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On one hand, any car sitting on a lot with more than 10-or-so miles on it has been driven by someone, probably for test drives, and people who test drive cars seldom are religiously observing break in requirements. One Subaru dealer I know just hands the keys to complete strangers and let's them go alone - I would never buy a car off the lot at this dealership. You have no idea that the driver does to the car - I'm sure some fraction drive the car to its limits for an entire test drive which can't be good for the car.
On the other hand, break-in these days is generally not critical to a car's long-term health - it is more a statistical thing where a good break-in increases your chances of an engine that will run well N of 100K miles or that will not use any oil at 50K. There is also some evidence that engines that are driven harder when new tend to make better power and run better at high power, so it is not clear cut. And all cars these days are started/stopped numerous times during transport and the guys who ferry the cars are animals - they don't care about break-in, they just want to move the cars as rapdily as possible. So its not something to be anal about. Dealers used to have demos, but these days, driving new inventory is pretty much universal among dealerships.
If I'm buying a new car off the lot, then I can see the mileage and adjust my offer according - if a car has 150 miles on it, I won't offer as much as a car with 10 miles on it. But if I've ordered a car, then I would expect less than 10 miles and tell the salesman that the car is not to be driven except as required for pre-delivery. I let them know that I will not accept the car if it has more than token miles. If you order a car, there is no reason for anyone to be driving it for test drives.
If the dealer is trading cars with another dealer to find one for you, I'd always tell the salesman to get the mileage of the traded car. I got burned once where a dealer found me a car 200 miles away and when it arrived it had over 300 miles. I went ahead with the deal but I was not happy about it. And the engine in this car didn't sound that great at 50K miles - it has what sounded to me like some piston slap or valve train clatter.
- Mark
With my 6s however, I was much more concerned over "Test Drive Mileage" given the nature of the vehicle. Test drives on a MZ6 are going to be different than a Camary or Impala. I was fortunate to find my 6 with 1.5 miles on it. It had 19 miles after my test drive, and 19.3 when I took delivery. I know the dealer I purchased from has specific vehicles for individuals who come in to simply drive a 6.
If a vehicle is ordered it should not have more than 5 miles on it at delivery. There is nothing weird about desiring a new automobile with mileage as low as would be expected for the situation.
Mark. : )
1. 6-cd changer $418 + 120labor
2. Fog Lamps $188 + 160labor
3. compass/dimming mirror $124 + 200labor
Do you think this is fair price?
Has anyone added to the base stereo system after market by adding an amplifier or sub woofer? Wondering cost and difficulty...it's too late for me perhaps. (had to get my 6 before the incentives ended 7/31/03).
Chrome package: Someone in my business park has a 6S with the Chrome Package. I personally find it tasteless, but to each his own. I actually prefer the 'high' spoiler in the Sport Pkg. to the chrome 'finisher', as Mazda calls it.
Oval: I tried to figure out what that was in the dash as well. I thought it was for the AC button on 4cyl models (since they don't have the auto climate control), but it's not. I asked the dealer when I test drove, and he gave me some half whitted answer. I don't remember what it was now actually.
New car miles: My 01 Protege had 2 miles (yes, 2) when I took delivery. My 02 VW Jetta had 119 (it was traded from a West VA dealership to a MD one, so the price sticker said). My 03 PT Cruiser had 34 miles on it, all from test drives according to the dealer.
I recently purchased a Mazda 6 at 7 miles.. It has about 50 on it now. I guess you could say I've been pretty gentle with it..I've driven the speed limits..etc..allowed it to change etc.. There have been a few times I have tested its acceleration and its brakes...and pressed on the pedal somewhat to make sure it can do it...and that it can handle the somewhat rapid acceleration.. So this is basically the normal procedures; drive it like a normal car..and then every once in a while give it a kick.. I did switch the cruise on once..for a few seconds..to just make sure it works, etc... What do you all recommend.. THanks.
My cloth seats are terrible, the front passenger side seat is frayed badly at the bottom and the sides. Went to the dealership to complain and they said a Mazda rep will have to come by to check it out to make a decision whether to replace the seat. The driver seat has a little as well but not to the same degree. Still waiting for the call from the dealership at which time they better replace it. Apparently the dealer has had the same complaint from one other owner.
Even if it's replaced I think I may go for aftermarket leather as these seats are also a pain to brush dirt off as well which is frequently when you have kids.This is the only pet peeve I have with the car. My friend just got a new Corolla and I found the fabric in that car to be much higher quality even though it's a cheaper car.
