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Comments
I hope to avoid the hot and slippery issues with this configuration.
Oh, and most upholstery shops can do the change.
Also, I am a very "spirited" driver and love to attack curves and corners. With the leather, I am fighting to stay planted in the seat way too much. Perhaps with heavier bolstering, I could enjoy the leather. Oh well... just my opinion.
You hit it at the end. In a good seat, you wouldn't worry about sliding around. I'm a pretty small guy but the leather sport seats on my car hug me so I don't budge when driving. Good seats negage the "slippery leather" argument.
Someone else mentioned a mix of leather and cloth. That was an option on my car - a mix of this nasty suede-like material and leather on the bolsters. I went with solid leather. As I mentioned before, I don't move around in my seats.
Actually just looked at the back of the key fob and it says Visteon, made in canada. Did a search for Visteon, and it is an auto supplier that spun off of Ford. That explains it all. Ford and the American design philosophy..."bigger is better"... Might as well carry a TV universal remote in my pocket...
The new 7-series doesn't even have a key.
I prefer my old-tech cell phone. It could be thinner, but I like the larger keys and keypad.
I think the fob on my '99 Protege could be a little smaller, but only a little. I really dislike dinky little buttons.
As for sizes of electronics, they should be as small as possible but the interface should be easy to use. The MZ6's key fob is just big, the buttons are actually kind of small for the size of the whole thing. And the panic button is not very well placed, it's too easy to press by accident. I think some engineer designed it after they had a few drinks.
I won't and don't carry it. I only carry the key.
Since the SpTrac doesn't have an alarm, the fob is almost usless.
You carry a fob for the alarm? I'd think it'd be handy to unlock the doors remotely, pop the trunk and relock the car.
Heck, my current car (an 03) doesn't even have an alarm. And my fob's integrated with a key that's a tad thicker than the average key.
Actually, my 2001 Protege's key fob was different and smaller. It wasn't a Visteon product and it was made in Japan.
"As for paying for things, I don't mind that at all. What I do mind is getting things I do NOT want. like leather or a moonroof. I don't want them even if they pay ME to take them. And I shouldn't have to take them to get a SAFETY option. See? "
I agree with him 100%.. Not only do I want the safety stuff, I don't want the moonroof. I need the headroom. I have already walked away from the Ininiti G35 and the Lexus Rx300 in the last two years becuase they are only available with a sunroof and tons of other stuff I don't want and only available without a sunroof if I will accept the bare bones version with NO other options, or I go to Florida to buy a vehicle shipped there without a sunroof because Florida is too hot to have sunroofs.
Someone else suggested a few posts ago the safety stuff be independent options OR made standard on all models. And then allow a few packages beyond that. But the option choices should be independent of the engine/tranny choice. As an example, someone questioned last week, why is the auto temp control standard on the s, but not available on the i ??? ????? ???? Is there a sensible answer to that??
Probably the most sensible answer is it's just another one of those things that if you want it, you'll have to ante up for the higher end version. If someone wants auto-climate controls and would take a 4-cyl, then Mazda hopes you'll ante up the extra cash and upgrade to the 6-cyl. They want the 6-cyl to seem more upscale in some ways I guess. Also the reason that most 4-cyl buyers wouldn't care about auto-climate controls could be used so it may be a combination of both. On the Mazda3 I can understand there being no auto-climate controls, on a Mazda6 4-cyl I'm not so sure. It doesn't matter to me if a car has it so I have no preference, but if it wasn't that much more money to add it then I would make it standard. Again though it may go back to making the 6-cyl stand out more equipment-wise over the 4-cyl. Just like requiring a moonroof to get SAB/SAC, not having auto-climate on the 4-cyl is a gamble Mazda is willing to take. They figure there's not enough demand from 4-cyl buyers to add it to the 4-cyl, even as an option. We either have to sacrifice something and take the Mazda car as is or go to another company that can give us what we want. Weigh the positives and negatives and decide if it's worth it or not. That's what I'll be doing with the Mazda3.
I think customers will understand that they first need to make an upfront decision on getting a stripper or a luxury version and then live with the options, hopefully with the idea that by doing so, they're cheaper for the mfg to produce, cheaper to inventory cars, and makes things simpler for the buyer when they're shopping.
Mazda seems to have the worst of both worlds. Complexity without flexiblity.
