Mazda6 Sedan

markjenn

I think you guys are being a little overly dramatic.

Lots of new cars are sold with 300 miles for little or no discount over cars with 10 miles. Now true, this car is technically used, and what the dealer did is illegal, but whether it is fraud or not is a legal issue and depends on the circumstances.

You can chest beat all you want and some people would make a federal case out of this and perhaps make out better than this gentleman did. I probably would push to either be able to return the car for a refund, or get a modest cash settlement rather than free servicing. Heck, some would retain a lawyer, make a full time job of suing the dealer, and spend the next few years hoping they could retire on the settlement.

But if the car is running fine and you're happy with it, there is LOT to be said for moving on with one's life. It the final analysis, it's just a car.

- Mark

audia8q

markjenn and I have had some differences before but I think his suggestion on this issue is on target.Take the freebies, maybe push for some more and move on.....I think what happened here is questionable at best and the dealer did two step which isnt good under any circumstances......but the real questions is "how has the consumer been harmed?" I'm not sure we can document any loss to the consumer. Perhaps the consumer even ended up ahead of the game with the freebies.....

azstan

The dealer acted like a thief...maybe he is...anyway he got caugtht (this time).

Best thing that can be done is to advertise, on here and elsewhere, just who this dealer is and where he is located. That this dealer "misrepresented" a car as new when it was actually and legally "used". Wonder what other "shady' things this dealer has done over the years. I love cars, but I hate trying to buy one!

chikoo

ever given a thought?

it is becuase it has/had been used in circumstances that no one can ever claim with confidence.

how do u know how the car was treated in the 300 miles? was it revved and redlined(it was a sports pkg), maybe even made donuts with it on a open backroad.

a guy with bad credit, purchases a sports package, only to be "respossesed". To me this person appears to be one of the "bling..blang...tin..tinn" guys, who tried to get his hands on more than he could afford.

No way. squeeze the dealer for a refund. there are enough mz6s out there for good prices, epsecially with the 2003 clearance.

that is unless u r in love with ur car head over heels. in that case, forget it.

walterchan

Mazda safety ratings: The Mazda6 sedan and MPV minivanhave been awarded high marks by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for crash-test ratings. The 2003 Mazda 6 received five stars in frontal crash testing for both the driver and front seat pessenger. The 2003 MPV minivan also scored a perfect five-star rating for fronal occupant protection. The five-star rating indicates that there is a 10-percent, or less, chance of a serious injury in a frontal crash at 35 miles.

fowler3

and Chikoo's point should be taken, too. Most people who know they can not pay for their new cars and will be repro-ed usually drive them to extremes to get their kicks before they are gone.

fowler3

narenji

It had 542 miles on it, the dealer had sold it, tried to get it financed, but couldn't so took the car back. i saved about 1500 off the inv price of a similar new car. the car was 21.5k, and the invoice i believe was somewhere around 23k. oil changes and 30k service are worth crap. this is not an honest dealer, and i would go for more money and not deal with that dealer again. it is a used car, and the CA DMV issued it as such. the DMV fees have probably been paid too, so that should be a refund to you if it was included in your purchase contact. the fees were included in my contract, so i got a refund of $176 from the dealer, but it took some time.

the dealer lost money when he unwound the deal, and is trying to jip you. it not your fault he had to unwind the deal. that's the risk he takes be letting you walk out without fully securing the loan.

accord7

I've read a lot of comments from folks giving their viewpoint of the styling options of the 6. When I look at the cars from a football frame of mind, I see a fullback and a wide receiver. The 6 with sports package is definitely a muscled up fullback who can charge into the line and make everyone remember he's a tough guy! The non-sports 6 is the sleek, 4% body fat guy who can run like the wind. A real sprinter. So it's tough guy or sprinter. That's what I see.

