2014 Mazda6 - General Discussion

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My god, that thing is sexy. Makes the stock 6 looks like Corolla now though. :lol:

P.S. Does this mean that we might see a diesel from Mazda in the U.S.?
 
Now, let's make the production car RWD!

But really, an AWD diesel Mazdaspeed version? I'd like one!
 
a6m5
My god, that thing is sexy. Makes the stock 6 looks like Corolla now though. :lol:

P.S. Does this mean that we might see a diesel from Mazda in the U.S.?
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Yep. Later this year.
 
For those interested in the diesel, Autocar has recently tested it in UK trim.

Interesting figures from the test:

Model: Mazda6 2.2 diesel, 173bhp, 309 lb-ft @2,000rpm.
0-60: 7.9s (only 0.2 seconds slower than a BMW 320d in Autocar's hands)
Vmax: 139mph
Test average economy: 44.1 mpg imperial (36.7 mpg US)
Touring economy: 56.3 mpg imperial (46.8 mpg US)

They like the ride, handling, performance and economy, they're not so keen on the slightly cheap-feeling interior, poor nav system and noise at higher revs. Seems like a pretty good car overall, though in context it's worth remembering that the UK gets loads of diesel sedans like this so there's a lot more competition here. Out in the US it may well go straight to the top of the (limited) market it's in.
 
Slightly cheap interior? Noise at revs? Oh. So status quo, then. :lol:

Most impressed by the 5,500 rpm redline. Most diesels run out of puff at 4k, and even those redlining at 5k rpm have trouble getting there.
 
niky
Slightly cheap interior? Noise at revs? Oh. So status quo, then. :lol:

Most impressed by the 5,500 rpm redline. Most diesels run out of puff at 4k, and even those redlining at 5k rpm have trouble getting there.
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I'm in one of the 6's (sort of) rivals at the mo, Peugeot 508 GT. 200hp 2.2 turbodiesel. Another truly excellent diesel engine. Refinement-wise, not a million miles away from the heavily-reworked Ford 2.2 diesel in the Jaguar XF (though in fairness, the Peugeot isn't a million miles behind the Jag on price either!)

I expect the 6 is actually quite refined on balance, but some manufacturers have made such great strides with smoothness in diesels that the Mazda probably seems a little uncouth next to some.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
It nearly has the market to itself here in the states. I hope it does well!
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Aside from the Passat TDI, that's about it. Honda was supposed to introduce a diesel version of the Accord two years ago, but they dropped those plans when things started to go south on fuel prices. Chevrolet will be putting the high-output diesel from the Holden Cruze into our American version this year, and that isn't far off from the Mazda in terms of size.

My guess would be that, if the Mazda 6 sells well with an oil burner, and so does the Cruze, more companies will start looking into offering it. I'm surprised that Fiat hasn't been quick to offer them in the Chrysler and Dodge lineup, but that could change with the new 200 next year.
 
R1600Turbo
Hmm...

Ford Fusion Titanium = $30,200 Starting MSRP
Nissan Altima 3.5 SL = $30,560 Starting MSRP (V6 though...)
Honda Accord EX-L = $27,995 Starting MSRP (4 Cylinder)
Honda Accord EX-L = $30,070 Starting MSRP (V6)

ETC, ETC.

Point is all mid-size cars have a model in the $30k range. I don't see the problem.
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Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Guess what folks? $38-40k is generally the entry point for new luxury cars, it was 30k a decade ago...(Acura ILX not included).

The $22k entry point (face it, lots ain't gonna have a $20k one) isn't terribly absurd. I'd rather have a top of the line Mazda 6 over a 39-month-old used Lexus ES, although I'd choose the GS if 'twere possible. At that point, you're comparing RWD to FF, so that's another discussion.
 
