Mazda6 Sedan

stretchsje

Because of the firm seats, the '6 doesn't feel like it'd be a comfortable long-distance car, but it's the only car I've never gotten "sleepy butt" in. That's saying a lot! The 2002 Camry (highly regarded as comfortable) always gives me sleepy-butt.

Yes, the '6 has a limiter at 120mph despite still being quite stable at these speeds. That reviewer was full of it.

mazdamarla

So, does anyone know what delivery time on ordering the 6 is now? My dealer told me 6-8 weeks, but when I said "are you SURE??" and explained that some people who have ordered have now been told more like 8-12 weeks due to production delays, he said he didn't know.

I'm looking at a 4-cyl Automatic with Sport Package and some other stuff.

vocus

You might as well wait for the hatchback....

jndesmar

Just picked up our fully loaded Black M6S (GT-V6 in Canada)with the GFX package and wow do people like this car. Have only seen one so far in the Calgary area so people really turn heads when they see this car.
Just want to thank everyone for all the great comments over the past couple of months that helped make the decision to buy this car. We had narrowed it down to the Nissan Altima, the Mazda 6 and the Honda Accord. There was no question that what the car lacked slightly in low end torque (which I might add was not a bad thing) the handling, performance, style and overall quality fit, more than made up for it. Still a little disappointed in the heated seats(our only negative) As we already owned a MPV we were very familiar with Mazda and the dealer here in town. Was tough to deal below the MSRP, however they made up for it with a better than expected trade in on the van, plus all fees were waived and a paint protection thrown in.
Look forward to more of your comments, and will keep you posted as we rack up the mileage....

mpiatek

mazdamarla: I ordered my 6s MT about 3 weeks ago. They told me 6-8 weeks as well, but they don't have a solid delivery date yet. I'll post a message here when I find out.

I think it depends on the dealer. All the dealers have different allocations, etc...I'm thinking if you order from a dealer who does a lot of orders, then it's going to take a lot longer than a dealer that doesn't. Actually, thinking about it, the numbers now make sense and it's the difference between taking 2 months for the order, and 3 months for the order. Dealers only get their allocation on a monthly basis, right?

Mike

mazdamarla

What do you mean "allocation"? I've never ordered a car before.

auto_clown

For those who own a 6, at what point does your low fuel indicator light come on? Mine comes on with about 4 1/4 gallons left. This is based on filling up when the light comes on, and both times it has taken about 13.75 gallons to fill up. Based on an 18-gallon tank, that leaves 4.25 gallons still in the tank. That seems really, really early for an indicator light to come on. I still have nearly a quarter tank left!

Which leads me to my next question – Does anyone else’s fuel gauge not seem to correlate with how much gas is probably left in the tank? At the 3/4 indicator, my trip odometer reads around 80 miles. At the 1/2 level, my trip meter reads around 170-180 miles, and at 1/4 level around 260-270 miles have been traveled. It makes me think I’m getting sub-par MPG (18-20 MPG), when in reality after I have filled up I’m actually averaging a little over 23 MPG, in almost totally city driving conditions. I just get paranoid when I see the fuel indicator needle dropping a lot quicker than I expect it would, and then start thinking something is wrong with the engine because of the poor fuel mileage that I wrongly think I am getting.

Anyone else notice these with their vehicles?

mpiatek

Dealers can only order a certain number of cars per a month. This includes cars that are going to be on the dealer lot and special orders. If a dealer orders a lot of cars, then you might have to wait 3 months until they have a slot in their allocation available for your car. If the dealer doesn't order a lot of cars, then you might only have to wait for 2 months. That's the best reasoning I can come up with right now. Any of the dealer employees want to comment?

Mike

skyray

Marla,

Did you have your dealer check, or did you do any research on MazdaUSA, to see if a car was available in your region with the specs you wanted? Some features like the sport package, the leather seats, sunroof, side airbags, have to come that way from the factory, but much of the other stuff (radios, auto-dim mirror, spoilers, etc.) can be dealer-installed to "tweak" the car to what you want.

That's how I got mine -- found a base auto 6s and had them add the MP3, mirror, spoiler, and all-weather floormats.

