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Mazda6 Sedan

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Comments

  • buggywhipbuggywhip Member Posts: 188
    I just read a rather lackluster review of the 6.

    See: http://autos.msn.com/vip/heraudover.aspx?make=Mazda&model=Maz- da6

    The review wasn't scathing, but it really calls to doubt the claim that the 6 handles almost like a Bimmer. Called the steering "light and elastic". He had other issues as well. Overall, not a great review. (The guy loved the Altima, by the way.) Any comments?
  • kestrel02kestrel02 Member Posts: 26
    To be fair, that reviewer is a very strict one. I've often noticed that his reviews will be the least positive on great cars, and downright scathing on bad ones. Not to take away from his opinion, it's really good to have someone who doesn't get too carried away.
  • axjokeaxjoke Member Posts: 13
    I've been looking at the 6 for a few months now and recently my local dealer got a 6S manual in and i loved it. Talking to them they were hesitant to go more than 400 under MSRP so i went through the mazda online quote process. A dealer in Ohio was the only one that responded and when i contacted them they offered me S-Plan pricing, even though i am not elgible. They said they could get it for me anyways. This seems too good to be true.. epsecially for something that is pretty hot like the manual 6S. Anybody else had similar experiances?... Think this sounds like a scam? This makes it as competatively priced as the 2003 WRX's which are about 300 under invoice.

    Thanks,
    james
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    The guy who did the review must have got a test model that emitted toxic fumes. What the hell is he blabbing about. I don't think he even drove the car. 60% for handling(huh), braking distance sub-par. He listed the braking as a con(WTF). He stated the interior was bland. He even said this car was useless in the snow with the 17". This car is like a tractor in the snow.

    The 6 is not perfect by any means but if you're going to criticize the car at least do it properly.
    This is the funniest review I've ever read.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    heraud and all the other reviewers on carpoitn are a joke.

    ANN JOb in particular is incredibly clueless.
  • miata10aemiata10ae Member Posts: 90
    axjoke: It is true that a 6S manual fully loaded is a hard to find car but that is not a reason for a dealer to be charging close to MSRP. The dealer I deal with in San Diego, has a no haggle pricing and they immediately quoted me $1400 off the MSRP on a 6S MT fully loaded. They are still making $1000 over invoice so in my opinion it is a fair deal for both parties.

    On another note, the Mazda plant seems to be ramping up production since the ETA of my 6S is now 20 days earlier than before.

    aromas: I find the MSN reviews to be useless. Not just for the 6 but for any other vehicle as well. They are very generic and many times biased toward a certain brand. I wonder whose payroll they are on?
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    Yeah it appears that the reviewer is being paid off by certain car companies who shall remain nameless or that he was dropped on his head often as a baby. The review should have been written on April 1.

    The funniest one is where he states the tires squeal on almost every turn. I've been trying to do this since I got the car as a personal challenge but haven't been successful yet. Too bad they have such a big soapbox to preach. Mazda should sue for malpractice.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    We had a guy and his wife in today who had been here 3 times to look at the mazda6. It was a mz6 vs. altima....the guy and his wife just couldnt decide which way to go. They liked both cars. My salesperson clinched the deal with something clever. The guy was mentioned to the salesperson that his son was in the Navy and on a ship in the persian gulf. The salesperson mentioned that Nissan was owned by a French carmaker.....Well that did it. He announced he wouldnt buy a french owned product if his life was on the line and purchased the mazda6. They took delivery a couple hours later!!
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    THAT'S DIRTY! ....LOL!

    "You don't want the MAzda, they're Japanese.....the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor!"

    If I ever get into car sales, I will have to use those.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    The comments that the reviewer gives do not match the scores assigned. It's almost like the comments were written by one editor and the scoring was done by another that was driving a Sonata or something. IMO, a poorly asembled review. Yes there are valid points in the review, but to assign handling 60% with no negative comments attached is just poor journalism.
  • skyrayskyray Member Posts: 156
    As an editor myself, I find reviews like that one just plain embarassing.

    There are flat out factual inaccuracies. For instance, mediocre braking? Something must have been wrong with his car -- C&D and other resport braking distances among the best-in-class.

