Mazda6 Sedan

mazdamarla · February 2003

So is everyone trying to get to the new website at once? My computer just thinks and thinks and thinks.

I was there briefly, then wanted to go back and start from scratch, and couldn't. Now I can't get there at all.

mazdamarla · February 2003

HTTP Server Error 503
No available server to handle this request

everyone must be lookin' at the new site design.

vocus · February 2003

Advertising isn't allowed on this site...

vocus · February 2003

The auto can make the 0-60 up to 2 seconds slower. The engine doesn't rev as quickly with the auto, from what I have heard, either. When torque is produced at a high rpm like 5000 (as in the 6s engine), the auto saps a good amount of power and pizazz from it.

joe2617 · February 2003

The rumors are that Charlie was asked to leave because of continued marketing problems. The Mazda6 launch was great but most of the other products were ignored. The East Coast has had the worst winter in years- when was the last time you saw a Tribute commercial? Mazda did announce a greatly increased ad budget this year but that may have been too little too late for Mr. Hughes.

raf7 · February 2003

Hey everyone, I'm new to the board but have been reading posts for a while now.

I recently (last Sat) drove home in my new Black, fully loaded 6s with 5sp tranny. I live in NY but drove all the up to VT to get it from Scot Mazda beacuse I hate driving automatic cars. This was the closest place to NY to have this car without actually ordering it.

So far I have close to 600 miles on it and no complaints. Well the first day I had to change my tire cause I hit a pothole on the beltpkwy. No blown tire just a bubble. The rim wasn't bent and there was no damage to the car. THANKFULY!!

Since I'm taking it easy for the first 1k miles for break in I can't really push the car too much. But I can feel the car wants to go. It's great having heated seats. My other car is an 87 firebird so it's nice to have a little luxury with the 6.

Any sugestions on the first oil change. It says 3k in the manual but I think it's smart to do it sooner.

thanks,
Raf

protege_fan · February 2003

Stretch isn't selling anything. He's advising of a potential deal and he has nothing to gain from that (unless he secretly works for them I suppose). I don't see anything in the TOU about that...but it's not my job to determine that.

Let the hosts do their work.

joe2617 · February 2003

Congradulations on your new 6. The owners manual should say 7500 miles but you are better off changing it at 3000. If your owner's manual does say 3000 miles something is wrong. Make sure that your 6 isn't one produced for Canada. If it is your warranty may be void. There were a lot of guys bringing Canadian Tributes in for a while when supply was short so Mazda really put their foot down.

maltb · February 2003

Is that excuse after excuse as to why sales are not rising with improved/new products and an increased marketing budget, Mr. Booth (Ford employee and Mazda CEO) in Japan figured that Chuck was wasting time and money. If you have seen the two in person, you'd notice the style conflict straight off.

toolman02 · February 2003

It looks like the redesigned site is back up, although it's somewhat slow.

If you try custom building a 6, they changed the options. The side air bags/curtains and ABS & Traction Control are available stand-alone, without having to get anything else although you have to get the two together. I think many of us were waiting for this option. Also, the moonroof is a stand alone option too. The only downside I can see so far is that the MP3 player is not listed.

The pictures of the car in both red and blue are inaccurate. They aren't even close to what the car looks like in real life.

audia8q · February 2003

I heard that Charlie didnt play well with Ford and they didnt like that.

mazdamarla · February 2003

I still can't get what I would want....:

4-cyl., NO sport package.

Want Premium Package, ABS/TC, Side Airbags, Moonroof, Leather, plus various other cosmetics.

The second I click on Moonroof, it makes me REMOVE the ABS/TC/SCA options. I want the safety features - period. I DON'T want the Sport Package - Period. But I want Leather/Moonroof - period. Can't do it, though. What does having a Moonroof have to do with NOT being able to get ABS/TC and Side Airbags?? Unless you have the Sport Package, of course, where I'd get all that PLUS other stuff I DON'T want (black leather, 17" wheels, ground fx).

ARGH.

Hopefully by the time I'm ready to order, I'll be able to get what I want. I want the safest car I can get, so I definitely want Side Airbags.

maltb · February 2003

I haven't met anyone that really liked him; especially behind closed doors.

buggywhip · February 2003

'Stretchsje' was most assuredly NOT advertising anything. He was merely confirming the new Mazda6 lease rate that was brought up earlier (but not substantiated) by several other posters. A poster or two wanted verification; stretchsje was nice enough to provide it.........now, in spirit, stretchsje is a walking advertisement for the Mazda6. That ain't no crime. So he loves his new car and he's unselfish enough to share his experience with the rest of us. More power to him.............on another topic, if and when I get a new Mazda6, I'm not going to be religious about oil changes. Every 3k miles? No way. I don't think it's necessary. After break-in, I'll probably do it every 5k. All the auto mags go at least 7500m betw changes with no probs.

ruefus · February 2003

In my 6, the rear grab handles have the standard hooks on each side for holding dry cleaning etc.

