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Comments
Sheesh. It's just a TV show and I don't think they are "glorifing" murder and organized crime. If that's how you see it, then I'd guess that you haven't watched it that much. Better stick with the network sitcoms, but even some of those might have some offensive material. I guess you could watch Sesame Street?
On Topic: IMO, DVD navagation is useless. I'm never THAT lost.
-Alt
I will say that we like the 3.0 in our 02 MPV very much. It gets good mileage, and is very smooth below 4,500 rpm. Above 4, 500 it gets loud. The 3.0 Duratec is a bulletproof engine when maintained properly. It gets a bad rap at times simply due to it being a Ford engine.
If I'm not mistaken, I believe Ford contracted out with Porsche during the design of the DOHC Duratec V-6.
Sorry to get off topic, but we love our MPV!!
Mark.
As for "Glorifying crime" on the Sopranos...Let's see...the mobsters in the sopranos live in constant fear, have to see psychiatrists, get pushed around and humiliated by the bosses, often die early and violently, and if they live to be old, they live in dumpy houses w/ few friends, have drug abuse problems, can't trust anyone, never know true love, and face going on trial in their 70's. If you think this show says "crime pays"...ask Ralphie, who was just pummeled to death on the last episode. I agree the show is overrated, though I do enjoy it, but spare us the hystronics. There are a lot more shows that preach pro-crime messages out there.
Dinu
well I do not watch this shows, so I definitely am an ideal candidate for the Mazda 6, by direct inference.....
thanks again people,
-Alt
venus pointed out in her post that the recipient of Japan's COTY award was the Japanese version, not NA's version of the Accord.
Seriously! No need for NAV, see?
Yeah, I've been around Baltimore and the bad side of DC as we needed gas ASAP. Not nice a all. You don't see that type of stuff here in Canada (or maybe East Vancouver...).
If you do travel A LOT, yeah it's helpful. Otherwise, a map will do.
Dinu
It is not buick like(read tomb) quiet but there is no wind turbulence noise nor intrusive road noise.
Car is very refined. Nothing feels rough.
The Mazda6 can sell itself tho, the little flash of skin can only enhance the experience.
Anyway, I start looking at the car and she strikes up a conversation about what I think of the car and showing me some features. She tells me she's from corporate in town from Calf. for the launch so its safe to talk to her because she's not on commission like the others. She says the car is great on the track where she'd driven both in Japan
I didn' put two and two together until after I left the dealer as I had read a profile of her in a Miata club magazine. I got home and found the story and could kill myself...
I'M I STUPID OR WHAT?!!
Here was my big chance to interact with one of the "higher-ups" about everything we're talking about here, including option package grumbles, ABS, what we really like what we don't etc, find out how much they pay attention to us fanatics here, etc. GEEEZZZZ - I'm sure I came across as a big shmoo.
At least I impressed upon her that I wasn't buying until the hatch became available. She jokingly said she could give me some e-mail addressess to get it done. UGGGHHHH!!!
I think I'll change my user name to Charlie Brown...
double DOH!!!!
i think tomcat is too busy making judgments about accords/camrys consumers to read carefully.
Wish I could run down to the local dealership here in Ottawa and test drive the 6. I guess I'll have to wait a few months. It's fun living vicariously through all of you but I want to drive one myself. I was all gung ho about this time last year with the new Altima until I went to 417 Nissan and sat in one. I couldn't get past the quality (or lack thereof) of the interior. From what I've heard, Mazda didn't make the same mistake. (Not to mention that my wife hates the Altima- she thinks it has a fat back end)
I have been with Mazda franchise dealer for over 7 years, and I do not believe I ever seen them build a vehicle like it.
I can assure you of one thing, you'll not be dissapointed. The handling, performance(end especially the 2.3L 4-cylinder engine), safety, ergonomics it is all there.
I am not trying to speek as a sales person, but more as an auto freak;).
I am also an owner of a 2002 camry and 2000 maita.
This car is a mix of 3-series BMW, TL acura and miata all together. One thing it is not, a boring family sedan.
If you would like some extra info you may e-mail me.
Good to see all you guys raving about this car.
All the people in Europe, you had a chance to experience this car for a few months already.
Now it's our turn:)
Happy Driving to all.
Chris
you think they will loosen up any time soon?
I'm near Philly and also wondering about availability for a test drive in my area.
Thanks
I have been with Mazda franchise dealer for over 7 years, and I do not believe I ever seen them build a vehicle like it.
I can assure you of one thing, you'll not be dissapointed. The handling, performance(end especially the 2.3L 4-cylinder engine), safety, ergonomics it is all there.
I am not trying to speek as a sales person, but more as an auto freak;).
I am also an owner of a 2002 camry and 2000 maita.
This car is a mix of 3-series BMW, TL acura and miata all together. One thing it is not, a boring family sedan.
If you would like some extra info you may e-mail me.
Good to see all you guys raving about this car.
All the people in Europe, you had a chance to experience this car for a few months already.
Now it's our turn:)
Happy Driving to all.
