Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Like I said, call it early senility. :shades:
I usually set mine for floor and vent. If necessary I can override the auto setting and push a defrost button or take the couple glances to cycle through the modes. This reminds me of the old, IMO dumb debate, over steering wheel vs dash radio buttons. I mean, how long does that take? If traffic is that bad, that last thing you should be doing is fiddling with radio or vent controls.
Doesn't the ACC switch the vents for you, depending on if the system is cooling (dash vents) or heating (floor vents)?
All this talk about having to take eyes off the road seems crazy to me. It takes "no time" to press the mode button, just a glance. If not the desired mode, another glance or two and you've got it.
You just said it could take three glances, to change modes with the 1 button approach. Sounds time consuming and bothersome. If you have a separate button for each mode, it's just point and shoot. 1 glance, and one push. Wouldn't that be better?
Despite the first-year recalls and TSBs (3 of them I think), it's been a great traveler. Very comfortable, excellent power for a 4-cylinder, and over 32 MPG to boot (about 70% highway and two-lane back roads). Of course, YMMV
I doubt that. Look for a similar set up to that of the current 6.
Autoblog Spy Shots
Honestly, I still think this looks better then the Accord / Camry / Altima / Fulan or any other mid sizer out there. Lets see how the 270hp 3.7L V6 works with it.
I'll wait and see one in person to reserve final judgment, but if it's between this and the other midsizers in the market, in terms of looks, the Mazda6 drives away with it.
If I'd never seen the Euro 6 the NA 6 might be attractive, howver, I've seen the "other" 6 and it looks great and has fantastic reviews, I bet this North American 6 has inferior suspension compared to the Euro one also.
Doubt it, since they're using the same exact chassis as the euro-spec model.
CONSUMER REPORTS NEW TOP PICKS FOR 2008: HYUNDAI ELANTRA SE,
HYUNDAI SANTA FE, CHEVROLET SILVERADO AND LEXUS LS 460L
The question I have is, is the Elantra a midsize or a "small"?
Also germane to this discussion is that the Accord was the Top Pick for family sedans, edging out the Altima (CR's top rated midsizer) because the Accord has ESC, apparently a requirement for the Top Pick status. Prius (mid-sized inside) was also a Top Pick.
I wonder why Toyota hasn't moved in that direction, especially with all the bad press about its automatics...
Seems like a no-brainer...less moving parts, much easier to modify the driving performance via software changes/downloads, etc.
We have a 2008 6speed manual 2.5s as well, and are seeing 33mpg on freeway trips, with an overall avg of 29.6mpg (70% city/30%hwy) after 3000 miles.
Before buying, I'd been looking at the Mazda3 for a couple years, but when I pressed my wife for her choice, she said Altima.
After adjusting my mental budget upward by another $4000, I came to really like this bigger car. Its body is so stiff & ride so refined & rattle-free, it feels like it will last decades.
The other mid-sizers I tried, 08 Accord, Sonata, Camry, just felt like Japanese Buicks (IMHO
The Altima's keyless ignition also makes each trip in the car something special. My wife loves never having to dig for her keys when she runs errands
I ususally set mine for air to flow from both floor and dash at the same time. The only time I change it is to use the defroster. The way the system works, you can set it and forget it. You don't have to take the time or bother to adjust the fan speed or the amount of heated or cooled air being pumped into the car.
What the climate control does do is control the temperature of the air and whether or not the A/C is called for. Of course, the defroster always blows A/C air, even when it is providing heated air.
The amount of time it takes to glance at the mode button is less than the amount of time it takes to check either side-view mirror.
Agreed. CR labels the Elantra as "small sedan". They don't seem to be confused. I think it is pretty clear that the Elantra is Hyundai's small car and the Accent is the mini.
At the end of the piece they said Ford/Hyundai rebutted by saying a lot more goes into the computation than MSRP. Obvioiusly, they didn't want to mention rebates/discounts/dealer money etc but the point they were trying to make is look at the real cost up front before you start your computations. Take into consideration the following:
1. Sonata may actually cost not $1200 less but $5000 less because of discounts/rebates etc.
2. 6.5% sales tax(my area, others will vary)not paid on that $5000 invested and interest compounded over 5 years.
