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Comments
-juice
Take the train up to NY, that's the big one around here.
-juice
The show is OK, though. I went last year and liked it.
-juice
OK, so according to the autonews link above, Mazda is also going to bring the Wagon version; woohoo. Can't wait until that happen. I know it might be a year after the sedan comes out the end of this year, but I think I can wait. In the mean time, my wagon car is my Protege5.
zoom
http://www.siscom.net/~dcalondis/mazda6.htm
Also, the Autoweek article has a typo saying the 4-cylinder is 3.2 liters instead of 2.3.
The one with Tan interior looks to have smaller wheels/tires than the one with the black interior. The wheels on the blue/black sedan look the same as the silver sedan, but the red hatchback look even bigger...
Hope to hear from you before Feb 22 via the Talk to the Press discussion or at [email protected] with your thoughts and contact information.
Thanks as always,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director, Edmunds.com
It still looks great, though.
I was disapointed at the Chicago show - the only 6 was a blue sedan and it was up on a rotating platform so you couldn't sit in it. The picture I took didn't come out right, so I'm not posting it on the web.
Mazda Executives - I want a V6, manual transmission 6 in hatchback in Anthracite or some other dark metallic grey color. I'll have my checkbook ready.
tiredofmanual--Not so fond of your Focus? It seems like such a good car in many ways (interior layout, handling), but recalls and assembly problems seem to have spoiled the experience for a lot of owners. Do you have any thoughts on how the relationship between Ford and Mazda would affect reliability? (Flame free zone, of course.)
You are right that the problems are spoiling a great experience. The interior layout and quality (yes, quality) is better than any Ford I have ever been in (this includes Mustangs, Taurus', Escape, Explorer, Excursion, Expedition). The steering feel is outstanding and the handling is amazing considering the price of the car. This past summer, I came across a great deal on a sport suspension kit for the Focus that I couldn't pass up. I bought it from a Canadian company which had imported it from Germany. When I opened the box, I found that the instructions were entirely in German. Luckily, my neighbor had done suspension work on many cars before and he said "well, I think we can just figure it out." A couple of hours later, the kit was installed in my garage and my neighbor commented "I have never seen a suspension that was this easy to work on. Whoever designed this car should be congratulated." The kit gave my Focus race-car-like handling while still being comfortable. Highway off-ramps are a joy and I find myself taking them at double to triple the recommended speeds with no body lean and the tires don't even complain. Absolutely amazing. This is one reason I am anxiously awaiting the Mazda 6 - the suspension is supposed to be wonderful and unless it is a heavy car the V6 should provide the oomph that the Focus lacks (the Focus really should have about 150HP).
I don't think that the Ford-Mazda relationship will negatively affect reliability. I posted an article I found in the Focus thread which stated that the Focus had been named the most reliable vehicle sold in Germany. Outside of the USA, Ford seems to be making very good vehicles. If the US-bound 6 is produced in the same factory as the European and Japan-spec versions I have no doubts it will be very high in quality.
Also, the 6 that will be sold here will be made at the Flat Rock, Michigan AAI plant. The same place North American 626s have been made since 1988. As far as quality goes? fingers are crossed.
I think we've decided on the color choice for our 6 Wagon, Silver or Dark Grey.
Glad you guys have time on your hands and can wait for the hatchback and wagon. Unfortunately my present lease is up in November and it looks as though only the sedan will be out by then (and only just barely). My getting a 6 will be pretty unlikely in light of the above. Still, I'm hoping that a nice sport version of the sedan might be available in time for me. The Silver cutaway sedan at the Detroit Auto Show looked great so maybe I might be tempted.
You need a media account to get into the Corporate Newsroom for FoMoCo. I don't have one but know someone who does.
I think they are building Cougar at Flat Rock.
Pity :-( Ahh, well, guess I'll just make do with my 95 Mazda Protege (Mazda 3!) until then!
-ashu
They also want the cushion for quality holds which they hold back from shipping built cars for quality checks...and the real reason the lauch might be delayed is...a big inventory of 2002 maz. 626's. If there is a huge nation inventory of these units they will delay the launch. This is often the cause of delays. We probably would have received the 2002 MPV a few months ago if they idn't have such a big inventory of 2001's.
The exterior is very attractive, almost Audi like, but a bit wilder. The interior looks good, but you couldn't sit in it, so will have to reserve final judgement. My only concern is that the windshild looks very steep and the door sills high, which may make the interior feel small. It certainly didn't look as big in there as our Accord.
The materials looked to be of higher quality than those in the Altima, which I found to be quite disapointing (see Jamie Kitman artical in March '02 Automobile Magazine).
Kind of disapointed that Mazda didn't have more of a display at Chicago. No RX-8, 6 hatch or wagon. Kind of spartan, especially with what Ford brought in for the other brands.
Best car of the show... BMW Mini Cooper!
Also, the AA plant in Flat Rock is in MI, not KY.
-juice
Mazda has always offered good value, that's why we bought our 626 ES V6. We paid a good $4-6 grand less than an Accord or Camry would have cost fully loaded.
I don't want to see Mazda get in a position where they have to offer big rebates a year or two from now. That would kill resale value and hurt them in the long run.
-juice
I'm guessing Mazda is shooting for a wide price range on the 6, because it's supposed to replace both the 626 AND Millenia, which represent a good chunk of Mazda's lineup. I read that the 6 pricing would start at the same level as current 626 pricing (that would be around $19K MSRP), but I haven't seen anything about what the top end will be.
-Andrew L
Subaru also took a hit with the VDC models for $33k or so at sticker. They fell to invoice pricing very quickly, and got a $750 rebate in their very first year.
I'd like to see Mazda avoid that. It should be value-priced from the start. $28k tops, fully loaded. $25k very well equipped (V6, 6 speed, leather, moonroof).
-juice
The Millenia took a huge hit with prices up in the $30k region. I recall rebates as high as a whopping $6,000, higher than even Chyrsler rebates.
It kills resale value, and it prevents owner loyalty. They have to price the new 6 carefully.
-juice
I agree that pricing should be as low as possible. I still think Nissan is crazy for allowing Altima MSRPs to go above $25K. That's Maxima territory. And the addition of the Altima V6 is no excuse; you can get a 626 V6 for about $21K. You mentioned Subaru, I agree there too. I've always thought Subarus were cool, and they're definitely good cars judging from the reviews, but I think they've been getting a little ambitious in their pricing lately. Right now, there's little difference in pricing between Imprezas and Legacys. I thought Impreza was supposed to be an economical vehicle. I know the WRX models have a great reputation, and I'm not suggesting that they should be cheapened or dropped, but the Impreza needs budget models, too. Anyway, returning to the topic...I've seen Millenias offered at very deep discounts. You're right; the 6 should be priced to sell right from the start.
-Andrew L
-juice
As others have stated, a 6 should top out at about 24k with all the goodies, thus making the car more realistically 20k or so when you buy it at Mazda. Heck, you can buy a loaded Millenia for 23-24k (MSRP of 30k+).