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Mazda6 Sedan

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    chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    I'm jealous.
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    ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    This one has killed me from the day I first heard it. Technically, the Accord isn't an import either. It's built in Marysvile, OH. I'm not sure where the engines come from, but I'd bet that better than 50% of it comes from U.S. suppliers. Perhaps Gee35coupe can tell me if I'm right or not.

    As for the 'Ford' motor. It's a Ford block with the vast majority of the rest being pure Mazda.

    As for reliability - Ford is getting a really bad rap. Was the original Duratec totally unreliable? Nope. Is this same block unreliable in the Jaguar X-Type? Nope. Will the 6s motor be unreliable? Don't know for sure, but if I were a betting man (and I am - I bought one) I'd say....nope.
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    ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    And when will mazda6club.com get that friggin' messageboard back up. That thing has been as unreliable as the Iraqi Information Minister lately.
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    was the first foreign car to be classified as a domestic. Something like that.
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    clemulusclemulus Member Posts: 27
    Finally passed the 1000 mile mark on my 6s silver metallic on Friday. What better way to mark this occasion when I finally saw my first Mazda6 on the road. It was a beautiful Spitfire red with the sports package. I followed him for a few miles on I91 - southbound, north of Springfield, Ma. I then punched it and passed him at 90 mi/hr. We both exchanged a simple nod; that we were both very lucky to be driving a great car.
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    whiteatenzawhiteatenza Member Posts: 11
    I managed to get some info on some aftermarket performance parts. Most is good news....

    AEM-developing CAI-should be out in a couple months
    Injen-developing CAI-should be out in a couple of months
    Mazdaspeed-we can get the parts through corksport.com or japanparts.com. I think right now there is shocks, lowering springs, strut-bar, air intake for 4 banger, and V6 mufflers
    JICMajic- they are making a full coilover system and the 505 series exhaust. The rep i spoke with said the parts would be out around august/september
    GReddy-they said they are "considering" making an exahust system, but the rep didn't really care about the car it seems....
    Mangaflow-comming out with exhaust
    Eibach and H&R already have lowering springs out
    I haven't spoken to Skunk2 yet. If i need to contact any other companies, please post them here.
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    Duratec Performance has a short ram intake, headers, and a y-pipe available for the V6. This brings the engine to just north of 240hp.
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    aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    To those without side skirts do you have that clear adhesive at the bottom of the doors? Is that the Stonegard everybody was talking about awhile back?

    Has anybody seen the 6 with the accessory front air dam and rear bumper skirt. Does it cheapen the look of the car? Seems to look good on the Saab 9-3.Don't like side skirts though.
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    duskduskduskdusk Member Posts: 10
    I haven't found those parts on the web site.
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    ...but they've been developed and dynoed. I'm not sure why they're not on the web site- I bet a phone call could get you the parts. The original parts that were on the development car are for sale on the Mazda6club forums (whenever the heck they work again) since the owner is moving and has to sell his/her car. So, that's at least one for sale :)
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    ahastingsahastings Member Posts: 6
    I was looking forward to renting a 6 on my various business travels to get a real good feel of it. I knew I might have to wait until next year, but Hertz has told me they won't be carrying the car. Probably because of the auto-stick. I was hoping that the 6 would replace the 626 at the Hertz's all over the place. Anyone know of a place that does, or will, rent Mazda 6's?
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    miata10aemiata10ae Member Posts: 90
    alcjew: I was only a spectator for the competition part. But there were four other courses where you can try the car out without competing. They have a slalom course, brake & turn course, training course and another one (forgot what it is for). For those courses you don't have to pay either.
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    I believe you do have to pay for the courses you mentioned starting with the chalk talk. The only cars you can drive without the $39 registration would be the vehicle test drive course, which is not intended to be a race situation. However you can get a good feel for the Mazdaspeed Protege there.
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    kyler13kyler13 Member Posts: 9
    Good to see some people on here from our dead-in-the-water forum (ruefus, stretch, mazdamarla). I had to break down and sign up here at edmunds. :-) Stretch, do you remember what time the Mazda meet at Sherwood is set for? I'm trying to plan for next weekend.
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    no I don't. Hope the site goes back up, I'll need the address again too.
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    whiteatenzawhiteatenza Member Posts: 11
    Yeah, i don't know what is going on with the forums over there. I'm registered over there too (CaImPoRtTuNeR). Btw, i had one question: What is the break-in mileage for the 6s?
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    boxfanboxfan Member Posts: 180
    A good chunk of 626 sales in recent years were fleet sales (ie rentals). Mazda isn't doing fleet sales so far with the 6. If it sells badly for awhile then they might become more available for rental, but probably not now.

