My week with a 2008 Mazda6
8/25/08, 10:53 AM
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My week with a 2008 Mazda6
About a week ago my Mustang was keyed down the passenger side and hood while I was at the movie theater watching a movie with my wife.
This was the first time we'd gone to the movies on a Friday night; we usually during the middle of the week when there are lot less people, especially stupid teenage ricer punks.
We've driven the Mustang to the movies for the last two years and never had a problem before this.
But what's done is done and my car is now at the body shop. I've been driving a rental 2008 Mazda6 provided by the insurance company.
The car is 2.3L automatic with the "Sports Value Package" which includes 17" wheels and a 6 disc CD changer(non-mp3), & side airbags.
I like the Mazda6 better than the 2007 Accord I drove last summer. The steering wheel and column doesn't vibrate with the engine like the '07 Accord does, so it feels more "refined" in that respect, although it's not a cocoon of silence like the Accord tries to be, and you can hear the engine a little. It feels about as powerful as the '07 Accord V6 did, although it's a 4 cylinder.
I can see a lot of the Ford influence in the Mazda6. The exterior door handles are the same ones used on the Mustang. Inside, the grain pattern on the interior plastics is exactly the same as the Mustang, and the round air vents seem to be the same design, with the addition of a honeycomb screen behind the vents.
As I have been trained to do by the car mags and internet blogs, the first thing I did when I got in the car was to squeeze the dashboard to enjoy the end-all be-all experience of car ownership, soft-touch plastics! Oh, the joy of feeling a soft dash! This joy lasted about 10 seconds, and I have not touched the dash since then. Looks wise, the dashboard top in the Mazda6 looks like the same plastic as the dashboard top in the Mustang.
The top section of the door panels is also soft touch, but the whole door panel feels flimsy as it flexes when you pull on the armrest to pull the door closed. At least the hard plastic door panels with the soft IUP center in the Mustang feel very solid. The front center arm rest is fabric covered but is hard plastic underneath. It has a black plastic compartment that swings up with the armrest, which is kind of nice, but the whole thing feels a little flimsy and the latch that holds the armrest down not a real latch but a molded in plastic "push to flex" thing. The Mustang's console armrest feels more solid and comfortable to me.
There is a second glove box at the top of the dash over the center stack where the optional GPS screen is installed. Build quality is very good, much like the S197s built at the same factory.
The stereo is not MP3 compatible, which seems very odd in a modern car, and it doesn't sound quite as good as a Shaker 500, but not bad for a factory stereo.
The car is almost the exact length of a S197, 187", which I guess makes sense since it's built at the same factory. It seems a lot narrower, though. And of course, as the Mazda6 is a 4 door sedan and not a sport coupe like the Mustang, there is about 4 or 5 inches more legroom for the rear seat.
Handling is very good for a sedan. It feels much sportier than an Accord or Camry. The steering seems overboosted at low speeds, but seems to get better at higher speeds and feels like the Mustang's. The car I have has the base suspension, so it leans a lot more in turns as compared to my Mustang GT. The ride quality is firm, but not quite as firm as a Mustang GT. I imagine the higher level Mazda6 must ride a little firmer.
It also has a manual mode for the transmission, in which you push back the shifter for upshifts or push forward for downshifts. It doesn't really feel as good as a true manual transmission and the trans seems to shift better in auto mode, so I just leave it in Drive.
The engine seems adequately powerful for everyday driving, but I miss that V8 torque and deep sound. It feels odd to me to feel the car slowing down on a small incline and having the trans kick down to a lower gear to maintain speed. A four cylinder also just doesn't sound as good as V8. Gas mileage is about 2 MPG better than my Mustang GT around town.
The exterior styling is pretty good. I like it a lot better than the Accord or Camry. But like my 10 year old son said, "It blends into the crowd. When we drive it somewhere we become just like everyone else".
I think for the average driver who values passenger space and fuel economy over performance but wants something that feels little more sporty than a Toyota or Honda midsize, this would be a good car. I think it would be a perfect car for my wife, but she loves our F150.
This was the first time we'd gone to the movies on a Friday night; we usually during the middle of the week when there are lot less people, especially stupid teenage ricer punks.
We've driven the Mustang to the movies for the last two years and never had a problem before this.But what's done is done and my car is now at the body shop. I've been driving a rental 2008 Mazda6 provided by the insurance company.
The car is 2.3L automatic with the "Sports Value Package" which includes 17" wheels and a 6 disc CD changer(non-mp3), & side airbags.
I like the Mazda6 better than the 2007 Accord I drove last summer. The steering wheel and column doesn't vibrate with the engine like the '07 Accord does, so it feels more "refined" in that respect, although it's not a cocoon of silence like the Accord tries to be, and you can hear the engine a little. It feels about as powerful as the '07 Accord V6 did, although it's a 4 cylinder.
