The FUN family sedan
Written: Feb 18 '04 (Updated Feb 18 '04)
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Pros: Fun to drive, handling, features, BOSE audio, PRICE
Cons: Slightly cramped rear space
The Bottom Line: The 6 is a fun car for those seeking a great value and don't mind a little less rear space.
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| bigal_2004's Full Review: 2004 Mazda Mazda6 |
INTRODUCTION
Recently, I test drove three cars. I will be reviewing each one and using them as comparisons.
1. 2004 Mazda 6i
2. 2004 Dodge Stratus R/T Sedan
3. 2004 Mitsubishi Galant ES
This is the review for the 2004 Mazda 6. The dealer I went to had four of them on sale for $16,995! This particular one was dark gray "i" with the optional BOSE Audio System, alloy wheels, and 4-Speed Automatic. The sticker came to $20,730, sale price $16,995. After looking over and test driving the car, here is my take on it.
EXTERIOR
Hands down, the Mazda 6 is the sportiest looking of the three. With the chrome "milk-mustache" appearance grille and alloy wheels, this car stands out from the rest. My car was dark gray. Here are some details about the exterior:
Tires: Michelin "X" Energy - 205/60R16 - these are performance all-season tires.
Wheels: 5-Spoke Alloy
Front: Chrome upper/lower grille with Mazda emblem in the middle. The headlamps are uniquely slanted in shape and match the grille perfectly. The bumpers on the front actually protrude outward from the headlights and grille - this helps prevent excessive front end damage on low-speed crashes.
Rear: Horizontal red taillights with multiple circular lenses. At the bottom of the rear deck are two thin, long red light strips. The bumpers protrude outward nicely as well. Mazda emblem takes the top center.
INTERIOR
The interior of the Mazda 6 is just as sporty in design AND feel as the exterior. My dark gray interior was decorated in light gray and dark gray cloth, black and metallic finish dashboard and red lighting. Not only is the design unique, but features are abundant. Here are more details:
Air Conditioning: Blown out by a total of five circular vents (1 driver, 1 passenger, 3 center), these blow quite warm air with little draft. The cold air blew out nicely as well and the transition from heat to cold was quite short. The vents can all be completely closed - which is a plus to their design.
Power Windows: The driver's side will AUTO down by one-touch. All windows can be locked by driver.
Power Locks: The driver and passenger has control of these, although they do not self-engage when the car starts, shifts, or gets moving. It must be done manually.
Gauges: The driver's pod consisted of two big ones with smaller semi-circles at either side. On the left was the tach that redlined nearly 7000RPM. The speedometer I think maxed out at 160MPH. Fuel and temperature readings were also shown. The style was a simple black background with orange needles and chrome rings around each circle. At night, these glow red. In the center is the gear readout in red. The odometer is red writing as the tripmeter shown right above.
Wheel Controls: The steering wheel as controls for cruise control and stereo. You can adjust volume and skip through tracks with the steering wheel. These also ILLUMINATE at night.
Cruise Control: Accessed ON the steering wheel, a CRUISE MAIN light appears in green on the left side of the driver pod, and CRUISE light in orange appears when the driver sets his/her speed. Options include SET/COAST and RESUME/ACCELERATE.
60/40 Rear-Folding Seat: Now this is a feature I can not live without. In my 2000 Toyota Corolla, I utilize the rear-folding seats for hauling long items, such as a entertainment center box kit. Now, the great thing about the Mazda design is that in the trunk the switches are very close to the person folding them. You don't have to reach way into the trunk, to the seat, and hit something. Two knobs on either side of the trunk make the seat fold completely forward on its own. No more pushing it down; it does itself!
BOSE Audio System: Now this was a real treat for me. Since having my system in my Corolla, I expect great sound. Boy does this have it! It has the overall clarity and bass above the Dodge's and Mitsubishi's Infinity setup. The BOSE system includes a 6-Disc CD Changer in the dash and the display is way above the controls at the top of the dashboard. The sign BOSE SOUND appears when the car first starts. The radio station displays in the center, while the time is on the left and the outside temperature gauge is on the right of the display. All writing is once again, red. There are a total of seven speakers with this setup: two front tweeters near the windshield, two front door speakers, two rear door speakers, and the amplifier/subwoofer in the rear deck area. NO, these two don't occupy the trunk!
Sentry Key/Valet Key: The sentry key is the main key. It does everything a key is supposed to do for the car. A chip built-in must be programmed correctly with the car to start it up. Otherwise, if a thief tries to use a screwdriver or something, the car will be disabled by DESIGN. The valet key only operates doors and ignition. It will not allow the electronic trunk opener in the glovebox to work.
DASHBOARD LAYOUT: On the left side is the driver air vent, then the gauges, then the center stack, then the passenger air vent. The center stack has a compartment at the very top, then the radio display, the three air vents, the radio controls, the A/C controls, then a cigarette lighter and ashtray.
SPACE/STORAGE
This is the lowest aspect of the Mazda 6. While front seat space is quite good, the rear space is a little cramped. Here are the details:
Front: At 6'0" tall, I didn't haven't to have the seat all the way back! It was only about 3/4 of the way back. Legroom was sufficient as was headroom. Passenger side space was decent as well. The seats were all supportive and comfortable. The Stratus in comparison had my knees less than 6" from the dashboard.
Rear: Sitting directly behind the driver's seat 3/4 of the way back, I had "just" enough leg/knee room. I had a little awkward movement trying to get out. I would say the Mazda 6 has rear space between a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry.