The odd thing is that on the left - the hook is towards the front of the car, and on the right it's towards the rear. It seems Mazda is using the same part for both right and left.

I noticed only because I travel a lot and string a luggage bar between the two hooks to carry clothes. It IS a nit-pick, but with the forward mounted hook, the driver's seat intrudes on the space clothes occupy, which is the side I use most. It gets annoying. This seems VERY odd as the 6 is the only car I've ever seen this on.

I'd appreciate it if a few of you would check to see your cars are the same, or if they have the hooks to the rear on both sides.

Thanks in advance.

cookie01 · February 2003

In a bit less than 24 hours I'll be on the road in my new M6s sport, grey metalic, cloth seats.
The dealer will pick me up at the airport in the car! and I drive it back to do the paperwork.
This dealer has been great to work with. They faxed me the sheet yesterday with the exact numbers they quoted over the phone. I was told the car has 85 miles on it.
dang... must have been on the lot for a couple of weeks at least. (which again makes me wonder why my hometown dealer didn't at least "try" for a trade with them).

I'm extremely jazzed to get started on my 400 + mile "first drive."

I'll post a review on Monday... if I can't come down off of Cloud Nine.

gee35coupe · February 2003

Mazda is sure having you guys jump through hoops to get the "exact" car you want. There is a problem somewhere. The car has been out long enough for these problems to be over. Maybe that's why there is a management shake-up.

mpiatek · February 2003

I gave Fitzgerald Automall a call this morning (someone else recommended them, I think it was stretch). All of their cars are a no-haggle price of $250 over invoice.

They said that the wait time to order a Mazda 6 right now is about 8-10 weeks and they take a $500 deposit to order it. I'm not local to them, so they said that usually it works best if I fly out there to pick it up and drive it home (a long drive from Maryland to Arizona...). :-) It might not be the best deal for me, but at least now I have some bargaining power with my local dealer...if they won't sell me the car I want to order (minus their $800 "paint protectant" and "apolstry gaurd" ) for $500 over invoice or less, I'll just order it from Fitzgerald. Anyway, this isn't an advertisement...I just want to let people know how long the wait is for ordering, and how long-distance ordering would work. Also, this isn't a bad deal for people who are stuck with dealers that won't sell them a Mazda 6 for anything below MSRP.

Here's Fitzgerald's website:
http://www.fitzmall.com/

Mike

Ohh, and cookie01, enjoy your ride home... :-)

mpiatek · February 2003

By the way, someone was asking about the 2 second difference (0-60 times) between the manual and the automatic transmissions. I asked the same question back on page 331 (post #6616). Some of the responses back then are on pages 331-333 or so.

Mike

gilbrook · February 2003

What ?

Not as far as I can see if you want a 6i w/o sport package.

I want:

6i/MT -- Sepang green/beige
Cloth (but will take leather) seats
Premium pkg
Moonroof
ABS/TRC
SAB/SAC

To get moonroof in this configuration you have to get sports package. Sorry Mazda, never BLACK interior and never sports package.

Are MazdaMaria and I the only ones who want our new Mazda6 this way? What would 'audi8' have to say about such a personal request?:)

I've let musa@mazdausa.com know, but I'm worn down from sending them a half-down 'suggestions' about the car I want since it's intro.

If it ever happens I've asked them to e-mail me so I can sell my '94 626 LX, ABS,moonroof (which I love) and buy a new 6i (which I love).

I go for safey, luxury and economy w/o ground affects and 'cave' (dark) interiors!

toolman02 · February 2003

I made an incorrect assumption on the stand alone moonroof. They have it listed as an individual option, but the site went AWOL before I could finish configuring it and I didn't get a chance to try it without the sport package. It doesn't seem like you can get the 6 with the luxury/safety options unless you get the sport package too.

marla & gilbrook : I didn't mean to get your hopes up. sorry about that.

maltb · February 2003

interesting.

