higher inflations, so a higher number on the door jamb would mean more warrenty work for those items.

charlotte7 · March 2005

There are two '04 Sport Wagons on one of the dealers' lots where I live. They are both fairly tricked out with luxury package, Bose, auto transmission, and auto-dimming mirror/compass. One of them also has the moonroof, which I personally don't want.

I am eligible for the S-plan. With that and the $4250 in rebates, do you think it's reasonable to expect to get one of these for 18-19K out the door, or am I too low? I'm in Texas.

mazda6s · March 2005

The auto manufacturers will almost always recommend a tire pressure lower than what the tire manufacturer recommends (don't confuse either of these recommendations with the maximum pressure printed on the tire). The auto companies want you to have a smooth ride and the tire companies want you to get good tire life. So, I've found that the best compromise is about halfway between the two.

hox · March 2005

I am considering a MT Mazda 6 Wagon and live in the Twin Cities. Why did you go all the way to Iowa? What was the deal you were able to get there?

Also would like to know from others in MN, what they are paying these days.

Hox

rhv · March 2005

Hox,

I didn't necessarily get a better deal by driving to Iowa, but I did get the only '04 MT Wagon without a moonroof that I could find. If you can live with a moonroof in an '04, or if you are looking at '05s, then you could very well find what you want in the the area. Luther, Walser, and Polar all seemed to be right around invoice minus rebates for their prices. I would have bought locally were it not for the lack of a moonroof-less MT wagon.

I spent around $85 on the one-way trip down there (rental + gas).

RHV

roar1 · March 2005

I've been thinking about buying a wagon so I've been cruising this board for a couple of weeks. The first thing I could not help but notice when I first sat in the car was the short bottom seat. Doesn't seem to be enough thigh support. Has this been a problem to many people ???

mz6greyghost · March 2005

I guess it depends on your build. I'm 6'3", 260 lbs., and though I'm no fitness buff, I'm considered a larger build. I commute 1 hour/day, and have driven on trips of 6+ hours, and I've had no problem with hip ot thigh support. At first, I thought the cushion was short as well, but I've never had a problem with fatigue or soreness, even after long stints behind the wheel.

BTW, it's light years better than the seats in my old Grand AM. My legs fell asleep constantly, and I never had any decent back support.

slickdog · March 2005

"In general the higher the inflation the less sidewall flex which means less heat, less wear, better handling, better gas mileage and a stiffer ride."

- I'd question how much improvement you really get between Mazda's recommended pressure and Michelin's max inflation pressure. Do you really think it's enough to suggest disregarding Mazda's recommendation?

"Yes the tire may wear slightly more in the middle if it is near the top of the inflation range,but in reality it is just wearing less on the sides, so the tire is not wearing out any faster."

- I'd be surprised if the trade off between sidewall and tread wear is that simple. I always keep my tires at the auto manufacturer's recommended pressure and they almost always degrade faster on the tread than on the sidewall. I'm sure it would be different if I kept them underinflated, but I doubt that inflating them more than the manufacturer recommends would help me much since I almost always run out of tread first.

"And no the number on the sidewall is not a static number"

- Not sure what you mean here. If it is set by the tire manufacturer and doesn't change, wouldn't that qualify it static?

"it is perfectly safe to inflate to that number and drive a vehicle all day long within the tires speed range."

- Is it really a good idea to tell everyone here that it's "completely safe" to drive around with their tires at max inflation pressure? I hope you're sure about that. A quick search on some tire manufacturer sites reveals that they too suggest that their tires should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure.

"Car tires don't pop from overinflation"

- I never said that, so I'm not sure what you're arguing there, although I think you'd have to concede that if you put enough air pressure inside anything it will eventually rupture somehow.

"Manufacturers reccomendations are not just for the best performance"

- Yes, I realize that manufacturer's don't just consider handling when determining recommended tire pressures. I'm sure that avoiding warranty work is also a motivating factor, but how do we know what priority that was given by Mazda over other factors when deciding what tire pressure to recommend to consumers?

I also must say that I don't believe the Ford Explorer incident is a good example of why consumers don't need to follow auto manufacturer tire pressure recommendations. Most reports I've read on that subject only mention underinflation as a possible contributing factor to the failures, not the root cause. Remember that Ford also used Goodyear tires on the Explorer, and there were only one or two reported failures with the Goodyear tires despite the fact that they used the same recommended inflation pressure for each.

hox · March 2005

Consumer reports really dissed the Mazda 6 in its recent 2005 Auto edition. It pulled it from the recommended category due to the feedback from owners on reliability.

I'd love to know about the issues and concerns that you owners have and if you think Consumer reports survey is overblown.

hox

lexusrocks · March 2005

The Mazda 6 is an outstanding car whether it is a wagon or sedan. To see how the wagon measures up to it's competition, I have and idea for a comparison test.

Mazda 6
Dodge Magnum
Volkswagen Passat
Ford Freestyle
Subaru Legacy

Mazda6 Wagon

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