Chris
Dinu
in stock, all automatics. he tells me the manuals
will be in next week. if you'd like a novice's
opinion, let me know. (faulkner mazda in philly)
b
The car is quiet in normal driving, step on it and vroooooommmmm......exotic......maybe erotic too
I was very disappointed to see the bright plastic (faux titanium?) on the center stack. When, oh when, will this silver plastic interior fad, and it's titanium/bronze/whathaveyou variations, be over? I swear it's almost as bad the tyranny of plood we have only recently overthrown. Matte black plastic, please. Although the faux carbon fibers I've seen aren't bad and won't convince me I'm driving a 1975 Trans Am.
The Car & Driver article is still encouraging, especially with regards to the 3.0 motor. It will probably come down to a Mazda6 vs. an Infiniti G35 for me. The wagon configuration of the 6 is an interesting choice from a practicality standpoint and may sway me to save the extra $5k or so the G35 will cost.
up a 6cyl. Sounds great and the interior is very
well put together. Dealer says he'll have 50
by Janurary. Salesman says you can get the 6i with leather and moonroof and no sport pkg. I'm
not so sure. Also, he said the pricing will likely stay very close to the sticker. The Mazda
Tribute sold at sticker for 12 months, according
to him.
I originally wasn't keen on the sport pkg kit. But, after seeing one with and one without I'm leaning towards it. And last, the steel gray color seemed a bit too dark. However it was raining and night time. This car is at the top of
my list but paying sticker is unamerican.
b
Overall, a very nice car. I thought initial throttle response was slow, but the 2.3L I4 pulls very strongly and smoothly. It revs quite easily. Handling, based upon a few swiftly-taken 90-degree turns and a couple of curvy local roads seems very well-planted and controlled. Impacts from road imperfections are very well and quietly absorbed (but not to Camry-like, very-isolated levels)...you can still hear and feel something. No jiggling, no bounciness.
The rear seats fold down neatly. Feels like a couple of springs you have to press against to push the seatbacks into their upright positions. These are what launch the seatbacks down into their folded positions. Very neat. Trunk is spacious.
The plastic trim looks better in person than in print. The radio controls are OK, but still, being separated from the display feel kind of wierd. Good thing back-up controls are on the steering wheel.
The steering wheel feels OK, not small, Steering response was lighter than in my Protege, but not unresponsive and has good on-center feel.
Manumatic was fun. I took it easy on the car and only took it up to about 4500rpm on local roads. Acceleration on the freeway was strong too.
I was worried manuevering in parking lots would be hard with the 38ft turning circle, but felt more nimble than the number suggests.
Seats felt great, but I'd still go for manual v. power.
I prefer the simpler manual HVAC controls over the auto HVAC system controls. The vents are nicely done and have a substantial feel to them. The fan is not loud for the given blower power (my daughter complained it was blowing too hard on her feet in the back and I felt it very strongly in front with the blower set to 2 and the vents set to defroster/feet). It warmed up very quickly.
Now for the what I didn't like:
There's less headroom in front and rear than in my Protege. Not a problem in front for me without a moonroof, but I feel more cramped in it than in my Protege.
I felt that the view through the top of the windshield was warped by the glass. Perhaps it's the shape of the glass (big problem), perhaps it's just substandard Ford-supplied glass (less-big fixable problem). It didn't give me a headache during my test drive, but I think it would during normal driving. At the least, it's distracting.
The A-pillars are thick. The driver-side one is shaped to minimize its profile, so is OK. The passenger-side one is about double the span of that in my Protege. I could work around this with practice, but the A-pillar is more substantial than in the 626 or Protege.
The Bose audio system is nice. Better than ones I've heard in the past.
Trim and interior details all are nicely done and feel substantial. They put a lot of thought into this car.
Bulbs in the headlamp assemblies look difficult to access. Minor point to pick, but I hate having to scrape my knuckles or remove an air filter box just to replace a burned-out bulb.
I have to say, as nice as it is, I'm really put off by the compromises to visiblity and lesser headroom compared to my Pro. These are serious enough for me to take the 6 off my list, as much as I like it. I'm only 6', but I have an inseam of 32", so I sit like someone 6'3" of average proportions. Those with shorter torsos will probably find the 6 a fine and fun car.
Too bad.
It took me about 30 sec. to find a comfortable seating position. The power seats are great, even the upright angle is powered. Headroom was not an issue, and I am 6'3", perhaps with a sunroof it would be different. At first, the radio/HVAC controls seemed odd, but about 5min. into the drive, I got used to them. I think just having them in a different place from my Civic threw me off. The manumatic did take a while to get used to, but it was my first time with one. I found that the shifts happened about .5 sec. after pulling the trigger, not slow, but I thought it would be faster. Handling and acceleration was awesome. Did some city driving, highway driving, and even hit a few potholes and manhole covers. Solid as a rock. Those who say too much road noise enters the cabin must normally drive with pillows over their ears.