The parts catalog shows them to be what I would assume as correct (the hook towards the rear of the car on both sides) yet the part numbers are the same for left and right making it the way you observed. I guess somebody figured they could save $0.10 per car a little late in the game.

fowler3 · February 2003

the CEO was fired! LOL!

**I guess somebody figured they could save $0.10 per car a little late in the game.**

fowler3

maltb · February 2003

speculation built on speculation...lol

rotarykid · February 2003

for the four cylinder engine is printed as mexico on the window sticker, but the engine is actually constructed in japan.

cookie01 · February 2003

Gee:
Maybe jumping through hoops is half the fun!
Some people would rather go the extra mile to have something special.
If I didn't care, I'd just go buy a Camacord.

audia8q · February 2003

Just looked at the 6 we have on the showroom and the rear grab handles are as you described....driverside hook on the front and pass. side on the back.

Rich

mpiatek · February 2003

Someone posted earlier that the grab handles were kind of cheap and pulled out easily. Has anyone else had this problem, or was that one car a fluke?

Mike

maltb · February 2003

a check at lunch concluded that mine are the same as others observed.

Good news: they remain in place securely.

windy6 · February 2003

Hey 626to6 and any other buyers in Houston. Did you get your deal done? Happy with the experience and price? I've never bought new (I'm no kid either, I can afford it because I don't do it. However, this car has me thinking I might! Only problem is not enough twisties in Houston to wring it out correctly.
Some other questions for the group at large: Do you like your leather vs cloth seats? Anyone regret getting the auto with the V6 instead of tracking down a 5 speed? How do you like the 17" tires.
I've driven 2, both V6 autos, since my bride isn't a huge fan of sticks and we're relocating to the hill country in a few months and my toy (Miata) is a stick I'm leaning toward the auto.
Thanks
windy
Thanks,

jhtlag · February 2003

I may be old fashioned, but I think one should change the oil more often rather than less often, especially when you first buy the car. When a car is new you are wearing in the cylinders, the rings are scraping in little groove which put a fair amount of metal in your oil. This ain't good. I would definitely recommend changing the oil every 3k IF NOT SOONER when you first buy a car to keep the oil clean. When you've had the car a while it is probably not as big a problem if you let it go 7.5K or more. My evidence is that I did this with my '92 Ford Escort (Mazda Protege) and now have 253K miles on it. It doesn't smoke nor does it come close to failing MD emissions testing.

MazdaMarla and Gilbrook, you are not alone. It's nice reading someone who basically has the same mindset as you do; Ok, maybe an option difference here and there but you know we are thinking the same thoughts: 6i MT, comfort,premium, 16" alloy, yellow (if I have enough courage) TC/Airbags leather (yes/no) Moonroof (yes/no). (I think purists are people who want just enough)

Mpiatek: Buy your car at Fitzmall and we in the DC area will pick it up for you and "hold" it until you can come by and pick it up ;^P (Gee, those miles were already on it! zoom-zoom)

jht

jhtlag · February 2003

individully, e.g., Bose upgrade by itself, moonroof by itself, anti-lock brakes etc. by themselves. Server not working correctly? or are these the policy changes we've been waiting for?

jht

fowler3 · February 2003

I saw a picture of the now gone CEO on the editorial page of Zoom Zoom magazine. This guy was "retired" and brought back? They retire young these days!! Maybe he got a golden parachute or a yellow Mazda6 the second time. LOL!

I'd guess his age at late fourties or early fifties. Retirement begins when you give up and I'm nowhere near that age.

fowler3

mazda6s · February 2003

It's "Speeeeed Yellow".

johnclineii · February 2003

Hughes turns 58 Sunday. Before he went back to Mazda, he had been retired, and had previously been with Land Rover and Volkswagen.

shock6822 · February 2003

the 6s is outta my price range...lookin for something 20k or under...anyone have a 6i with AT? Mainly concerned with reliability/safety at this point

gee35coupe · February 2003

The car IS a Camcord in the respect that the factory is churning out a certain number of cars every day. It seems (at least on here) that they are churning out the wrong type of product if there are customers that have to travel from Maryland to Arizona for the "mass marketed" car that they want. People don't have to do that for LS430's or other cars of that ilk. I mean if some dealerships have 25 of each model on hand and non of them have the "ONE" you want....Mazda needs to cut options or do more research into what thier customers really want.

johnclineii · February 2003

But ALL factories churn out a certain number of cars each day, even Rolls Royce factories. What is your point? I don't understand.

