With the luck you have been having, I am sure a building will fall on the Si soon, then you can get a 6. I just hope you aren't in the car when it happens..
Just kidding. Wish you the best of luck with the Si, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards...
I've spent a bit of time with the Bose system in the 6. I am also a musician and fairly particular. I wasn't overly impressed with the system. It isn't bad mind you - but it didn't make me go 'WOW' either.
The controls I could locate were basic - Bass, Treble, Fade and balance. All were effective and progressive enough that you can tune the car fairly well. For what the system costs though, I would have enjoyed some more bells and whistles relating to DSP etc. Maybe I missed them, but I don't think so.
"Already looks like a building fell on it. I guess it's an acquired taste"
It looks like a little chimp to me. If it was lower and the seating position was lower, it could pass for a European minicar look-alike, but as it is, it's just a scaled-down 2dr Odyssey.
I sent your comment about the horrendous headlights to MazdaUSA by email, we will see what they reply. I also asked if the lowbeam lamps can be replaced with xenon HID lamps (bulbs).
Another option is to buy the fog lights for the bumper facia, but get driving lamps instead of fogs. There's a difference.
Mazda says replacing the head unit will cause electronic problems in the Mazda6. It is built like the Protegé audio head, a modular unit which can not be adapted with aftermarket parts. Mazda also said the center stack titanium trim was not designed to be removed by technicians without damage.
And it would disable the display readout. I would plan to change out the speakers in the stock stereo.
The Si looks nice. Especially with a mild drop and a set of 17's. Very aggressive. Not to mention when you see it racing and winning its class on Speedvision BTC racing. Makes ya feel good about your little dust buster.
"I also asked if the lowbeam lamps can be replaced with xenon HID lamps (bulbs)."
I can tell you what they'll say right now: No.
HID is a system, not just a bulb. You could do it, but it's more complicated than just replacing a bulb. Don't tell all the Civic kids about this, just let them THINK they have HID lights.
The sport shift on the auto trans is similar to the way the sequential shift on a race car is. Ask any racer and they'll tell you that the high dollar sports cars have it wrong. FWIW
Todd is correct: a true HID system requires what most OEMs call an amplifier but I believe it's more of a power inverter to get the voltage up. In general, those amplifiers run about $300 per side. for that kinda money, you can get 10 more sub-woofers in back of you hatch.
They're expensive. That's why the "boy-racer" crowd likes to steal them. Makes you wonder why they don't just buy a car with HID lights and horsepower instead of stealing Integra motors and TL headlights.
My local PBS station (WCVE-TV in Richmond, VA) has pulled MotorWeek from its program schedule!!! I called them and they said it was due to "lack of audience."
I guess I'll have to wait for the re-run on the Speed Channel. Anyone know how many weeks behind Speed Channel plays the re-runs?
Just thinking about that makes me mad. I'd be one of the first people to back a DEATH penalty for auto theft/vandalism. Too stiff a penalty you say? I don't think so. Maybe then people would think about actually working for the things they want. If I were a criminal, I know I'd think twice about stealing that CD player I really want knowing that I could end up on death row.
Can anyone tell that I am bitter on this subject and have been burned before?
You really do feel violated when you realize someone's been into your private property and had a field day with it.
And thanks for the info Hank.
BTW, I give up on the headlights. Just checked Mazda Australia's photos of the fronts of the wagon and hatchback, and also my own brochure on the 6 I picked up at my dealership last week. It shows the fronts of the I and S, and I can't find a difference in any of them.
Posts 3799 to 3802 on this discussion (posted about three hours ago)talk about the fact that the Mazda6 will be reviewed on the PBS show "Motorweek" next week. I went off searching for the time and date of my PBS station's broadcast and found that the show had been canceled locally. So therefore I will not be able to catch the initial review of the 6; I'll have to wait for the Speed Channel re-broadcast.
I'm not sure if this has been talked about before, but when I goto the www.mazda.ca website, it only shows the 4-cylinder engine...no 6. Are we Canucks getting the shortest straw once again?