I can see a lot of the Ford influence in the Mazda6. The exterior door handles are the same ones used on the Mustang. Inside, the grain pattern on the interior plastics is exactly the same as the Mustang, and the round air vents seem to be the same design, with the addition of a honeycomb screen behind the vents.
As I have been trained to do by the car mags and internet blogs, the first thing I did when I got in the car was to squeeze the dashboard to enjoy the end-all be-all experience of car ownership, soft-touch plastics! Oh, the joy of feeling a soft dash! This joy lasted about 10 seconds, and I have not touched the dash since then. Looks wise, the dashboard top in the Mazda6 looks like the same plastic as the dashboard top in the Mustang.
The top section of the door panels is also soft touch, but the whole door panel feels flimsy as it flexes when you pull on the armrest to pull the door closed. At least the hard plastic door panels with the soft IUP center in the Mustang feel very solid. The front center arm rest is fabric covered but is hard plastic underneath. It has a black plastic compartment that swings up with the armrest, which is kind of nice, but the whole thing feels a little flimsy and the latch that holds the armrest down not a real latch but a molded in plastic "push to flex" thing. The Mustang's console armrest feels more solid and comfortable to me.
There is a second glove box at the top of the dash over the center stack where the optional GPS screen is installed. Build quality is very good, much like the S197s built at the same factory.
The stereo is not MP3 compatible, which seems very odd in a modern car, and it doesn't sound quite as good as a Shaker 500, but not bad for a factory stereo.
The car is almost the exact length of a S197, 187", which I guess makes sense since it's built at the same factory. It seems a lot narrower, though. And of course, as the Mazda6 is a 4 door sedan and not a sport coupe like the Mustang, there is about 4 or 5 inches more legroom for the rear seat.
Handling is very good for a sedan. It feels much sportier than an Accord or Camry. The steering seems overboosted at low speeds, but seems to get better at higher speeds and feels like the Mustang's. The car I have has the base suspension, so it leans a lot more in turns as compared to my Mustang GT. The ride quality is firm, but not quite as firm as a Mustang GT. I imagine the higher level Mazda6 must ride a little firmer.
It also has a manual mode for the transmission, in which you push back the shifter for upshifts or push forward for downshifts. It doesn't really feel as good as a true manual transmission and the trans seems to shift better in auto mode, so I just leave it in Drive.
The engine seems adequately powerful for everyday driving, but I miss that V8 torque and deep sound. It feels odd to me to feel the car slowing down on a small incline and having the trans kick down to a lower gear to maintain speed. A four cylinder also just doesn't sound as good as V8. Gas mileage is about 2 MPG better than my Mustang GT around town.
The exterior styling is pretty good. I like it a lot better than the Accord or Camry. But like my 10 year old son said, "It blends into the crowd. When we drive it somewhere we become just like everyone else".
I think for the average driver who values passenger space and fuel economy over performance but wants something that feels little more sporty than a Toyota or Honda midsize, this would be a good car. I think it would be a perfect car for my wife, but she loves our F150.
Last edited by Vermillion06; 8/25/08 at 01:03 PM.
8/25/08, 12:25 PM
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As I have been trained to do by the car mags and internet blogs, the first thing I did when I got in the car was to squeeze the dashboard to enjoy the end-all be-all experience of car ownership, soft-touch plastics! Oh, the joy of feeling a soft dash! This joy lasted about 10 seconds, and I have not touched the dash since then. Looks wise, the dashboard top in the Mazda6 looks like the same plastic as the dashboard top in the Mustang.
yeah i never understand all the dash comments on car reviews - who freaking cares???
8/25/08, 12:32 PM
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Somehow it gives the reviewers a reason to scream in delight every time the get in an Audi. Personally, if you want it, Ford should give you the Corvette "cover everything in leather" option -- so that you can have everything soft for a few thousand.
8/26/08, 09:04 AM
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More thoughts on the Mazda6 from today's drive to work:
The steering wheel rim on the Mazda6 feels exactly the same as the IUP steering wheel in the Mustang -- the leather texture, the stitching, the thickness of the rim are the same.
The Mazda6 seems to show a lot of front end dive under braking; a lot more than the Mustang does. The Mazda6 also feels somewhat front-heavy, as if most of the car's weight is in the front, which I guess makes sense since it's FWD.
I miss the way that in the Mustang with the Shaker500 when you turn the engine off, the radio stays on until you open one of the doors. The Mazda6's stereo just shuts off when you turn off the engine.
The steering wheel rim on the Mazda6 feels exactly the same as the IUP steering wheel in the Mustang -- the leather texture, the stitching, the thickness of the rim are the same.
The Mazda6 seems to show a lot of front end dive under braking; a lot more than the Mustang does. The Mazda6 also feels somewhat front-heavy, as if most of the car's weight is in the front, which I guess makes sense since it's FWD.
I miss the way that in the Mustang with the Shaker500 when you turn the engine off, the radio stays on until you open one of the doors. The Mazda6's stereo just shuts off when you turn off the engine.
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