carguy58

but has to have the spoiler and the netting on the grille. There is some kind of thing that I think comes optional on the 6 mustache grille that resembles a basketball netting material that I like on the 6 mustache grille. I saw the 6 up-close at a gas station I stopped in at. Beautiful beautiful car. I don't like the sport grille at all but its all about personal taste. I saw a white 6 with a spoiler last night. Has anybody else seen alot of 6's like I do or I'm I like the only one that sees some 6's sometimes?

chikoo

1. a rear wing spoiler
2. a rear bumper skirt

the flow lines of the car demand these 2 should be there, standard from the factory.

chikoo

are great. it definitely brightens the lower and increases the total coverage of the beams.

btw, anybody know what happened to the mazda6club? it went down the day NY experienced a blackout and came back up 4 days later, but without any forums.

glideslopes

1) AWD

2) Another 60hp

        : )

livaudais

That's a "must" list I can agree with!

CL

fowler3

I stopped by the Mazda dealer, where I brought my Protegé, to see the new RX-8s. They have 3 on the lot. Then I looked over the Mazda6 models still there.

There are four different rear bumpers:

(1) The standard bumper facias and round tailpipe finishers.

(2) The Sport Package ($900) has the front ground effects facia, the rocker panel trim, the less-flaired rear facia, the spoiler, and oval tailpipe finishers.

(3) The Appearence Package (didn't note the price) has the front add-on facia GFX, the rocker panel trim, the rear facia add-on skirt, and round tailpipe finishers.

(4) The Value Sport Package ($640) has the add-on facia from No.3, the rocker panel trim, a completely different facia with a recessed center section flanked by oval cutouts and oval tailpipe finishers. The reflectors have more fairing (recessed section) to them tapering towards the center. The standard reflectors are recessed just enough for the part.

The Spoiler was optional on No.3 and No.4.

And if you like the Sport Grille, Mazda has changed it on these last 2003 models. It now has holes in the horizontal bars that look terrible. They remind me of something out of a sci-fi movie, little gun ports for lasers. Each cross-bar has several in a row with tiny wind vanes streaking back from them.

There's so much going on with that grille you can't stop looking at it. It's aweful, and totally out of character with the MZ6 and the sport package options.

I've never seen a car offered with four rear end options. Thank God they didn't mess with the taillamps.

fowler3

fowler3

The mustache and mesh grille are standard on all models unless you opt for the Sports grille. The mesh is also in the bumper facia opening with simulated mesh (no holes) in the two end openings.
Most cars are now "bumper breathers" as car magazines say. Most cooling air for the radiator goes through the lower opening.

The absolute worst after-market grille I have seen was on a new Altima, the owner had installed a grille that looked like an auto parts store copy of the Lexus LS430 grille -- chrome plated -- all of it. Thankfully, it didn't have those 20" chrome plated alloys with jagged spokes, seemingly designed for ripping other cars' doors.

Maybe the tricked-up Sport grille on the Mazda6 was after-market, but why would a dealer buy a grille from outside Mazda Parts and install it?

fowler3

chikoo

AWD on the mz6 ... now that would be great, with added torque on the low end. 220hp is fine, save for bragging rights.

and the worst aftermarket grille is on the altima...the chrome wiremesh type....yuck

fowler3

One of the Protegé owners has silver wire mesh on his car and it looks pretty good, but it's a smaller opening. He made his from window screening, keeps bugs off the radiater.

fowler3

carguy58

Who needs 4 different bumpers as options? Mazda has too any optional body packages on this car. Its ridiculous. I see some 6's out where I live people must not mind all the optional body packages. I expect in 04 Mazda will do better with 6 sales. 6 sales have been good for the past 3-4 months.

