Mazda 6 vs Honda Accord Sport vs Toyota Camry SE

[97tbird]

I have test driven the new Mazda 6 and The CVT Accord, and I can totally agree with this statement by MT: (different article from earlier this year)

"...If you desire even a modicum of driving enjoyment from your midsize sedan, this transmission alone is a major reason to buy the Mazda6 over a new Honda Accord or Nissan Altima and their soggy CVTs, or the new Ford Fusion or Chevy Malibu and their stubbornly unresponsive autos..."

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1210_2014_mazda6_first_drive/viewall.html#ixzz2NSXYaJno

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Interesting statistics. I was expecting to see Illinois dumping more salt than Michigan. I frequently drive in both states and it always seems like Illinois uses more salt.


I think it can also vary dependening on the area within the state especially near the Great Lakes. I'm thinking N. Ohio uses salt closer to the level of MI. Cars from there seem to rust more. Central is probably closer to the state average and the south lower.

 

[bustednutz]

I just want to add that I am on my 4th Mazda in 7 years. I'm hooked.
In 07' I bought a new Mazda 3 Sport with the 2.3 and fell in love. Then we got the wife a new Mazda 2 last May. Shes hooked.
I sold my "3" and bought an MX-5 Grand Touring. The most fun I have had driving a car.
Last weekend I went to the Mazda dealer and was looking at the new "6". While inspecting it I walked backwards into a 2010 Mazda 3 Sport Grand Touring. I fell in love right there. Copper red with light tan leather. Fully optioned. Every single thing you could get on a Mazda 3 in 2010 was on this car. Xenon adaptive headlights, bluetooth, Nav, full info center, Bose, heated seats, moonroof, 2.5L motor, etc.... you get the idea. Car had 22000 miles. I traded my MX-5 in on the spot after driving it.
I paid $16500 for it. The original window sticker was still in the glove box. Sold in 2010 for $27k. In my opinion Mazda is an exceptional value and a highly under rated car by the general public. Give them a second look if you are out car shopping. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Hokiefyd]

So the Accord out-cornered the 6 (0.87g to 0.84g), out-braked it (117ft to 121ft), and out-handled it (26.9sec in the Figure 8 vs. 27.1sec). And on V-rated 18" Primacys vs. W-rated 19" Dunlop Sports.

Nice.

I guess the fear that moving to a front strut suspension this year vs. the old double wishbone would degrade the handling is apparently unfounded.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
So the Accord out-cornered the 6 (0.87g to 0.84g), out-braked it (117ft to 121ft), and out-handled it (26.9sec in the Figure 8 vs. 27.1sec). And on V-rated 18" Primacys vs. W-rated 19" Dunlop Sports.


I think the numbers are all close enough to call them even, other than the cost of 19" W vs 18" V tires.

 

[surfstar]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
So the Accord out-cornered the 6 (0.87g to 0.84g), out-braked it (117ft to 121ft), and out-handled it (26.9sec in the Figure 8 vs. 27.1sec). And on V-rated 18" Primacys vs. W-rated 19" Dunlop Sports.

Nice.


The Mazda will still be given the nod as a 'driver's car' by enthusiasts, though. They sprinkle some German-based pixie dust on their chassis.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Both quotes above left off the final sentence, which is integral to (and the point of) my post. The new Accord keeps up with the acclaimed 6 (and then some), despite old school Honda enthusiasts deriding the new MacPherson strut front suspension. A strut may not be as complex or as sexy as two wishbones, but it's apparently class-competitive (again, and then some) in the Accord's case.

It was not to call into judgement MT's ranking of the two cars.

I do wonder what the difference in performance would be if both cars had the same wheel sizes and tires. Tires can make a dramatic difference in a car. Maybe the 18" Primacys are actually stickier than the 19" Dunlops.

 

[mechanicx]

The numbers are close enough to not be significant, but the numbers don't tell the whole story. Things like ride quality, steering feedback and feel, torque steer with the V6 engine, transmission programing etc. Those things can make a big difference and usually are the difference.

