Who likes the new Mazda 6?
 

Took my wife to the stealership this weekend and had ourselves a test drive. I'll be waiting a couple years at least to make sure there aren't any major issues, and I don't want to pay the "new car smell" tax. I was pretty impressed!

I haven't driven many mid-size cars, so I don't have much to compare it to. The 2.5 liter did a pretty good job of getting around. It's no rocketship, but gets around well and is lots of fun to drive for a FWD car. The back seat and the trunk are a little on the small side, but for four it's plenty comfy.

A 4-banger turbo diesel is supposed to be available later this year, and that really has me interested. What says the Pelican brain trust?

2014 Mazda 6 Sedan First Drive – Review – Car and Driver

I checked it out at the LA Auto Show earlier in the year and was thoroughly impressed. The styling is beautiful, especially the cut line that comes off the fender and drops into the front doors. Definitely much more "premium" than the price suggests.

We drove the "Touring" model. It's about the nicest 25,000 dollar car I've ever been in !

There's more than a little "Maserati" in that front end styling....

Am I the only one to think that?

How's the road noise? My 3s is super loud one the coarse i5
Troy

I haven't driven one yet, but I think it is fantastic to look at. If I was shopping in that segment it would be between the 6 and the Fusion, another great looking car.

My knowledge is limited to sitting in one at an auto show and gawking at them every time I drive past the dealer, but I am very impressed. I have had positive experiences with all the Mazdas I've dealt with, so if I was looking for a midsize sedan, I'd make that my first stop.

I think Mazda is seriously underrated. We have had a Protege5, MPV, and RX8, all fantastic cars. My inlaws have bought two Mazda3s and a Mazda6 for teen kids over the last few years, all have been great cars and withstood the inevitable accidents and neglect well.

A friend bought one for some daily 100 mile business drives, he said the seats weren't comfortable and the turning radius sucked. He had it for six months,

ony 3rd mazda. had a 88 b2200, abused and gave to a friend a few years back. still going

wife put 200k on an 01 mpv. just traded it in on a 2012 cx9

Current Mazda 6 owner here...

I love mine. It's just a 2005 but it's an absolute blast. Sure it doesn't handle like its on rails or have absolute precise steering but it's a whole lot more involved then the accord or camry. I can't wait to go drive a new one.

I'm very happy with my Miata (the DIY factor of the engine not so much... but that is another thread)

We were very impressed with the used Mazda3 we test drove (but not enough to buy it... stealership priced)

Not as pretty but you may want to test drive one of these before you buy:

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/2013/elantra/?

^^^^.

I really like the styling of the Sonata and the Elantra but after driving one there was no way I could own one. Absolutely guttless. And it's not even the lack of power that I was worried about. If I turn the wheel I expect the tires to follow. They didn't, not even a chance.

The rear tire wear issue I have (shot at 15k miles) with Mazda acknowledging it but not fixing it, the rattles, the road noise all temper my enthusiasm for the make. I like the new 6 on paper but if it is noisy ratly and wear tires, ill pass on another Mazda.
Troy

My sentiments exactly.

Troy, interesting comments. Care to expand on it? I'm surprised by the rattles as the older ones seem to wear well. Is the tire wear a suspension setting issue that can be fixed with alignment?

I can't speak for Troy, but with the Mazda we own ('05 3 5-door), I've had to replace the tires once a year due to the aggressive degree of negative camper employed in the factory suspension settings. To the various techs I've talked to (indy and dealerships) it is what it is and there is no remedy.

What really irritates me is the way everything on this car rusts, clips and various hardware in the engine bay but especially the B-pillars, a result of an environmentally friendly paint process employed on this generation. Sure, I live in a climate that's not the best on any vehicle, but the car is kept religiously clean year round. We have a game now that whenever we see a 3 we try to guess how advanced the rust bubbling is on the b-pillars. Mazda NA took care of several claims to this issue only in Canada, not in the US.

I'm sure (hope?) the newer generations have rid themselves of these issues by now, but I find the newer 3s a (laughable) step way back in styling, and there are plenty of used mid-size cars that gain my attention over the new 6 anyway.

I'll have to ask about the tire issues with the cars in our extended family, I haven't heard anything about it. All three of the cars being driven by my sister in laws (1st gen 3, 2nd gen 3, 1st gen 6) are holding up well inside and out. No rust either, but KS isn't nearly as bad as northern states.

My wife's current DD is an 07 Mazda 3. We haven't had issues with tire wear or rust, so I have no opinion on those issues.

Regarding the road noise, that's the biggest complaint with her current vehicle. The new 6 that we drove was substantially better. It's still a little noisier in the cabin than I would prefer. I'm sure it will be a while before we are in the market, but I'll make sure to spend some time evaluating the noise issue on the worst patches of road I know before we make a decision.

BeyGon,
Is this the current iteration of the Mazda 6 or an earlier model that your friend didn't like?

FWIW, when traveling in multiple states throughout the south and southeast, we've seen many 3s plagued with the B-pillar blistering.