The one thing that threw me off was hte fabric on the seats and doors. I thought you could only find this stuff in the clearance section at Art Van's. Too cheap feeling. Will definitely leave imprints on the skin on a hot day or long trip.
I did sit in a 6i with the sport pkg. I like the look of the black cloth better, although the fabric remains. The illuminated gauges are really trick. I think I prefer them better than the normal ones. And on to the Bose stereo. I don't know why everyone picks on Bose. Really, I don't know, could someone fill me in. It sounded very sweet. Up to max volume, there was very little distortion, and it was very clear at normal listening levels. I do like the aero add-ons, they increase the zoom-zoom factor, huge! And make it look even meaner. Very wild car. If anyone is in the Grand Rapids, MI area, go check Borgman Mazda on 28th St. SW. Talk to Bernie Galloway.
Dave
GS-I4 4AT $25,495.00
GS-V6 $27,995.00
GT-I4 $28,195.00
GS-V6 5AT $29,295.00
GT-I4 4AT $29,395.00
GT-V6 $31,995.00
GT-V6 5AT $33,295.00
Notice how some V6 models are cheaper than the I4.
NOTE: I don't recommend these guys - their best offer on a 01 PRO ES was $1600+ more than what I ended up paying at North Toronto Mazda.
Dinu
I was able to compare the sport package 6 next to a non-sport. I usually don't care much for those sort of body add-ons, but I think they did a good job with it here. It's not at all overwhelming (read: it doesn't give the car that "racer-boy" look.) I think the 17" wheels/tires look MUCH better than the 16 inchers.
Drive impressions were much like other posters have been saying - tight but smooth, comfortable but sporty, not too noisy, but when you want it to, the engine will sing for you. I like the AT, but as a MT driver, the Manumatic has just enough delay in it to make me say to myself, "what is the point exactly." But, with a wife who doesn't to become proficient with a stick, it may be my only choice. Maybe with some time, I may get used to it and come to like the compromise. Leather seats were quite nice. Never had leather, never particularly wanted it, but I wouldn't rule the car out because of it. Liked the other aspects of the interior - lots of nice storage cubbies, cup holders were adequate, steering wheel was nice and felt good in the hands. The audio and climate controls look a little overwhelming to a simpleton like myself (hell, I still have to crank my own windows in my truck,) but I suppose I'd get used to them.
Overall, big thumbs up from this reviewer. But alas, no sedan for me, I'm waiting for the wagon. Listening Mazda?
A positive thing is that the distribution management is much better this days.
So, we could nowadays order most vehicles up to customer needs.
It may be confusing at first. Like accessory fog lights(one mounted in lower areas of the bumper and the other incorporated in headlights that comes with sport package).
First few weeks there will be of course low availability on most models, but soon enough we'll have them all. Flat Rock plant can put out close to 120,000 cars.
As to pricing... it looks like factory will have more impact on that. So unfortunately there will not be heavy discounting. Make sure though, you don't pay over sticker.
As to statement by "jjpeter" about cutting cost by making ABS optional on "i" model.
The 4 wheel disk brakes,
4-speed sport mode transmission,
tilt/telescoping steering-wheel,
16-inch wheels,
front and rear map lights,
audio controls on steering wheel,
160HP 2.3L engine
are included at $20,000 MSRP including destination.
Base Infinity G20 comes with ABS and 145hp 2.0L engine and compact interior at $22,740.
That really is cutting costs on Mazda's part.
By the way, Mazda is upgrading all 2003 models warranty, roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement plan up to 4 years or 50,000 miles in US with introduction of mazda6!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW ABOUT THIS!?!
I know as a retailer I am sure happy.
Happy motoring to all.
Chris
Radio:Bose system was MUCH better than the Mach system in my 2000 Taurus. The bass was really good, and the mid/high's were very clear. The one I drove was black, and looked verrry mean.
Power: The power was good, but didnt feel that much more than my Duratec 200hp taurus. I'm sure the MTX will make up for that though. It pulled nicely above 3500 rpm, and was smooth. The engine was definitely louder than my Taurus Duratec.
Handling/Ride: Tight steering, quiet ride, *sporty* handling. There was a little more body roll than expected, but it didnt understeer badly, and stuck to the road very good. The ride was quieter than my Taurus (which has lowering springs and low profile tires so maybe not a great comparo), and it absorbed Michigan's finest ruts/potholes without any problems.
Interior: Leather was of high quality, gauges, center stack, HVAC controls, shifter etc all looked very nice. Red backlight is very cool and easy on the eyes, and Optitron guages are easy to read and very nice to look at.
Space: Interior is a bit smaller than my taurus, but the trunk is bigger. The hydraulic pistons for the trunk are a very good idea.
Will I buy it? All depends on the 5 speed. I want to really flog it and see where the handlings limits are.
Dinu
Anyways .. only thing I don't like is how to get the sunroof you have to get everything else and to get the sport package you have to get another package. If Mazda was going to do it that way they should've just went the Honda route and made it a loaded version with everything and a LX-ish version with basic equipment. Might even have saved them some money.
Has anyone actually bought one yet?