Auto Clown:

Every car I've ever owned has had a gas gauge that worked that way: Probe, Miata, 6, 9-3, the college Chevette... For some reason these things drop very quickly between full and half, and then slow down dramatically for the rest of the tank. No idea why manufacturers haven't come up with a more accurate measuring technique.

mazdamarla

The 2 yellow 6's at 2 places are both Manuals. I want an Automatic. The yellow at the other place, which is an Automatic, also has a bunch of other dealer-installed stuff tacked on like "paint sealant" and stuff like that. Comes to like an additional $600. And it's already been done, so it's not like I can say "nope - don't want that." And I don't think that one has the Side Airbags, either. Which pretty much have to come from the factory.

I don't want to "tweak" if I don't have to, as I'm getting the Supplier Discount. If I were to get anything dealer-installed afer the fact, it'd be at full cost, not discounted price.

markjenn

The non-linearity in the fuel gauge is well within normal bounds. It looks like each 1/4 a tank results in about 80-95 miles of driving and that it will probably read empty at about 350 miles with a gallon of so left over. The fuel tanks on most cars have slight variances in the cross section with the fuel level, so this type of accuracy is about all that is expected.

Likewise on the pessimistic low-fuel light. Most come on with a little less than 1/4 a tank. Personally, this is about when I'd like to have the fuel light come on since it does it at a time that says "start looking to fill up", rather than at a gallon or two when it is "oh my god, find a station NOW."

I think the early days of car ownership is when one tends to watch this stuff like a hawk and worry a little too much - once you get see it is consistent, you realize that it is normal.

- Mark

cookie01

This guy is off his rocker!
Last Friday I had the chance to visit a friend in another town where the trip allows me to drive the road over a mountain (Chehelem Mt., for any Oregon natives) that features a road with more curves, twists, dips, and "ACTION" than a date w/ J-Lo. It's a beautiful road and I was so happy to get to try it out alone in my M6 with no kid, or hubby (who tends to cling to the grab handles and say stuff like "I'd like to live long enough to retire ya know!")
anyway.
I love this road. And I've test all four of my new cars on it and NEVER have I been able to drive so tight and so fast and not had ONE squeal... Not one...
Please, if you're thinking of buying this car, do not listen to that "journalist". I don't know what car he was driving, but it wasn't mine!
I had a blast. I went home that way (in the dark) and slowed it down a bit. But this car makes me want to move to the other side of the mountain just so I can drive it every day!
Zoom

chikoo

any resemblance to Sage green available on the MPV?

mazdamarla

I saw the Sage Green on the minivan this weekend, and wondered the same thing.

The idiot at the dealership acted like he didn't even know there WAS A sepang green for the 6 car! <rolleyes>

cookie01

Why do reviewers say the M6 is in the same class as a Jetta?
I've not driven a Jetta, but I did test drive the Passat for a 24 hour stretch back in 2000 when they redesigned.
I think the Jetta is WAY smaller than the M6 and it doesn't come in a 6-cyl does it?
The Passat is nice inside and has plenty of room, but not MORE room than a M6. Also, as far as outer body size, they're about the same aren't they?

Does the Passat have something so wonderful that the M6 just can't compair?

Just wondering.

mazdamarla

So....I might actually be better ordering the car from a smaller dealership that only has 4-5 of the cars in stock at any one time, rather than a larger dealership that has 15-20 in stock?

kenoka

Many reviewers look at price class rather than size class. They cater to buyers who shop based on price first. The Passat is similar size wise, but costs a good deal more than the 6.

vocus

Kenoka: Not a good deal more. Also, the Passat comes standard with stuff you have to pay extra for in the 6 (ABS, side airbags, etc.), so that equates for the price difference as well.

Cookie: The Jetta is the same size outside, but not as large in the back seat as the M6. You can get a Jetta with a V6, as well as ESP.

mpiatek

I test drove both the Passat and Jetta when shopping for cars. The Passat has a very disconnected feel to it. It's smooth as butter, but it just doesn't feel fast. The Passat seems to be about as large as the 6, maybe even a tad larger, but it wasn't nearly as fun to drive.