A must have for the 6:

ABS Brakes as standard equipment and standard keyless entry on base model trim(That would be the 6I wouldn't?)

bostongio

There's a new review that was published yesterday in the Boston Globe about the Mazda 6s:

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/236/auto/Mazda_6_s_promises_ple- nty_of_driving_fun+.shtml

johnclineii

That thing says the wagon and hatch are due later this year. I sure hope it means calendar year, but I bet it doesn't.

joe2617

won't be here until sometime around March.
Carguy, keyless entry is standard on all Mazda6s, ABS is standard in the 6cyl. ABS will still be an option for 2004 I models.

microrepair

I was just going to post a note about that article wherein it says "convertible and hatch to appear late this year". What ??? When did this happen? No wagon, a convertible instead? I don't think so... At least I hope the wagon is still in the plan...

radocha

If I consider that I have to pay $960 for sport package but can get comparably optioned M6s for $1200 less (Appearance - $720, spoiler - $300, fog lights $250, discount - ($1500)), I have to ask myself a question if upgrade to 17" rims/wheels, red gages, and titanium pw switch panels are worth that $1200? I don't think so. Should we then think that discounting is purely driven by demand, and if so, then do buyers do any math at all? I know that availability is a key factor...but it just makes me wonder. With Mazda incentives scheduled to be updated on 09/02, what changes should we expect if any, on 2003 M6...any insights?

justin

saw the perfect car yesterday. drove it on the highway AND winding back roads. a 2003 6s, Sepang Green with beige leather, heated seats, moonroof, and automatic. quoted price is $21800 plus tax and processing fee.

think after Labor Day weekend there will be more rebates?

joe2617

Don't expect any changes in the Mazda6 incentives for September. There are no 2003s available from the factory and inventory on dealer's lots is low also.

carguy58

a white M6 today with the sport grille, spoiler and clear tailights today. First time I saw clear tail lamps on the 6. I think I like the regular ones better though after the seeing the clear-on tailights.

livaudais

With the exception of the transmission, I bought your perfect car. 2600 miles later, it's still perfect.

CL

justin

does that price sound okay to you?

what month was yours built? this one was born on 7/03. when were the first 6s built at Flat Rock, anyone know?

want to make sure the car is at the end of the production cycle - hopefully no bugs at that point. the dealer couldn't confirm if the Sepang green is being killed for 04 or not....

seaf

Sepang green M6's are pretty much later built, since that color wasn't available when M6 came out first in North america.

Also I wouldn't expect the incentives to get better after 9/2 (either the same, or less). since M6's are steadily selling better (it's catching on slowly) in the recent months, so Mazda would like to make as much money as possible on each sale. Whereas before people just wouldn't buy M6s compared to the competition. I'd say if you want to get a 2003, the safest bet is before 9/2, since that's when the current incentive plan is over. If they were going to extend it, it would've been announced already. I remember when the previous plan was about to expire 7/31, a couple of weeks before mazda announced the new deadline 9/2.

justin

good advice! thanks.

microrepair

So... Which is it to be? Or will they have both??

livaudais

My car was built in May. I'm trying to think of anything it has that you didn't mention...it does have the auto-dim mirror, which is a nice feature (and one the dealer can install).

Make your best deal and go for it :-)

CL

stretchsje

Has anyone seen ashu? He's supposed to have signed up to autocross Sept 14th at FedEx field. Anyone else in the DC area interested? It's at autocrossers.org, and so far 5 6's are signed up. Should be a fun time- we're all rookies.

ashutoshsm

after a busy weekend. I've responded to posts etc, Stretch.

Call off the hounds, already!

seaf

racing your own MZ6's? If so, isn't that brutal on your car?

ian2

Just remember this: slow and steady wins the race

stretchsje

Autocrossing is designed to be low-risk to both the car and the driver. It usually features a 45-60 second course- its too short to have any real effect on a properly maintained car, save for the tires. It's the same thing Mazda did all spring and summer with the RevItUp event, and all those cars held together doing continuous duty every weekend for something like 16 weeks!

justin

i know that the 626 and Ford Contour used to be made in the same plant in Michigan. is that the plant that now builds the 6? is Mazda/Ford planning on introducing a Ford car that shares the Mazda platform?

going back to the dealer again tonight...

fowler3

A few weeks ago we were talking about the difference between a mast antenna and the wire in the rear glass. The wire is really metal flake suspended in paint and printed on the glass,same as the defrost wires.

