I know that vehicles sell differently from region to region. I see lots of Mazda 6's(Mazda's in genreal in fact) in my area too but, I'll bet they're not such hot sellers in Subaru and 4X4 country(where ever!)
The Big Test: Midsize Sedans
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Originally Posted By: boundarylayer
Yes Motor Trend screwed up big time compared the sport model of Accord. If they would have put in the cushier EX then the Accord would have finished second I'll bet.
Frankly, it should be based on a dollar for dollar comparison, so choosing a lowly LX Accord to a mid-trim 6 is accurate... IMO, of course.
My only problem is the 6 is absurdly ugly... As an Avid 'yota hater, I'd take a Camry first!
Yes Motor Trend screwed up big time compared the sport model of Accord. If they would have put in the cushier EX then the Accord would have finished second I'll bet.
Frankly, it should be based on a dollar for dollar comparison, so choosing a lowly LX Accord to a mid-trim 6 is accurate... IMO, of course.
My only problem is the 6 is absurdly ugly... As an Avid 'yota hater, I'd take a Camry first!
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I like the new Camry, 'cept the snout! I like the ground effects and the larger wheels/tires. All of the Toyota's that I've owned were exceptionally reliable. Maybe the most reliable we've owned and, we've had some very reliable vehicles.
I did have one Honda in particular(had several Honda's) that may have been the single most reliable vehicle in our stable over the years('88 Accord LX) but, we put on 340,000 miles in 18 years, and never really gave it a chance to be unreliable, LOL.
My current '04 Altima 2.5S has been quite reliable thus far, and shouldn't be according to the "Frequency of Repairs" & some of the horror stories I've read about. Nice to drive too! This particular Altima, I'd buy all over again!
I did have one Honda in particular(had several Honda's) that may have been the single most reliable vehicle in our stable over the years('88 Accord LX) but, we put on 340,000 miles in 18 years, and never really gave it a chance to be unreliable, LOL.
My current '04 Altima 2.5S has been quite reliable thus far, and shouldn't be according to the "Frequency of Repairs" & some of the horror stories I've read about. Nice to drive too! This particular Altima, I'd buy all over again!
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
My only problem is the 6 is absurdly ugly... As an Avid 'yota hater, I'd take a Camry first!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
IMO, the Mazda6 is the best-looking of the reviewed group, and second in its class to the Ford Fusion.
My only problem is the 6 is absurdly ugly... As an Avid 'yota hater, I'd take a Camry first!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
IMO, the Mazda6 is the best-looking of the reviewed group, and second in its class to the Ford Fusion.
Despite being a subjective matter, I think the good looks of the Mazda6 are hard to deny. To me also, it's the best looking car of the bunch.
(1) And I HIGHLY doubt that it would win 3rd place of World Car Design Awards, only behind Jaguar F type and Aston Martin Vanquish, if it was a generally ugly car:
http://www.wcoty.com/web/eligible_vehicles.asp?year=2013&cat=2
(Yes I know it says it's 2013 awards, but it's the 2014 Mazda6 that was included in it - same design/model that's being discussed here, NOT the 2013 Ford based Mazda6).
(2) It also won the world's largest design competition "Red dot design awards" (1st place):
http://www.mazda.com.au/about-mazda/news/latest-news/mazda6-wins-prestigious-red-dot-design-award/
Nah, Camry doesn't even come close
(yeah, yeah It's subjective)
(1) And I HIGHLY doubt that it would win 3rd place of World Car Design Awards, only behind Jaguar F type and Aston Martin Vanquish, if it was a generally ugly car:
http://www.wcoty.com/web/eligible_vehicles.asp?year=2013&cat=2
(Yes I know it says it's 2013 awards, but it's the 2014 Mazda6 that was included in it - same design/model that's being discussed here, NOT the 2013 Ford based Mazda6).
