Mazda6 Sedan

ickes_mobile

I have a split personality. Explains why I'm looking at both the Accord and Mazda6.

audia8q

2002's are not included in the 4/50K warranty. This warranty enhancement only applies to 2003 models. Even though its a consistant pattern on here, Let's not get carried away with incorrect information.

chikoo

how is the initial repsonse?

vocus

Welcome back!

I could have sworn it was an 02 thing, but guess not. I am sure you would know alot better than anyone else.

rvonlehe

I just sat in a Mazda 6i last night - no drive, though. I'm 6'6" without shoes and I would say that I fit - but just barely. I had no more than 3/4" headroom left over (seat all the way back and tilted back a bit). Legroom was decent - better than my Contour. The telescopic steering wheel helped give my knees some room.

Gripe: What's the deal with the CD/stereo? How the heck is a guy going to replace what's there with his own MP3/CD player? It looks like the CD is in the middle of the console and the display is 5 inches above that.

mdaffron

... for an audio accessory between the volume and tune knobs -- a similar arrangement to my wife's Protege5. I'll betcha someone will discover a way to get in there and access the jacks that've got to be back there somewhere!

BTW, Ford has admitted that this car WILL be the platform for the new Taurus model -- and knowing how the Taurus center console has been for the past few years, it oughta fit right in!

Meade

arockwel

The Mazda6 evokes 90's styling sensibilities and is not contemporary in design? I admit I haven't seen the car in person, but I haven't heard those comments before about this car. I would have to say I disagree with you based on the pictures I've seen. I would rather have the styling of the Mazda6 *way more* than the new Accord or Camry. Could you elaborate more on why you feel this way?

stretchsje

9/10 times give horrible sound. The tape heads have to line up perfectly inside the car, but usually do not. I had an adjustable adapter, and it still didn't provide balanced sound in the cars I tried it in (which were a Ford, Chrysler, and a Toyota... different makes). When the tape heads don't align, the sound will play more heavily through one channel than the other, and the frequency response will narrow considerably.

So, in short, cassette adapters absolutely suck for most cars.

taddison

If you are adept at tinkering with car stereo wiring then I suspect it will be possible to tap into the harness that connects the cassette player to the head unit so as to provide a direct input for MP3 players etc.

It might even be possible to do this without having to buy the cassette deck, though I suppose it's possible that the head unit will refuse to switch to the cassette audio inputs if there isn't actually a cassette deck there.

If you are electronically challenged then I would imagine a competent stereo installer could do it for you.

stretchsje

I think some people are expecting to find RCA pre-outs on the back for the Bose add-on, which will probably not be the case. More than likely, it's a proprietary connector, integrated with a power source and control signals. This will probably require a lot of trial-and-error and testing conductivity of pins. So yeah, it's probably possible, but will test the patience of most. It probably won't be long before someone posts a how-to on the internet, to save the tedious work.

stretchsje

Talked to a sales rep on the phone today. For those who have been reading this forum daily and don't live in the Maryland/DC area, I'm probably getting pretty annoying with these daily availability updates. I'm too anxious for this dang thing!

Here's what I got though.

The port that these cars trickle in from is located in New Jersey. That's why Jersey/Philly has them already. They are expecting them at Gaithersburg "...within three days, so probably by the weekend."

The dealers had just returned from their regional conference where they got to test drive the cars back-to-back with Accords, etc. Unfortunately, they test drove the automatics, no manuals available.

Here's what he said:

- V6 has been delayed due to California emissions mistake (see previous post), but not i4
- i4 has plenty of pep
- in person, liked the steel gray color over red and yellow
- absolutely no slack in the pedals, very nice
- handles as well as an MX-6 without the roughness
- absolutely no body roll
- not a big car on the outside
- they expect to order most cars with the sport package; they like it
- car is amazing

They're asking MSRP, no more, and no dealer fees.

the_big_h

heh, my parents live like 5 minutes from them. maybe i'll drop by to check it out when i'm up there visiting...

newcar31

"The port that these cars trickle in from is located in New Jersey."

Port? I thought the Mazda6 was built in Michigan?

maltb

They go by rail to either railheads or ports (can be an inland port too like port woodhaven across the road from AAI). Once at the port, they can go by rail again or by truck depending on their destination.

stretchsje

But don't buy one. Lower demand = lower price for me, when I buy one instead :-)

I asked about availability, and he said there would be PLENTY in a month. "So," I said, "then price I guess I can wait and get less than MSRP."

He laughed, then said very seriously, "no." Kinda funny. I don't think he expects MSRP prices to last long though.

---

On a very depressing side-note, my wife came in today and said, "[my friend] just bought a completely loaded Honda Accord." It was on a whim, while their family car was being repaired.

Price: $34,000

How sad is that? Didn't haggle at all, and didn't care. She's 23 or 24 years old, lives with her parents, and doesn't do her own laundry. That is 8k over MSRP, or 33%!!!!. She could have asked for the pathetic price of MSRP and donated the $8k to charity, and fed a thousand children. I don't know who to be angry at for this injustice! I guess if she's happy, I should be too... but can't help it. Anyone else feel that way?

