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Comments
This is intentional, i beleive. It is not loud in the harsh tones. It is singing loud in the upper revs...read FUN factor.
Interior was well done, except for the seat cloth which seemed cheesy. The gauges rock, the center climate controls and radio are ok (I prefer the center stack in the Protege. SOme other neat details like the metal door pulls etc.....cool.
Interior seemed ok on room but it defintiely did not feel open and airy, the roof seemed very low.
Didn't drive it. Overall a nice first impression although it definitely kinda looks like a generic sedan unless you get the sport package.
Lets bet the driving experience is what makes it special.
Two things I noticed; I apologize if they've already been covered here. Did you guys know the 6 has its radio antenna mounted inside the rear glass, and among its many safety features it has crushable pedals?
Meade
1. The exterior of the car is fantastic, very taut, purposefull and agressive. Looks like an updated MK1 Audi A4.
2. The car is smaller overall than I expected. Closer to our '95 Contour than our '01 Accord, especially in interior width. I'd say interior volume is adequate, but that the Passat feels bigger due to more headroom.
3. The rear seat back only came up to the base of my neck, meaning they should have included the separate rear headrests available outside of NA.
4. The short deck of the trunk makes the opening small. Its basically the same problem I have with my Ford.I'm tired of having to open packages (such as TVs or comuter monitors) in the parking lot in order to get it in the car.
I'm defninately waiting for the hatch if I go with a Mazda6.
5. The front seats are very comfortable, but could be larger. I personally like the fabric, but think the leather would be more luxurious.
6. The interior materials above the dash centerline are above average. The lower dash, console, etc. are unexceptional. I'd say that the materials in the Passat and Accord are better, but the Mazda6 is definately better than Altima. Overall, its a nice place to be (love the gauges and steering wheel) but its not "expensive" feeling.
7. The car is very well built. The doors close with a solid "thud" and all the shut lines are close.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with the car. Its very purposeful to the extent that it will have appeal to enthusiast minded drivers, but not necessarily the average buyers. This is good because it will be somewhat of an exclusive ownership.
In the second one, they show a silver 6 (a profile and wheel of the car, actually) doing a sideways slide in what looks like a desert setting. The car slides around, and makes the shape of a "6" in the dirt, the viewpoint is above the car. Then they put up the "coming soon..." from above.
I think the commercials are pretty cool, but I would think they would be showing the cars by now since they are on dealers' lots.
I have to comment again on the distortion through the windshield. It was serious enough for me to (regretfully) not consider the 6 as my next vehicle (too bad, I was really looking forward to the hatch or wagon). Hopefully, it was just the glass in the particular 6 I test-drove and isn't inherent in the design. I'll have to try on others over time to confirm, I guess.
Dang, the 6 is a really nice car too.
Meade
On the 6 subject, I am really excited about testing one, finally. With all the hype that is surrounding this car, I guess the cars will be flying off the lots.
I noticed in the Jetta I have now, headroom seems to me alot more. My head doesn't come close to the roof, even with the seat elevated a click or two and with a sunroof.
OK?
Just how tall you are doesn't really say anything. My dad has a Buick Reatta with a factory sunroof and even with the seat height all the way down, I still cannot sit in the car without tilting my head to the left or the right to keep it off the ceiling.
Meade
Meade
Meade
The interior wasn't overly roomly - but not confining - not too bad for my 6 - 3 body and very picky comfort requirements. Roominess seemed to be on par to my 91 Accord Coupe which I'll be getting rid of in a few months.
I also thought I had adequate headroom.
Liked the tilting/telescoping steering wheel.
Sat in a gray and a red 6 - Have to say the red car with the beige interior seemed more open and airy than the gray/charcoal interior of the gray model.
Also liked the feel of the five speed - although I didn't drive it.
One thing I did notice was that when the seat was pushed as far back as possible, my left shoulder rubbed the center "B" pillar and my elbow barely reached the end of the armrest.
Since they didn't have any models with a power seat I asked them to call me when they get one in - specifically a 6s with a 5-speed and ABS.
I also thought the hubcaps on the i were just plain boring - really detracts from the car.
For me the jury is still out - will have to test an s with power seats and a five speed - but so far the 6 is still in the running.
Mike
Basically it lists all the features of both models.
The most interesting parts are the comparisons to the major competitors (Galant, Accord, Camry, Altima, Passat) and what Mazda feels might be potential customers "key concerns" and what the sales reps response should be.
