This is for those thinking of buying an 09-2013 Mazda 6.
I have driven over 250 cars literally over the past 7 years working in various car dealerships. I have driven many Honda Accord's, Toyota Camry's, Nissan Altima's, and the older Mazda 6's/626. I also go to the race track and autox events.
I am very picky with cars and find problems in all of them. I prefer smaller lighter cars. There is no perfect car for me. But this big heavy Mazda 6 came pretty close.
This past labor day weekend, I rented a 2012 Mazda 6i and drove it 600 miles through highways, cities, and curvy mountain/farm roads. I was pleasantly surprised.
The quality, features, space, and design seemed to be better than the Accord/Camry inside and out. I loved nearly everything about it including the speed/frequency of the "scan" radio button. It gives you the perfect amount of time to preview a song before it switched to the next station. The steering was amazing. The gauges looked beautiful and symmetrical. The seats were comfortable and you can easily seat 4 adults that are 6'6" tall. The seats have so much adjustability. And the trunk space is huge. Everything was ergonomically in the correct place and angle. The rain stability was very good with no hydroplaning felt even at high speeds. And those wipers are so quiet.
The car suffers from its tires and ride height. I can feel that it can do much better with high performance summer tires and a 0.5 inch- 1 inch lower suspension. The 4 cylinder had some good power considering it was pulling a 3800 lbs car including the driver. And best of all, the gas mileage was very high. I got nearly 500 miles on 1 tank of gas mixed city/highway spirited driving.
The other part I don't like is the rear exterior design. It is too generic. But the front is amazing looking. Especially those headlights. Factory headlights are adjusted too low. They do not provide good light so I recommend adjusting them upwards a bit. I also liked the transmission. Feels much better than that CVT poop transmission in the Altima that takes too long to shift.
In addition, I was surpised by the braking. I slammed the brakes from 50mph to a dead stop. (stop sign came out of no where). And I made the stop in a very short distance. I never owned a car that stops that well.
I returned it this morning and it was very upsetting. Now I am considering actually buying one, but a V6 version or a future 2015-16 Mazdaspeed version. I need the power.
Tips for Mazda for the 2014 redesign:
-Love the new 2014 looks
-Keep the interior quality/features the same. Keep the steering ratio, brakes, gas mileage.
-Make it lighter, decrease body roll, use better tires, offer a Mazdaspeed for me to buy.
I have driven over 250 cars literally over the past 7 years working in various car dealerships. I have driven many Honda Accord's, Toyota Camry's, Nissan Altima's, and the older Mazda 6's/626. I also go to the race track and autox events.
I am very picky with cars and find problems in all of them. I prefer smaller lighter cars. There is no perfect car for me. But this big heavy Mazda 6 came pretty close.
This past labor day weekend, I rented a 2012 Mazda 6i and drove it 600 miles through highways, cities, and curvy mountain/farm roads. I was pleasantly surprised.
The quality, features, space, and design seemed to be better than the Accord/Camry inside and out. I loved nearly everything about it including the speed/frequency of the "scan" radio button. It gives you the perfect amount of time to preview a song before it switched to the next station. The steering was amazing. The gauges looked beautiful and symmetrical. The seats were comfortable and you can easily seat 4 adults that are 6'6" tall. The seats have so much adjustability. And the trunk space is huge. Everything was ergonomically in the correct place and angle. The rain stability was very good with no hydroplaning felt even at high speeds. And those wipers are so quiet.
The car suffers from its tires and ride height. I can feel that it can do much better with high performance summer tires and a 0.5 inch- 1 inch lower suspension. The 4 cylinder had some good power considering it was pulling a 3800 lbs car including the driver. And best of all, the gas mileage was very high. I got nearly 500 miles on 1 tank of gas mixed city/highway spirited driving.
The other part I don't like is the rear exterior design. It is too generic. But the front is amazing looking. Especially those headlights. Factory headlights are adjusted too low. They do not provide good light so I recommend adjusting them upwards a bit. I also liked the transmission. Feels much better than that CVT poop transmission in the Altima that takes too long to shift.
In addition, I was surpised by the braking. I slammed the brakes from 50mph to a dead stop. (stop sign came out of no where). And I made the stop in a very short distance. I never owned a car that stops that well.
I returned it this morning and it was very upsetting. Now I am considering actually buying one, but a V6 version or a future 2015-16 Mazdaspeed version. I need the power.
Tips for Mazda for the 2014 redesign:
-Love the new 2014 looks
-Keep the interior quality/features the same. Keep the steering ratio, brakes, gas mileage.
-Make it lighter, decrease body roll, use better tires, offer a Mazdaspeed for me to buy.