I agree. I sat in a Corolla and immediately noticed how comfortable the seats felt and how nice the cloth was. It took me maybe 30 seconds to move the seat around to a comfortable position. One bad thing though. The steering wheel is too far away when the seat is pushed back all the way, and that alone would probably keep me from buying one. It needs a telescopic steering wheel desperately.
The Mazda6 on the other hand was uncomfortable. I immediately noticed the quality of the cloth and thought it was worse than the Corolla and also the Protege. The seats were very uncomfortable and I spent 5-10 minutes trying to get comfortable and simply couldn't. I didn't have a chance to sit in a leather version so not sure if that would make a difference. I'm starting to think I would be more comfortable in the same seats but with better cloth or leather. The cloth to me is probably one of the few, if only, flaws of this car. Otherwise it's a great car. Also in pictures except for a couple of high quality ones I saw, the interior always looked cheap to me. When I got to sit in one for real I was impressed with the quality of the Mazda6 interior. Very nice plastic and overall nice quality. I'm not a big fan of the carbon-trim stuff but the interior was definitely nice and of high quality.
The best seats I've ever sat in was the G35 Coupe. Those sport seats are awesome, and definitely more comfortable than the G35 sedan seats, although I didn't have much problem with them either. Overall I think the Mazda6 interior is a little nicer than the G35 Coupe, but Mazda needs to do something with that cloth, that is definitely one of its weak points.
By the way, anyone ever seen a Mazda6 built in Japan before? Do they have the exact same quality cloth in the Japanese-made versions?
Also I've heard that you should change the oil early on, by 1,000 miles or so. Supposedly this helps clean out the engine so you might want to consider that as well. Mostly I've heard though you don't want to switch to synthetic that early on, wait until 5,000 miles or so.
And I've heard the normal stuff about the engine already being broken in and that they push it hard at the factory before it's delivered to you and stuff like that. Again not sure if that's true or not, basically I would follow the owner's manual to play it safe, but that's just me. Although I would consider changing the oil early on by 1,000 miles instead of waiting for 5,000, but again that's me and it may not be necessary. The others in here are more knowledgeable about this stuff than me so maybe they can give you better information.
The leather is firmer and more slippery than the cloth. However, I have the manually adjustable seats, not the automatic cloth let alone the leather. I've never been able to find a more comfortable position that in the manual cloth seats. I've never gotten the dreaded numb butt either.
I'm planning to get an AT 6i with Premium package, ABS, cassette player, wheel locks, cargo net and mats. The dealer offers me $19095 before any rebates, and I get 1500 cash back, 1250 loyalty and 500 grad discounts. So it seems like this first quote is below invoice. Is there something fishy going on here?
I read somewhere here (I forgot which board) that dealers are being offered thousands in incentives to sell the 6's. Is this true? If so, should I negotiate more?
Any help on this will be appreciated. I am planning to buy either today or tomorrow.
You should avoid SUSTAINED high speed driving for at least the first 1,000 . Try to vary RPM as much as possible. Try to avoid full throttle starts, or long periods of full throttle operation during the first 1,000.
IMO you should change out the factory oil and filter at 500-1,000 miles. Then again at 3,000. After that I would run Dino to 6,000 and then change out to synthetic. IMO the K&N oil filter is the best on the market.
These are simply my opinions. There are dozens of opinions on new vehicle break-in. These have worked well for me.
Mark. : )
And watch out for those add-on paperwork fees. They don't pay the girl in the office $450 to type up the Bill of Sale. Some call it "advertising costs", both of which should be worked into the price.
If the dealer says he won't sell the car unless you pay the fees go to another dealer.
The $520 delivery charge everyone pays.
Suggestion, don't buy the 6 until you get a firm price and let us know.
fowler3
It is nice knowing that I'm the sole driver and I'm putting on the initial mileage right from the start. It now has 172 miles so far. I'm taking it easy, being gentle with it, but sometimes I forget and I catch myself zooming around in spite of myself. This car can be deceptively fast, I'm going to have to be very careful. I haven't had a speeding ticket in several years and I would hate to get one now.
I am loving this car, I really like the leather seats, they are very comfortable and not as hot as I anticipated, even though I have the black leather. It hasn't been extremely hot here lately, so maybe that's why.
Little things I wish I had on my 6:
1) Automatic headlights (my Camry had these)
2) Hydraulic struts for hood (my Camry had this too)
3) A smaller turning circle (it is pretty wide - is it even wider with the 17" tires?)