Don't know if she was supposed to hand this out, but she offered it to me - I sure didn't ask for it.
If anyone is interested I can elaborate.
Mike
You may start in 3, 2, 1, now!
Dinu
Mazda6 Over Honda Accord
Key Concern: The Accord is roomy and comfortable.
Response: While the Accord offers slightly more interior room, the Mazda6 with its OptiSpace design makes better use of its interior space, which is a feature that all occupants will appreciate. The Mazda6 also offer more trunk room and the convenience of a 60/40 split remote automatic fold-down rear seatback, a feature not found on the Accord.
Mitsubishi Galant
Key concern: The Galant's powertrain warranty is 24 months longer than the Mazda6's.
Response: While the powertrain warranty of the Galant provides additiona powertrain coverage, the Mazda6's 36-month/50,000 mile basic warranty offers 14,000 more miles of "bumper-to-bumper" coverage, And while Mazda and Mitsubishi both provide no-cost roadside assistance and a free loaner car during warranty service, Mazda's coverage provides and additional 14,000 miles of these services.
whew!! Anyone want the info on the Passat, Altima or Camry?
Mike
For what its worth, the Accord IS more roomy and more comfortable thant the Mazda6. Rather than try and compare those elements with something like Opispace (i.e., smaller seats), Mazda should tout other areas where their car has a clear advantage such as performance. The trunk on the Mazda6 may be bigger, but its narrow and the opening is really small. The split seat and the auto fold down feature is a good idea. The seat latches on my Contour are in the trunk too, but you have to go to the passenger compartment or use a long object to push the seats down.
I did notice that the armrest is out of the way - my left leg did not bump into it at all.
Key Concern: The Altima is a well-equipped sports sedan at a reasonable price.
Response: Customers interested in comparably equipped Altima models will often find that they need to purchase extra-cost option packages to get the features that are standard on the Mazda6i or Mazda 6s. And the Mazda6 will still offfer better value for the money with 14,000 more miles of basic warranty coverage, no-cost roadside assistance, and free loaner car during warranty service.
Mazda6 over Volkswagen Passat
Key Concern: The Passat is stylish with a "Euro" flare.
Response: The Mazda6 offers sporty, distinctive styling with an athletic stance that can be seen in its predatory front end, bold front grille, sharpened hood, well-defined shoulder and belt lines, prominent fender flares, large wheels and tires, and horizontal taillight design.
Bruno
And I am pretty picky in such matters, asmaltb already knows;)
The 6i I test-drove did not have a moonroof. I sat in a 6s with a moonroof and my hair was being pressed down quite a bit (I suppose in about 20-30 years, that may not be an issue for me...heh), though not all the way down to my scalp. Both had the Premium Package, so had the power-adjustable seats. Perhaps a manually-adjustable seat would have more height range?
I'm glad to hear nobody else has noticed glass distortion. I guess it might just be that one car. Maybe I'll test-drive all the cars on the lot the next time I visit.
So far as the dead pedal goes, I thought it was a bit more vertical than I prefer, but it was something I thought I could adjust to (I think the one in my Pro is a little too horizontal). It's definitely set so your foot won't "ride up" as you put more force on it. Its distance was just right when compared to the other pedals. Oh, what a nicely-designed cockpit!
Of course, we know the 6 is in relatively nearby Philadelphia, among other places, so I doubt this applies to the whole East coast. Maybe just this one dealer made a human error and was trying to prevent me from shopping elsewhere.
After finally seeing many Mazda6's being listed in local inventory on Mazda's web site (I have been checking this daily), I immediately left home and went to the dealer (when I should have been going back to work). I was pretty upset to find nothing there. I guess I should have called first, but was in a rush.
Huh?
Besides, All 2003 Mazdas get 48month/50k mile bumper to bumper coverage.
The literature the person above had was probably already printed before the change was made.
Take some wind out of Hyundai/Kia's sails. Heck, improved as they are, you'll still need that warranty.
Still, I wouldn't turn down another 12 months and 14,000 miles. Too bad they didn't make it retroactive to 1999 models, eh? I'd just sneak it for a few more months. But, I know it's just to make the 2002s more appealing.
I have heard of being beside yourself, when you are behind yourself can you kick your own butt? jk
Kicking yourself is what you do when you buy the wrong car, right?
fowler3