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Comments
And yes, why are they still having the same blasted problem 3 years later!! Needless to say, I scratched the new TSX & TL off my list.
The issues seems akin to the Toyota sludge problem, which in the scheme of things, seems to have affected relatively few owners. Nonetheless, Honda has not done the best thing PR wise, as Toyota eventually did- offer a special policy adjustment on the warranty for owners of the possibly affected cars.
I dont think that Honda has "hidden" the issue from JD Power or CR... think of the logistics with making that possible.. seems implausible. I just think that its a flaw, a serious defect, that afflicts relatively few owners.
~alpha
#1. They know what is causing the failures
#2. They have fixed the issue
Well, they haven't fixed the issue and if they know what is causing it, and they know which cars are affected, why haven't they attempted to fix "1-2%" of the vehicles? Lots of conflicting "facts".
That's in the same line of reasoning as a poster who chose a G35 over te RX-8 b/c the carpet did not seem as rich in the Mazda like it was in the Infinity.
How many times a year will you change the oil? 4-5times at most? So let's say you pay an extra $5 for the filter and I heard the ring doesn't have to be replaced every time - is that correct? Even if it was, the M6 shines above the competition in terms of driving fun and value, so you can go to another brand and pay more for the car, but save yoruself $50/yr... Your call.
Dinu
Too bad I won't be able to get my 6 for another few months now. Due to an extreme emergency, I will be short money for awhile. So I pushed back getting a 6 until the end of the year. It'll give me a chance to save towards one with all the features I truly want.
Many of you know how much trouble goes on in here when we get into extended conversation about the Accord.
It's not going to happen this time.
Take it to an Accord discussion please.
Is Bose the best? Naw... but it's better than the stock, and replacing the stock with another "after market" system will be a pain and very spendy.
A co-worker just bought a Mercedes C class. His wife HATES the stock stereo and now wishes they'd have waited for a car w/ Bose. When he called aftermarket shops about replacing his stock stereo the prices were crazy and they'd have to mount just about everything in the trunk...
Guess they're just going to live with it.
Once you do the first oil change, every change after that will be simple. The filter canister cap is tight the first time, other than that, it's really easy. The location of the filter is excellent, all you have to do is unscrew a cap, replace filter, then screw the cap back on. You don't need to replace the O-rings every oil change either.
If you're a DIYer, this oil change shouldn't be a problem and it definetely shouldn't be the only thing keeping someone from buying this car.
Also anyone know if it's possible to drill a hole big enough for the drain plug and filter area so you wouldn't have to take off the shroud every time?
And I don't know about cutting holes in the plastic shroud. I'm not sure what the purpose of the shroud is on the Mazda, but on Audis it helped direct air into the radiator. I wouldn't mess with it. My guess is that if you could do it, Mazda would have already done it.
I'd rather spend the extra dough and not have worries.
Thanks
Sorry, I don't have a price for you, but don't forget that that too is negotiable.
Dinu
Shifting at red line (6500RPMs in the M6 I believe) puts too much strain on the car. You can do it, but I would never do this on a regular basis. I would shift at 3000-3500RPMs, although I know ppl that shift before that at 2500-3000 and ppl that shift later at 3500-4500.
Any other opinions?
And yes what the manual suggests seems too low for me too
Dinu
I hope people don't get the false sense of security like some people do with 4WD in snow. TCS and 4WD only help provide traction when you're trying to accelerate, neither will be much help when you're cruising along and swerve suddenly to try to avoid an obstacle.
Also along these lines, ABS do not make you stop sooner, it allows you to brake AND steer to avoid an obstacle. Sometimes ABS can make the braking distance longer than non-ABS. It's amazing what some of the car marketing departments have led us to believe these days.
lag
I shift when it feels and sounds right and that depends on a complicated set of signals my brain sends to my appendages telling them to be in haulin' butt mode or good fuel economy mode or somewhere in between----it's continuously variable. Who needs an automatic transmission or the owner's manual deciding when you shift?
~alpha
When I needed to change the oil on our new Toyota Matrix about 6 months after introduction of the car, I had to get the filter at the dealer for about $7. Now I can get them anyplace for about $3-4 and they aren't unique to the Matrix either, even though they put "new" part numbers on the same filter used on most Toyotas. Just another corporate scam..
PLEASE do not get under a car that is on a jack. Use jack stands or ramps.. I've seen jacks collapse.. Or tilt to one side...
Does Mazda offer stability control on the 6?
The cheapest stability control option is on the VW Jetta, Golf, and Passat models. It's a mere $280. Nice price for such an important safety feature.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying no ABS is better than ABS, just that ABS is not a "wonder-feature". I am definitely getting this option in my next car. And the mazda6's ABS package includes EBD, which should also help stop better since it distributes the brake force to to get the optimum power on all wheels, unlike normal hydraulics, where the wheel that has the strongest hydraulic pressure in the lines gets the best grip. This scenario probably contributes to its share of warped rotors too (too much pressure centralized on one caliper)
I was already laughing when the "shiftpoint" question regarding the owners manual was even asked! Then your answer knocked me from my chair in hysterics!
Then I became very sad when so many thought you were serious!!!! I am surprised we didn't have a 50 post discussion on redlines!
Given that the Focus will now have the Mazda 2.3 liter engine, and it handles better, and rides as well as the 6 in my opinion (it is a tad noisier though), and you can custom order it anyway you want it (leather with ABS and Traction Control and a stick shift all together). It is also available as a wagon right now. I am starting to lean in that direction.
Only thing to wait for is reliability, which seems to be improving - we shall see how it fares when the next consumer reports reliabliity data comes out in December (it is first published in their new car preview magazine - prior to their anual auto issue in April).
Of course if you've ever been in the Protege room, you'll know that there have been numerous discussions on discs-vs-drums.
Any cool topics? Anyone?
I'll start: spoiler or no spoiler on the M6 sedan? I vote for a spoiler, although this is one of the VERY few cars that looks good even without one, like the A4 or 3/5-series.
Dinu
Besides, by that time, Mazda6 may already have some of the missing features that some people have been complaining about, such as navigation, stability control...etc.
When I bought my 2001 Protege ES, it came standard with a spoiler. I asked the salesman if they would swap trunk lids with another silver Protege without a spoiler, and they wouldn't do it because of brake light issues. I think the Protege looks better without a spoiler too.
fowler3