    I don't think the auto-stick prevents it from being a rental. I rented a Kia with that feature recently. That made it pretty sporty! (Not.)
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    kyler13kyler13 Member Posts: 9
    I think the dealer told me 600 miles for break-in. Of course he also told me I need not break it in, but if I wanted to I should vary my RPM/speed for the first 600 miles. I have the 6s. Again, I was gonna check in the mazda 6 forum but at the going rate, I'll be done with break-in before the site comes back up. (495 miles so far)
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    miata10aemiata10ae Member Posts: 90
    You are right. You have to pay for these courses except for the Test drive course where you get to test drive the 6, the Miata, the Protege, and even the MPV.
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    I want to put an MPV through its paces. It's as close to doing Pike's Peak in a big-rig as I'll get.

    Actually, I'm excited for the go-karts. Love 'em. They're free, right?

    Speaking of, how long are the lines to do these things?
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Go karts are $10 for 5 minutes or $15 for a 15 lap race. Lines weren't too bad on Sunday morning: anywhere from a 0-10 minute wait for test drives.
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    mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    Ha, I once drove to the top of Pike's Peak in a rental Chevy Monte Carlo. Yeah, it was pretty scary and the brakes did get a little hot coming down. ;)
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    OK, my excitement for the event just dropped considerably. Guess I'll stick mostly to driving the real cars...
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    mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    I forgot to mention the top section of the road has no guard rail.
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    I love driving aggressively, but only where its safe.

    Driving on a mountain without a rail is not my idea of fun... those guys that race it definately have stronger nerves than I...
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    vegoenvegoen Member Posts: 82
    First off duratech is ford, so it is half Ford engine. W/e

    Second I really wanna get this car so bad. But the pricing even though is a bargin for its class I cant afford it.

    How much do you guys think it will go down in price untill next say may?

    The only other car i can get is a used one. But with used I want to aftermarket most of the parts
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    It's Duratec- no "h" on the end. The block is Ford, the internals are Mazda. Basically, the important stuff. Though, actually, Ford did a better job themselves with the same engine on the Jaguar. Ford probably didn't share their technology with Mazda because, while a partial owner, they are still competitors. Why give Mazda "the Jaguar engine"?

    How much do you guys think it will go down in price untill next say may?

    If you could predict resale, you'd be a rich!

    This car was a stretch for me too. I could afford it, but didn't think it was wise to plunk down on a new car. My wife talked me into it, sorta. Didn't take much convincing :-)

    Really, there isn't a substitute for this car on the used car market. They're all vastly inferior or different.

    Now, if you can go with two seats, I strongly recommend a low-mileage 1991-1995 Toyota MR2.
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    ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    I'd think the reason Ford didn't let Mazda crank out more power from the engine is so it doesn't overshadow their "premium" car in that size category.

    The good thing is we know the engine is capable of handling more power - which should bode well for reliability.
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    kyler13kyler13 Member Posts: 9
    The Duratec block was designed by Porsche for Ford. As far as price goes, Mazda increased the base by $300 this month which I was told by my dealer was to soften the increase again for the 2004 model. Waiting will not get you a better price. It may get you past the high demand and you could get a better deal. However, ordering right now gets you a car closer to the end of July, maybe August. Demand will stay up there for awhile for the rarer ones. What model are you looking for? Another suggestion...join mazdaatenza.com and search the forum about S-plan pricing. Some dealers will offer this if you ask, and depending on your location. That would give you an opportunity to get the car at cost (invoice). Anybody else out there correct me if I'm wrong as I don't have all the details on this. Good luck!
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    vegoenvegoen Member Posts: 82
    Some very good advice here. The reason I asked about the price next year is because I also want to see how mazda6's reliablity rating is from aprils consumer report to next mays