My wife asked, "why not get a BMW for that much?" I wish I was there.

the_big_h

she could've gotten a LOADED Acura TL Type-S for that money!!!!!!

oh the nerves of that girl... guess it's not her money anyway...

chikoo

that she is loaded. I bet you she did pay the right price....but is boasting to make your wife jealous AND enjoy the smoke !!!

newcar31

Is the Mazda East Coast port in Cherry Hill, NJ? Everytime I go visit my relatives, I see this big Mazda building in Cherry Hill, near Philly. That explains why the Philly dealers have them and other East Coast dealers don't.

maltb

I think that's the regional office in Somerset, NJ. The port is up near the Ranger plant in Edison, NJ.

revdrluv

In order to get ABS/Traction control on a Mazda6 you have to get the BOSE stereo upgrade??? How do those two go together? Looks like Mazda got it right with the car, but like so many other manuf. screwed it up with the packaging. Why even offer option packages? You have to get everything in order to get anything on this car anyway.

newcar31

I thought the Mazda building I saw was in Cherry Hill. Who knows though, NJ is pretty messed up with all of the townships, boros and boroughs, municipalities, etc. etc.

vocus

If she really did pay that much for her car (or her parents, I mean), they should be shot!

maltb

I mean, after all she did get the finest vehicle known to man with that magical emblem that assures eternal life.

dudleyr

I suppose it is possible.

26k for vehicle
2k for additional markup ripoff
1k for ripoff package 1 (undercoating etc.)
2k for ripoff package 2 (warranty)
1k for extras (wheel locks, etc)
2k for taxes and rounding up.

Unbelievable!

She could have bought an Accord and a 6 for the same money if she got base models.

mnaik

All this while I have sat back and read what each of you all had to say. I guess I have read some very interesting comments. Today I test drove a Yellow 6i at my local dealer.

It was funny, I just spotted the 6 sitting outside, and it was the first one the dealer had received today, and the salesmen had just finished with their joy rides. The car came in at 10:00 this morning and at the time I test drove it, it already had 150 miles on it.

First impression, this car is a blast to drive. It really is ZOOM ZOOM material. I have been surprised that none of the previous testers on this forum had noticed the awesome brakes, but this baby has some braking power. The brakes felt as good and strong as an 2003 MB E320 that I had driven a few months ago! Also great acceleration and throttle sound from the gutsy four cylinder.

The interior is a bit cramped in the back, but you practically get a pick-up bed with the seats folded down, when you use the trunk. The cloth on the seats felt cheap, as in 1980's Isuzu or Mazda B2000 material. I guess it would be really durable, but just somewhat harsh to the touch.

Also very quite, on the highway and bad roads, and good damping from the shocks. We drove this baby through some pretty rough back wood roads (Overall, drove it 20 miles) and not a rattle in the car. And what someone said about the door closing is true, the thud sound is very solid.

Overall, definitely worth the money. This four cylinder with auto transmission, was list for $19,600. My friend just bought a Accord LX that listed for about the same price. Definetly take the 6 over the Accord. I guess you just have to wait until the rebates start coming in or the prices start to settle, because you definetly can't pay list for it (breaks all rules of mankind).

And to the girl that paid all that money for an Accord, she might as well donate $20K to me while she's at it so I can buy a 6.

Mnaik

mnaik

The window controls seemed out of place in the car. I mean there was nothing wrong with the location, but the switches looked like ones right out of the current 626. I bet they could have done something to add a little zoom zoom flavor the the window switches to make them look at home inside the car.

Also, a bit dissapointed in rear leg room, but who cares about that. As far as me fitting into the car (6ft 1 in, 175 lb) no problem what so ever. The coziness made it feel more like a sports car than a sedan.

newcar31

the cloth seats in the 6. I love them. I'd trade them for my cloth seats in my Protege ES. The material seems like it will be very durable. I actually prefer the cloth to the leather, especially the sport package's black cloth.

maltb

I like the sport package cloth; hate the standard cloth. As a previous poster noted it is 15 years behind the industry, but it might prove to be durable.

newcar31

15 years behind the industry, it's still better than the crappy velour cloth seats that they put in VWs, or the fake suede that goes in the Proteges. I would never buy a car with leather if I could help it anyway. No matter how well you take care of it, eventually leather gets old and crusty. Even if don't keep my Protege for very long, I love knowing that if I wanted to, I could drive it for a long, long time, and the seats will never look like beef jerky.

stretchsje

has the Mazda6 in their system now, but it doesn't recommend any speakers. Perhaps they are weird sizes, or perhaps they haven't taken any measurements yet.

jtkz13

Yes the brakes were very good. I didnt do any serious stomps on them, but the feel was very good. After driving the 6 then my taurus going home I noticed how much softer the pedal is in my taurus.

dinu01

Love the black "sport" cloth on my Protege ES.

Ever since I have this car, whenever I get into another car that has regular grey or beige interior, it just feels cheap, wrong, whatever you wanna call it...