(2) It also won the world's largest design competition "Red dot design awards" (1st place):
http://www.mazda.com.au/about-mazda/news/latest-news/mazda6-wins-prestigious-red-dot-design-award/
Nah, Camry doesn't even come close
Mazda continues to impress me. They are at the top of my list anyway these days.
Originally Posted By: dblshock
the Mazda components won't last near as long, and then the rust, poor resale...that's the problem.
Rust? Poor resale?
I don't know what Mazdas you've been seeing, or where you get your resale value information, but Mazda is pretty far down my list of vehicles I'm used to seeing with rust on the body, and depreciation is head and shoulders above any domestic-nameplate car.
the Mazda components won't last near as long, and then the rust, poor resale...that's the problem.
Rust? Poor resale?
I don't know what Mazdas you've been seeing, or where you get your resale value information, but Mazda is pretty far down my list of vehicles I'm used to seeing with rust on the body, and depreciation is head and shoulders above any domestic-nameplate car.
Originally Posted By: leeharvey418
Originally Posted By: dblshock
the Mazda components won't last near as long, and then the rust, poor resale...that's the problem.
Rust? Poor resale?
I don't know what Mazdas you've been seeing, or where you get your resale value information, but Mazda is pretty far down my list of vehicles I'm used to seeing with rust on the body, and depreciation is head and shoulders above any domestic-nameplate car.
The older Mazda6's maybe up to 2006, do look a bit rough in general(monotone color and trim didn't age well either) and are fairly cheap compared to many cars of that age. I looked at the wagons quite seriously last year but there's lots of them with some decent rust and a few more problems that I would expect for a car of that age. I went with the KISS Focus instead, hopefully for a lower total ownership cost.
Originally Posted By: dblshock
the Mazda components won't last near as long, and then the rust, poor resale...that's the problem.
Rust? Poor resale?
I don't know what Mazdas you've been seeing, or where you get your resale value information, but Mazda is pretty far down my list of vehicles I'm used to seeing with rust on the body, and depreciation is head and shoulders above any domestic-nameplate car.
The older Mazda6's maybe up to 2006, do look a bit rough in general(monotone color and trim didn't age well either) and are fairly cheap compared to many cars of that age. I looked at the wagons quite seriously last year but there's lots of them with some decent rust and a few more problems that I would expect for a car of that age. I went with the KISS Focus instead, hopefully for a lower total ownership cost.
2014 and future Mazdas are all made in Japan, BTW. They don't have to do anything with Ford anymore.
(I haven't seen any rust on any of the 4 Mazda's owned by people I personally know, btw. and they're all pre-2014, oldest being about 18 yrs old.)
(I haven't seen any rust on any of the 4 Mazda's owned by people I personally know, btw. and they're all pre-2014, oldest being about 18 yrs old.)
We just sold our 2007 3. It was a great car. It really held up well.
That car saw daily aggressive driving, blizzards, deer, sand, poor winter roads in Philly....can't complain. 7 years, 100k miles and no problems. Sold it and was content with the offer.
The build quality of the 2014 is extremely impressive. Interior material quality is top notch. The car feels superior in every way to her 07.
The transmission is smooth, in regular and sport mode. The handling is excellent. Excellent fuel economy. The 6 is probably a better value, but the 3 is a nice small car.
That car saw daily aggressive driving, blizzards, deer, sand, poor winter roads in Philly....can't complain. 7 years, 100k miles and no problems. Sold it and was content with the offer.
The build quality of the 2014 is extremely impressive. Interior material quality is top notch. The car feels superior in every way to her 07.
The transmission is smooth, in regular and sport mode. The handling is excellent. Excellent fuel economy. The 6 is probably a better value, but the 3 is a nice small car.
What, no love for the 'Bu? This was possibly the car I was interested when it was first hyped, but time has since erased it. Coming in last in the comparison sure didn't look good. Hopefully the next version will be awesome.
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
2014 and future Mazdas are all made in Japan, BTW. They don't have to do anything with Ford anymore.