3. The $5000 invested and interested compounded over 5 years.
Add all that up and I think you will come up with a different answer. What if a major part broke on the Honda at 4 years like air conditioning compresser or something like that and paid for out of pocket versus warranty.
P.S. I'm not suggesting that Hondas break a lot so please chill out and not inundate me with the "Hondas never break and go 300,000 miles with only an oil change" replies.
It does on all 3 of my vehicles that had it - Lincoln LS, Aviator and Ford Fusion. In cooling mode it uses the dash vents. In heat mode it uses the floor vents. If you press the defrost button (but leave it in automatic control) then it uses the windshield vents and side vents. You can manually override any of these but it does it automatically.
The Accord's climate control does. At least my 03 does. If the climate control is heating, the air is directed to the floor vents. It it's cooling, the air is directed to the dash vents. Fan speed is also controlled by the temperature knob. Heating air is directed to the floor vents, because heat rises, and the air will circulate better that way. Which is the same reason the cooling air is directed to the dash vents. If you direct the heated air through the dash vents, don't your feet get cold?
There is an easy solution to this, for Ford/Hyundai. Lower the MSRP, and have less rebates/discounts. But of course they don't want to lower the MSRP, because they would make less $$$ on the cars they sell for MSRP. If YOU get a rebate/discount, apply that to YOUR OWN comparison. Some people do pay MSRP, so that's the number used for comparison.
Take a look at a new Sebring. My "auto" mode controls the temp, the volume of air and the vents it comes out of.
Personally, I like to be able to direct which vents are used. My drive to work is just under 3 miles. I get heat after about 1 mile in the winter. The warm air from the floor and dash vents (plus the heated seat) make it comfortable even though the cabin temp isn't up to the desired 75*.
In the summer, leaving the golf course (car has been parked in the sun for hours) , I appreciate the cool air from the floor vents and dash. Again, it's a short drive and the overall cabin temp doesn't reach the desired 75*.
In either case, the front seats get the air flow where they want it, not where someone else has decided they should have it.
There is no temperature knob in the automatic climate control (if I'm understanding your correctly). I push a botton to set the temp at the desired degrees F and the system does the rest, increasing or decreasing the fan speed as well as maintaining the cabin temp at the set level.
When I drove from Naples, FL at 8 AM in April, the car initially supplied a little heat. Gradually, it switched over to A/C and by the time I stopped for the night in Fayetteville, NC it had changed back to heat. I never had to touch it once. Never got too hot or cold, it just maintained the set temperature.
As stated before, I set my vents to BOTH floor & dash so I get warm or cool air as needed, through both sets of vents at the same time. I could choose floor "only" or dash "only", but I prefer "both."
I'm not complaining. It was just strange to me that I had to turn it up higher than other auto systems I've used in the past.
My Accord's Dual Automatic Climate Control has two temperature control knobs (the closest knobs to driver and passenger). They are the only controls we need to adjust. In the morning, when it's in the mid 40's, the heat comes on through the floor vents. After the car has been sitting in the sun all day, the temperature is hot enough for the A/C, so the cool air comes out of the dash vents. Before I had auto climate control, I had to change 3 different controls (fan speed, vent position, and temperature). Now this is all controlled with one knob. DACC is great!
Side note, Today Show (at least) is coming around on the Korean automakers, as they did have the Hyundai Santa Fe as one of the four cars on display (IIRC) for excellent ownership costs. Hyundai Veracruz and Kia Rondo was there a few weeks ago in another piece of editorial. Kudos!!
Out of all features DACC is the most useless. I have had 9 years of combined experience with DACC over three cars and I can say I think it was used once. I understand one mans frivilous feature is another mans must have. Debating the fine points of climate control is like debating how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. Most auto climate controls allow fully automatic operation and manual operation.
