Mazda6 Sedan

azorglub

I used to have a 2002 Accord EX 4 cyl, and like the horsepower, but felt the need for a 5 speed tranny when going up to the mountains and the car loaded.

How do the 4 cyl MZ6 owners feel on this board? Also, any chance of a 5 spd A/T on the 2005 models (4 cyl)?

And overall, how does the 6i compare to the Accord 4 cyl for those who have driven both?

ramped

The consensus among those who have driven both the 4-cylinder MZ6 and Accord seems to be that the Accord's engine is a little more polished and powerful. The Mazda 4 is good, but it doesn't produce much low-end torque and may feel sluggish to some drivers until it winds up. Honda's 4 makes a little more torque at lower RPMs. Combined with the 5-speed transmission, it is probably the better choice if you choose strictly by the drive train. The MZ6 is the better handling car.

Rich would know more about the 5-speed automatic availability in the 6i next year. I believe he has posted that the 6s will be available with a 6-speed automatic for 05.

If you plan on doing a lot of mountain driving, or carrying a full load, you might want to think about getting a 6s, or the Accord V-6. Both are great cars.

mazda6s

ramon1

I move over because courteous and safe driving requires the slower trafffic to keep to the right.

ramon1

I test-drove a loaded Mazda 6 (V6, sport pkg, etc). I was very unimpressed with the Bose audio and cannot understand the good review it got from Edmunds.

I would rather order the cheap stereo (as long as it came with the steering wheel controls) and replace it with a good after-market system.

Does anyone agree? Suggestions?

eforeman

I am seriously considering purchase of a Mazda 6 5-door, but I won't be ready to buy before tomorrow and that is the date when the current $1500 incentive is set to expire. It that incentive likely to be extended for July? I hope so because otherwise I will probably pass on the 6.

As an extension of the question above on the Bose Stereo system in the 6, is it really that bad for the masses or only for people who know that the Sydney Opera House is Sydney?

azorglub

Ramped and Mazda6s, thanks for the feedback. I'll take it into account when choosing.

ericzoom

I agree with you. It isn't the best sounding audio system,considering it's Mazda's "upgraded system".

ramped

eforeman: The $1,500 rebate has been in effect for several months, and it is unlikely that Mazda is going to remove it this late in the model year. However, only Mazda knows for sure, so if you really need the rebate you may want to consider acting this week.

ramon: I am no audiophile, so to me the Bose unit and stock units both sound fine. It may be a little more difficult to swap out the stereo unit in the MZ6 than it is in some other cars because of the way the console is constructed. I believe that discussion happened here about a year ago, so you may want to do a search and see if that information turns up.

cheesehead6

Haven't driven the Accord, so I can't compare. I can say something about the 6i MT in the mountains. Earlier this month I completed a long road trip which included one full day of mountain driving. The car indeed.

These were the Appalachians and not the Rockies. The 6i MT is adequately powered for those mountains with that load. It never really pooped, I never felt compelled to drop it into 4th, although I did so once or twice, and in cruise control at 70-75 on W. VA interstates it never faltered. I suspect that with more luggage and four or five adults it might have pooped out more.

I wouldn't recommend the 6i automatic for mountain driving with heavy loads. The 6i MT can get more HP to the wheels than the auto. From 0-60 on the flat it's almost as fast as the 6s auto. So it depends on *which* 6i you're talking about, the weight of your load and the size of the mountains.

Whichever model you settle on, whether it's the 4 or 6, a manual would be better if you are willing to drive one.

cheesehead6

Something got lost in the first paragraph of my post. Dunno why. This is what I meant to say:

The load was 2 adults weighing about 320 lbs plus 80 lbs. of luggage. The 2.3 MT was fine in the Appalachians with that load. With just a driver alone in the car you're super good for the eastern mountains.

Another thought: Mazda will be dropping the gears on the 4 MT if you wait for the '05 models. This should make the 2.3 feel more mountain-capable, although at the cost of 1 MPG.

newcar31

"From 0-60 on the flat it's almost as fast as the 6s auto."

The only test I've seen of the 6i MTX was in Car and Driver, and according to their numbers, the 6i MTX is a couple ticks quicker than any of the numbers I've seen for the 6s auto.

Like I've said before, the 6i MTX is just as quick as the last generation Accord and Camry V6 automatic models, and I don't think too many people were calling those cars underpowered or sluggish.

azorglub

Thanks for the feedback.