Struts work well especially for medium performance levels, but upper and lower control arms can reduce torque steer for one thing. If there were no advantages to them Honda and others wouldn't have used them and GM wouldn't have developed the HiPer strut. But like I said the tuning of the suspension and platform is the most significant factor regardless of what components are used or even with the same components.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
So the Accord out-cornered the 6 (0.87g to 0.84g), out-braked it (117ft to 121ft), and out-handled it (26.9sec in the Figure 8 vs. 27.1sec). And on V-rated 18" Primacys vs. W-rated 19" Dunlop Sports.

Nice.


The Mazda will still be given the nod as a 'driver's car' by enthusiasts, though. They sprinkle some German-based pixie dust on their chassis.

Mazda has always had chassis tuning down. They were the only ones that could keep up with a BMW 2002i around a road course in the '70s and did it with a solid live axle and parallelogram steering. The SA RX-7 was competitive with the 280ZX with the same axle/steering setup. Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to win at LeMans.

Skidpad numbers can tell you how well the car grips but it doesn't tell you how well the car handles. How precise the steering is. How well it transitions from left to right/right to left. Entry/exit speeds...etc...

I mean the AWD Lancer Ralliart only posted about 0.80g IIRC. Hard to think of the EVO X's sibling not handling well.

 

[rjundi]

Accord and Mazda 6 are both great choices. Depends on your tastes.

My only qualm with Mazda is they are rust buckets in the salty northeast. Not sure of the recent ones but we will know in another 5 years or so.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
Accord and Mazda 6 are both great choices. Depends on your tastes.

My only qualm with Mazda is they are rust buckets in the salty northeast. Not sure of the recent ones but we will know in another 5 years or so.


Yeah, I haven't driven a Mazda lately that I didn't completly love. But, I have seen much early rust on them and my daughters '06 Mazda3 is no acception.

Accord's(or Honda's in general) have their rusty spots around the rear wheel well but, it seems to take awhile to get rusty. And with some TLC, this rust can take even longer to start.

But, the Mazda's...IDK!

Most Camry's that I have seen since the late 90's, seem to still be in quite good shape as far as rust goes(very little, if any)

 

[Joe1]

Link to Canadian magazine comparison of Accord and Mazda 6

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: Joe1
Link to Canadian magazine comparison of Accord and Mazda 6


How long did it take to find a review that made so many excuses for honda?

 

[97tbird]

Looked like they were trying really hard to make excuses for the Accord in that article.

 

[mechanicx]

That's what the media does with the Accord vs Malibu too but even much more extreme. They harp on the one or two areas where the Malibu isn't class leading, rear seat legroom, trunk space and maybe fuel economy of the non-eco model (it' still quiet good though) and proclaim these show stoppers, but give the Malibu no credit for where it excels. Then they proclaim the Accord the winner by a wide margin. Of course a consumer could find things they dislike about the Accord and like about the Malibu, but the agenda is clearly to promote the Accord. It makes one wonder..

 

[KrisZ]

Cars reviews are a joke now. Mostly it's the repetition of the manufacturers brochure, EPA mileage comparison and an attempt to be a comedian all in the same article.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Cars reviews are a joke now. Mostly it's the repetition of the manufacturers brochure, EPA mileage comparison and an attempt to be a comedian all in the same article.


Payola never went away. It just migrated to the automotive journalist trade. LOL

You can bet that manufacturers are finding ways to "bribe" journalists without actual money changing hands.

It's been this way for sometime. It is ESPECIALLY bad in the US media.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I'm not sure any of you guys read the article. They didn't say the Accord was sportier. They didn't say it drove better. They didn't declare it a winner by a wide margin. In fact, they called it "neck and neck through the finish line". They did give the nod to the Accord for reasons irrelevant to a Mazda shopper. They called it more spacious. Is it not? They cited it as having a more broad appeal. Will it not? Even the most rosy-eyed Mazda fan can recognize that the new 6 will appeal to a select group of enthusiast drivers; Mazda has never been about volume selling...they've been about selling cars that give a lot of driving pleasure. And in fact, the review even praises the 6 for this. They called the 6 "the real deal", and "a machine that thrills". If I were a Mazda fan or just bought a new 6, reading this review would absolutely validate my decision.

But the Mazda fans are still going to come in and say the review was rigged?

If you're not careful, you're going to start looking like over-zealous Honda fans!