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Yes, that's it exactly! Except no round air vents.
Saab 95
http://www.insideline.com/kia/cadenza/2010/released-2010-kia-cadenza.html
It's also known as the K7 where as the Optima is known as K5
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The Sonata is a great option, and soon the Optima will be available as well. Then you have the Buick Regal coming and possibly even the Infiniti G25. A year ago it was either a Nissan Altima or move up in class to the A4s and G37s of the world for me.
Here's a few real world shots of the Optima:
Optima rear
Optima front
Kia Sunroof open
Black K5
Back in Black
and still images:
K5 black pics
Very nice.
Mazda 6
- The 272-HP V6 is simply a gem. Smooth, quiet idle, but throaty and aggressive when pushed. Power is both abundant and intoxicating, and the 6-speed works well with it.
- Interior that's IMO one of the best-in-class in terms of layout, fit-and-finish, and quality of materials (and miles ahead of my '04).
- Available features (HIDs, LED tails, memory seats, Bluetooth, Homelink, etc.)
- Still handles and drives like it's on rails.
- Size has grown, but it's roomier in the back seat, and the trunk is huge!
Ford Fusion Sport
- The 3.5L is also very smooth and has plenty of power.
- SYNC. 'Nuff said.
- Impressive interior, with nice materials and good fit-and-finish. The center stack is a little busy, but controls can be easily memorized after a few drives.
- Back-up camera is cool.
- Ride and handling is also one of the best-in-class (but IMO one notch below the 6).
- Exterior styling is nicely aggressive and sporty, similar to my 1st-gen 6.
After going back and forth for a week straight, I choose the 6. I still contend that the Fusion Sport is an excellent choice in this segment for a "sporty" midsize sedan, and the features, powertrain, and overall quality are top-notch. But in the end, the 6 still felt more tied down when cornering, the interior is immaculate, and after 6 trouble-free years and 92K with my last Mazda (only needing a new fuel filler cap), I'll gladly take another one without hesitation.
So I picked one up last Thursday. It's a 6S GT, Brilliant Silver Metallic with black leather, with Tech package (HIDs, keyless start, auto-dimming and heated mirrors, driver's seat memory, etc.). Have already put over 300 miles on it, and I've been loving every minute of it!
Have you noticed how easy the Bluetooth system works? You can also download your phone book to the car rather easily too. The technology in the Mazda6 is very user friendly.
Even though the vehicles are essentially assembled on the same line, there are many different manufacturing procedures along the way.
The Mazda guy's often bump heads with the UAW guys. It's rather comical.
I bet you never looked at the KIA Optima or the Hyundai Sonata.I own a 2006.5 Optima and I think it handles great,but I guess it's a matter of preference.
PS...enjoy your new car,it's always fun when it still has that new car smell.
I believe he lives in upstate NY, and I believe he has similar roads that I do here in Connecticut. Most roads have many twists and turns and if you have never driven a Mazda6 (or many other cars with superb handling) you would not understand the benefit of having a very responsive vehicle. It's not about the speed in which you take turns, but rather how the car responds when you enter a turn, completely grounded and steering with ultimate confidence.
I have used various Bluetooth systems on a couple cars, and some are more difficult then others and the Mazda system is rather easy.
Any special tricks to transfer the phone book? I briefly tried it when I first activated the Bluetooth to my phone, but couldn't get it to work. I think I'll crack the Owners Manual again to see if I missed anything...
I am curious, you mentioned months of test driving. Did you stay within the segment or go outside it at all?
Good luck with your new car.
No offense at all.
Aviboy is right in the fact that I live in Upstate NY (Syracuse), and I travel through the Finger Lakes region to Buffalo frequently, so there are a ton of excellent two-lane driving roads.
It's not so much that I like to take these corners on two wheels, it's the tightness and accuracy of the controls, the feedback through the steering and tires, and the composure of the car as a whole when clipping an apex or entering/exiting a curve. It's these 3 factors that, to me, make a difference. Differences that I can feel at 15 or 50 MPH.