The Jetta does come with a V6 in some models (the GLI and the VR6). I test drove the Jetta GLI (200hp V6 with 6 speed manual transmission) and it drives great. Actually, it was my #2 car choice. The low-end torque in the Jetta is better than the Mazda6, but the high-end acceleration on the Mazda6 is better, so it comes out in a wash. 0-60 times for both cars are around 6.5-7.0 seconds, but it doesn't seem like the Jetta's wheels stick as well on rough roads (wheels broke loose while starting off the line a couple of times before the traction control kicked in). I think this is probably because it is a smaller car and it feels a lot lighter.

I was pretty surprised that I liked the Jetta so much, because I wasn't expecting to. It has a lot of nice features, like being able to open and close the windows/sunroof by turning the key a certain way in the lock (handy if you forget to close things up). Also, the alarm "beep" won't sound unless all the doors and the trunk are fully closed...so you know when something is left open.

In the end, I went with the Mazda6 because it was just as (or more) fun to drive and I got to have a car with more trunk and passenger space without degrading performance.

Mike

ruefus

While VW claims "Drivers Wanted" - I've driven the Jetta and Passat and was underwhelmed. Nice cars - very nice in fact. The interiors are very well done. Typical German. But, neither are as sport oriented as I would have liked, and the Jetta especially had me feeling as if I was sitting bolt upright.

As for the key/window thing - neat, but more gimmick than useful.

The 6's keyless entry won't flash either unless everything is shut. I found this out when I'd popped my trunk and forgot about it. Once it was shut, the lights blinked indicating the system was armed. Nice.

chikoo

>>>The Jetta is the same size outside<<<

either I am smoking/drinking or u are.

http://autos.msn.com/compare/choose.aspx?trim1=96878&trim2=96- 185&year1=2003&year2=2003&Make1=43&Make2=67&M- odel1=10684&Model2=10479&pt=

cookie01

re: (wheels broke loose while starting off the line a couple of times before the traction control kicked in). I think this is probably because it is a smaller car and it feels a lot lighter.

I wondered about that too. I had a HUGE Impala for my last car. The TC kicked in often at quick starts and also occasionally on wet roads.
My M6 has NOT in 1200 miles used the TC. And I'm driving the same wet roads and zooming from starts (when I can).
I think the M6 just has much better traction on the road. Plus I think you loose all the torque steering you sometimes get in other cars, no matter if they're small like a Jetta or big like an Impala.
The M6 just sticks to the road better, IMO.

cookie01

You're right... Other than being the same height, the M6 is bigger./

You can tell just by looking. The 14+ "longer" is the biggest difference.

mpiatek

Reufus: Good to hear that the lights won't flash until after everything's closed. That is definitely a nice feature to have. The others were gimmicky features...but there was a lot of small stuff that really made the VW's stand out. Obviously, I decided that those things weren't as important and went for the 6, but I still have a lot of respect for the Jetta (at least the GLI).

Regarding the size of the Jetta. It's a much smaller car, but VW does make really good use of the space. It's amazing how big the trunk is for being a smaller car. Back seat room is where the Jetta takes the biggest hit.

The Mazda6 definitely has better traction when taking off. My wife noticed it, and she said that the Mazda6 just felt like a safer car...especially in fast turns.

Mike

vocus

Agree with you about the back seat. The trunk is pretty big for a smaller car though. Also, the '6 doesn't 'look' 14" longer than the Jetta, as the specs say. That surprised me. The '6 felt smaller in the driver's seat (to me anyway) than the Jetta does (I have an 02).

The '6 has better traction when taking off because it doesn't have as much low-end torque as the Jetta does. Torque=power, and that's gonna break the wheels loose.

Safety: Haven't seen crash tests yet for the '6, but know the Jetta's safe. I have had too many friends and acquaintences walk out of pretty bad looking accidents who were driving VWs.

I like the fact that the lights won't flash if you don't close everything. Another thing is pinch protection on the windows, which kept me from recently closing my best friend's daughter's hand in the window by accident. You can get something put in the car for about $100 (aftermarket) that enables you to open/close the windows via the remote too, definitely cool to have.

tomcat630

One time, on another car board, someone swore up and down that the Jetta was a "mid szied car". He shut up when I posted a link to the EPA car size classifications site, listing clear as day
"Jetta = Compact"

chikoo

that Jetta is an "Entry-level" mid size sedan.