I envy people who are able to set the control and not fiddle with it. I am not comfortable in any car, ie Accord, 750, LS430, 330i, Jeep, etc, I am fiddling with the temperature guage a degree at a time to keep me comfortable.
I rather go to a web forum dedicated to Mazda6's to write or read real reviews of the car, like mazda6club.com.
I had to laugh when I read this. I am always fiddling with something in the car. The auto HVAC unit, the radio, the driver information center readouts. If nothing has given a feedback beep in the last 60 seconds, I have to do something to use the toys and features.
Even though the auto air unit is perfect in ability to gain and maintain conditions, I always want it a little warmer, or a little cooler, or a little more blower speed... Even though a temperature control is on the steering wheel, I like to do it on the main panel just like our second car. I think there's more psychological reward for my need-to-adjust using the main panel and reaching rather than using a button onthe wheel.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Aaahh, so you set the ACC, then adjust the air flow. I'll bet that's why you don't think that the ACC changes direction, it's because you manually set it yourself.
Have you tried turning the system off, then turning on the ACC, and setting the temperature, WITHOUT hitting any other buttons? I bet this may allow the ACC to control air flow direction...
Each time I start the car it "remembers" the setting that was last selected.
I'll check it out (but will continue to use both sets of vents if you're suspicion is correct).
Thanks for the info.
You can click on the #s of reviews link to easily get to a page where you can choose earlier years to look up reviews. For those cars with no reviews yet, you can click on Research and follow links from there. I think that's too many clicks to find an earlier year and I'm going to bring that to TPTB's attention.
Thanks for making me look at that.
What year is your Mazda6?
How about if you go ahead and submit it again and then email me that you've done so. I will go find it and get back to you. If you are not submitting under aviboy97, let me know what name you are using.
We can get this straight, I promise!!
If you took the average Sonata sale I would venture to say that very, very few if any paid MSRP or even close to it. Now some people might pay MSRP for a Porshe or something because they have alot of money and don't want to haggle, but I think the person that is Hyundai shopping is probably looking to save money and rarely pays close to MSRP. I realize that CR can't go by the "best deal price" that somebody got, but at least could plainly state that the figures could drastically change based on what is actually paid for the car.
How many buyers of the cars that are discussed in this forum pay full MSRP???
Exactly. Rebates and incentives change throughout the year, each person's purchase price is different, and the true-cost-to-own figures change along with them. If you want the exact true-cost-to-own for YOU, YOU have to apply YOUR OWN PRICES for each car.
Easy on the CAPS...I can hear you and I fully understand you have to apply your own prices(my original should have made it clear that I realized this). My only point was that the CR/Today Show should have explained that. They left the impression that, flatly, the Accord costs less than the Sonata.
All reviews which are accepted display. You just have to look under the right year. You can also (but don't have to) narrow it down by trim level. And yes, it is a big deal; we want reviews to be posted!
Have you looked here: http://www.edmunds.com/mazda/mazda6/2005/consumerreview.html? I don't know your trim level and there are at least 14 pages of 2005 reviews so I can't really look for it myself.
Again, if it's not being posted, resubmit and email me when you've done so. I'll either make sure it gets posted or let you know why not.
Edit: Here, at this time it is the last one on this page, dated 10/09/07: http://www.edmunds.com/mazda/mazda6/2005/review.html.
Nothing could be further from the truth. We want and accept all reviews of all model years, whether they are of the current MY or any previous one. If you submit your 07 review under the 08 MY, no, we can't accept that, but all you have to do is put your review in the right category and write it according to the very simple guidelines. It will be published.
I offer you the same thing I offered aviboy97 - and I offer this to everyone anytime - submit a review, email me letting me know you have done so, and I will personally let you know what will happen with it and approximately when.
"What date they use for the switchover" is the approximate date the new MY hits the streets, as I think I mentioned earlier. That "switchover" is only relevant to what appears in the Learn More box on the right side of the page. It is not at all relevant to the model years of reviews we accept and encourage.
I hope that makes things clearer, but please do feel free to email me about this subject at any time.