I put a deposit down on a 6 this weekend. I'm getting a Steel Gray Mazda6 S LOADED! I'm so excited! The salesperson was very nice. I asked her if they had been discounting the 6, and she said no--which is what I heard on this board, too.
I was so impressed with her and the dealership and the test drive.(And SOOOO excited for my new car)-I asked her to knock off $250 and she did. I didn't expect her to. Bottom line-I don't care how much I paid--I LOVE this car and am soooo excited! I hope I'm able to drive by x-mas!!! Good luck to all you shoppers! Stop obsessing about price!! :)There are more important things to worry about! Merry Christmas!
I know a couple of people who have purchased Euro-Spec HID lights for their VWs at $1100 a set. The cheap, blue bulbs from Ebay are totally different. I had a set of those in my 99 Protege, and they sucked in the rain. Not worth the money to me.
Congrats on your purchase. Also, in this market, some people do stress about price. It could be a difference between buying a new car this year, and having to wait until next year.
Well, after waiting all these months for time on the road behind the wheel of a 6, I got my chance yesterday.
It was LOADED 6i, every option available. It had the 4 speed automatic, with sport shift. That configuration would make more sense with a 5 speed auto, but OK, I just wanted to check things out. The sales guy pulls the silver beauty into the drive way, and tells me to hop in. I settle into the drivers seat, and the next thing he says is, just take it around the block, we don?t want to put many miles on it. I just looked at him and said, you are kidding! Nope, the manager wants to sell all these early units Brother! What cheapskates!
So, I drive the 6i, around this busy, car filled block, getting up to maybe, 25 mph, and I'm back into their lot. Wow! A real test of the dynamics of the car - NOT. (BTW this is Oak Tree Mazda, on Steven Creek Blvd in San Jose, CA.)
Well, here are my impressions from my SHORT stint behind the wheel. -Firm, though jittery ride (50 series tires) -Quick turn in (to the dealers lot, LOL) -Engine noise from the 2.3 was - IMO- a bit intrusive -Great brakes! -I love the exterior door handles, and the solid thunk sound, when closing the doors. -Love the rear and front lights on this car. (Anyone think the front of the 6 kinda looks like the Acura TL?) -OK acceleration (from what I could tell?. like most automatics, they suck the life out of 4 cylinder motors, the stick is THE transmission of the 6i, if you are an enthusist?. -Neato instrumentation, can imagine what it looks like at night! -Rear reading lights, nice touch. -It had the Bose system, I switched it off - so I could hear the CAR. -Viewed from the outside, this car is GORGEOUS, especially with the sport package! -Huge trunk, trick fold down rear seats
Has anyone noticed how much plastic is in cars these days??? I thought Mazda would not make the door pulls inside the car that cheap, chrome plastic like they put in the Tribute, but they did. The area around the door handle and window up/down switch doesn't look too durable, like it will scratch up easily, which it will - because that area gets constant use.
I'll have to wait till more cars come into the dealers before getting a thorough run behind the wheel. Maybe in a month? Anyway, I was disappointed and impressed. Waiting for a chance to take out a 6s, and want the hatchback!
Actually, the show is shot right here, pretty close to Baltimore, MD (about 20 mins. away actually) in Owings Mills. All the road shots in MotorWeek are of the local roads (695, 795) in the Owings Mills area.
That dealer was full of crap. And as much as he knows, a car is considered new whether it has 6 or 60,000 miles on it if the car has not been titled yet.
I can't blame people for not wanting alot of mileage on their new cars though. He still lied to the reason why.
I have dropped by Whitten Bros twice now. Once to check out the 6 and once to look at a P5. They strike me as low stress, but I make sure to tell them up front that I am not in the market for another 9 months or so.
My test drive was probably 15 miles, but it was done on a congested 10 lane highway, driving in a straight line. I had about a 100 yards of off-ramp to test the 6.
Price is very important to me, especially if I can wait a few months and save maybe a $1,000 or more. To me no car is worth paying list price just so I can be one of the first to own it.
