Mazda 6 - great overall car!
Written: Aug 19 '04 (Updated Aug 19 '04)
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Pros:
Adequate power for typical use
Quiet
Comfort and spaciousness
Manual shifting
Features
Cons:
Braking a bit slow
Jagged gearshift pattern - ugh!
Sound system speaker quality
The Bottom Line: Recommended for quality, class-appropriate performance and quiet. Better braking would make this a very solid contender!
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| abajosh's Full Review: 2004 Mazda Mazda6 |
This past weekend I had the occasion to rent a car for approximately 400 miles of driving. As it turns out, I was fortunate to receive (from Hertz) a Mazda 6.
From the moment I entered the vehicle, I felt a sense of comfort and solidity. This was no cheap compact (I had been anticipating a Ford, or similar). Granted, it was no luxury or sports car. Yet it more than met my expectations for comfort, power, quiet, spaciousness and build quality.
Keep in mind that I'm writing this from the perspective of someone with a family of four kids, who owns a 2000 Honda Odyssey and a 1996 Honda Accord Wagon. I believe this car would be appropriate for anyone from a single, to a couple, to a family with two or three children. If anything, it's reminiscent of the well-built Toyota Camry.
Pros (more details than what appears below):
(1) Solid road-handling - never felt skittish or jittery, even when driving on somewhat bumpy highways (Route 295 in NJ) during heavy rain. Remember, I was not performing emergency measures. But I do exercise my rental cars and this met expectations.
(2) Quiet - I was able to carry on conversation with my family (esp. one member who is a bit hard-of-hearing) in a normal voice, even when traveling at 70 MPH. This is one feature I really prize. Very similar to, if not better than, the Camry.
(3) Comfort and spaciousness - Driver's seat provided adequate support for 3-hour drives. The lumbar support was a bit rudimentary, but adequate for healthy individuals. All controls were in easy reach. I did not check the passenger seats. The trunk was quite roomy, and its space was not compromised by the trunk-lid hinges often found.
(4) Ability to shift manually - Even on the automatic transmission. This is very useful where control is called for, e.g. on steep slopes or in snow. See also my comments about the shift pattern.
(5) Features - Probably a fairly common set, but everything worked well.
Cons:
(1) Braking - Really seemed somewhat slow to me. I would have expected to brake in 25% less distance. I don't think the tires were the issue.
(2) Jagged gearshift pattern - This was the most ANNOYING feature! To move the lever through the gates, one has to perform a virtual slalom. It's not the usual straight shot from P to R ... N ... D ... L. VERY slow and annoying, but how often do you have to use it? (And I suppose one gets used to it.) Then again, one gets manual shifting. But must this come at the expense of straight-line gear shifting?
(3) Sound system - Perhaps I'm being overly critical, since I played the same CDs on my brother's excellent stereo system before listening to them in the Mazda. But the speakers sounded thin and totally uninteresting. In addition, the controls (although feature-laden) were tedious to cycle through on the combined unit's on-screen display; this is also a big distraction for the driver.
Bottom line:
All in all, the apparent quality of this vehicle, coupled with Mazda's reputation for quality (I owned an RX-7 10 years ago, and it was great ... I assume things have just gotten better), make the Mazda 6 a winner in my book!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): rented
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: Automatic
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Epinions.com ID:
abajosh
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
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