    And 60% for handling, yet nothing but glowing comments on the handling? That makes no sense at all.

    And then there's windshield wipers...
     >They are a lot less efficient than they used
     >to be.

    Used to be? This is an all-new car. (Or does he think he once drove a 2002 Mazda 6?) And before even reading his review, I was commenting to my wife today how much better the 6's giant wipers were than on any other car we've owned, during a downpour.

    I think his 6 had problems, all right.. Carbon Monoxide must have been coming through the AC system.

    While the 6 is wonderful, it definitely has its share of problems and boneheaded features like any car. But almost none of them match up with the complaints in that review.
  • ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    "The salesperson mentioned that Nissan was owned by a French carmaker.....Well that did it."

    I don't consider that dirty at all. Dirty would be if it weren't true. The guy would have been horrified had he bought the Nissan and found out after the fact.

    This is just proof that developing a relationship and understanding who your customer is is paramount in sales. (And yes - I sell for a living)
  • m6owneronedaym6owneroneday Member Posts: 23
    MSN Reviewers are so dumb. Especially Heraud's. He gave a higher score to the Altima for handling. Such crap!!

    I just got back from Mazda REVITUP. Test drove the 6s AT. Took 6 laps on their course.

    Engine: Responsive, great exhaust note, good amt of torque but could use more on the low end.

    Brakes: Pedal not to sensitive, not to mushy. Slows the car down great. IMO great for its class.

    Handling: Awesome, for a car this price. Slalom wasn't a problem and car handled very predictably.

    I am pretty much sold on this car. Loved that test drive. Very impressed with the fit and finish. Getting one next year (thats when I can afford it).
  • skyrayskyray Member Posts: 156
    Cool, I didn't know the RevItUps had started! I'm doing it in July. Did you do the autocross/classes/etc? What did you think of it? I'm sure folks would love to hear what the day was like.
  • r2s2r2s2 Member Posts: 93
    "Handling: The Mazda6 has surprising aplomb and tackles curves of various diameters with ease especially when it is equipped with quality tires. Low body roll makes it agile on the slalom course where it handles incisively and neutrally in most circumstances. Once again, those in search of Zoom-Zoom will not be disappointed. 60%

    "Steering: The system is precise and quick but the wide turning radius hinders maneuverability and its slight over-assistance makes it feel light and sensitive and explains its elastic reactions. However, the high torque steer for which the 626 was infamous is now a thing of the past."

    Heraud is just plain silly. He contradicts himself in these two successive paragraphs. How can a car have "aplomb" and handle "incisively" on the slalom but then be said to have "hinder[ed] maneuverability"?

    Shameful journalism.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    The type of low-speed maneuverability that the turning radius would impede is totally opposite the the high speed "aplomb" handling he was referring.

    At least that's the way I read it. And the large turning radius has been discussed here.
  • r2s2r2s2 Member Posts: 93
    Nonsense. He said nothing about "low-speed" anything.
  • m6owneronedaym6owneroneday Member Posts: 23
    For those that have registered "Good Luck beating the pro's time." I was there at 4pm close to the end of the day and no one had done it. Pro's lap time was 33secs, the closest anyone got was 34secs most had 37's and some ppl had 42secs on their clock. Invite your friends to check it out. They have 6i AT, 6i MT, 6s AT, Pro5 and Miata MX-5 6spd for free test drive. Also go-karts were available to race. It was a lot of fun. I might go again tomorrow to test drive again if I have nothing to do. :-)
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    I think most people would pretty much understand "turning radius" as the size of the circle needed to make a u-turn or parts therof. But then again I guess that'd be giving some people too much credit.

    Obviously.
  • buggywhipbuggywhip Member Posts: 188
    I think the review is flawed b/c Heraud began with the assumption that the 6 is merely a revised 626. He didn't judge it as an all-new car. Of course, many consumers will approach the 6 with the same prejudice..........as to the so-called large turning radius, I suspect automakers engineer that in on purpose. Too small a radius and the driver would kill himself in an abrupt transient maneuver.
  • nicdmxnicdmx Member Posts: 35
    I know that many cars now days will meet CA emissions wherever they are bought. Is this also true for the Mazda 6s. I currently live in Michigan and will be moving to California soon after purchasing a vehicle. Will a Mazda6 purchased here meet CA emissions requirements? If not, is it possible to special order one that would for delivery in Michigan.