I personally believe it means mid-size passengers can barely enter the sedan

mid-size, my foot!!

tomcat630

Seems like every car maker claims that their car is some kind of "mid sized car". I even have seen ads that call a Bonnevile a "premium" mid sized!

What happened to the compacts and full sized cars? If every car is a mid size, than what are they in the "middle of"???

Yes, the back seats of Jettas are torture.

mpiatek

mazdamarla: Well, it all depends. If a dealer has an allocation of 20 cars a month and has a lot of orders, then it could be awhile before you get your car. If a car dealer with an allocation of 5 cars a month doesn't sell much, then they might be able to get it for you in their next month's allocation.

On the other hand, since the larger dealers get so many cars a month, it takes a lot of orders for them to reach their limit...so in general it's probably better to order from a larger dealer.

It all depends. I'm hoping to find out when my car will arrive in the next week or two. I'm really hoping that it takes 6-8 weeks and not 8-12. :-)

Mike

regfootball

well, a bonneville is midsized.....definitely not a lot of passenger room in that car.

The 6 has a surprising amount of room for the size of the car.

otoluva

I'm sure many people cross shop the 2 cars, the Jetta (IMO) is very attractive with nice interior and that 1.8 is sweet and spirited, and surprisingly the Jetta has a high resale value (despite some reliability issues) but the big turn off is limited passenger room especially the back seat.

stretchsje

I cross-shopped the '6 and RSX. Anyone want to analyze that too?

fowler3

is darker than the Sage Green on the MPV. More a light-middle green with lots of silver flake that gives it a very glossy appearance. It's also very difficult to photograph, to get the shade anywhere close.

It's a gorgeous color though. Very classy, especially with beige leather and moonroof. If you want a 6 that shows the curves and lines of the car get Sepang. The other colors don't come close, especially Silver, Yellow, and White. The spoiler looks funny on this car, out of place because it looks so upmarket.

Sepang should be cooler in summer and fairly easy to keep clean.

I checked out the colors when the temperature was 72-degrees. Going from car to car and placing my hand on the trunk lids. Here is how they felt starting with the coolest:

White (no metal flake)
Silver (some metal flake. Not as much as other silver cars)
Yellow (no metal flake)
Sepang Green (lots of metal flake)

Much hotter:
Red (medium amount of metal flake)

The hottest:
Blue (no metal flake)
Grey (lots of metal flake)
Black (no metal flake)

Keep in mind that metallic paints absorb heat more than a similar color without metallic flake.

fowler3

fowler3

They aren't the same kind of horse, why would you compare the two?

The RSX is smaller
Not as nice looking -- the 6's grille on a baby TL.
More expensive -- a $26K Civic?
Costs more to service

fowler3

gee35coupe

How??? 10,000 mile oil changes and a timing chain... Not much to service there.
Never seen a 26K RSX. MSRP tops out at $23,700.

miata10ae

Ok guys, I think stretchsje was being sarcastic. I know you don't want to analyze this on the Mazda6 board.

alcjew

vocus: I priced a comparably equipped Passat GLS 2.8 MT before I bought my loaded 6s MT with the Passat priced at almost $2000 more. The Passat came with 15" wheels (195/65 x 15 tires), 30 less hp, uses premium gas and 16.4 gal gas tank. The Passat is a nice car, but glad I bought the 6 instead, plus the 6's fun-to-drive factor is priceless.

carguy58

that are now being sold at discount prices. We had an ice storm in New Jersey that hit a Toyota/Mazda/Dodge dealership. They have an ad in the papers that cars must be sold at discounts. I was over by the Mazda dealer today and I saw a yellow 6 parked out front with a Protege and Stratus so if anyone who live in Jersey wants a 6 go to that dealership(Crystal auto Mall in Green Brook, NJ) The only disadvantge are the dents in the car.

mazdamarla

So what's your thoughts on the Simoniz-ing? It says: "An exclusive paint protection program with TEFLON surface protector that provides warranty coverage where the factory doesn't" Has a 5-year warranty. Said when the car is delivered, the dealer would then strip the wax from it and apply this Simonizing, which "bonds" with the paint to help protect it from tree sap, acid rain, bird doo-doo, etc. Instead of it staining the car if you let it sit too long, it'll just wash right off. Also makes it super-shiny and very "smooth" to the touch - like running your hand across very smooth glass.

