[davidkkk]

I am planning to get a used car as my first vehicle. My main usage will be to commute and will go on highway once in a while. Some of my requirements include stylish design, functional interior with premium materials, has heated seats and moonroof which both vehicles offer. My budget is below 20k. For what I have found on several websites, both sedans have similar prices, but 328 have more mileage. 6 wins interns of fuel economy, but bmw wins on power. The 2017 mazda6 will be a lot newer and the cost of owning will be lower. Mazda6 has a fairly slight advantage in size. BMW provides similar interior functions, though older. It is also more fun to drive with a larger hp. Not to mention BMW is more prestigious. What should I choose?

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

I would say it is somewhat contingent on how long you've planning to keep it... and also what the (salted?, sanded?) road conditions are where you live. BMW is more durable body-wise, corrosion-wise, and all wheel drive is a bit better in the snow. Mazda, as a large FWD car, needs gnarly tires to approach BMW snow performance on mid-range snows. Mazda will go longer than BMW without nickle and dimeing you.

 

[TalonTsi90]

It boils down to this...
BMW has AWD, Mazda doesnt.
BMW will KILL you in maintenence, Mazda will not.
Douchebags will value your BMW choice, youll get kinda ignored in the Mazda (especially by police).
If you get the GT Turbo, youll like it more, just no manual

 

[MazdaMetalhead]

Off topic and out of curiosity, does the "kkk" in your username stand for something besides...well...what it usually stands for?

 

[Archerfish]

Off topic and out of curiosity, does the "kkk" in your username stand for something besides...well...what it usually stands for?

KKK stands for "Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan". Katipunan, in short.

I have no idea how you are going to read this and I have no idea how should I explain it to you.


Going back, BMW is leaning towards the luxury side. That alone should give you the "prestigious feeling". Since this is a Mazda 6 forum, I'll suggest you get the '6'.

 

[Sydtron]

I'm not sure how the F30 3-series ended up being for reliability, but I believe they are a lot better than their reputation of old. That said, when you do need to work on it, it will cost you a lot more. I replaced my 6 with a Cadillac ATS (the better driving 3-series competitor) which, while not "unreliable", has been consistently in the shop at least once every year and much, much more expensive to maintain than my Mazda. There's a lot to be said about a balanced, "right"-wheel-drive chassis, but there's a lot to be said about bulletproof reliability and low maintenance costs too. Drive both, be realistic on what you WANT to afford (not what you can afford), and don't forget you only live once.

 

[AJ014]

BMW's are basically for people with money that wouldn't care spending tons of money on maintenance. If you feel like you have the money to keep up with high maintenance costs associated with owning a BMW then go for it if you are leaning towards it. And yes, the 17 Mazda 6 is only a 4cyl engine which makes the BMW more powerful, but realistically do you actually need all that power? Mazda 6 has plenty of power in my opinion for a regular commuter car which you said it would be used as. Obviously, this is a personal choice but being smart about your choice can save you some headache in the future.

Also, I just want to mention that I'm a full-time mechanic working at a shop, and we see many BMW with oil leak issues with as low as 50,000 miles. BMW's Looooove to use plastic parts everywhere which is not good in terms of reliability. Now, I'm not trying to persuade you into choosing one or the other, I'm just letting you know these things to help you decide where you wanna go. Again, if you got money.... then heck BMW's are gorgeous cars haha. But so are Mazdas!... I love my 17 Mazda 6 GT!

 

[mitro6ual]

Can confirm with the others, the BMW will cost much more in maintenance, especially a used high mileage unit. BMW uses way too much cheap plastic critical areas (cooling system, for example) plus it requires a dealer to do just about anything (eg changing the battery) unless you can get ahold of ISTA+ or INPA to do the diags and maintenance yourself. Parts for recent models should be similar costs, but BMW parts get much more expensive over time.

 

[Brian Waite]

I am planning to get a used car as my first vehicle. My main usage will be to commute and will go on highway once in a while. Some of my requirements include stylish design, functional interior with premium materials, has heated seats and moonroof which both vehicles offer. My budget is below 20k. For what I have found on several websites, both sedans have similar prices, but 328 have more mileage. 6 wins interns of fuel economy, but bmw wins on power. The 2017 mazda6 will be a lot newer and the cost of owning will be lower. Mazda6 has a fairly slight advantage in size. BMW provides similar interior functions, though older. It is also more fun to drive with a larger hp. Not to mention BMW is more prestigious. What should I choose?

I have a 2016 Mazda 6 Grand Touring Model. It’s a great car. The biggest drawback is as you mentioned acceleration. Other than that Ilove the car. My car mechanic told me never purchase a BMW or Mercedes. He said they are very unreliable and very expensive to repair. The only exception would if you lease your cars and replace them every three years would he recommend BMW or Mercedes.

 

[carlmontnews]

I am planning to get a used car as my first vehicle. My main usage will be to commute and will go on highway once in a while. Some of my requirements include stylish design, functional interior with premium materials, has heated seats and moonroof which both vehicles offer. My budget is below 20k. For what I have found on several websites, both sedans have similar prices, but 328 have more mileage. 6 wins interns of fuel economy, but bmw wins on power. The 2017 mazda6 will be a lot newer and the cost of owning will be lower. Mazda6 has a fairly slight advantage in size. BMW provides similar interior functions, though older. It is also more fun to drive with a larger hp. Not to mention BMW is more prestigious. What should I choose?

Strongly suggest you test drive the Mazda 6. Although others on this post have mentioned the power differences between the cars, I can only tell you my experience. I have a 2016 Mazda 6 and drove it cross country. In Montana I averaged 130 mph at 30 mpg, and my wife drove it over 100 in Indiana. So I ask you how much power do you need? I bought mine new, a touring with tech package and sunroof. It is a fun drive, and my car has always accelerated when asked. Maybe my 6 is unique so I definitely suggest a test drive to ease your concerns on power. Additionally, if you are on a budget, BMW’s have always been a high maintenance cash cow. Unless you purchase new with warranties, the expenses historically are high.