    It doesn't seem like this would be a problem since they are all made in michigan anyway.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    Maybe Heraud should stick to driving golf carts.

    Or Camrys for that matter. Same difference anyways.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    HA! That was a good one! :)
  • 626to6626to6 Member Posts: 14
    I just rolled over 600 miles. For the first 550 miles I only used D (fully automatic mode), but today I decided to really experiment with M (manual mode). My first 550 miles weren't all that exciting when it came to acceleration, but I was taking it easy due to breaking the car in. Yesterday, my fiance drove the car for the first time and said she noticed how the car was sluggish when pulling away from stop signs and traffic lights. In my head I thought, "It must really be bad for her to notice. I really talked this car up and she thinks it's sluggish." It seems this lag is between 1st and 2nd gear. Today, I played with the manual mode and bypassed 1st and started in 2nd. The difference was amazing. No lag, just power. It was great. It's like another vehicle. I initially had a difficult time downshifting, but I think I have that down now too. For all of you out there, I strongly recommend you take advantage of the "M mode."

    Question: What is kickdown?
  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    That was the dirtiest sales tatic in the book. Still, Mazda gets a sale that Nissan doesn't have. Mazda has that to be happy about at least.

    As for the MSN review I liked the guy who reviewed the 6 but the woman that reviewed the 6 kind of seemed fictional with her review. The guy reviewer (forget his name) but always tells it like it is. He really bashed the 03 Honda Accord and the way it drives so at least he wasn't afraid to take shots at a new vehicle. He criticized the 6's manual shifter a little bit. He criticized the current Mitsu Eclipse and Honda Accord Coupe for being blander than their previuous generation models which was right on the money in my opinion.
  • 626to6626to6 Member Posts: 14
    In relation to post #9331, I also turn TCS off. The system, I believe, contributes to the sluggishness when acclerating from zero. Did I mention how much I love my 6. What a great car. Running errands is fun now. Going to work is fun now. I'll do anything to drive my car. What a weird feeling. I'm in love with this car. If you don't have one, buy it. This is a feeling everyone should have.

    For those of you in Houston, I'm ready for Westheimer. I'll stay away from KMart though.

    Just a joke, no street racing for me:)
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    Didn't that K-Mart close? Seems particularly ironic if it did.

    As for reviewers (AND, much more importantly, potential buyers) considering the Mazda6 to be just an updated 626: Mazda could have virtually avoided this by discontinuing the 626 quite publicly and calling the new car the Atenza, or any other name with no 6 or 2 in it, even the Merry Moocow would not have had this problem! (In Japan, many strange names are used, with the Bluebird being one of my favourites!)

    One huge advantage of this silly name would have been the attention the public would have given it. Virtually everyone in America would be saying: Have you seen the new Moocow? Owners would be renaming their cars, some to Mary, some buying Atenza badges which, if I were in Mazda marketing, would be discreetly available in every Mazda dealer's parts department in the land.

    Hmmmm. I can just see it now, a bright yellow, sports package equipped, Merry Moocow--and that's no bull!
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    something .... good for him, I presume.

    Why?
    >>>The V6 is actually Ford's Duratec which also drives the MPV and Tribute.<<<<

    heeheheheee

    For the Protege:
    >>>The 1.6 and 2.0-liter engines are built entirely of aluminum, with DOHC distribution, 4 valves per cylinder and electronic fuel injection.<<<

    Ho ho ho .......Protege engines have Aluminium Covers. with CI block.

    Also,
    >>>Light, overassisted steering<<<
    Proteges have heavire than normal steering in the class.... tch tch....

    >>>Tires: The Goodyear Invictas on our SE tester provided the bare minimum in terms of quality. Their grip is marginal on wet roads. Other models are fitted with Firestone FR 680s which offer better performance.<<<<

    Proteges used Bridgestone Potenza RE-92 and later Dunlop. Where did Goodyear & Firestone come from?

    Advice to Daniel Heraud:
    My professor used to warn me: Never speak jargons that u cannot explain. If u do, make sure that u are not there by the time your audience thnks about a question.