There still has been hardly anything reported on this board about actual prices paid. CarsDirect.com continues shows their price for the 6 as $400 over dealer invoice (for the Chicago area). That's already a significant discount. I guess the only thing to do is to wait unitl at least the early part of 2003.
Many people I know are concerned with price because they don't want to feel they were taken advantage of, not because they can't afford it. With the profit margin in the Mazda6, it will make a difference of up to $40.00 per month in your monthly payment.
All I'm saying, is people stress out so much because they don't want to be,(sorry, Edmunds) "taken for a ride". They ruin what should be (and was for me this time), a really great, fun and emotional experience. They stress out so much that they ruin the purchase for themselves.
Frankly, market conditions demand MSRP or a little under. Get over it!
Ask yourself this question:
Do you like the Mazda6?
If your answer is yes, then you've chosen to admire a vehicle that JUST came out. A vehicle that MARKET VALUE demands and RECEIVES MSRP or a little less.
I'm not talking about market value on Edmunds. (Sorry again). Market value is what people have been buying them for.
I doubt very much that Edmunds has thousands of people with whom to chat with that purchased a Mazda6. IT JUST CAME OUT! How do they know the "True Market Value"?!
What is so hard to understand about that?!
I understand your point, really I do. I told myself that I would have fun with the vehicle and stop being such a #&^$@ to dealerships.
If you are nice to people, they are nice to you. You don't have to be so mean to people to get what you want!
I bought a great car, worked with a very nice, professional, college educated woman.
Anyway, it's been fun chatting everyone! Merry Christmas!
My test drive was indicative of what I have come to expect from Mazda dealers around here. Clueless. Here they have a car that is going to "save" Mazda, and they are giving test drives around the block. Jeez. Interestingly, as I followed the sales guy into the dealer ship to retrieve my drivers license, I see this glossy brochure aimed at Mazda dealers. Inside, its all about the 6, the whole story, from inception to building them at Flat Rock. They featured one dealership in Florida who had mapped out a specific test drive route to show off the dynamics of the car. It even had phrases to use on the customer, like - notice how sure it feels in the turns, take this exit ramp at 40 instead of 25 mph etc. One poster here in this forum was given the car to take home over the weekend!
Dealership quality varies by region... I won't be buying my 6 from Oak Tree Mazda in San Jose.
Geez, the dealerships really love people like you. It is really pleasant to think that being "nice" gets you a good price from your dealer, but the reality is that it doesn't. The sad, but true, fact is that they will take advantage of your niceness and laugh about it all the way to the bank. They will be pretend to be your friend the whole time they're picking your pocket. I really wish it were different, but it's not. Sorry. Oh, and the dealers play this "they're all selling for MSRP (or higher)" game with all new models, whether people are really paying it or not. Anyway, congratulations on your purchase. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Many people I know are concerned with price because they don't want to feel they were taken advantage of, not because they can't afford it. With the profit margin in the Mazda6, it will make a difference of up to $40.00 per month in your monthly payment.
All I'm saying, is people stress out so much because they don't want to be,(sorry, Edmunds) "taken for a ride". They ruin what should be (and was for me this time), a really great, fun and emotional experience. They stress out so much that they ruin the purchase for themselves.
Frankly, market conditions demand MSRP or a little under. Get over it!
Ask yourself this question:
Do you like the Mazda6?
If your answer is yes, then you've chosen to admire a vehicle that JUST came out. A vehicle that MARKET VALUE demands and RECEIVES MSRP or a little less.
I'm not talking about market value on Edmunds. (Sorry again). Market value is what people have been buying them for.
I doubt very much that Edmunds has thousands of people with whom to chat with that purchased a Mazda6. IT JUST CAME OUT! How do they know the "True Market Value"?!
What is so hard to understand about that?!
I understand your point, really I do. I told myself that I would have fun with the vehicle and stop being such a #&^$@ to dealerships.
If you are nice to people, they are nice to you. You don't have to be so mean to people to get what you want!
I bought a great car, worked with a very nice, professional, college educated woman.
Anyway, it's been fun chatting everyone! Merry Christmas!