Also, don't make the mistake of thinking posters here are typical or reflect the overall car market. They don't. Not even close.

gee35coupe · February 2003

My point is that "mass marketed" factories and the people that run them should pretty much have all combinations saturated by now in at least each region if not each state. We ain't talking Rolls Royce here. This is a dime-a-dozen family hauler.

To even imply that the closest dealer that has your car is on the other side of the counry is a little extreme you must admit.

I know Edmunds is the complaint zone though. So I'll just leave it alone. There are some issues at Mazda though with the option requirements juggling and all. I say they are still trying to figure out what to build. They have no inkling.

lapis_blue · February 2003

I'm starting to get really frustrated. I ordered my Mazda 6s more than 10 weeks ago and i was originally told that it was going to be ready for me to pick during the middle of February. I went back to Hong Kong for Christmas Vacation and when i got back to Colorado, the dealer said that there had been some delays due to misconcieved customer demand. However, he promised that it would be here no later than the last week of February.

On february 10th he called me up and said that the car had been built in Flat Rock and it was just waiting for the truck to leave. He called back about eight days later and said that the car was in Kansas and it was still waiting for a truck to get moving. Kansas. i said? He claimed that he has been mistaken about its original point of origin and that it had actually be built in Kansas where the oversupply of 6s' were being produced. As far as i was aware the only place North American 6's are being built is in Flat Rock, Michigan. I decided to humor the man...as long as he got my car here by the end of the month as promised.

I obviously have too much trust in humanity. He calls me at the beginning of this week and says that the car is actually in Washington State and is STILL waiting for a truck to pick it up. Now his story is that it was built overseas and that was where it arrived at port. As you can imagine, i gave him an earfull this time. So he rings me the next day and says that the car has finally on a truck and is heading towards Comerce City, Colorado. Anyway, to cut a long story short, it's the end of the week and my car still isn't here. I called the salesman today and told him that if the car doesn't arrive my tommorow (which is technically the last day of the week), i will be expecting substantial financial compensation, or else i will report his dealership to the BBB.

I have two questions, just in case i'm horribly mistaken...

1. Is there infact a Mazda 6 production plant in Kansas?

2. Are any Mazda 6's with the V6 engine built overseas?

carguy58 · March 2003

I'm glad some people are getting their 6. I bet its a great car. Mazda is still havng option package problems and still asking MSRP. Thats not a good thing. I'm happy for owners of the 6 though.

carguy58 · March 2003

I think they will get burned like the PT Cruiser and T-Bird got burned by selling for MSRP. First off Mazda isn't a name brand. 2nd, This is not 1999 and 2000 where cars fly off lots. Those days are over for the time being. I mean you got the TSX and new Mitsubishi Galant coming out soon. Mitsu is going to offer discounts like crazy and bring people in. The TSX will bring in people because of the name the Acura emblem holds. Saab is offering discounts on the 9-3 and you can order option packages as you want them from what I understand.

johnclineii · March 2003

Lapis Blue:

a. The ONLY US factory producing Mazda6's is Flat Rock. Is this dealer also a Pontiac or GM dealer? There is a GM factory in Fairfax, Kansas, but it certainly doesn't build Mazdas!

b. To my knowledge, and I am about 99.9995 percent sure of this, NO Japanese Mazda6's are being brought in. The modification to the Japanese model is substantial.

As much as I hate to say this, it sounds to me this guy is just stringing you along, making things up as he goes along. Have you already paid a deposit? BBB? At this point, I would be seeing, in order, the New Car Sales Manager, the General Manager of the Dealership, Mazda Customer Relations, the attorney general of my state, and a lawyer. I would try to get satisfaction from each one before moving to the next.

Let us know how this goes, please.

aromas · March 2003

If I order I lip spoiler and auto dimming mirror with compass through the dealership as accessories does the dealership charge labor rates to install or is it incorporated in the price? How long would it take to install a spoiler already painted as well as the mirror, I don't want to get fleeced for some ridiculous amount of labor hours,it would end up costing more than the parts. I figure they must charge about 80 an hour.

audia8q · March 2003

The dealer does not make any money until the consumer takes delivery and pays for the car.....What is the benefit of stringing along a cusomter???? The bottom line is this....once the order is sent to mazda the dealer has no control as to when the car will arrive....oddly enough shipping of the 6 seems to take longer than most other domestic built vehicles that come into my market. the reason is all of my 6's are being trucked from woodhaven (6 processing center near flat rock) to the dealership, not rail/truck as usual. I have had some cars take two-three weeks to arrive from woodhaven via truck.

ruefus · March 2003

Gee35 said it best when he wrote "Edmund's is the complaint zone." As with the Bose system, bashing Mazda is almost and Olympic sport.