- Mark
http://www.cldroussillon.qc.ca/french/test/photo_0334.jpg
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Also note the roof-mounted antenna.
NO, please, NO!
If you mean a vanillamobile that is boring to drive then I agree with you totally the 6 is not where it's at. Trust me your loss especially if you bought a Camcord.
BTW what car did you come up with that had the power that you needed but was still a 4 cylinder? Unless it was a TSX that statement does not make much sense.
I believe s/he ended up with a Civic Si and an Accord Coupe, and/or a couple of Lexuses. He he. 'nuff said
On topic - washed my 6 at a drive-in self-serve wash today, and drove it back revving hard the whole way. My roommate gives me the "You had a fun drive back from wherever you were, again - didn't you!" spiel
That's why I bought it.
And oh - its winning award after award in the FAMILY SEDAN class. Just a wakeup call for those who think family sedans should double as land-barges as well.
You mean Mazda is buying award after award? Work or talk with someone in marketing - industry mags, papers, groups, etc sell awards.
u mean the Yugo can also win(buy) all those awards?
The 6i manual is fun-to-drive with the sport package but this time around I needed an automatic. In that form the 6i lags behind some other models in it's class. I was looking for safety, efficiency, room, and something that I enjoyed driving. I wouldn't enjoy driving a 6i automatic.
Another concern was resale value. You never know what life will throw at you therefore you never know when you might have to get rid of a car sooner than planned. That's what happened to me when we found out we had a baby coming. My 03 coupe quickly became impractical. Luckily, it was a Honda so we did not get slaughtered on trade as we would have if we had bought ... let's just say "some other car". Had we purchased a 6 when we were in the market for a car we would've had a 6i 5-speed with the sport package, which according to posts in here, isn't being heavily discounted yet but I bet it would have been come trade in time.
The 4 cylinder sedan automatic (never thought I would buy an automatic) I did end up with is not even 1 second slower (according to some sources it is within .5 seconds) than a 6s to 60 and only .1 seconds slower in the 1/4 mile while returning at least 6-7 MPG better than the 6s. We actually went out with the intention of buying an automatic 4WD Element but with an automatic it was more of a dog than we could deal with on a long-term basis.
This post isn't meant to antagonize any 6 owners/supporters. It's just another point of view about why the 6 hasn't been as successfull as it should be given it's driving dynamics. The 6 is a hoot to drive but in the family sedan segment lateral g's and slaloms take a back seat to the things I mentioned above. And yes, there is always that possibility that I may have twins next and then have to trade quickly again, the 6 is not the car for that.
That's a bunch of garbage. Where are all of General Motors' awards? They have cash and if you can buy awards, GM would have been doing it a while ago......or is BMW's and Honda's and Toyota's cash greener?
And why doesn't GM or Honda or cash rich toyota pay for awards from random little publications like Atlantic Coast Drivers Monthly or V6 Review? Probably because they're established and they don't to list 150 newspapers and magazines agree, the xxxx is the top car in this segment. GM sells the most cars. Honda, Toyota etc are all major players. Mazda isn't.
In the software/tech world and in pharma, it's the bit players and middling players who drop the coin to get mentioned anywhere, as though an unbiased source thinks this tiny or unheard of company has an unheralded but worthy product.
Talk to a friend/trusted co-worker in marketing or PR...it's more common than people realize.
The 6 is a fantastic sedan - easily the best of under 25k crop. The awards though and the constant mentioning of them is little more than Mazda trying to carve out a legit name with their car. It's a good car nobody knows about.
As far as resale is concerned I guess if enough people bought Mazda's their resale wouldn't be that bad. Instead people like their Toyota's, Honda's, VW's, and Nissan's, GM's, and Ford's. I'm not saying there is anything wrong that though.
It seems like Mazda now gets treated like GM got treated in the 80's and early 90's: people say this and that about them and how they are not reliable cars and they are not as good as Honda and Toyota.
As far as the 6 not being successful where I live its successful.
I don't believe it at all. If awards went to the highest bidder, the Honda Accord wouldn't have been on Car and Driver's ten best list forever. Instead of the Accord, the Ford Taurus or Chevy Lumina should have been on the ten best list. I've been reading car mags for a long time and the cars that consistantly win awards time after time in publication after publication are Hondas and BMWs. Neither Honda, nor BMW are the most cash rich automakers. So basically what you are saying is that Honda and BMW's stategy for selling cars is buying awards?????
