Mazda6 Hatchback

mz6greyghost

my car does not have ABS, but it does have 4 disc brakes and 215/50/17 tires

What type of tires are they? OEMs are Michelin Pilot MXMH4s, and they are quite possibly the worst tires in the world! I bought winter tires and wheels, which helped me a little, but the OEMs are terrible in rain, and not that grippy in dry pavement as well. I unintentionally squeak the tires from a stoplight more than I don't, and when I lean into it into a corner, or a freeway on-ramp, the squealing is worse than a pig! In wet weather, straight-line stability isn't bad, but stoplight take-offs are embarrassing, and wet traction in corners is non-existent. I plow more through corners than a snowplow!

My advice: be very cautious when driving in your first rainstorm.

I'm in the process of wearing them out ASAP so I can buy decent performance tires. Based on feedback from others, it should take only 20K miles or so...

Other than that, congratulations on your purchase, and welcome to the club! :shades:

azorglub

Thanks for the feeback on the tires. Luckily for me, rain season in Northern Cal should be over now, and I'm not expecting much if any rain for the next 6 months.

wongpres

I just made my email public. But I would suggest you email zc1 because I actually don't have any appropriate hosting place either (but I will put them on cardomain if you email them to me).

Those hatch links I posted earlier weren't hosted by me (I just shared those URL's here on Edmunds).

fitguy

Wanted to post: just passed 10K miles on my '04 Mazda6 5Dr. with 0 problems. Body still tight with no rattles. Avg. gas mileage 22-24mpg. Only real complaint is the nasty brake dust; brakes stop fine but the dust has almost a greasy texture to it and sticks like crazy. Otherwise, we're still enjoying it a lot!

kurtamaxxguy

Is Mazda considering AWD for the 6 series?

nedc2

The Mazdaspeed Mazda 6 is AWD, and in Europe there are other versions with AWD. The problem is that the AWD system won't fit along with he V6 engine, only the 2.3l i4. Maybe when the 6 is redesigned, the Ford Fusion whihc is based on an enlarged Mazda 6 platform will have AWD of 2007, but not at launch this fall.

kurtamaxxguy

I did see the Mazdaspeed AWD you were referring to , but could not tell if it is strictly a Sedan, or is a hatch, or what.

what worries me about Mazda 4's is they historically have no low end torque. Wonder if the Mazdaspeed will be any different (or is it intended to be driven hi-revving style all the time?),.

mz6greyghost

The MazdaSpeed 6 will be built as as sedan ONLY. It was determined that the sedan platform, reinforced, would cope with the bending and twisting forces generated by the higher performance. This is according to Mazda.

The MS6 is supposed to have a broader torque band than the current 6 has, and has more on the lower end, according to initial test drives. Of course, a test drive will be the ONLY way of telling for yourself if it will be suitable for your driving habits.

I don't plan on buying one, but will be taking a test drive just to see for myself...

kurtamaxxguy

Thanks for clarification. Apparently this one is also manual trans only.
Sounds like nice performance car, but bad choice for rolling parking lots I have to drive every day.
Perhaps someday Mazda will offer doubleclutcher trans like Audi - that setup actually performs better than a manual!

jlam2

Just didn't want to post this until I got my Insurance Check. I totaled my Mazda 6s with only 2800 miles a month ago :sick: . Ran a Stop sign that was hidden behind a Utility pole. No Stop bars or marking on the street. Didn't even saw the 4 lane street I have to cross. Hit another car and, yes, I total that one also. Noone was hurt. But the Insurance company was good enough to compensate my lost plus a couple thousands extra. Lucky me. Looks like I will be looking for a new car starting tommorrow.

autonomous

But the Insurance company was good enough to compensate my lost plus a couple thousands extra. Lucky me.

Wait until you see what premium rate the insurance company will charge you for your new car ... Good that you all came out unharmed.

pmccardy

I recently picked up a 4cyl/4spd and I am in love with it. It has more than enough power for daily driving, and much extra fun too. The autostick is very smooth, almost seamless. if you can get a good price on the v6, I would go for that, but our insurance company would probably prefer the 4cyl. plus the gas mileage is a slight bit better.

mazda6s

For all you Mazda6 5-door (or wagon) owners out there, have you noticed the gas tank sloshing noise? Both YES and NO answers would be appreciated.

mazda6s

OK, with slickdog's vote (on the wagon) we have:

Wagon
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 2
No - 1

5-door
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 0
No - 0

C'mon you 5-door owners, you're slacking off!

lefthandman

Yes, with a partially-full tank I have occasionally noticed the sloshing noise on my hatchback.

mazda6s

OK, with lefty's vote (and a new category) we have:

Wagon
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 2
Occassionally/Half-Full-Tank - 0
No - 2

5-door
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 0
Occassionally/Half-Full-Tank - 1
No - 0

I guess I should be asking if the back seat was down or the cargo cover was in removed.

lefthandman

When I've heard the sloshing both rear seatbacks were upright & the cargo cover was in place. -Lefthandman

fitguy

Never heard sloshing with any amount of gas. 14,000 trouble-free miles and counting.