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Pupik
I'd rather have a top of the line Mazda 6 over a 39-month-old used Lexus ES
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While that's true, there is also no top of the line Mazda 6 with a stick shift, and in one step down the trim ladder lots of goodies are simply unavailable. So unless diesel trim comes with stick shift and things on the current top trim, I'm not even gonna consider this car for DD.
 
dsgerbc
While that's true, there is also no top of the line Mazda 6 with a stick shift, and in one step down the trim ladder lots of goodies are simply unavailable. So unless diesel trim comes with stick shift and things on the current top trim, I'm not even gonna consider this car for DD.
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Why...would you consider it for merely weekend use? :)

Seriously, though...I don't think there's that many people who really want a manual sedan at a higher price-point with more options, or the market would have expanded somewhat. Honda does the same thing; there's no EX-L available with a manual. Stick Camrys are only slightly less rare than giant squid, and it's traditionally only been the 4-cylinder model with three pedals. Manual Altima, sure...4-cyl only, unless you found a rare SE-R...and so on, and so forth. To be honest, I haven't seen enough Subaru Legacys to figure out if they are usually available in manual on their top line-ups.

It's the same with the Mazda 5, as we found out (not that my wife really wanted a stick minivan)...if you want the Grand Touring, you get the 5-speed auto as your only choice. It's not terrible at responsively selecting your choice of cog manu-matically, to be honest; but the up/down selector is backwards compared to most similarly-equipped vehicles, but it also doesn't second-guess your decisions, unless they're not-so-smart. I found it also wasn't too bad in the out-going iteration of the 6.
 
Pupik
Seriously, though...
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I don't have to have MT for a DD, but it has to be a very good AT. Sporty used luxury models might have it (Lexus IS/GS for example), regular new mid-sized sedans are unlikely to have it.
Heck, I'd pick a decent AT (reasonably quick shifts, locking converter in gears after first, paddle shifter) over 6MT like the one in current-generation Subaru Legacy.

For the mazda6--which I really like the look of (both wagon and sedan) and found the interior of the grand touring trim quite pleasing--I can overlook the AT if there was a diesel+wagon, or AWD+wagon, or AWD+sedan+diesel.
 
dsgerbc
Heck, I'd pick a decent AT (reasonably quick shifts, locking converter in gears after first, paddle shifter) over 6MT like the one in current-generation Subaru Legacy.
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So...

Exactly what Mazda has now with the SkyActiv autobox?

In fact, at least in the version used in the 3/CX-5, lockup even happens in 1st.
 
Your user title is "iComplain". Why are we even arguing with you?
 
dsgerbc
For the mazda6--which I really like the look of (both wagon and sedan) and found the interior of the grand touring trim quite pleasing--I can overlook the AT if there was a diesel+wagon, or AWD+wagon, or AWD+sedan+diesel.
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You're getting overly hopeful there, I'm afraid. I'm quite positive that Mazda is overly examining how cars are selling in the market and carefully adjusting how exactly they're going to position each trim level and engine/transmission option in the field. As much as you, or any other performance-minded enthusiast wants a stick shift in a top-trim model, the simple fact is that the overwhelming majority of the people who do purchase a top-trim model won't option them that way. In that sense, Mazda is more likely to lose money by offering it as such, and won't do it.

Furthermore, throwing diesel at the lineup willy-nilly isn't going to make them any money, either. Any combination of body styles, drive systems, and transmissions have to be carefully considered before they roll out of the factory. The good news is that in the United States, if they were to offer AWD with a diesel engine, Mazda would be the first to do so outside of a big pickup (as far as I can tell, anyway).

Mazda has a lot on the line with this thing. I don't expect them to step too far out of the box, and I don't blame them.
 
Autoblog first drive impressions:

  • We'll get right down to the meat of it: The manual transmission is far better than the average do-it-yourself gearbox in this segment. Throws of the gearlever are light, short, and easy to put home with confidence. The clutch pedal, similarly, is very low-effort, but with a broad catch point that's simple to operate in every driving situation we encountered. This isn't a hewn-from-billet shifting experience, naturally, but it is a manual transmission that can be used with satisfaction in spirited driving, or mindlessly on the shopping run. The transmission is just perfectly suited to the power delivery of the smooth 2.5-liter motor, too.
  • The Sport trim car we tested had zero options – quite a rarity in the media fleet. Still, we found the cabin to be pretty accommodating and comfortable. The most noticeable interior bits on this base-level are the all-cloth seats and the old school head unit where the touchscreen display usually lives. The seats were fine – soft to the touch and seemingly resilient, with just a bit of gloss and texture to make them feel upscale without the cowhide. The head unit, meanwhile, while perfectly functional (and sure to be embraced by the Luddite set in our comments section), was both drab and old-fashioned looking. Naturally, the instrument panel was designed to accommodate a touchscreen – this is the 21st Century, after all – so its lack of one hampers the design. For one thing, the lack of color and brightness afforded by the display makes the dash look sort of dark and dreary by comparison.
  • So, just how inexpensive is the base model Mazda6 i Sport? The literal answer is $21,675 after the $795 destination fee has been added on. That's pretty good, we thought. The relative answer is, of course, slightly more complicated. In a tooth-and-nail segment like this one, you'd expect pricing among the heavyweight players to be very close, and it is. Still, the new 6 is almost the class-leader. Comparing optionless, base-model MSRPs, plus destination charges, we find this: Toyota Camry is $23,030, Nissan Altima is $22,550, Honda Accord is $22,470 and Ford Fusion is $22,245. Volkswagen's most basic Passat is just $21,640 though – about a night at the movies with your wife (not the kids) cheaper than the Mazda.
  • Mazda is in zero danger of loosing its ballyhooed Zoom-Zoom appeal with this 6 – the handling experience is impressive. While we were perhaps a bit less bullish about the car's nimbleness on our test drive through some very hilly, winding Texas Hill Country roads than when cruising through the French countryside (again, see our First Drive), we still found the thing to be pretty tossable. Reactions to steering inputs, especially, were impressively fast for a car this big and long. The steering experience itself was a bit weightless, with not enough of a transition from on-lock to off-lock feeling of heft, but still very accurate and easy to modulate in a quick corner. Suspension response was admirable, too, on fast switchbacks. For all of that, the cruising ride didn't suffer, though road and tire noise on the freeway was higher than we'd like.
  • Mazda will doubtlessly sell a lot of examples of this new Mazda6 based on its stunning sheetmetal and high levels of content in the middle/upper trims. Good to know that the base car is still pretty sweet then; and still a pleasantly differentiated product in a segment filled with one-upmanship.
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I kind of like it with the smaller wheels and chunkier tires. Looks very purposeful. I've noticed that Mazda makes it's base models a lot more livable than the competition. Comparing a base model Kia Sportage (which I had to drive for a month) to a base model Mazda CX-5 is laughable. The base Kia feels very much 1990s kia, whereas the base Mazda feels nearly the same as the top trim.
 
dsgerbc
I tried the CX5 and it seemed slow.
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So, you get $20,000+ to spend on a weekend car, and don't think to look for something more fun than a full-size car? If you want to go fast, look past the Mazda 6, there are "sports cars" (though not really my definition of sports cars) that will probably be reasonably fast. Well, faster, anyways, than a fullsized Mazda.


But, again, it's your money. If you want a fast weekend car, and you buy an automatic, fullsize, diesel Mazda, thinking it's the fastest thing, and you spend $20,000+ on one, that will have been your decision.
 
dsgerbc
Is this a personal attack or you're trying to make a point? If the latter, try harder.
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I'm pointing out the fact that you apparently tend to complain, then you come here asking for advice and all you do is complain. Why ask if you know you'll just nitpick?
 
MrMelancholy15
So, you get $20,000+ to spend on a weekend car, and don't think to look for something more fun than a full-size car?
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Who said that?

I like my BRZ enough to make it a weekend/summer/track car and keep it for a while. I'm gonna be looking for something to DD in style. I like a lot of things about this Mazda6. I'm gonna give another look to this skyactive AT, hoping that paddle shifters will make me like it more.
 
At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I saw the newer Mazda6. My goodness... BEAUTIFUL car! Its design is a great one from the Takeri concept. Best looking 6/Atenza ever.
 
dsgerbc
Who said that?

I like my BRZ enough to make it a weekend/summer/track car and keep it for a while. I'm gonna be looking for something to DD in style. I like a lot of things about this Mazda6. I'm gonna give another look to this skyactive AT, hoping that paddle shifters will make me like it more.
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Test drives are easy enough. Go book one if you're serious. Doesn't have to be a manual diesel. Paddle shifters are getting good enough nowadays.
 

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