I, too, did not have a positive impression about those guys. I took my Protege there a few times. Their service department will try to rip you off every time. I had a some work done related to a factory recall where they messed up my headlight switch and later refused to fix. This was about 3 years back. All in all, bunch of incompetent and greedy guys at Oak Tree Mazda!
Did you realize that dealerships are not like they were in the 70's?
Wake up.
Dealerships are held accountable for their actions, and are held up to exceedingly high standards today that make it impossible to treat anyone less than perfect.
Would you like to know why they laugh at people? They talk behind your back when you sneer, snap & walk into a show room and treat everyone terribly. They shake their head and wonder why that person is such a mean spirited, scared little man.
You DON'T have to be rude to get what you want! Don't you get it?!
I don't care if they made money on me. Why shouldn't they? What is so terrible about someone making money? It's the same as Marshall Fields, Target, Nordstrom, etc.
Should sales people merely exist for your own personal torture and gain? Should they give their cars away and then be treated like &*%@ ???????
A dealership is more likely to want to give a discount, albeit a small one, to someone who treats them with dignity and respect, rather than what I'm guessing you treat someone like.
Try it next time you purchase a vehicle. It works.
Designation as a new car varies by state. In CA, anything over 5,000 miles cannot be sold as new. According to Mazda, once the vehicle gets over 750 miles, it needs to be put into demo service or retailed and the warranty clock starts ticking.
I'm sure Rich will be around shortly to give us the specifics in his neck of the woods.
Wonderwoman, what did you pay, out the door for your 6? I will give us a set point to bargain from when we turn off the mean, scared little man act, and turn on the charm
This is what the vehicle had that I put a deposit down on: Mazda6 S Auto
Side Air Bags/Curtains Automatic Sport Trans Leather Moon roof Alloy wheel locks Comfort Package Sport Package Bose
MSRP: $26,275
(That price included destination)
My salesperson took $250 off of the above MSRP, thus bringing it to $26,025
Tax where I live is 6.5%, title registration fees were $46.50 and plates were, I think, $298?
My out the door price was right around $28k.
I didn't mean to get uptight about my last posting, but I felt so bad for the way this particular customer treated some of the salespeople at their dealership.
Comments
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/stationlist.shtml
differ for every local PBS station (usually ch. 9).
Here, in Austin, TX, they air it at 10AM every
Sunday.
You can check your PBS station's program listings
by going to web site
http://www.pbs.org/motorweek
Click on "TV schedule" link at the top.
Just kidding. Wish you the best of luck with the Si, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards...
The controls I could locate were basic - Bass, Treble, Fade and balance. All were effective and progressive enough that you can tune the car fairly well. For what the system costs though, I would have enjoyed some more bells and whistles relating to DSP etc. Maybe I missed them, but I don't think so.
It looks like a little chimp to me. If it was lower and the seating position was lower, it could pass for a European minicar look-alike, but as it is, it's just a scaled-down 2dr Odyssey.
Now the 6, that sure looks nice!
Dinu
Just spend the $ on your own system: Get a good head unit and equalizer and maybe speakers if you find the stock stereo's not good enough.
For me, the stock stereo in the Protege is ok - I would not spend $ to upgrade it until the speakers gave way.
Dinu
Another option is to buy the fog lights for the bumper facia, but get driving lamps instead of fogs. There's a difference.
I will post Mazda's reply when I get it.
fowler3
fowler3
J/K ;-)
The Si looks nice. Especially with a mild drop and a set of 17's. Very aggressive. Not to mention when you see it racing and winning its class on Speedvision BTC racing. Makes ya feel good about your little dust buster.
"Removing back may void warranty. No user-serviceable parts inside."
Meade
I can tell you what they'll say right now: No.
HID is a system, not just a bulb. You could do it, but it's more complicated than just replacing a bulb. Don't tell all the Civic kids about this, just let them THINK they have HID lights.
we have all seen the headlight set up for the 6 and many of us really like the design.
But there is something about the lights on one of the 6 models that nobody has mentioned yet. Has anyone else noticed??
