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Mazda6 Wagon
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Comments
Call me shallow but for 4 months out of the year I still need alloy wheels.
I think $550 is reasonable , if I can get 4 winters out of them , thats only $125 per winter. Cheap insurance for sure.
It's more important to know where to buy your car .........and Ramsey Mazda ain't it.
1) space -- I have 2 dogs and it's a great dog car
2) comfort -- seats are really nice and long distance drives have been terrific
3) reliability -- no problems so far
4) handling -- love to drive it. It's even ok in snow so far.
The negative, and it's a big one if you have to drive 100 miles each day, is gas mileage. I have gotten 25 mpg on highway drives, but more generally in mixed driving, I'm lucky to average 20 mpg and in the winter, 17-18 mpg. I'm very disappointed in the mpg. I have a Nissan Maxima, also V6, that gets much better gas mileage (rarely under 23 mpg in all town driving). If your commute is mostly highway, though, it might not be so noticeable. I'm not sure what would be better though at this time given the above positives. Maybe a hybrid in a few years.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
I've owned my 2005 Mazda3 hatch (5-door, wagon, whatever) for 6,100 miles now. I've been on several 3-hour + trips in it and have enjoyed the seats and the room. And I can even put the front seat where I like it and still get in the seat behind it without eating my knees.
Average mileage I've observed, mostly commuting from the 'burbs to work downtown, is around 27. On my one big trip to the mountains (which included all hilly backroads and not one mile of interstate), I got about 31. Of course, I have the 5-speed -- I wouldn't dare zoom any other way.
:shades:
Meade
The Mazda6 is certainly not the best for mileage in it's class, but you're really trading off some mileage for more driving excitement in my opinion.
Sorry, I only test drove the M3 once so I can't really say how it would be on long trips.
6-1, 180, and 46" waist??
I really liked the M3, and I didn't really need the size of the M6 because I already have an Outback, but I just couldn't live with the smaller passenger compartment. I'm tall and long legged but I like MT equipped cars, so I have the left knee hits steering wheel when declutching problem in short vehicles.
Good luck with your search, I know it aint easy.
6-1, 180, and 46" waist??
I think I remember reading 280 a few posts back; perhaps Dr. Meade has invented a crash diet.
Make that 4-1, 80 pounds and a 172-inch waist.
Have a great weekend at my expense!
Meade
But if I were 20, I'd sure want that M3...!
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
As far as I've heard, the wagon will be around at least through '06. If the rumored larger redesigned 6 comes out in '07 (or '08), will the wagon still be around?
Your guess is as good as mine...
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I went out and purchased some 17" Blizzacks and wheels last year for the snow - I am in Syracuse, NY. OUCH! Car does run very well, but it is just a commuter.
Good luck.
If you don't mind me asking what mpg were you expecting? According to Consumer Reports you seem to be getting predicted fuel economy from your Mazda6 wagon. Here is a table from page 37 for "Wagons and hatchbacks" in the CR Annual Auto Issue (April 2005). They are in order of overall score; the cars in bold are recommended by CR.
VW Passat GLX 4motion : 18 mpg overall
VW Passat GLS 4 cyl. : 21 mpg overall
Ford Focus ZXW SE : 23 mpg overall
Subaru Outback 2.5i Ltd : 21 mpg overall
Mazda 6 s : 19 mpg overall
Volvo XC70 : 18 mpg overall
Pontiac Vibe FWD : 26 mpg overall
Toyota Matrix XR AWD : 24 mpg overall
Ford Focus ZX5 : 24 mpg overall
Chev Malibu Maxx LS V6 : 21 mpg overall
Volvo V50 : 20 mpg overall
Chrysler PT Cruiser Ltd. : 18 mpg overall
Subaru Impreza Outback Sport : 22 mpg overall
Dodge Magnum SXT: 19 mpg overall
Scion XB : 30 mpg overall
Not surprisingly smaller, lighter vehicles (like the ScionXB, Ford Focus and Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe) tend to get better mpg in this class. The Mazda3 Sport hatchback, which was not included in the listing, I would venture to guess gets comparable mpg.
Several tire shops advised me to downsize for better control in winter driving; I use 16" summer tires+rims and 14" winter tires+rims; not only have the 14's handled three winters masterfully, but they are less costly. You may want to check your drivers manual for recommended sizes and with tire experts (like the local experts from TireRack here in Edmunds) for options.
Nice to see a fellow 6'er from CNY on the boards! I'm from Pennellville and I've got a 6S Sedan.
I bought 16" wheels and tires for winter. The 16" steel wheels (standard on 6i, BTW) and Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2's were from Tirerack. They give you about 95% traction of a regular snow tire (and MUCH BETTER traction than the 17" OEM Michelins), but they are H-speed rated, so they don't squirm at all in dry weather (unlike regular winter tires).
One word: Phenominal!
Great dry traction both on the highway and in tight corners. They don't feel like they're going to double-over off the wheel in high-speed cornering, unlike the last set of Blizzaks I owned. Wet traction is great. Slushy and snow-covered roads are no problem. I passed SUV's on I-481 with 3 inches of fresh snow, and my TCS light never came on, unless I provoked it, of course...
Hope to see you out there sometime...
You tell me! Can you take this car on long road trips... and not have a jiggly voice over Hwy transition strips?
Mazda6s... "gas tank sloshing" noise is normal and heard in all cars I 've ever owned or drived. Remember, it's 15+ gallons of liquid in a semi-rectangular, shallow tank.
Does anyone have the complete MY2006 Mazda6 Specs/Configurations line-up yet? These cars are already on trucks to the dealers so I 've heard. Thanks.
Comfort is great - I've driven 800+ miles one way in a day. No problems, no fatigue, no lower back pain. Feel nicely cushioned in the driver's seat. The 2 passengers (both adult women) had no complaints either.
There are a few rattles that come and go - not annoying enough to bother me.
I used to drive a '94 Camry. The car was solid, quiet, and smooth. The 6 wagon doesn't quite equal it, but it comes close. Its sporty good looks and handling make up for that tiny deficit.
Bose stereo is awesome.
I've had only 1 problem in 16K miles in the past year: the fan stopped working right - it blows all the time. A "blower resistor" was ordered and is at the dealer awaiting installation tomorrow.
ercizoom - I've never seen it reported for the sedan, only the 5-door and wagon. This is kind of a mystery, since I believe the tank is under the back seat on all models.
But that is only twice in 7,000 miles.
I have a Yakima rack on now to carry bikes but the Mazda rack looks nicer because it is closer to the roof and not as big as the Yakima.
Yes - 0
Barely - 1
No - 1
5-door
Yes - 0
Barely - 0
No - 0
Wagon
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 2
No - 1
5-door
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 0
No - 0
GK
Wagon
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 2
No - 2
5-door
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 0
No - 0
Wagon
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 2
Occassionally/Half-Full-Tank - 0
No - 2
5-door
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 0
Occassionally/Half-Full-Tank - 1
No - 0
The back seat is hard and unforgiving. The upright part of this bench seat is angled back too sharply and cannot be adjusted to a more upright position. The headrests are like stone. We travel with a load of cushions and neck rolls for comfort.
That said, the car drives like a dream.
A shame about the seats....there will be no long trips in this car.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
I use to get frequent back aches while I was driving my 95 Camry, it's gone since I replaced it with this wagon. Like Suydam mentioned, maybe it depends on what you compare it to.
Fortunately, we don't use the back seat that often and I agree there is tons of space back there and certainly no complaints about being cramped. We goofed and didn't notice the lack of adjustment options on that front passenger seat though. Most recent vehicles were VW and Saab.