BTW, I don't regularly drive the car to the mountains, especially since we now have a Tahoe (yeah, one of these behemoths, ), but that was sort of my litmus test with the Accord. Car will be primarily a commuter, but might double up as a family hauler in the week-end when we don't want to feed our beast $2.20 a gallon gas (welcome to SF Bay Area). When we had the Accord, I wished we had a gear between 3rd and 4th for those long hills when driving with kids, but it's not the end of the world.

Right now, I have a Nissan Altima 2.5S rental car, and while impressed by the engine, I'm not too enthused by the rest of the car, and that's another story.

I don't plan on buying a 6 cyl because of gas consumption and price premium which I can't justify on a second car, although it'd be nice.

Finally, while I drove stick shift for years, I don't plan on going back to it as it's too much of a pain when you're stuck in traffic, which of course happens quite regularly out here.

I'll try out both cars when I'm ready, and will wait for the 2005 models anyhow.

grahamb

6s Manual - 6.8
6s Auto - 7.65
6i Manual - 8.15

I got these times from:
http://www.car-videos.com/performance/

newcar31

I am talking about actual road tests. I checked that site out, and they don't even test the vehicles, they use a simulator to get test numbers.

So far, the only 0-60 time I've seen from a reputable source for the 6i MT is 7.9, but I've seen quite a few 0-60 times for the 6s auto and they are around 8.2 seconds.

cheesehead6

New Car:
The problem is that there may be no tests on both vehicles from the *same* reputable source.

That would ensure comparability and lead to a firm conclusion. It was *Car & Driver* that coaxed a 7.9 out of a 6i MT, but I don't think they've ever tested a 6s--either manual or auto. The general consensus is that a 6i MT can hold its own with a 6s AT--and I've even repeated the mantra a few posts up--but there is, after all, a difference of 60 HP between these engines. It's a little hard to believe that a 6s AT loses so much between the flywheel and the wheels that it has to struggle to beat a 160 HP vehicle, albeit with a manual. It may very well be true, but the data isn't completely solid.

Not that it matters to me, a 6i MT owner. Gas mileague is great. I use it as a daily driver, and the only thing I cared about was whether it could merge briskly onto a freeway. That it does. On an on-ramp you can scream up to 70MPH in third gear--or even 4th if you keep up the revs--right quick. I'm a flatlander, so performance in the mountains is not a concern for me, but I was pleased, as I said, with how well the 6iMT did in the eastern mountains with 2 adults and 80 or 90 lbs of luggage in the trunk.

You'll never be the quickest kid on the block with a 6i--or even a 6s for that matter. Mazda is not putting out HP/Torque monsters like Nissan these days. But the output is good enough, comparable, as you said, to the last generation of Camry and Accord V6s. And Mazdas, I might add. My last car, which my wife now drives around town, is a '99 626 ES with a 170 HP 2.5 liter V6 engine. It runs (best) on premium gas and is geared lower, so there's a different feel to the way it drives, but I don't feel that I've gone from a V6 HP/Torque monster to a 4 cylinder dog. Quite the reverse.

grahamb

I realize those 0-60 times i originally quoted were a little suspect after I posted them. They don't test the cars. They just use weight, power and gearing to estimate the times.

Car and Driver did test a 6s manual. They got 6.8 in it's first test. Then they got a long term car. That did 6.4 when they first got it and 6.9 after 40,000 miles. they think it may have dropped due to tire wear.

some guys on another Mazda 6 message board are getting around 7.5-7.6 on a stock 6s auto after really getting the hang of the manual feature. That's using a G-Tech Pro to measure those times.

harddrivet

I read somehwhere that the 2005's will have a sirius stereo in place of the one now (which I think is delco, not so sure though). In any case if you do get a new stereo you may want to make sure it has XM Radio capabilities since that will be the audio rage in 2005 (my prediction :-))).

newcar31

"The problem is that there may be no tests on both vehicles from the *same* reputable source."

I realize that. I was responding to your comment about the 6i MTX being almost as fast as a 6s auto. The numbers that we DO have don't show that to be true, but you're right, the numbers that we have aren't from the same source on the same day......so I don't think you can make the comment about the 6i MTX being almost as fast as the 6s auto....because there isn't a comparison test between the two.

"but there is, after all, a difference of 60 HP between these engines."