    Ive been looking around for used cars and I cant seem to find any good deals. The car trims and miles plus price just dont seem to add up, so im having a very difficult time
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    mrblonde49mrblonde49 Member Posts: 626
    Not a reflection on the Mazda, which I still feel is a great car. Kinda weird how things turn out. I wanted the car for a few months now, thought I had to wait, and when I get a chance - I get something else. After driving both cars, they both had superb braking, handling and punch. I just couldn't pass up $4000 off the sticker in incentives for the Saab (also had $1000 in Olds owner rebate). $5100 off the sticker total. Although I originally put a deposit on the Linear (base model), my wife and I felt it was worth it to go for the Arc (next model up), since we were pretty close in price with the Linear option packages anyway. Besides being pretty loaded, you go up to the 210hp/221 tq turbo engine. I'm getting an Arc that's on its way already (about 2 weeks)

    Both cars are a blast to drive and loaded with features. One of the biggest things that pushed me towards the Saab were the world class safety features (active head restraints, stability control, EBD, cornering brake control, side head/torso airbags standard on all models). With an 8 month old son, that was important to us. I'm feeling lucky that, through the incentives, I was able to move up in class, but not pay THAT much more. Recent good fortune also allowed me to do so, whereas before, getting an Arc, incentive or not, was not very likely

    Although I know I would have been thrilled to be a 6 owner as well. :) I saw one last night again and said damn that' a nice car

    So I guess I'll be spending most of my time on the 9-3 board, but just wanted to wish everyone well with their current and future Mazda's.

    Zoom zoom, all.

    P.S. Hope you don'thave to wait too much longer for your yellow machine, Marla
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    alcjewalcjew Member Posts: 173
    aromas: Good to hear from you again. Yeah, I have to do some yard work too, but the itch to do some long distance 6 driving last Sat (NYC) & Sun (Cape) was too tempting. I'll take care of the yard work this coming weekend, yeah right! You lucked out. Did you get nabbed by radar or was he behind you? Are radar detectors legal in Toronto/Canada? If they are, invest in one, its saved me more than once already, plus they more than pay for themselves (tickets & insurance rate hike). Plus they have a safety feature that pick up silent emergency vehicle sirens as they approach you. Zoom-zoom safely!

    vegoen: What is your max affordable price? Don't know where you call home, but some base model 6i's are going for around $17K in some the northeastern dealers.

    miata10ae or maltb: Even though won't be out at dealers until this summer, but were there any RX-8's at the Rev It Up?
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    gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    I'm glad you brought that up Stretch. The Mazda6 engine can trace it's roots to the Jag engine too. Instead of calling it the "Ford" engine why not call it the "Jaguar" engine. I hope no one finds out about the Mondeo link.
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    m6owneronedaym6owneroneday Member Posts: 23
    alcjew: RX-8 was at the San Francisco REVITUP but only as a display model. Too bad, I really wanted to test drive it like everyone else at the event.
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    mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    and the 200hp Contour SVT 2.5L V6 ...
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    ...are unfortunately illegal in Canada. I would spend $300 CAD in a heartbeat to get a good one. I tend to drive faster than others and LOVE going fast if there are few other cars on a highway. But until then, we gotta keep our eyes open for unmarked cruisers.

    Dinu
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I'd rather call it a Ford engine that a Jag engine. Weren't Jag engines pretty bad before Ford?
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    mazdamarlamazdamarla Member Posts: 350
    Although it's only been 15 days since I ordered. Only 2 weeks down; 6-10 more weeks to wait, depending on which delivery timeframe I listen to. <sighhhhhhhhhhhhh>

    It's been 7 sunny days in a row here, with yesterday and today in the 70's. I want my yellow 6 NOW darnit!
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    They are not illegal in BC and Alberta. Not sure about Saskatchewan anymore, but I think they used to be illegal.
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I know they're illegal in Ontario and most likely Quebec. I had one bought at a garage sale that would work (it would beep like crazy around police stations!), but I was afraid of a fine if the cops could trace me, so I junked it. It was only $10 anyway :)

    Dinu
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    http://www.mazda.ca/eng/down_the_road/2004_mazda6/mazda6.html

    Dinu
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    The reason it likely beeped a lot around the "cop shops" is that they had automatic doors. Same thing happens if you go driving by grocery stores.

