Mazda 6 4 cylinder or V6

[bluehaze]

Hey Guys,

I'm thinking of replacing my 01 Protege MP3 for a an 04 Mazda 6.

2 questions:

1) I only drive manual tranny's and I wanted to know if I should look for a 2.3 4 cylinder or the 3.0 v6?

I'm sure I would love the power of the V6, but I care about reliability and ease of maintenance. I work on all my cars and need an engine that is relatively easy to work on.

2) I wasn't too impressed with the build quality of my protege as it was noisy in the city and highway and always had some rattles and squeaks (never happened in my old honda civc) I was curious if the newer 6's had better build quality and is relatively quiet.

any advice would be appreciated

 

[VRMS6]

I have a 2007 MazdaSpeed6 and am impressed with the build quality. only noise I have is from wiring under dash that makes noise over bumps. Its wiring that I have run for various items and I need to get under there and zip tie it into place better to stop the noise. The car has been pretty trouble free and Im definately not babying it....
As far as a 4 or 6 cyl Id recommend driving both and seeing which one you prefer...

 

[nate0123]

I have some minor creaks from the interior but my '03 6S is overall a very solid car. Feels (and is) much larger than the Protege, but is also quieter. Not the quietest car in the class, but honestly I don't like quiet cars. The power from the V6 is nice (but certainly not necessary - the i4 is adequate) but IMO the sound is what really sets them apart. The 6i is a nice car, and I'd drive one - but the V6 gives the 6S a much more upscale feel.

Gas mileage isn't terrible, but it's nothing to write home about. All highway I get a consistent 24.5 MPG, though I'm not a conservative driver and usually cruise around 80. A couple points lower than I got in my Protege (26-27) but you have a lot more power on tap.

 

[Elite130]

I have a '07 Mazda6 S with the 5-speed manual and I love it! The interior is amazingly quiet, even quieter than my parent's and brother's Lexus. The build quality is excellent, I have not had any rattles, squeakes or any other noises occur (yet). I just turned over 36,000 miles on it and have had no warranty repairs. I pull an average of 28mpg's with slightly aggresive driving and 1/2 highway and 1/2 city. The V6 is not hugely torquey, but has great power. It also handles great in the mountains. As for maintenance, the oil and tranny fluid change is easy, but I'm not looking forward to changing spark plugs.

 

[ogsp5]

My wife has the 6I manual. Good engine response also very comfortable to drive plus very good interior space. Not a lot of manuals where made so you might have a do a good search.

 

[MATX]

Depends on how much your paying for the 4cyl or the 6cyl. I had an 04 V6 hatch I liked it but if you can get a speed6 for a little more get the speed, drives nothing like it. Quiet and nice ride, can hual ass too

 

[CnoTataymo]

I've driven both MS6 and MZ6 V6 and I would say they're built pretty good. You can feel the weight of them when you toss them in a corner but other than that, power in both is good. The V6 might be about 54 hp shy of the MS6, but is still quick. I would say both get around the same mpg.

 

[Newf]

rememeber, Mazdaspeed 6 built in japan. Mazda 6 is not for some countries. I believe american mazda6's at that time are built in the USA in a shared Ford plant. alongside the mustang believe it or not. Mazda has it's own american plant now., but I'm not sure about that.

All Speed versions are japan built, and from my experience are much better built.

 

[mglavina]

rememeber, Mazdaspeed 6 built in japan. Mazda 6 is not for some countries. I believe american mazda6's are built in the USA in at the time a shared Ford plant. Mazda has it's own american plant now.

All Speed versions are japan built, and from my experience are much better built.

+1 on that. When I pop my engine bay, some parts are written in japanese lol. There are numerous stickers and labels hidden in the car that say "made in japan". From my understanding (at least what the dealership manager told me) that mazdaspeed 6 was the only mazda built in japan. It reflects the quality because I've had no problems, and my car runs great.

I was looking at the v6 mazda, but after I wanted all my options like leather, sun roof, 18" rims... I realized, why not spend the extra 3 or 4 grand and go for the speed 6? I ended up getting my speed 6 and I absolutley love it.

You can get the same features inside and out I believe, the biggest issue would probably be the power and gas mileage. Like others said, definetly test drive both and make your choice from there. Good luck.

 

[nate0123]

I believe my 6S was built in Michigan. The savings I got opting for the S versus the Speed was more than a couple grand.

 

[jaymangrum]

your right, MI it is

 

[bluehaze]

Wow, great responses and very helpful

I was leaning more on the V6 anyway and glad to hear good reliability so far even though it's built in the US I was only hoping for at least 26 mpg on average, but I'm sure with my style of driving (restrained most of the time and cuts loose here and there) I could get about 28. Plus running regular octane would be awesome as I'm currently still running 91 on my MP3.

My concern about the V6 was that it was a re-tuned Ford Duratec engine so reliability may not have been as good as the 4 cylinder.

I'll definitely look out for a MS6 if I could though I'm not a fan of buying a full set of tires if I ever get a flat....then again how often does that happen?

Anyone have trouble replacing the spark plugs on the V6?

thanks for all your responses!

 

[Shotime6]

Wow, great responses and very helpful

I was I'll definitely look out for a MS6 if I could though I'm not a fan of buying a full set of tires if I ever get a flat....

????

 

[Springs420]

My concern about the V6 was that it was a re-tuned Ford Duratec engine so reliability may not have been as good as the 4 cylinder.

My understanding is that the 4 cylinder is also based off of a Duratec block.

 

[bluehaze]

Regarding my comment on having to buy a full set of tires from getting a flat tire.... awd vehicles spins all 4 wheels so wear must be even on all tires otherwise it could causes issues such as the car tracking poorly or pulling to one side. My friend had a Subaru and had to get a full set when one of his tires had to be replaced.