The359
So you're going to complain about getting more from the Mazda then you would from the Mitsubishi with comparable packages (like fog lamps, rear spoiler...) for the small price of $300? Excuse me while turn around and laugh....
One thing I'm learning about car people and sports people who portend to be 'experts' is that they argue every single point with every single person who makes a point just so they can gauge how much the other person knows and how much of a threat they are to the self-proclaimed expert's knowledge. You and Firebird are good examples of this to the extreme - you two strike me as the kind who would literally write in to
Automobile if you found a typo, demanding it be corrected next month.
Fortunately this time I'm going to play along because I know I'm right.
MITSUBISHI GALANT LS vs.
MAZDA 6S
Okay, the midsize class is a lovely one. It's the most cramped segment on the market (unless you do like me and go through every single large SUV by trim, drive type, engine, and number of seats - easy until you get to the Ford Excursion). Power low is 140 (Gotta love the L300 1) and power high is 250 from Nissan (go me!) and Subaru, though one of those companies (hint: it's not Nissan) also has fuel economy, cargo volume, and interior room low. Any typos yet?
The most popular features in the class are (not in order):
- 6-disc CD changer
- Power sunroof
- Leather upholstery
- Heated front seats
- Front side airbags
- Anti-lock brakes
- Alloy wheels
- Automatic transmission
The most popular dimensional measurements in this class are (not in order):
- Fuel economy
- Cargo volume (trunk space, cubic feet)
- Rear leg room
Price and horsepower are, in order, the most significant measurements in this class. Okay!
The Mitsubishi Galant LS - or, as I've deemed it and as it will be known for the duration of the test, "winner" - starts at the winning price of $21400. That includes 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, the automatic transmission, and, um, nothing else on that list. Except the dimensional measurements, but that's later. Okay, adding the packages is next. The Diamond Package is a $1262 addition to Winner, but it's a damn good addition because it adds the in-dash 6-disc CD changer and alloy wheels we need so badly. And it requires the $800 Sunroof Package! But guess what? Winner likes the Sunroof Package because it adds a power sunroof. And we finish it right up with the Leather Plus Package, $1395, which adds heated leather and front side airbags. Now Winner is fully-loaded at $24900. Oh, and I know that doesn't add up. I'm actually giving you like $18. I round. Deal with it.
The Mazda 6s - or, as I've deemed it "Steve" - starts at $21500, including 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and alloy wheels. Now, Steve's down on spec and packages are tough, so here goes: heated leather is part of a $1540 Luxury Package that requires the $710 Sport Package, which adds nothing, which requires the $635 Bose Audio Package, which adds the 6-disc CD changer. The Sport Package also requires the $700 power sunroof, which adds itself, which also requires front side airbags, which cost $450 and also adds itself. Finally, the automatic transmission costs $900. So now Steve is up to $26400, a straight $1500 more than the Galant with the same spec. But does it
look like we're done here?
Next is power. You'll complain most here. The Mazda 6s has 220bhp, the Mitsubishi Galant has 230. I mentioned simply that the Galant has the largest engine in its class, which is true; you decided to turn that into "You were the one who brought up...the fact that everyone should buy the Mitsubishi because its got that whooping 10hp". Frankly, I don't know if I've even mentioned the power difference and I'd certainly never recommend a car on power alone, but to shut you up, I'll mention the power and move on to the simple acceleration statistics: the Mazda 6s manual - not the automatic, chosen by more than 94% of V6 buyers - does does 0-60 in either 7.0 (Motor Trend) or 7.5 (ConsumerGuide). I'll give you 7.1 - purely to shut you up, remember - and move to the Mitsubishi. Unfortunately I can't appease you here - four different sources quote 6.8 seconds and one quotes 6.9. Any way you slice it, the heavier Galant with an automatic is quicker than the 6 with either transmission. Maybe that ten horsepower is really 25 - it wouldn't be the first time Mazda's over-rated one of their fleet, nor would it be the second.
And finally, dimensions and fuel economy. The EPA makes it really easy by rating both vehicles involved with any transmission at 23.0 combined mpg. That's 19/27, since I knew you'd be checking. See, 19 + 27 divided by 2... Dimensions: Galant has 1.9" less rear leg room and 0.8ft more cubic feet of cargo space.
So, go with the 6 - get the slower, more expensive vehicle with less power and trunk space. At least the interior isn't as "cheap", whatever you've decided that means. Or go with Galant: cheaper, quicker, more powerful, same fuel economy, more trunk space, and 1.9" less rear leg room. Frankly I'll take the trade-off. 👍
Um...who cares what 94% of Mazda 6s are sold with? You were the one who brought up performance, and the fact that everyone should buy the Mitsubishi because its got that whooping 10hp, yet you're telling us we can't buy a manual transmission on our Mazda 6 just because most other non-performance people don't?
Mazda wants it to be a consideration for families. Families want automatic transmissions. Even if you don't.
Add to that I know many Mazda nuts who have bought RX-8s, 6s, or 3s with manual transmissions with no markup whatsoever. So I have no clue where you're pulling that one from.
Not markup above sticker. Does anyone know what markup is? Okay, there's three prices when you buy a car. Price "A" is the invoice price, and I'll use Mazda's pricing policy on, say, an MPV LX to illustrate:
Invoice price (what the dealer pays): $4000
MSRP (retail price): $23300
Dealer markup (what the vehicle's sticker says): $41300
Now, on this MPV, the dealer would be making a pretty decent profit. The kind of person buying a Mazda might pay it. Incidentally, there's a fourth price which I like to call "above sticker" which is where people are suckered into paying more than sticker. The only people who do this have absolutely no negotiating skills whatsoever. Practically, they're all foreigners who have no idea how the car-buying process works in this country.
ANYONE paying more than sticker shouldn't be allowed to exist with the rest of the humans.
Anyway - when you say "no markup whatsoever" you're saying your "friends" bought the "Mazda" for "invoice" which "is" hard to do. "Imagine" buying this "MPV" for "$4000." That's "no markup." For a "popular car" like a 6s manual, you're not buying at invoice, period (unless you buy a 6s manual with no options - then you're buying at invoice, but something that no-one else wants. Understand that.).
My favourite of the fake assessments!
I don't even think The359 would pull that. It's a completely new design. If you went by how the old model performed, we'd make no progress. Incidentally, how was the 1998-2002 Mazda 626? 
When did someone pull this out of their ass? This is almost hilarious because of how ironic it can be.