Today on Mother Proof: 2008 Mazda6 Reviewed

Lori Hindman was really looking forward to testing the Mazda6 Grand Touring, but after spending some time with the car, she couldn't help but find herself let down. It wasn't that one glaring oversight did in the vehicle, it was that after tallying the minor flaws, Lori saw her initially high opinion of the Mazda6 begin to crumble. See what death by a thousand cuts looks like for a car today on Mother Proof.

Review: Mazda6 Grand Touring (Mother Proof)

Comments

[DL]

BOO! Lori is MEAN. where did she come from? don't think i've ever seen her posts b4. must've been driving too many Caymans & 335i's

[Troy in Ft Walton Beach]

Aren't we supposed to learn the controls, make adjustments before we start to drive off in our vehicle? We shouldn't bash on a car for bad ergonomics if we don't take the time to learn them.

I'm on Lori's side here though as I don't like this car. It's too pricey for what you get IMO. Under achieving performance from the drivetrain and poorly thought out accessories. I certainly see Mazada's parent company (Ford) in the details.

This leaves me asking what else can I get for 30,000?

This review is weak and untimely. Now I know why I never check out the Motherproof website. This car was virtually already reviewed by way of Colette Fischer's review of the 2006 Mazda Sportwagon...same car! Not to mention it's been around some time with the new model coming out later this year or early 2009. Lame review Lori!

[Brian]

Women know as much about cars as I know about pocketbooks

[haylee]

hay

[Tony]

"...Lame review Lori!"

so is the Mazda6

Very lame car

[DL]

why lame, pray tell Tony.

it's not too common and has a unique enough style so it won't get lost in the parking lot like Camry's and Accord's. sure it doesn't go that fast, but it still has more than enough pick-up-and-go to get plenty of speeding tickets or weave/ cut people off in traffic. the automatic comes standard with the manual shift selection, which is more than many of the other granny-cars can boast.

Mazda6 is pretty small, but Mazda does well with smaller cars (MX-5, RX-7).

[Tor]

I own a 03 Mazda6 S. It has every posible option (keep in mind that Mazda has expanded the list of options since 03).

There is nothing wrong with a harsh review, but this review is a little unfair.

I disagree with the ergonomic points. The small screen is not confusing at all. In fact, it nicely summarizes most of the information you need to know in a convenient location. Having the knob down low and the temperature on the display is not a problem either; in contrast, it helps keep your eyes on the road and is easy, fast and intuitive to use. Certainly much better than the arrows on my gf's Saab 9-3.

"and the bottle holder in the front doors wouldn’t hold anything bigger than a soda can"

most cars don't even offer these. I find these two extra cupholder to be very useful - and besides how often to you drink three or four oversized drinks at once?

Handling is excellent. I'd say the 6's handling is comparable to cars such as a Ford Focus or Mini Cooper. It is remarkably agile for its size, and certainly much better than Camrys and Accord - and even Altimas. Handling and styling are among this cars main selling points yet neither is mentioned in the review. Large turning radius? I've never noticed that.

The 6 is not as big as most 'US' spec 'midsize' cars, but that is what makes it different. The 6 allows you to have a sporty car that is also big, practical and safe. It is somewhere between too big (Camry) and too small (Corolla). It is something of a poor mans BMW.

That being said, I do agree that the car needs work. The suspension is harsh on the S with 17 inch rims and the sports suspension. Certainly somewhat harsher than my previous Jetta or a Honda Accord, but better than the 9-3 Aero. The 6 may handle like a BMW 325Ci, but it does not ride like one. We're far anyway from the perfect BMW ride-handling trade-off here.

The V6 engine is mediocre. Not any is fuel economy poor, but it feels weak given its size. Worse, it is noisy and sounds unrefined.

Fortunately the 6 is being replaced very soon (another point the review forgets to mention) and has fallen behind some recently renewed cars.