mazda6s

OK, with "no slosh" fitguy's vote we have:

Wagon
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 2
Occassionally/Half-Full-Tank - 0
No - 2

5-door
Yes - 0
Barely/Nearly-Full-Tank - 0
Occassionally/Half-Full-Tank - 1
No - 1

mazda6s

Photos of the 06 Mazda6:

Bright Island Blue

Tungsten Gray

Center Console

wayde

fitguy

Just hit 15K in my '04 6S 5DR and wanted to post: No problems whatsoever. Still tight, tires wearing well, gas mileage settled in at 21/25 city/hwy. Today I stuffed a box in that nearly filled our Explorer (had one in each vehicle)- about 2.5 ft W x 4'L x 2' H, with room left over on each side! Very pleased with the Mazda and would reccomend to anyone.

mazda6s

How the heck did they come up with this weird color? Somebody from Ford must have been involved in this selection. I predict a lot of these will be sitting on dealer's lots for a while.

mz6greyghost

I doubt that...

There were two Black Cherry sedans on the dealer lot when I was there last week for an oil change, and they were BOTH sold, while the five other '06s of varying colors were right next to them, waiting for a lucky owner.

I think the color makes the car look upscale, or more expensive than it actually is. More mature, if you will... I like it, and if I go with another 6, the color would be my first choice.

zzzoom6

hi everyone! just got a sweet deal on a v6 5spd hatch...so far so good! love the handling, tranny ok (little hard to shift smoothly but hope i learn to do it better). anybody get the organizer fold up tray thing that goes in the back? looks like it might rattle a bit, but since there are not any grocery bag hooks, looks like it would be pretty functional. also, it looks like it does not require professional installation so if someone could confirm that, would be appreciated!

looking forward to participating on this site to learn more about our cars...the more we're involved, the more we all learn!

thanks to all for all that i've already learned

mz6greyghost

Welcome to the world of the Mazda 6! Can't answer about the cargo bin/divider, but I purchased a cargo tray for my 6. Well worth the money. It's not rubber, but the plastic is rubberized and is 1/4" thick, with a 2" lip all around the edges, keeping the water and mud at bay. My job requires me to inspect construction sites, and throwing my muddy boots and clothing is a breeze. It also has grooves to keep items from sliding around, and is easy to pull out and hose off.

As far as shifting is concerned... The 6 has what I call a "dynamic" clutch. The shifter itself gets smoother with time, but the take-up point for the clutch is sometimes tricky, even after 20K miles. With time, you get the hang of it, and make it look easy...

Good luck with the 6!

fitguy

Congrats on your 6 Hatch- you bought a great car. We've had ours just over a year & love it- you'll be amazed at the stuff you can cram in the back!

zzzoom6

thanks for your welcome...replaced my subaru legacy gt wagon so this time i wanted something i could fit a lot in, but not be accused of being a soccer mom (not that soccer mom's are bad, but first, i'm a guy, and second, it's not soccer balls i'm hauling around). plus i wanted something that was a bit more peppy and this car definately fits the bill. just hope i don't get too many tickets in this thing as i find it way too easy to drive faster than our cops would like. is it just me, but when you have this car, does everyone in front of you slow down to make driving not as fun? they must know what our car can do, so their jealousy of our having too much fun makes them want to ruin ours....

i've read a few people who have had their cloth seats wear too fast, so i'm wondering if anyone has put seat covers on their car that look good, are comfortable, affordable, and allow their airbag to work? i found some neoprene (think wet suit) ones that do all these things except they cost like 250 for the front seats.

kurtamaxxxguy

The Mazda 6 hatch against either the Audi A3 or the VW Golf?

Am watching my Malibu Maxx fall apart and am sorely tempted to move to Mazda.

lefthandman

The Mazda 6 hatch against either the Audi A3 or the VW Golf? Am watching my Malibu Maxx fall apart and am sorely tempted to move to Mazda.

I had an '87 Golf GT for 15 years (great car!) and put almost 240,000 miles on it. I wanted another Golf (i.e. hatchback), but lack of reliability in new VWs led me to the Mazda6 5-door. I bought a 2004 S, V6, 5-speed manual a year ago and have put just under 15,000 miles on it. Nothing has gone wrong with the Mazda and I'm very satisfied. It's definitely the best handling Japanese (I know it's built in Michigan) sedan I've driven, gets decent mileage for a V6 (25-29 mpg overall avg) and will really haul when you need to...