    Heraud, I'd recommend u attend school once more, this time under my professor :)
  • ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    "That was the dirtiest sales tatic in the book.

    Why is this dirty? Is it untrue? No. And it was important to the customer.

    How is this any different than back in the 80's when buying a Japanese car was 'un-American' and perfectly accepted? Or when 'Made in Japan' was a bad thing?
  • jason777jason777 Member Posts: 56
    I just drove for a week and still have half a tank of gas. My explorer went for eight days, so I am happy!

    Jason.
  • kcc455kcc455 Member Posts: 33
    Does anyone know what the Mazda 6s has for a tow rating?

    I am interested in occassionally towing a light trailer and wondered if this is possible.

    Thank you.
  • maui2k3maui2k3 Member Posts: 13
    I have a 1999 Cougar V-6 which has the previous version of the Duratec V-6 with 170 hp. I have the automatic on it and it is not the quickest car off the line, but it does get the job done. I think the auto Cougar had 0-60 times in the low 8 second range. How does the Mazda 6s compare? Would this car likely be the same performance as the Cougar or quicker???

    Also, one complaint I have had for a while on the Cougar were the seats and lack of support. How are the seats in the 6s with Leather? Is Lumbar support manual or auto?

    Thanks in advance.
  • r2s2r2s2 Member Posts: 93
    626to6: The sluggishness may (but may not) have to do with the shiftpoints. I experienced this on my 02 Passat. As break-in wore on and I started to drive more aggressively, the computer reprogrammed the transmission to shift from first to second a little later, and it made all the difference in the world. Maybe this will happen to your 6.

    In respect of "kickdown," I was going to explain it but I know that gee35 would come along and correct me, so I thought I'd just leave it to him in the first place. In the meantime, check your driver's manual; it should be explained there.

    carguy58: I don't understand how you can consider the Nissan statement as "dirty." As Ruefus says, it is simply the truth. And it's merely the other side of the coin with which US manufacturers play up the patriotic theme. As do Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and now even BMW, for that matter: they're made in the US so they're REALLY [wink wink] American cars. This, of course, has been going on since VW opened its ill-fated Rabbit plant 20ish years ago.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    hearaud should go back to covering junior high soccer games.
  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    I don't know it just seems like a "gimicky" sales tatic to me. I know buying Japanese Cars in the 80's was quote on quote being un-patriotic. To me American Car Company's decided to build big SUV's and abandon the mid-size car market altogether. That was their own fault. The Japanese wanted a big ton of market share and they got it. If the domestics wanted it bad enough they would have retained all their market share in the 80's but they didn't want it bad enough and the Japanese did. Its hard to believe what happened in 1985 still has alot relevance in the car industry today but it does. I just think bringing up Nissan as a French Company is kind of a passe thing. It just seems something very 1980's ish.
  • ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    Fair enough - but selling isn't about being stylish, "80's" or "90's". If I can use a valid method or tactic from Roman times to get a sale, I'm on it.

    To those that do it, sales is literally about putting food on the table. Car salesman make next to nothing unless they move vechicles.
  • stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    ...is very, very easy. Sorry I'm so late to respond to that.

    Unscrew the manual shifter and pull the parking brake all the way up.

    Remove the center console by pulling up, starting around the cup holder. Once off, there's two screws at the base of the titanium dash console you need to unscrew.

    Pull the climate control knobs off if you have manual climate control. Unscrew the two screws beneath them.

    Remove glove box by pressing in on the sides. This gives you access to behind the dash, where there is one final bolt you will have to unscrew.

    Put a towel down on the center console, beneath the dash, to prevent scratching. Pull dash out.

    Viola! Access to everything. The tape and mp3 modules are just about plug-n-play- the stereo is modular and very easy to replace components.

    This whole process took a while the first time, but I've now taken mine apart several times and only takes a few minutes.
  • metenuzerometenuzero Member Posts: 32
    I have had my 6s for half a week now and I have two questions. Has anyone else notices that sometimes when you put your foot on the clutch and turn the key it doesn't start initially? However, turning the key back and forth one time makes it start up normally. The failed time there is no clicking or anything that would indicate a bad battery, and the gauges, ACC, and radio all turn on. Also, how do you get the temperature display on the mirror w/ homelink? All I can get is the compass, and I'm sure that it displays temperature or at least directional degrees because I can see the degree symbol when it turns on. Otherwise the car runs great, and I just passed 550 miles. I find the seats very supportive, just wish there was auto-up on the driver's side mirror.