4) Better gas mileage (though it's too early in the game to tell, it seems like I've used up a lot of gas for the miles I've driven - this will probably improve with time, though)
Little things I love about my 6:
1) The courtesy lights on the doors
2) The way the lights slowly come on when you open the door
3) How quickly the A/C cools the car
4) The circular air vents
5) The remote trunk release (my Camry did not have this)
6) The handle in the trunk to make it easier to close (my Camry didn't have this either)
7) The storage cubby on top of the dashboard
8) The neat little portfolio for the owners manual
9) The double storage in the center console
10) The solid "thunk" when you close the door
11) The outer door handles that make it so easy to open the door
12) The leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter (feels very nice to your hands)
These are just the small daily delights that I've experienced so far. I could go on and on. This list doesn't include the big things like the incredible handling, smooth ride, quiet engine, excellent brakes and awesome sound system. I've even enjoyed using the Sport Shift from time to time. Not to mention the sheer beauty of it, especially the gorgeous blue color, further enhanced by the sport grille. This last statement is JMHO, based on my car. I simply love the looks of it, color, sports package, everything.
This is still my first week, but so far, I am very happy with my 6 and don't regret selling my Camry to get it. As my lists above indicate, I've lost very little and gained so much.
For the past few years, I thought that hand washing was better for your car's paint and finish. I thought that the automatic places could damage and scratch your car, so I began to avoid them, only going a few times in the past 4 years. I thought I was doing myself (and my car) a favor by paying extra to have it professionally hand washed.
Today, I read some articles on the Net that contradicts this. On carwashes.com and lubbockautos.com I read articles that extol the virtues of automatic car washes. Though this flies in the face of what I've come to believe, some of their logic makes sense. They maintain that automatic car washes are better than hand washing because:
1) Automatic washes use cleaner water, not contamimated by dirt collected in the water, sponges, etc.
2) Higher water pressure is used to clean the car, than what you would get with a water hose
3) Better, biodegradable cleaning solutions are used
4) Auto washes are better at cleaning the undercarriage and other hard-to-clean areas that may be prone to rust
5) Auto washes use half as much water as hand washes and disposes of used water in a less polluting manner
6) Auto washes are faster, as well as kinder to the environment (due to proper water disposal and cleaning solutions used)
These are very good points, which have caused me to reconsider my stance on automatic car washes vs hand washing. I'm still concerned about damage, though both websites maintain that the professional automatic washes do not cause damage to your car unless there's a problem with the equipment. I think one of the sites says that it's actually safer for your car's finish because of the points listed above.
I'm not totally convinced about this. In fact, I was wondering who sponsored these sites and if there was a bias there. But some of these points make sense, so I'm reconsidering my view on this. I want to start out right, keeping my 6 clean without damaging the paint. What do you guys think about this? What are the preferred methods for cleaning your cars? Why?
When you hand wash the car always use a clean mitt and rinse it with the hose after each wipe and never put it back into the clean soapwater so no dirt can accumalate on the mitt. Wash it once gently, rinse and then do it again. Use a different sponge for the rims. Never use a circular motion when washing just go side to side to avoid swirl marks and then hand dry it with a chamois or the like with the same gentle motion.
I would wax every 6 to 8 weeks(what to use is a whole new topic and don't wax in a circular motion for the same reason as above)and if you really want it beautiful go to a detailer once a year and have them use a clay bar, polish and wax.
Since I got my car in March I've only hand washed almost weekly and waxed it 3 times and I consistently get complimented on how it looks like I just bought it yesterday. I don't know about the pollution thing with the car washes but hey the emissions from your car would be doing alot worse than any cleaner. If you don't have winter then I would always hand wash. If it's done weekly your car will sparkle for years to come.
One thing about road salt on your car in the winter is never park it in the garage if there has been an accumalation of salt. When it gets above freezing which it tends to do in the garage the salt will eat at your paint, you're better off leaving it outside as long as it remains below zero. A friend who is a detailer says minimal damage will occur to the paint if it stays cold.
So what causes these, if there's nothing wrong in the end? What a pain in the you-know-what.
Tightening the gas cap doesn't turn off the light- it needs 50 consecutive error-free on/off cycles for that to happen.
My CEL has been the gas cap every time, and every time it's been with 3/4 to 1/2 a tank.
When my husband filled the tank and then put the cap on, he tightened it until it clicked like 2 or 3 times. What does one have to do to do it "right"?