Trunk: The trunk opens by an electronic button in the glovebox or by the keyhole on the rear deck. It was relatively light to open and the hinges are NOT the gooseneck type - they are the tall, pole type that do not intrude on cargo space. The trunk was impressively capacitating. The best part was the high opening height. This makes large objects getting in there easier. On the left and right side are two knobs to fold down the rear seats. There was a safety release for anyone that gets locked inside. The Stratus and Galant had longer space, but the 6 had the best entrance space - which is more important, in my Epinion.
Cupholders: There are SIX. Not four, SIX. Two in the front beside the shifter, two built-in the door pockets, and two in the back with the fold-down armrest.
Glovebox: The glovebox is of average size, leaving some space for small things besides the manuals. My Corolla has a much larger glovebox in comparison. The glovebox also contains the trunk switch.
Consoles: There are two. One is in the center containing a power outlet. This looks like it could hold about six CD's. Another one is on the top of the dashboard which looks to me like it could hold a cell phone, but not CD's.
PERFORMANCE
The Mazda 6 was clearly designed for fun. With the razor-sharp steering and spunky engine, the 6 added that fun factor which most family sedans lack. Here are some details:
Engine: The 6i has the 2.3L 4-cylinder @ 160HP. This is the same as the competition in HP, except the Nissan Altima 2.5 @ 175HP. To me, however, this engine moved and throttle response was quick. It does, however, sound less refined than my Toyota - but it is not loud or intrusive. The takeoff is powerful and soon I was up to 50MPH in a matter of seconds. Going from say 50-70MPH also proved effortless for a 4-cylinder. The gas mileage on the 4-cylinder is 23/29. The 6-cylinder version comes with a 3.0L @ 220HP.
Transmission: Now this was my favorite part of the car. Not only is it a smooth, well-performing four speed automatic, it also has a manual mode feature that I have NEVER used before. It was simple, once you reach "D" in the zig-zag shift pattern, move the lever directly to the right and the manual mode will select the proper gear - for instance, at 40MPH it went into 3rd gear (a "3" shows up in the gauges). To shift upward, move the lever up, and to shift downward, move the lever down. I absolutely loved this feature. It felt just like manual. To me, the manual mode is for someone who doesn't drive a stick very well and who doesn't want to worry about clutch repairs, stalling, or jerkiness off the line. The 6-cylinder version comes with a 5-Speed Automatic. Both cars comes with a 5-speed manual, standard.
Ride/Handling: GREAT, GREAT, GREAT. Very sharp, precise, tight steering which I love. Very little wheel movement on curves and turns. No torque steer was evident to me. A tilt option on the "i" moves the wheel up and down to driver's preferences. The ride and handling felt well controlled, and the chassis felt balanced and unstrained. In other words, it is exactly the way I would love my car to handle. Road noise is minimal. The ride itself is firm, not soft. Highway and smooth pavements were not bumpy, and bumps were somewhat felt, but not as much as my Corolla. I actually prefer firmer rides than cushy rides. In comparison, the Stratus felt much the same (in a good way), and the Galant was bouncier and felt like a bigger car.
Brakes: The brakes are 4-wheel DISC. Mine didn't have the optional ABS/Side Airbag package, but I don't need it. The brakes stopped well and had excellent connection and response with my feet. They are smooth brakes, but not cushy brakes.
QUALITY
The interior materials are not soft to the touch, but not cheap looking either. The metallic trim is solid and the whole car feels well put together. The door panels have cloth inserts and the shifter area is not loose. Driving the car feels solid. There were no creaks or rattles during my test drive. All the controls for the radio, windows, etc. feel solid to the touch and not cheap. Overall, it had equal quality to the Mitsubishi and better quality than the Stratus.
SAFETY
The safety of the Mazda 6 is great. The NHTSA rated the car as "good" in frontal/offset crashes - the highest rank available. My car had dual front airbags, but didn't have the optional side airbags. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN THERE IS LESS THAN 66 LBS. IN THE SEAT! This is great, because for one it saves on costs to buy new airbags, and secondly a child under that weight can sit up front! Way to go, Mazda!
PRICE
The Mazda 6i I drove had a 4-Speed Automatic and optional BOSE audio taking it to $20,730. This is a FANTASTIC buy. In comparison, the Galant ES 2.4L I drove had an automatic w/o manual mode, no rear-folding seat, and had an Infinity sound system for $21,654. The Infinity system in the Galant was too bassy and not as clariful overall. The rear seats also don't fold. The Stratus R/T had a 2.7L 200HP V6, trip computer, leather seats, power seats, power moonroof, 17" wheels, rear spoiler, and Infinity sound system for $24,280. The sound setup in the Stratus R/T was just as decent, but the BOSE was overall better. The passenger front space was less in the Stratus and the handling was as good as the 6, and power was not that much more feeling to me. A Stratus SXT with the same options minus an advanced sound system as the Mazda 6 takes it to $19,000. Comparing the 6 to the Stratus SXT, the 6 has 10 more HP, a better interior, better handling w/o the R/T suspension, and better features.
CONCLUSION
The Mazda 6 is a GREAT car. It offers four-door convenience, razor-sharp handling, great list of features, a fun automatic/manual transmission and is the least expensive of the competition. If one is willing to sacrifice a little bit of rear seat space, then the Mazda 6 is the best pick.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20730
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: "i" with BOSE audio package, 4-Speed Automatic
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Epinions.com ID:
bigal_2004
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Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 2 members
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