(I haven't seen any rust on any of the 4 Mazda's owned by people I personally know, btw. and they're all pre-2014, oldest being about 18 yrs old.)
I was happy that my MS3 was built in Hiroshima, but that's just me. The car has no rust on it anywhere and I actually like it more and more as the miles pile on. The 6 is too big for my tastes but if I was shopping that segment it would undoubtedly be my pick...
2014 and future Mazdas are all made in Japan, BTW. They don't have to do anything with Ford anymore.
(I haven't seen any rust on any of the 4 Mazda's owned by people I personally know, btw. and they're all pre-2014, oldest being about 18 yrs old.)
I was happy that my MS3 was built in Hiroshima, but that's just me. The car has no rust on it anywhere and I actually like it more and more as the miles pile on. The 6 is too big for my tastes but if I was shopping that segment it would undoubtedly be my pick...
Being in Canada I can attest to seeing some horrid looking rust on Mazda 3, but not on 6. It is a hit and miss as well, some look great and some are rusted pretty badly for the age.
Mine is rust free except for a small spot under the third brake light, which is located on the trunk lid. It has a sponge like gasket that most likely traps moisture, so no wonder it started to rust. Mine was rust proofed rigorously though and a sealed up the brake light with some clear silicone caulk.
One other annoyance is that because of the fairly aggressive negative camber, which is becoming common on a lot of recent offerings, the tires will cup if not rotated rigorously. I let mine slip and the tires are annoyingly loud now.
Mine is rust free except for a small spot under the third brake light, which is located on the trunk lid. It has a sponge like gasket that most likely traps moisture, so no wonder it started to rust. Mine was rust proofed rigorously though and a sealed up the brake light with some clear silicone caulk.
One other annoyance is that because of the fairly aggressive negative camber, which is becoming common on a lot of recent offerings, the tires will cup if not rotated rigorously. I let mine slip and the tires are annoyingly loud now.
I'll admit to seeing some cancerous rust on some older Proteges, but I can't recall ever seeing a badly rusted 3.
They should have used either a 6MT accord sport or an EX accord. A CVT Sport makes no sense to me when the EX model is just a bit more money. CVT Sport gets worse MPG than an LX or EX CVT due to its more aggressive trans programming. The CVT Accord is lauded as the fastest at 7.4 seconds 0-60 time. C&D can get 6.7 0-60 with a 6MT sport.
Resell will be a big factor as well. Roughly one Mazda 6 gets sold for every 10 Accords or Camrys. Used demand will probably have the similar results: 10 Camry shoppers per 1 Mazda 6 shopper. We listed my friends 2004 Camry for sale and it was sold, paid for, and gone inside of TWO HOURS of being online.
For those shifting their own gears, the Accord 6MT is the best all around package and value.
The Skyactiv Mazdas are really cool for a lot of reasons; but nobody is buying them. Probably due to the price. Mazda would only go $1000 off a 6 when we looked, and $2500-$3000 off an Accord is fairly routine.
Resell will be a big factor as well. Roughly one Mazda 6 gets sold for every 10 Accords or Camrys. Used demand will probably have the similar results: 10 Camry shoppers per 1 Mazda 6 shopper. We listed my friends 2004 Camry for sale and it was sold, paid for, and gone inside of TWO HOURS of being online.
For those shifting their own gears, the Accord 6MT is the best all around package and value.
The Skyactiv Mazdas are really cool for a lot of reasons; but nobody is buying them. Probably due to the price. Mazda would only go $1000 off a 6 when we looked, and $2500-$3000 off an Accord is fairly routine.
My 05 Accord shifted very well, but I find Honda very boring these days. The 6 is a great value.
The automatic in the 3 and 6 is very good. In my wife's 3 I prefer sport mode. Otherwise it's constantly downshifting and leaving you with little power.
The automatic in the 3 and 6 is very good. In my wife's 3 I prefer sport mode. Otherwise it's constantly downshifting and leaving you with little power.
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