Guys - the car has been available for 90 days - NINETY DAYS. In January, 45 or so days after launch, they were producing less than 400 cars per day. If the factory happends to be running at full production, the time they've been there can only be measured in weeks and possibly days.

They mis-judged the demand for certain option mixes - which isn't unusual. Especially considering the economy. The fact anyone is buying a car is a miracle.

Re-aligning supply is not something done overnight. The contracts and volumes agreements suppliers operate under are, at bare minium, one year long. Production requirements are forecast at least a month in advance if not two or more.

Cranking out around 20% more Sport packages, V6 engines and manual trannies than was expected is not some simple task measured in weeks. Especially for an all-new design. Even upping production on ONE of these things is extremely difficult.

Suppliers have to get the word, alter their production schedules and then make sure THEIR suppliers can get them parts and material. Molding more sport pkg pieces requires going all the way through the supply chain to the plastic resin supplier in order to alter production volumes. The Cleveland Engine plant only has so much capacity - and produces the conventional Duratec beside the Mazda mill.

Just because Mazda asks doesn't mean things show up tomorrow. Newton's Laws of Physics still apply, and no doubt these suppliers have other customers with more popular models (the F150's of the world). Like so many are fond of pointing out, Mazda isn't at the top of the food chain.

And this isn't the end of the world, just the beginning. Peak buying season is barely in sight right now. Once the weather warms, this will all be sorted and Joe Consumer won't know the difference.

ruefus · March 2003

Doesn't sound like a Mazda issue at all, but a dealer one. All Mazda can do is take the order given them.

Start by getting the VIN from the dealer if you haven't already. Then send a message to Mazda customer service requesting the status of the car. I did this a number of times while waiting for mine.

If the dealer says the VIN doesn't exist, he's full of it. VIN's are assigned right after a car is ordered. If it doesn't have a VIN after this length of time - either it wasn't ordered, or this guy is purposely keeping you in the dark.

johnclineii · March 2003

Yep. Which brings up the interesting question that Audia8q raised...why would the sales guy want to keep the customer in the dark?

I go back to my original question, Lapis Blue. Did you put down a deposit? If so, it is time to find out where the car is or get that deposit back. That ought to get the salesguy REAL interested in being helpful. Again, I would see the new car sales guy, the General Manager, the Mazda Customer Service people, the attorney general of my state and a lawyer, in that order, stopping at each until resolution or failure thereof is attained.

r2s2 · March 2003

I'm not sure I understand the need for a lawyer. Most reputable dealers -- and most are reputable -- will give you the deposit back if you ask. If they won't then you might need a lawyer to help you sort through the language of any paper you signed which says that the dealer can keep the money. And even if you did this, they probably won't try if you say "C'mon." But what Lapis really wants is his car and he should work directly with the sales manager and ask him/her personally to give him daily updates until he has the car.

Awright, sorry -- I'm gonna philosophize for a sec now. I know it's frustrating to wait. But why do we have to have everything RIGHT NOW? Is it a generational thing? When my father used to order cars in the 60's and 70's (yep, I'm older than dirt) part of the joy of getting that new car was the anticipation, and it used to take three to four months for this process. It was like the period leading up to Christmas before you actually got the new bicycle (pardon, please, from those who do not celebrate Christmas).

I will eventually buy or lease a 6. I have delayed for a while waiting for the inevitable "start-up" problems, which so far appear to be relatively few, have been taken care of. And because of the model I want, as discussed above it may be a few months before it's available.

In the meantime, the anticipation, enhanced by the good company and (mostly) good humor here, is delicious.

joe2617 · March 2003

Mazda6s have a 90 day production cycle (approx. 90 days from order until it arrives at the dealership). In addition to that ordering is being done on an allocation basis. A dealer can't just order 100 loaded Mazda6s' and get them in 90 days. The allocation is based on sales volume and CSI scores. Even sold vehicles must fit in the dealers allocation. Every dealer is trying to get as many loaded models as possible so Mazda is swamped. Orders have several statuses (on order, est. prodution date,est shipping date, shipped,released and in inventory). Dealers are kept apprised of this on a daily basis (we can print out the status of all of our ordered vehicles at any time) Your dealer should have an est. shipping date by now. Ask him what it is. If your order runs a lot past 90 days then you should worry.

Mazda6 Sedan

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