Dinu

stretchsje

How much weight does the sport package add?

diploid

That's odd Dinu, I find black interiors to be cheap looking as opposed to lighter colored interiors.

newcar- Somerset is in Central NJ, it's a county and home to the infamous Somerville circle.

maxamillion1

That cloth is some of the best in the industry IMO. Now the Civic LX and EX has some of the cheapest interior cloth.

vocus

I liked the Pro ES's interior as well. I thought it looked very classy (mine was an 01). I have a Jetta now, and I would never have one with the hideous cloth. I specifically wanted leather when I got the car, because the cloth is ugly and is a lint trap.

dinu01

Really? I think most folks would like the PRO ES's interior.

So you would prefer this:

www.edmunds.com/roadtests/comparison/2000/economysedan/media/00.mazda.protege.int.350.jpg

to this:

www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/firstdrive/2002/mazda/protege5/02.mazda.protege5.int.500.jpg

Dinu

diploid

I definitely prefer the first link.

sparky52t

that I'm not crazy about and it's that big, clunky chrome thingamabob on the front of the hood. As I look at the other cars in Mazda's fleet it appears that that's a visual trademark of sorts. It makes the car seem overdressed or something. Or maybe I just prefer automotive design that's understated like the VW Passat. What's funny to me is that on a lot of the Mazda 6 photos you see it looks like they retouched the chrome to play it down. And in some cases it looks like they might have made it the color of the paint on the car. I rather like the rest of the car visually, and I had a good look and a great test drive just yesterday but that chunk of chrome still bothers me. Anyone out there agree? Or am I just obsessing?

fowler3

Here's another light color interrior trim fan! I prefer beige over black. Too much dusting every time you get in it: pollen, road dust, soot, anything white! Not to mention HOT HOT in the summer. I had black on a Riviera, the steering wheel was black with small chrome rings around it at 9-o'clock and 3-o'clock, on hot days I often got bad burns touching those rings.

The one thing I have always stayed away from -- black steering wheels. No thanks.

Now, light platinum grey is another story, I would take that over beige (or ivory) and black.

And the downside to sunroofs, I have found, is all the crap that is blowing into the back seat if you have it open a lot. Black road grime that is hard to see on black cloth or leather. Gets passengers' clothes dirty. Tilt is better.

fowler3

anonymousposts

black interior. Just makes it feel cozier and sportier at the same time.

I'm surprised that noone has jumped the gun and bought a 6 yet. Most brand new models that had the anticipation that the 6 seems to have woulda been flying off the lot by now i.e Altima, G35, WRX, 350Z. Only exception would be the 02 SI .... oh ........ well maybe the 6 isn't doing that bad after all.

fowler3

I agree, it looks too upscale for such a small sedan, like the big chrome bar across the Lincoln Navigator's grille. Then,too, the Mazda logo overlaps the chrome bar and bulges out to blend with it creating yet another problem area. Maybe this is the link to the 626 and Millennia, when the Mazda6 grille should have been more of a clean sheet design, a new approach.

The five-point grille will become old sooner than you think since Toyota and Honda adopted it also. But then, what else could they have done? The 2003 Accord is worse.

What I think they should have spent more time design-wise on are the alloy wheels. Not sure what they should have been; the current Protegé
alloys are the best I have seen. The Mazda6 wheels are too racy for the otherwise classic (Audi) sedan styling.

fowler3

anonymousposts

but I wanna take a look at the 6 in person before I choose between the 2. Then I have to look at the Acura TSX next year.

fowler3

I know what TS means, what does the X mean?

TS applies to those of us who don't like certain design elements in the new cars.

fowler3

chikoo

>>>clunky chrome thingamabob on the front of the hood.......understated like the VW Passat.<<<<

I guess this guy has never ever taken a look at the VW logo on the Front grille of the Passat.

VW has the largest logos ever to be found in the Automotive market...and that too all CHROME!

mazda6s

Welcome to the whacky world of the Mazda 6, a great car with incredibly stupid option combos.

(I know, we've already beat this one to death, but I just had to get in one more cheap shot at Mazda marketing, cause I'm still ticked off!)

diploid

fowler - Not to mention getting grease imprints on the black interior when you eat your Burger King in the car! Besides, I also find the black interiors bleak and gloomy. And I absolutely hate black interiors matched with black leather or black upholstery.

wolverine_x

So who is gonna buy first and post first hand driving experience? I am surprised none of you 6 fanboys didnt jump the gun yet... Come on guys, are we all talk? Let's have some first hand info around here...

sparky52t

I test drove one two days ago and mentioned the goofy option combinations to the salesguy. He seemed to indicate that options could be changed. Sort of like Mazda's just checking out people's response for now...

mazdafun

So the 6 is out for her. Not sufficiently appealing enought for her to jump up to a mid-size (albeit a smaller mid-size).

As for me, I'll wait for the RX-8, 6 hatch, 6 wagon and Mazda 3 wagon to come out before making my decision. I've already decided I want a hatch or wagon...tired of having to take things out of cartons because the darned box won't fit through any opening in my car. The RX-8 is in my list as a midlife-crisis car.