[Tony]

DL, the only reason why Mazda6 is unique and it can't be lost on parking lot is because Mazda don't sell as many of them as Honda and Toyota sell Camrys and Accords.
Plus Mazda6 is not a super reliable car. It internal elecronics and interiors in general are not of very high quality. fuel economy is also below Acord/Camry.
I don't care how well Mazda6 handles the road unless it handles like Fiat Uno. It's main mission is to provide reliable transportation with acceptable cargo, with as little as possible fuel consuption and comfort for long trips to at least 4 passenger and better if 5.
If I was single, I would get Japan-made Mazda3 - high quality car , or Corolla/Civic. If I was a family person, I would get Accord or Camry.

[DL]

Tony, i liked the Mazda6 because i (and i suspect i'm not alone on this) like a bit of fun with my mid-size. as for carrying luggage, The Mazda6 has a large trunk, which is actually larger than both the Accord and Camry. gas mileage is rated 21/29, which admittedly is a lot different from Camry's 21/31 ... and granted the Mazda6 is no exotic, but having a car that doesn't sell in as big numbers is not necessarily a bad thing! one can also often find a great price on one of these because the masses don't demand Mazda's the same way.

i don't enjoy driving around in a refridgerator masquerading as a car called Camry, even though it gets the job done and can probably always carry me from point A to point B without a glitch for the next 15 years/300k miles. to each his/her own, including what the mission of a car (mid-size or otherwise) should be.

don't forget, the Fiat is quite unreliable; Mazda6's are at least average and that's a good compromise for me. i've had mine for 65k miles/ 4 years so far in the salt- and pothole-ridden Northeast and have not had a single problem.

your argument regarding reliability and country of assembly actually makes no sense, since Camry's are almost all made in the US; Accords, probably a slightly smaller proportion.

just trying to provide those who are considering the Mazda6 as an alternative with a different prospective ...

[Tony]

DL, I'm reading you on driving experience. But Have to disagree about Country of Origin issue.
Actually, I noticed that it is easier to find Camry then Accord Made in Japan.
My brother buys only Accords. He has 3 of them. He walks into dealer and requests Accord inventory. Looks at VIN and buys one where it said "J". But the last time he didn't find one in Boston.
The reason to buy cars made in Japan is because workers over there (assemblers) are more disciplined and dedicated. Quality of build is better.
This doesn't affect all makes and models assembled in Japan. But if person has choice on the specific model, J-made would normally mean better made.
Mazda6 sedan specifically is half-ford and until recently quality was terrible. Auto trannys was Ford and blew @ 50K. Engines leaked oil terribly. Current generation is better. So Fords models, Fusion and Milan are as good as Mazda6 because they share many components.
But Mazda3 is really well-built car. This is true Japanese car. You can see it and you can feel it.

[Adrock]

The problem with the current Mazda 6 is that it is outdated. I own a 2003 6 V6 5SP and when it came out, it was one of the hottest cars for the money (fully loaded for 25K.) It has rear seat legroom that has surprised everyone who's ridden back there and a decent trunk to boot (pun intended.) I've had 85K trouble free miles and only been to the dealership twice, once of the 1st oil change and other for some recalls and service programs. Remember: It was a huge winner for Mazda in 2003.

But the 2007 and 2008 models don't compare to the comparable cars in terms of engine and interior refinement. And yes, the price as increased since then, whether by inflation or not I'm unsure. The engines are larger in the Camry and Accord, and the technology updated. Mazda chose (whether voluntary or not) to wait until '09 for the next model. I'm actually disappointed in the size of the '09 as it looks just as bloated as the current Camry. For the that reason and others, the new Accord is looking better to me everyday. However, a slightly used '06 A4 looks like just the right size and price point for my next car to be bought next month.

[Dave T.]

Adrock,
Totally agree with your comment. Back when it first came out nothing really touched the Mazda6 for a sport sedan.

Also the 2009 Mazda6 you're seeing at international car shows is supposedly not the car we're getting here in the states and that's why it has been so postponed. I'm not sure what they're planning on or if it's a charade and it will be the same with minor changes or what. But it could be a very different car.