Actually, it's the other way around. I'm not saying that an award has never been bought by an automaker, but for the most part, the awards are legit.
I don't.
'cause Oscar awards are BOUGHT. There is hardly one oscar that is legit.
How about that.
Still the common man believes in the awards.
Who cares about the Oscars? You can't equate Hollywood to the international auto industry.
GM sells the most cars of any company. Their resale values blow. It's not about sales but buyer perceptions. The buyer perception is that mazda isn't a top tier company.
It seems like Mazda now gets treated like GM got treated in the 80's and early 90's: people say this and that about them and how they are not reliable cars and they are not as good as Honda and Toyota.
No comparo really because GM has always and will always be a trashy, second tier mcdonald's like company that pushes cheap junk on the masses with it wrapped in the flag.
Mazda's aiming for a niche and has done so from the getgo. They freely admitted the 6 will never do honda accord numbers because it's not designed or marketed for the vapid masses who want an appliance. Mazda's energy has always surrounded being a bit different, a bit sporty - not being one of the joneses.
As far as the 6 not being successful where I live its successful.
success if relative. Mazda aimed for far less numbers than the big three (Camry, Accord and Taurus). They're hitting those numbers, which is great. They're not trying to be all things to all people.
I'm not talking about huge mainstream magazines with 1 million plus readership levels. Most of the "awards" mentioned have been from random industry (not mass magazines) mags, local groups or car shows or silly newspapers and such.
I've been reading car mags for a long time and the cars that consistantly win awards time after
i'm sorry you're unaware that publications exist that aren't sold at Barnes and Noble.
For the cheap seats: Established players don't buy awards from Billbo's V6 Roundup or the Ontario Automotive Gazette. That's what second tier and struggling companies do to get legitimacy.
The average joe wants to believe "authorities" like his vehicle, refrigerator, CPU, favorite film. Seeing that the Mazda6 earned the "Best in Class" award from The Orange County Modder Review means to him some "authorities" liked his car.
As I said before, talk with your PR/marketing people. They get calls constantly from industry publications and groups who are selling awards.
If you can't grasp the difference between Road and Track and some po-dunk publication...
How about that.
I loathe the oscars because they in now way, shape or form relate to quality. It's the hollywood prom, nothing more.
Unless, of course, you aren't really sure that you made the right decision and need to come here to bash Mazda to make yourself feel better about your decision?
Just curious ...
What's the highest mileage anyone has on their MZ6 so far? Any problems developing at the higher mileages?
Dinu
But that is not the case.
Car&driver: top 10. v6 silky as a BMW 330i.
Edmunds: favorite long term...nothing broke till date
Automobile mag: second thoughts about car of the year award.
coupled with these "big" authorities review, the smaller awards make it to be legitimate and enhance the effectiveness of the big award.
Dinu
As for the design awards, I tend to believe it because now that independent tests are starting to come out, the Mazda6 gets good crash test ratings, obviously well designed, and leas expensive bumper replacements in minor accidents. Another well thought out design. Also the large trunk space, and interior space for such a compact exterior also reinforces my belief the the designers paid a lot of detailed attention and deserved the awards. If they bought most of the awards, I think the average joe consumer would detect how wrong the publications are, except most average joe consumers also are praising the Mazda6.
Dang... wish they would have had that color here in the US this year... would have taken that in a second (if I could have found one).
"Mazda's aiming for a niche and has done so from the getgo. They freely admitted the 6 will never do honda accord numbers because it's not designed or marketed for the vapid masses who want an appliance. Mazda's energy has always surrounded being a bit different, a bit sporty - not being one of the joneses."
i must mention a few things. i looked at the 6s, and the V6 Accord. really liked both of them. chose the Accord for power and interior. i am hardly what most people would call "vapid". i used to believe that Accords were vanilla. i think that is changing. but without getting into defending the Accord here in a 6 forum, i feel i should remind you of something. you drive a BMW! talk about mindless zombies looking for cars with a "name" and an image - 3 series sedans fly off the lots and end up at Carmax six months later because the BMW name isn't worth the BMW experience (headache)...
lets hold off on calling Honda owners vapid. when Mazda offers interiors that have a quality feel, they will sell more cars.