That difference narrows considerably when you hook both cars up to a dyno. The 6i MTX puts almost as much hp to the wheels as the 6s auto, but it's lighter.

cheesehead6

Ah yes, dyno evidence. Didn't think about that. Seems to make the case you've been arguing. They have to be close in view of this. That's cool...

sweetsixteen

Ive been following the car I want to get on mazdausa.com, and of last night msrp was 26.5k. Now after doing "maintenence" on the website the price jumped 300$. Is this a glitch or did mazda feel like jacking the prices for july.

audia8q

mazda had a price increase on July 1st on most 2004 models.

accord7

I think Mazda is applying 80% of their 2005 model price increases now. This way they can raise the price just slightly in October. Since they are adding more airbags, new auto tranny and a few other mods, they are trying to prevent the appearance of a single large price increase. Better to do it in smaller increments. I expect a larger rebate on the 2004 M6 also, so they will recoup $300 of that back with the price increase now.

harddrivet

When do you think that larger rebate will occur and how much?
Thanks

accord7

According to Mazda's website, their current incentive program ends Jul 5. They could increase the rebate then, but I doubt it. In my opinion, I don't think they will increase the rebate until August or September, and that depends on how much inventory needs to be cleared out before the 2005's are delivered.

mazda6s

I think it's a safe bet that there will be rebates on the 04 models once the 05 models hit the lots.

harddrivet

There will also be less cars to choose from as time goes on. I think they usually stop production before July.

maxamillion1

I am curious to know of what changes are going to occur.

Thanks in advance.

fowler3

Sirius is a competitor to XM Radio, the latter made by Delphi. Both are satellite systems.

The long term 6s report is in the June 2004 issue of C&D.

fowler3

maxamillion1

I looked back over some older posts and I saw all of the changes that are going to be made for the 2005 Models.

My question is this, what is the difference betweent the Grand Touring and the Sport model?

Do they both include the Sport Pkg or what? I am not particularly crazy about the Sport pkg.

I am starting school next month (Freshmen in College) and I will be able to afford another new car by the end of next year.

Thanks in advance for any information that you can provide.

PF_Flyer

Be sure to check out our Town Hall chat lineup for Tuesday evenings... First up, talk the latest in new automotive technology during the Hybrid Vehicles Chat from 5-6pmPT/8-9pm ET

Hybrid Vehicles Chat Room

Immediately following at 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET, we keep the chat party going with the Mazda Mania chat.

Mazda Mania Chat Room

The Town Hall chats are a great place to take these message board topics LIVE. Hope to see you there this week!

PF Flyer
Host
Pickups & News & Views Message Boards

flyingcar

I would like to buy a 2004 Mazda6(4 cyl).
Does this car stays straight and stable in a windy day when driving on the freeway? Or does it "swing" and "dance" on a freeway during the windy day? Thanks A lot for answering my question.

meeshu

2004Mazda6 4cyl 5spd man. I've had my 6 for three months, and today is the 22nd day it has been in the shop in since June 8th. The check engine light came on and the car seemed to falter occasionally. Mazda replaced the runnervalves (they said their was a recall on them...was there?), cleared the codes and said I was good to go. My car has been in twice since, same problem. The dealer said it is going to replace the wiring harness, and that should end the problem. Is this a major project? As it stands now I dont even want the car, but it has yet to fulfill the criteria for Lemon arbitration. The dealers service mgr said only a district mgr can OK a release of a new car. Is this BS. Any feedback would be apreicated, because this situation is stressing me and I no longer trust that Dealer service mgr. Phew.Thanks

ericzoom

I've also had my car 3 months and "knock on wood" it's been pretty good.I have a 2004 6S V6 auto and as far as I know there has not been any recalls on the runner valves.The latest recall was the PCM/ECM updates for emissons.Good luck.

baggs32

Any updates on how the Michelin Pilots are wearing? More specifically, those wrapped around the 17" wheels that come with the sport pkg. What's your rotation interval? What do pressure do you keep them at? Are you and agressive driver (I know, that's a stupid question)? How many miles/years/months on them?

Given the price of replacements I'm just curious as to how they are wearing.

likaglov

Ericzoom: I have the same car (04-6sAT) and have had it for three months as well. I'm taking it to the dealer next week for my first service, but have not heard of a PCM upate for emissions. Do you know if it is regional? (I live in NC). Did you hear about it from Mazda, from your dealer, or from here? I believe there are PCM updates needed for the transmission (I've had the cold stall issue) but the dealer is giving me the run around. Do you happen to know the details of your PCM update (like revision number or recall number)?