The service guy called me back and I'm supposed to take it in for 8:15 tomorrow morning. Do they just do a diagnostic and reset some computer chip or something, if that's what's causing it?
My car's getting a little dirty as it hasn't been washed in about 2-1/2 weeks. Not filthy by any means, but you can notice water spots from sprinklers and rain showers, etc. when you get up close. And bug guts, etc. on the bumper and mirror backs. I wanted to run it thru a carwash until we get a nice weekend to wash the car by hand, but don't get how the touchless ones work.
Also - does the carwash "wax" feature really protect? I mean, when you have your car detailed, or wax it yourself by hand, you don't put wax on your windshield and windows. Cuz your wipers would smear the heck outta it when you had to use them if it rained, etc, wouldn't they? So if carwashes have the "wax" feature in them, just how good is that wax? It obviously covers the entire car, but your wipers never smear after that stuff is applied. Does that "wax" really do anything for your car? Is it worth it?
To reset the CEL, disconnect the battery.
>:-(
As for undercarriage, I go through the auto washes in the winter once in a while to rinse off the salt from the underbody (something that's hard to do yourself). And the wax from the auto car washes don't last very long, maybe 2-4 weeks, but they're convenient in the winter for extra protection. And they don't smear the glass, as matter of fact, waxing the windshiled helps water bead and roll off during rain so you don't even need to use the wipers above 50 mph. (this in effect is how some of those rain windshield treatments work.
Meade
Potential 6 owner -- now setting sights on Mazda3
(Or maybe I'll just keep my 2000 Protege with 60,300 miles on it that's been absolutely perfect)
No need either to head for the shoulder when it comes on. It's just telling you that the computer has detected a potential problem and you should get it checked when convenient.
Most of these systems do reset after a certain time or a certain number of start cycles provided the thing that caused the fault isn't still present. Typically it is a few cycles, not 50, but it depends on the fault. You can get a reset if you remove the battery or pull the right fuse for a period, but you'll lose the memory stored for what the fault is which is a big clue if you do have a serious problem, so I wouldn't recommend this. Just take it in - it's probably no big deal.
- Mark
I've tried moving the seat around, adjusting all the settings (non-auto seat), but that hasn't solved the problem. My husband sat in the back seat and listened for a while, and he thinks it might be coming from the joint at the bottom of the seat back, where it connects to the seat pan.
Has anyone else had this happen in their 6? I must say that it's quite irritating,and a little disappointing, that a brand new car would so quickly sound like the seats are about to break. Is this something that should be covered under the warranty? I've never owned a new car before, and the closest dealer is over 30 miles away, so I don't want to waste my time driving down there if they can't help.
Meade
(Edit: As if to help me prove my point, the previous post slipped in while I was responding to the one prior to it!)
"another Mazda/Ford product"
The Mazda B-series is not a Mazda/Ford product. It's a Ford product. I think Mazda designed the headlights, grill, and Mazda stickers on that truck. I'm sure those pieces were trouble free. The rest is Ford, and if you had something against Ford, you shouldn't have bought it, and you should have known better.
I guess I'll find out tomorrow!
Side note: My trunk mat and cargo organizer arrived today!
I had an episode of CEL coming on in my 1999 honda civic this winter due to bad gasoline additives I put in (stupid me). I reset the battery and the light went away, I would've taken it in if the light came on again, but it didn't. This was from a car that I never had any trouble with in the 4 years I've owned it. Just to show that the CEL does not indicate any major quality problems with cars.
That's the problem ... I didn't. Until I owned a product made by them. Ever heard of "once bitten, twice shy"?
And exqueeze me folks, but it appears more than TWO people have experienced this CEL problem. It DOES make one think twice when, once a month for several months, he checks into this discussion and sees ongoing posts about CEL illuminations and (what appears to be) many owners taking their new cars back to the dealership. OK?
Meade
(well, I'll be fair. My 2000 ES had a recalled ignition coil module, but I never had a problem and to this day don't know why, nor can I get anyone to explain why, it was recalled!)
Still, after rock-solid reliability, comfortable seats, no rattles, faultless construction, etc., and now reading about CELs, rattles and seat issues, it just doesn't seem very Mazda-esque!
But please ... talk amongst yourselves. I'll shut up and sit back and keep studying you guinea pigs ...
Meade
Now, the "death rattle" from my Protege's engine WAS annoying, but it was fixed at the dealership.