Having said that, I've driven just about everything in this class in one form or another, and to me, the 6 had a slight edge over all others. The Fusion Sport, Legacy 2.5GT, and Altima 3.5SR also felt VERY secure through the corners, each with good feel and excellent composure. The Sonata and Accord felt slightly dull, but IMO still carried themselves well. The Camry and Malibu? Not so much...
Between the 6 and Sport, the 6 is on an updated chassis over the Ford. As such, it felt slightly more refined and better sorted.
And yes, I've heard more than once that I should get a 2-door sports car if I'm concerned about handling. I've owned a couple back in college, but my NEEDS outweigh my WANTS these days with a family, a job, and other commitments, and a 4-door midsize sedan is a must for me. Just because I can't afford a separate "weekend toy" doesn't mean I have to suffer on my commute Monday through Friday. It's called "Having your Cake and Eating it Too!"
You do not have nav, right?
Thank you.
I am curious, you mentioned months of test driving. Did you stay within the segment or go outside it at all?
I pretty much stayed within the midsize segment, it just took months because my weekends get filled up quickly, and weekdays are out.
I'll try it again when I get out of work this evening, and I'll hunt you down in the Mazda 6 forums if I have any more problems...
I felt it was a fair price, since the dealer ended up bringing the car from across the state (on a flat-bed at no charge), and they really went to bat to get EXACTLY what I wanted.
Let me know if you have any questions about features or content. I'm always available to help. :shades:
Revisions for 2011 include:
New Special Edition Package with auto on/off headlights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights and rear spoiler (2.5 S CVT)
New Alloy Package with 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels (2.5 S CVT)
Three new exterior colors: Metallic Slate, Saharan Stone and Brilliant Silver
Can't you see it on your driver's license:
Eye color - Imperial Blue (from the BMW 5!)
Hair color - Tuscan Bronze ChromaFlair (from the CTS!)
eyes - Sky Blue (Subaru Outback)
hair - Hazelnut Metallic (Porsche)
Or "Now at a Lower Price!" means the model was stripped of some features from the previous model year and still called the same nomenclature.
Ethnicity: Taffeta White
Where they get these names I have no idea?
What really is bad, Nissan particularly seems to like to change 3-4 color names EACH model year and it makes it more difficult for the guy who is interested in a Altima and goes in and they changed the color and they don't know it and either the salesman doesn't know then what color you want when you mention a name that doesn't exist anymore or you have to go out to the car you want again and get the name off the window!
That's what bugs me the most, really. For instance, they'll call a car emerald green, but it's not even close to the actual color. This is most frustrating with lighter colors like white. Everyone has a pearlescent white or similar in their color options. For almost every car, it seems. And 90% of them aren't even close. Pearlescent paint is a different type of paint just like metallic is vs flat paint. I really wish that they'd stop trying to get fancy with the paint names and marketing these cars as if they were special.
Oh - my favorite color currently is the pearlescent dark red(red jewel IIRC) that GM has. They offer three different red colors, though - but only one has that effect. Why they would offer three nearly identical red colors I just don't know. Yes, it does cost extra, as it should, since it's a 3-stage paint process.(as it should be)
Fortunately, my car is easily-identifiable as plain-jane silver, but I'm afraid to guess what color our truck is alleged by Chevy to be.
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-New Accord SE, which is essentially a LX-P with leather interior, lumbar support heated seats and leather wrapped steering wheel.
-EX sedans get Bluetooth (it was previously only available on EX-L in 08 & 09 and EX-L in 2010)
-Some slight changes to the gauge cluster (Crosstour-like) and audio/climate control functions.
-EXLV6 models get memory seats
-Gas mileage for I4/Auto models goes up to 23/34 up two and three mpg while the V6 model goes up to 19/30
-Revised wheels for all models
-Rear view camera on navi-equipped models
-NO LEDS or Projectors though
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