Thanks!

ericzoom

I live in FL and I don't think it's regional. Go to the Mazda tech website and navigate to the troubleshooting and recalls section. It has to do with the Evap. system leak monitoring failure. There is a list of affected VIN #'s for all the 6's. Also you don't need an official recall notice to bring it to the dealer. Good luck.

rgb2

Just read the long-term review for 6 on "Car and Driver" website. They put 40,000 miles on the car and extrapolate that the front brakes would be good for 80,000 and the rear for 100,000. If it's true, that would be fabulous. Just curious, had anyone changed their brake pads due to wear?

derwood

I own a 95 Nissan Maxima, but am interested in a wagon. Since Nissan appears to be going the route of larger cars, SUVs and trucks, and not considering a wagon at this time, the Mazda 6 has caught my eye. The main concerns I have are fuel economy and power. My Nissan is quite quick and with a V6 and 156,000 miles, still gets about 30 miles to the gallon, regardless of the kind of driving. It seems odd that the Mazda 6 would only get 20 miles to the gallon. Car and Driver only got 19 in their test drive. I am interested in hearing what current owners are getting. I commute nearly 100 miles per day and settling for 1/3 less gas mileage will cost me a fortune. Thanks.

ANT14

Something that might interest some...

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=07383418

groovypippin

I may not buy one but I sure am looking forward to driving one. It should be one hell of a car.

ramped

I understand what you are saying. I've got a '92 Maxima that gets around 25 mpg and still runs great at 125K. No question that Nissan's VQ engine is one of the best V-6s around.

But, the new Maximas don't get anywhere near the same mileage we get with our older cars. I'm guessing increased horsepower plus more safety equipment that adds weight are mainly responsible.

I wish the Mazda V-6 put out the same kind of torque as the Maxima's but that aside it's not a bad powerplant. If your commute is primarily on the highway, your fuel mileage may not be as bad as you fear.

javapowered

Help!
I've got a MZ6 wagon on order since May 12th, but my salesperson is telling me that its build date was delayed and it will now arrive as a 2005. Of course I was counting on the $1500 rebate, which it may not have. Is this plausible? Is it possible to confirm this? He wants to locate another car with "nearly the same options" instead, but I'm not sure I should give up on the order yet. He is less than forthcoming with exact details, so I could use some outside help. Thanks

audia8q

The May allocation was the same week you placed your order and it was the last 2004 MZ6 allocation....There is the chance that Mazda did not pick up the order. I had a few 2004 stock MZ6's orders dropped. This is not uncommon when ordering at or near the end of the model year. The June allocation was for 2005 MZ6's....

Post the specifics of what your looking for...I will look in your area and see whats out there.

javapowered

Thanks for the quick reply. Apparently I wanted one of the rarest combinations of wagon options:

5MT
SAB/SAC
Moonroof
Bose
Sport Package
But, without leather
Blue and Silver were my color choices, but options were more important

My salesman says that there is one packaged this way coming in to Medina, OH, but when I checked the Mazda inventory search, it showed one with the options I wanted PLUS leather.

I need the car before our baby arrives at the first of September. Will the 2005s be on sale in August? Since the option we wanted most, the SAB/SAC, will be standard, I can save some money by passing on the moonroof and Bose which I can't do now.

blueguydotcom

Check out autoweek.com . They've got a story on a MazdaSpeed6 with 270+ HP, AWD and a twin turbo 2.3 inline 4. Yummy.

newcar31

A twin turbo? as Joe Dirt would say, "DAAANG!".

blueguydotcom

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_cod- e=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=07383418

"...a 276-hp, 265-lb-ft Mazda 6 scheduled for a mid-2005 world debut. "

audia8q

I looked in your region and the pickin's are slim...If you can be flexible with color, there is a white one with the options you want in columbus....other than that you need to add leather, as you already found out.

I'm showing that my first 2005's will be built in Aug...to expect delivery in Aug, might be cutting it really close. Also, the incentives may not be so generous that early.

I wish I had better news for you.

Rich

baggs32

If you don't mind driving a few hours to Pittsburgh I found two just the way you want minus the color.

Both are '04 Pebble Ash wagons with black cloth interiors. Options are BOSE, Sport Pkg, SAB/SAC pkg, and moonroof. Both are also MTX.

One is at Moon Township Mazda which is out by our airport (closer to Ohio) and the other one is north of the city at Baglier Mazda.

I found them on the Mazdausa.com inventory search which means they most likely are still there. However, there's a chance that they are either still on their way or even have already been sold.

Hope that helps!