However, as good as it is, the Mazda does not shift or have the 'feel' of a VW (or any German vehicle, for that matter). Seems others on this site have had problems with the automatic transmission, brakes and a few other things. So far I've had zero problems. Bottom line: I'd still prefer to have a Golf, but I don't want all the reliability headaches. So for me the Mazda is a good compromise. Good luck!

zzzoom6

i considered the a3 for a while...about the size of the mazda 3. this was just a bit too small for what i wanted/needed since occasionally i would be taking clients around in the back seat. but that engine is pretty sweet...very torquey down low and plenty of smooth power throughout the range. handling was good too. but hard to justify the extra 8 grand over the mazda 6 w/ v6. plus, i thought the look of the outside of the six was quite a bit more appealing. as others have mentioned, great looks of a coupe, but the hauling capacity of a wagon. i've heard that the cost of maintenance is also relatively high.

for a midsize sedan, the 6 is very nimble. it is so easy to toss around. and the v6 is smooth and has nice pull past 3k on the tach. on the down side though, the six does transmit a bit too much road noise especially on rough pavement at highway speeds. but all in all, it's a good package at a great price. combine good looks with a huge trunk, decent reliablilty, with good driving dynamics and you've got a winner.

aviboy97

Does anyone know where I can get aftermarket fog lights that mount in the lower from bumper for the Mazda6 Hatch?? Every where I look, all I see is fog lights for the non-sport Mazda6..very frustrating! :mad:

Sylvia

You might want to try the following sites:

http://mazda.autowebaccessories.com (phone number on the site, might be worth a call to ask them if they don't have what you are looking for...always been a helfpul site)

barlo

Has any one had trouble with the rear hatch only going three quarters the way up and having to push it up the final quarter. I suspect I have a bad lift strut or is this the nature of this hatch. I had a van before and used it going all the way up on its own. Was just wondering before I went to dealership.

Thanks

fitguy

Haven't had that issue at all in 20K miles, and I open the hatch a lot. Does sound like a bad strut, at least it's a quick/easy fix for the dealer.

otis4

Aviboy97,
If I'm not mistaken your mazda6 hatch came with the sport pkg standard. This package puts the fog lights in the headlight cluster (one of the 4 lights you see there behind the glass). If you tried to fit the OEM add on fog lights in the lower front facia you would then have two sets. One other problem with the add on OEM fogs is that they are made to fit the non-sport front end of the 6 which I know is different than the sport version front end. I had a non-sport 2003 and now have the 2005 hatch. Are you sure you don't already have a set of fogs in your hatch?

otis4

Has anyone noticed that the Mazda6 hatchback doesn't have anyplce to attach a bungie chord to on the top side of the hatch? I had lumber sticking out the back and had a tough time finding an upper attach point. Had plenty on the carpet on the bottom side though. Ended up bungie-ing it down by the strut and I didn't really like doing it that way.

aviboy97

I know I have the ones in my headlight cluster. However, I really do not like them. So, I was wondering if they someone had made them aftermarket to fit the lower front facia. I know the sport bumper is diff. then the non-sport, I'm a Mazda dealer. I also like the look of fog's in the bumper, like the 2006's have now. Thery are no longer in the headlight cluster.

mz6greyghost

aviboy,

Check out this link

symax

Hello i have a sulphur smell entering the car but can only be detected when idling, I :lemon: t dissapears when the car is moving, any ideas prior to taking it in to dealership.
the car is 6 months old.

zzzoom6

I think that might be the coolant overflow. There is a fix that is easy to do, and I've noticed after some quick accelerations in 2nd or first, i get this smell too so I'll be doing the fix pretty soon. Here's a link to the How-To.

http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=35

link title

Hope this helps.

btw, anyone have cloth seats that are showing wear faster than expected?

zzzoom6

thelemur

zzzoom6! I got an '04 6 hatch, same color. I've found Zymol wax/polish (the blue stuff) works well with the metallic grey paint.

isseyvoo

I have, as of 18 hours ago, joined what I hope is the happy club of Mazda6 owners! Got the '06 6i hatch in tungsten gray. It's a little more car than I had anticipated springing for, but I was seduced by the test drive, and took that very car off the lot. (Though I confess I'd been eyeing the 6 every since it was released.)

protege_fan

Congratulations! I too recently became the owner of an '06 6 hatch. I'm in love with it!

jkstew1

Has anyone put a turbocharger on their mazda6 V6 sports sedan? If so where did u get it from?

fitguy

Welcome to the club- you will love your 6, esp. the hatchback feature! We've had our's for 15 months/24K miles without a single problem, and love it as much as the day we brought it home. Still gets glances from BMW owners (our's is bright Volcanic Red)- maybe 'cause they know we enjoy our Mazda's just as much, and have 10K left to spend!

zzzoom6

here's a discussion about putting a turbo on a v-6. personally, i don't have much of an interest in this, but you can read the issues regarding this at mazda6club.

link title

tminchew

I just got an 06 hatch and think it is super nice! I've had it less than one week and someone was nice enough to come by and break out the clear lens tail lights! Wasn't that thoughtful? Anyone have any idea how difficult it is to replace the tail light assembly yourself?

jerri1

It seems that most posters have not had major problems with there Mazda6. That is good to see, but in my case I have. I purchased a 05 hatchback and love it to death. A week after purchase, the car had alignment issues which the dealer dealt with on 4 occasions (looked into lemon law). The throttle body was replaced 3 times and just recently as of last week the main computer (PSM)need to be replaced. I have talked with the dealer and manufacturer about these issues and they don't see these issues as major problems. Has anyone else experienced any problems like these?