    P.S. About the MSN review, I never trusted them. They seem to represent a conservative ideal towards cars where the only good cars are made by Honda, Toyota, BWM, and everything other manufacturer is of worse quality.
  • stretchsjestretchsje Member Posts: 700
    I guarantee that you didn't have the clutch pressed in all the way. Happens to me every now and then- it must be firmly pressed to the floor.

    This frustrated my wife, too, who this weekend finally got her first real lesson in driving stick!
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    I agree with r2s2 in that my 6 was sluggish as well at the beginning but now hitting 1K it has become much smoother as I drive more aggressively, just give it time. I've never had the TCS come on when I'm accelerating so I don't know what that has to do with it.

    You got to give Heraud some credit, he was talented enough to have been able to experience the "infamous high torque steer of the 626". Guess he was confused with his Altima review. The guy spews and is an "oxyMORON".

    metenuzero: I have the autodimming without the homelink but I don't think either displays temperature. That symbol may pertain to the geographical zone for the compass as that has to be set for the compass to be accurate but the booklet I got for the mirror doesn't mention any temperature displays.

    Stretch: you're teaching your wife stick on your new 6?(Ouch) Don't do it you'll never get the car back. My wife now takes it to work because she loves it,using some lame excuse of feeling more confident behind the wheel of the 6. So now I'm stuck only using after work and on weekends.
      
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    ox of a moron ? ;)
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    In Heraud's case I think both terms would easily apply.

    It's funny how sensitive us 6 owners are with any outsiders who try and slag the best automobile on the face of the earth. But they're wrong so it's justified.
  • metenuzerometenuzero Member Posts: 32
    Thanks so much, I just tested that and it worked out. You saved me an I-95 trip to my car dealer. Aromas, if you look at the mirror during start-up there is a distinct degree sign and an F and C (meaning Centigrade or Fereignheit (butchered spelling, sorry)). I'm going to call my car dealer and ask him how to switch modes.
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    metenuzero: You're right, the temp display is not equipped with mine so I guess only with homelink. It does say in the user guide that if so equipped just press the switch on the right, once for compass and temp(F) and twice for compass and temp(C) and 3rd no display. Don't know if that helps. Mine just goes on and off when I press it. The manual does make it sound that the compass display goes on automatially with the temp so it's weird that it doesn't show both.
  • skyrayskyray Member Posts: 156
    The temperature sensor isn't designed to be hooked up on the auto-dimming mirror when it's installed in a 6, since the console electronics already offer both inside and outside temperatures.

    I guess Mazda figured it would be redundant, so why spend the money to wire the sensor up to the mirror area?
  • soon1soon1 Member Posts: 6
    Probably purchasing a 6 this week but wanted to know how the 6S, with the 17" tires, handles in the rain and snow?
  • soon1soon1 Member Posts: 6
    How are the seats on long drives? leather or cloth?
  • ruefusruefus Member Posts: 254
    I've got a 6s with 17's. The car does very well in the snow. Much better than my previous Dodge.

    As for long drives, I've got some experience with that having put 3200 miles on in under 5 weeks. My car has leather. I drive as part of my job, and the 6 is without question the most comfortable car I've ever taken on long trips. Quiet, but not that luxury car 'disconnected' quiet, and smmmooootth. I couldn't be happier.
  • miata10aemiata10ae Member Posts: 90
    In his review under performance specs it is stated that the top speed for the 6s AT and MT are 124mph and 130mph respectively. I thought that there is a speed limiter that kicks in at 120mph. Am I getting something wrong here or was he sniffing the exhaust pipes?
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    Seriously I don't think Heraud actually drove the car, too many things he states in there are totally inaccurate. From what I read there is a limiter at 120 mph, since the 6 has dual exhaust I think that's all he did with the car, took a good deep inhale and went home and wrote his review.
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