    If they're illegal where you are, then I really don't think it's worth having one. Heck, having one would be a reason to get pulled over...exactly what you're trying to avoid!

    I've only had mine go off once when the officer was in a position to nab me. Luckily I wasn't speeding, because I was pretty dang close to the officer before it went off.

    The other times it's gone off is usually b/c of false alarms, or a reflection from a different direction.

    That said, I know that if I had the 6 I'd probably have to move the detector over from the Pro. Not that I speed.... :D
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Hence the reason why I threw it away.

    So are you getting a 6, a 3 or keeping the PRO for a few more years Mike?

    Dinu
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    To see the hatchback 6. I mean, I've seen it at an autoshow and loved it. I want to see what the North American model will be like though.

    My Pro will be with me for a long time though :D
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    stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    I need your help again :-)

    Do you have any information regarding how to read the CEL error codes? Is their a jumper I can switch somewhere to read them myself? I know this is possible in other cars. Heck, on old Chrysler Caravans, you just needed to turn the key three times real fast, and the CEL would blink to give you the appropriate code. Real easy. Probably because they new the van was terribly unreliable, and CEL codes would be read reagularly :)

    Anyway, you've got my e-mail address. My CEL came on again, and before bringing it in, I want to make sure it isn't the silly gas cap like last time. It's been about 20 hours since I re-tightened the cap, and the light hasn't gone off yet.

    Tomorrow, I'm getting my chrome mustache painted the body color, getting a ding removed, changing the oil, and Friday my rear mud guards arrive. Yay!
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    tiredofmanualtiredofmanual Member Posts: 338
    The V6 and the I4 have nothing in common save the name duratec. I don't know about the V6 - it could be a Porsche design (they do do contract design work - the latest HD V-Rod engine was done by Porsche), but the inline-4 duratec family is a Cosworth design. Cosworth designed it with forced-induction Formula 1 in mind. When Ford got it, they handed it off to Mazda, which did the manufacturing engineering on it. That is where the standard I4 duratecs stand now. Mazda then took the I4 and did more engineering on it and the result is the 4-cylinder duratec currently in the Mazda6.

    Again, I don't know much about the 6-cylinder except that some SVT Contour owners have swapped parts on their 2.5L duratec V6s with parts from the 3L duratec V6 found in the Escape so they must be from the same family. The 3L duratec in the Escape was the base for the Jaguar V6 and for the Mazda V6. The base might have been a Porsche design, but it's been in the Ford family for a while.

    Both are great engines, in my opinion.

    PS - if anyone wants to read about the future of engine development, pick up this months Car & Driver. They have an article about the Cadillac V16 and how it was designed and tested entirely with computer models. The engineers didn't believe some of the suggestions that the computer made so they built their version and the computer's version - the computer's version was better. The first actual physical prototype built had no trouble producing the 1000 HP and 1000 ft-lbs of torque that they had modeled on the computer yet weighed less than 100 pounds more than the next-generation Corvette V8. This will make for some very exciting engines in the future.
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    mikef208mikef208 Member Posts: 69
    I have not yet jumped on the 6 bandwagon. I love the car, but I want to wait for the hatchback and maybe even take a look at the 3 when its released. But then hopefully my decision will be made. Just keep up the good work and get this thread to 10,000
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    chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    >>> so they built their version and the computer's version - the computer's version was better.<<<

    A very sad state to say. Reflects very poorly on the design engineers self reliance and displays how much they rely on(and will rely on) computer generated designs. But I must say, that it speaks volumes about the team that designed the software.
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    vegoenvegoen Member Posts: 82
    My affordable price is about 17k
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