Rich
I guess I'll have to wait for the re-run on the Speed Channel. Anyone know how many weeks behind Speed Channel plays the re-runs?
Doggone it!!!
Meade
Former PBS viewer
this is from Speedtv.com.....
Can anyone tell that I am bitter on this subject and have been burned before?
And thanks for the info Hank.
BTW, I give up on the headlights. Just checked Mazda Australia's photos of the fronts of the wagon and hatchback, and also my own brochure on the 6 I picked up at my dealership last week. It shows the fronts of the I and S, and I can't find a difference in any of them.
Meade
Posts 3799 to 3802 on this discussion (posted about three hours ago)talk about the fact that the Mazda6 will be reviewed on the PBS show "Motorweek" next week. I went off searching for the time and date of my PBS station's broadcast and found that the show had been canceled locally. So therefore I will not be able to catch the initial review of the 6; I'll have to wait for the Speed Channel re-broadcast.
Meade
Geesh.
;-)
Meade
I was so impressed with her and the dealership and the test drive.(And SOOOO excited for my new car)-I asked her to knock off $250 and she did. I didn't expect her to. Bottom line-I don't care how much I paid--I LOVE this car and am soooo excited! I hope I'm able to drive by x-mas!!!
Good luck to all you shoppers! Stop obsessing about price!! :)There are more important things to worry about!
Merry Christmas!
It was LOADED 6i, every option available. It had the 4 speed automatic, with sport shift. That configuration would make more sense with a 5 speed auto, but OK, I just wanted to check things out. The sales guy pulls the silver beauty into the drive way, and tells me to hop in. I settle into the drivers seat, and the next thing he says is, just take it around the block, we don?t want to put many miles on it. I just looked at him and said, you are kidding! Nope, the manager wants to sell all these early units Brother! What cheapskates!
So, I drive the 6i, around this busy, car filled block, getting up to maybe, 25 mph, and I'm back into their lot. Wow! A real test of the dynamics of the car - NOT. (BTW this is Oak Tree Mazda, on Steven Creek Blvd in San Jose, CA.)
Well, here are my impressions from my SHORT stint behind the wheel.
-Firm, though jittery ride (50 series tires)
-Quick turn in (to the dealers lot, LOL)
-Engine noise from the 2.3 was - IMO- a bit intrusive
-Great brakes!
-I love the exterior door handles, and the solid thunk sound, when closing the doors.
-Love the rear and front lights on this car. (Anyone think the front of the 6 kinda looks like the Acura TL?)
-OK acceleration (from what I could tell?. like most automatics, they suck the life out of 4 cylinder motors, the stick is THE transmission of the 6i, if you are an enthusist?.
-Neato instrumentation, can imagine what it looks like at night!
-Rear reading lights, nice touch.
-It had the Bose system, I switched it off - so I could hear the CAR.
-Viewed from the outside, this car is GORGEOUS, especially with the sport package!
-Huge trunk, trick fold down rear seats
Has anyone noticed how much plastic is in cars these days??? I thought Mazda would not make the door pulls inside the car that cheap, chrome plastic like they put in the Tribute, but they did. The area around the door handle and window up/down switch doesn't look too durable, like it will scratch up easily, which it will - because that area gets constant use.
I'll have to wait till more cars come into the dealers before getting a thorough run behind the wheel. Maybe in a month? Anyway, I was disappointed and impressed. Waiting for a chance to take out a 6s, and want the hatchback!
I can't blame people for not wanting alot of mileage on their new cars though. He still lied to the reason why.
Meade
If so, who and how were they?
I have dropped by Whitten Bros twice now. Once to check out the 6 and once to look at a P5. They strike me as low stress, but I make sure to tell them up front that I am not in the market for another 9 months or so.
There still has been hardly anything reported on this board about actual prices paid. CarsDirect.com continues shows their price for the 6 as $400 over dealer invoice (for the Chicago area). That's already a significant discount. I guess the only thing to do is to wait unitl at least the early part of 2003.
All I'm saying, is people stress out so much because they don't want to be,(sorry, Edmunds) "taken for a ride". They ruin what should be (and was for me this time), a really great, fun and emotional experience. They stress out so much that they ruin the purchase for themselves.