Pricetag: $299

Your thoughts? Worth it? Or not?

kestrel02

Somehow I think that any expensive service that the dealer is trying to sell you could be done much cheaper somewhere else.

vocus

The 1.8T would be comparable to the 6s anyway. Put a chip in that 1.8, and you will never be able to catch it with a '6...

In addition, the GLX Passat has a LOT more stuff than the '6 has, including heated power leather seats, curtain airbags, etc.

jndesmar

Lets see now, a GLX Passat AT in Canada will cost you about $41000.00 Canadian, while a loaded 6 which I might add includes heated power leather seats, curtain air bags, not to mention, climate control, bose sound system, home link, about 30 more horspower, ABS brakes, 5 speed sport mode AT, TC, 17" alloy wheels, fog lights, mounted steering wheel controls,power sunroof, anti theft alarm, breakaway brake and accelerator pedal, and the list goes on, all for about $35000.00 Canadian.
I test drove a Passat and don't get me wrong this is a nice ride, however the 6 is every bit as good and perhaps better in some areas for $6000.00 less.

protege_fan

Teflon (PTFE) will not bond to the paint unless it's "baked" on at a temperature of about 640-700 F.

I'd love to show you the link, but of course, Edmunds rules prohibit me from linking you to some very helpful forums.

On another note, it seems that there may be a new product from DuPont that may be helpful:
"Wax Formulations
Tests have shown that the chemical and abrasion resistant protective properties of wax formulations can be improved by the addition of Zonyl® fluoroadditives. In addition to enhancing anti-stick and low-friction behavior of coatings, Zonyl® fluoroadditives may be able to satisfy a variety of other needs, such as better water repellency, compatibility with solvent or melt coating processes, and FDA and EEC regulations.

http://www.dupont.com/teflon/fluoroadditives/applications/coating- s.html

fowler3

"Said when the car is delivered, the dealer would then strip the wax from it..."

New cars are not waxed at the factory, to the best of my knowledge, and should not be waxed for at least 30 days until the paint dries.

Marla, don't go for those dealer add-ons!

fowler3

stretchsje

try Toughguard instead, and do two cars for about $100.

mazdafun

Waste of money (for the reasons already stated), as are aftermarket underbody coatings (already applied at the factory, and you can always get a spray can and apply it yourself if you want to add more...just clean the surface as well as you can first).

Oh, and don't use those Slick50 fluids. The Teflon particles only gunk up your system. Teflon is very soft, doesn't stick well to untreated surfaces and degrades at high temperatures.

Fabric is treated at the mill for stain resistance, so skip any fabric protection treatments too. You can always get this in a spray can and do as good a job as the dealership if you want to apply more.

protege_fan

Shouldn't have to wait to be waxed. They are usually sitting long enough before/while in transit for the paint to cure properly.

Different story if you get your car repainted though...that paint would have to cure before waxing.

mazdamarla

Well, after all your input, plus some input from another board, plus some input from some of the guys here at work, I called the salesman (my neighbor, by the way) this morning and told him I wanted to cancel the Simoniz. So that lopped $299 off the cost right there.

Oh, and by the way....

I ORDERED MY CAR LAST NIGHT!!!

Speed Yellow 4-cyl AT
Sport
Premium
Bose
Comfort/Leather
Moonroof
All-Weather Floor Mats
SCA/ABS

S-Plan pricing.

Now we play the waiting game...

vocus

Congrats! No wonder it snowed yesterday... j/k

Good luck!

mazdamarla

For about the past 2 weeks, since I decided I wanted the Yellow, every time I go anywhere I take notice of how many yellow vehicles I see. Not very many! Maybe an Escape, a Mustang, a Focus. Those are the only ones I can think of. I can go DAYS without seeing a yellow vehicle! Now I'll get to see one every day...hee hee. So not only is the Mazda6 few and far between - at least so far - but so is the color! So I'll have a double rarity! LOL