I had a 1997 and a 1998 Accord with the printed antenna which did poorly in receiving distant stations, if at all. My 2001 Protegé has a steel mast antenna which does beautifully pulling in two distant stations I like to listen to. I moved to NC from Virginia and can still listen to Q99FM, over 115 miles north. Also, I listen to an NPR station 99.1FM in Durham, over 60 miles to the east.
Printed antennas could not pull in these stations.

The 2004 Mazda6 is suppose to have the roof-mounted Euro antenna. Should make reception much better.

fowler3

chikoo

but ruins the flow of the cars smooth lines.

mazdafun

Depends on how it's styled.

Good designers will experiment with location as well as the antenna design itself to maximize sensitivity.

Though, in general, I've noticed a mast antenna will usually better an in-glass antenna in terms of reception.

ian2

I called up the body shop today and they quoted me $2800 for the repairs, which include replacing the bumper cover, quarter panel, straightening the floor pan and whatnot, replacing the tail lights, and repainting the rear door! I don't recall the lights being broken and they said since there was a scratch on the door so they're repainting it. Isn't that a bit of a overkill?! Will the paint fade differently if they do that?

johnclineii

Be sure to get more than one estimate. Before you had the collision, you had what amounted to a brand new car. If the car is not properly repaired, you may have significant problems later on. Good body shops know what they are doing.

Who is paying for the repair? If it is an insurance company, you can virtually be sure they won't be overpaying!

pzev

If you go to MazdaUSA and go under the upcoming section to the Mazda3 and click on the blue hatchback it will reveal some more features, pictures, etc. for the Mazda3. Looks as if Navigation and HID will be available options, along with a tire-pressure monitor. I think this pretty much confirms that the Mazda6 will receive the same, either at the beginning of the model year or when the wagon and hatchback are released. It's like the Corolla and Civic having HID and Navigation but the Camry and Accord not having it. Just doesn't make any sense.

johnclineii

Huh? We are talking Mazda here. Did someone say Mazda and options making sense? Say it isn't so! Then again, there is a new administration. We can hope.

pzev

Yeah I can see it now. Dealerships have the fully decked out Mazda3's with Navigation, HID, etc. sitting in the showroom. Some guy looks at it. "That navigation system is pretty cool, I think I might want that. Do you have any Mazda6's equipped with one?" "Uh sorry sir, the Mazda6 is unavailable with a navigation system and no HID's either." This is suicide, Mazda better put these on the Mazda6 and quick.

seaf

I would definitely think the 2004 MZ6 would have at least the Mazda3 features. If Mazda doesn't do it, then I believe pigs can fly.

twillia

I am not sure if anyone has posted this, but on the Mazda USA web site, they have posted 2004 pricing for the 6 and its accessories:

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/pricing_update/2004_M6_pricin- g_update.pdf?vehicleCode=MZ6

Tony

johnclineii

Yeah, and it confirms that the ONLY way to get side airbags and curtains is with the sport package (okay) AND the moonroof (NOT okay, by me).

I thought Mazda had learned its lesson on silly option packaging. The only way to get what should be basic safety equipment is to take a headroom reducing possible leak causing sunroof?

I hope they don't do this to the wagon/hatchbacks.

qddave

the 6 is built in Flat Rock, MI, a plant owned by AAI. It's sort of a joint venture thing between Ford and Mazda, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, Ford is spawning off at least 10 vehicles from the Mazda 6 platform. Most notably will be the Ford Futura (Taurus replacement) and the Mercury Montego (Sable Replacement) These are both expected for the 2006 Model Year. Others include the 2006 MPV, a Ford/Mercury/Lincoln Crossover, and yes, possibly even the next Mustang. It may sound weird, but I was talking to one of my managers yesterday (I work in the automotive industry) and he mentioned that the Mustang, which WILL be built in Flat Rock, may be based on the 6 platform, and not the DEW98 (Lincoln LS/Thunderbird) platform. Not positive though.