Frankly, market conditions demand MSRP or a little under. Get over it!
Ask yourself this question:
Do you like the Mazda6?
If your answer is yes, then you've chosen to admire a vehicle that JUST came out. A vehicle that MARKET VALUE demands and RECEIVES MSRP or a little less.
I'm not talking about market value on Edmunds. (Sorry again). Market value is what people have been buying them for.
I doubt very much that Edmunds has thousands of people with whom to chat with that purchased a Mazda6. IT JUST CAME OUT! How do they know the "True Market Value"?!
What is so hard to understand about that?!
I understand your point, really I do. I told myself that I would have fun with the vehicle and stop being such a #&^$@ to dealerships.
If you are nice to people, they are nice to you. You don't have to be so mean to people to get what you want!
I bought a great car, worked with a very nice, professional, college educated woman.
Anyway, it's been fun chatting everyone! Merry Christmas!
Dealership quality varies by region... I won't be buying my 6 from Oak Tree Mazda in San Jose.
Oh, and the dealers play this "they're all selling for MSRP (or higher)" game with all new models, whether people are really paying it or not.
Anyway, congratulations on your purchase. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
All I'm saying, is people stress out so much because they don't want to be,(sorry, Edmunds) "taken for a ride". They ruin what should be (and was for me this time), a really great, fun and emotional experience. They stress out so much that they ruin the purchase for themselves.
Frankly, market conditions demand MSRP or a little under. Get over it!
Ask yourself this question:
Do you like the Mazda6?
If your answer is yes, then you've chosen to admire a vehicle that JUST came out. A vehicle that MARKET VALUE demands and RECEIVES MSRP or a little less.
I'm not talking about market value on Edmunds. (Sorry again). Market value is what people have been buying them for.
I doubt very much that Edmunds has thousands of people with whom to chat with that purchased a Mazda6. IT JUST CAME OUT! How do they know the "True Market Value"?!
What is so hard to understand about that?!
I understand your point, really I do. I told myself that I would have fun with the vehicle and stop being such a #&^$@ to dealerships.
If you are nice to people, they are nice to you. You don't have to be so mean to people to get what you want!
I bought a great car, worked with a very nice, professional, college educated woman.
Anyway, it's been fun chatting everyone! Merry Christmas!
those guys.
I took my Protege there a few times. Their service
department will try to rip you off every time.
I had a some work done related to a factory recall
where they messed up my headlight switch and later
refused to fix. This was about 3 years back.
All in all, bunch of incompetent and greedy guys at Oak Tree Mazda!
Wake up.
Dealerships are held accountable for their actions, and are held up to exceedingly high standards today that make it impossible to treat anyone less than perfect.
Would you like to know why they laugh at people? They talk behind your back when you sneer, snap & walk into a show room and treat everyone terribly. They shake their head and wonder why that person is such a mean spirited, scared little man.
You DON'T have to be rude to get what you want! Don't you get it?!
I don't care if they made money on me. Why shouldn't they? What is so terrible about someone making money? It's the same as Marshall Fields, Target, Nordstrom, etc.
Should sales people merely exist for your own personal torture and gain? Should they give their cars away and then be treated like &*%@ ???????
A dealership is more likely to want to give a discount, albeit a small one, to someone who treats them with dignity and respect, rather than what I'm guessing you treat someone like.
Try it next time you purchase a vehicle. It works.
I'm sure Rich will be around shortly to give us the specifics in his neck of the woods.
Side Air Bags/Curtains
Automatic Sport Trans
Leather
Moon roof
Alloy wheel locks
Comfort Package
Sport Package
Bose
MSRP: $26,275
(That price included destination)
My salesperson took $250 off of the above MSRP, thus bringing it to $26,025
Tax where I live is 6.5%, title registration fees were $46.50 and plates were, I think, $298?
My out the door price was right around $28k.
I didn't mean to get uptight about my last posting, but I felt so bad for the way this particular customer treated some of the salespeople at their dealership.