You drove a GT... Please excuse my ignorance, but was it a 2.5 turbo, or was it the normally aspirated 2.5?

 

It was the 2.5T.

 

I tried a 2.0T Accord Sport, with 6MT. Found it to be a nice car. Reasonably powerful... but more on the top-end, as opposed to right off the line. The 2.5T Mazda will have more useable power... i.e. torque, down low, but will feel a bit winded at the upper mid ranges, and the top-end.

10 speed A/T versus 6 speed A/T: the former will have more shift-events over its life. Ea. shift event is a wear-event, putting wear materials into the ATF. 6 speeds on the Mazda are not bad... might last longer?

The Mazda body thickness, I suspect, is less than the Honda. Mazda paint is very fragile - but I have heard that Honda Accords, too, are suffering in the paint department. I don't know for sure, but by way of rust proofednesss, I suspect the Honda is a mite better than the Mazda.

I find my Mazda carpets exceedingly thin, poorboy by way of pile thickness and feel. But others, too, out there are not great. Was in a 2010 five series BMW the other day... decent looking carpet... but poor pile feel. Was surprised.

As for me, I have a naturally aspirated 2.5.. model year 2017. I believe the new-standard, out there, is 4 cyl. turbo... and I wish I had one.

But for longevity, I am very comfortable having bought my 2017 6MT.

 

That's a tough call. I didn't even look at the Accord or Camry because they are so popular. I see many more Camrys here in St. Louis than I do the new Accords. IMO the Accords' and Camrys' front ends are ugly.

I find my Mazda carpets exceedingly thin, poorboy by way of pile thickness and feel. But others, too, out there are not great. Was in a 2010 five series BMW the other day... decent looking carpet... but poor pile feel. Was surprised.

I don't know about the floor mats in your 17 but the ones that came in my 18 are the thickest pile carpeted floor mats I have ever seen in a vehicle. My BF's 18 Sport bought at different dealership had the same exact thick floor mats as well. Maybe they changed them when they did the refresh. They have 3/4-1" of pile to them.

Too close to call on specs/logic that I would think that with test drives one or the other would have spoken to you. That's how I bought all my cars- create a short list and go drive 'em. Maybe take them out again in the same day?

I did the same thing. When I was on the fence between a 18 Fusion Titanium AWD or my 18 6 Signature. I made a pros and cons list and then decided on what pros/cons were more important than others.

It is great to have something unique (6 Signature, or a 6 in general) as there aren't a lot of them on the roads, at least where I live...but I think there is some value in owning a car that is more ubiquitous

I agree about owning a vehicle that not many others have. I miss my 2013 Buick Regal Turbo because of that. The 6 is the closest thing that is in my price point that was close to the level of refinement and engaging as to drive. I should have never gotten rid of that car 2 years ago but I do love my 6 just as much. All my other vehicles have been cookie cutter ones.

 

What year(s) are you looking at? Assuming 2018?


Bose - Did you get a chance to adjust the sound settings? Makes a huge difference.


Insulation between GT and Sig. - Not positive but pretty sure they're the same.


Sleepy - Did you put the trans in Sport Mode? Changes the shift points, really wakes it up, noticeably much peppier, sporty.


Our '18 Sig is averaging right close to 30 mpg with a combination city-highway. You can use 87 octane or pickup another 23 HP running 93 octane.


Really couldn't be any happier with the car.




.

 

Sorry upfront but I'm not going to be too helpful given that both of these cars are a great choice for someone looking for a more connected driving experience than your average. Still love my (manual) 6, especially now that I have a fresh coat of wax on it and a good interior cleaning. With the extended warranty the CPO models typically come with you should be OK with either one and both are solidly build and most likely be reliable with the nod to Mazda since the engine/transmission and most of the car have been tried and true for a number of years now. Honda's engine and 10 speed are very new designs and not proven yet. Too close to call on specs/logic that I would think that with test drives one or the other would have spoken to you. That's how I bought all my cars- create a short list and go drive 'em. Maybe take them out again in the same day?

Did you see this comparison?

 

They are both safe, reliable cars but when I was 16 I hated driving a car that looking like I was driving my parent's car, I'd love to be given a Mazda as a teen. I do understand that's not your first concern but you will be driving it too. The M6 is so much fun to drive, it's such a stylish car and it's nice have something a little different than every other car out there. I'm so happy I bought mine instead of the Hondas, and Fords I was initially looking at.

 

It is great to have something unique (6 Signature, or a 6 in general) as there aren't a lot of them on the roads, at least where I live...but I think there is some value in owning a car that is more ubiquitous...I would think any issues would be identified sooner when there are more on the road. More aftermarket/performance parts available, more online support as well.



I have sat in, but not driven, a new Accord and I do like the interior on my 6 better...it looks nicer but I am not 100% it is of actual higher quality.



We have a 2006 Accord also at home and I am impressed with how well it has aged and how it still works pretty good!

 

In my opinion:

The Accord is for going A to B, the Mazda is for DRIVING. If you enjoy driving, get a Mazda, if you're just looking to get somewhere, still get a Mazda because they're just as reliable, just as safe, better quality and way nicer looking.

But I digress. Of course you're going to get very biased opinions on this site, but I think all of us here can agree that we love our cars and got them for the fun feeling of driving them just about anywhere. I have had mine for over 6.5 years and have put over 160k miles on it and I still love driving it every single day.

 

My guess on the M6 tester is that it's probably running on RUG, not Premium, so that probably also contributed to my perception of it not being as fast as the Accord.

As for the Bose, I've yet to be impressed regardless of the vehicle it's in. I turn off Centerpoint in the Bose system in my SS, and it's still such a weak system. We have one in our Pathfinder as well which is marginally better. At the end of the day, the old saying of 'No highs, no lows, must be Bose' still applies. The one in the M6 is decent, but honestly the one in the Accord is better. The 40-something year old me doesn't care as much as the 20-year old me would have either way.

One nit that I forgot to mention on the Accord is the push button shifter. I just don't get that design, especially since the buttons still take up a good chunk of real estate that a traditional shifter could have occupied.

There's one other oddball that I'm considering as well, but I haven't test driven it yet - a CPO'd Lincoln Continental Reserve. They hold value like a screen door on a submarine holds water, so you can get the 2.7 TT with AWD for not much more that the Mazda or Accord. But the more expensive bells and whistles mean more expensive repairs, and it's more of a gussied up Fusion that is a luxury sled, no sporting pretenses. I'm still leaning towards the Mazda.

 

To the OP... and slightly off-topic: your Chevy SS 6MT is probably one of the nicest cars I could imagine owning.☺...

 

To the OP... and slightly off-topic: your Chevy SS 6MT is probably one of the nicest cars I could imagine owning.☺...

I don't believe North America got the 6MT (maybe 2 or 3...), only the ATX.

EDIT: apparently they are here in America. There is a 3year old one with a 6MT for over $40,000

 

They were not avail. in Canada. And of course they were short-lived by way of production run for the USA.

 

You can't go wrong with either car. I'd say the 6 is not a numbers car, because Mazda didn't design that way. If you're trying to get the most space or 0-60 time, then the Accord is going to come out on top for spec sheets. However, in terms of overall enjoyment and satisfaction, the 6 just won it for me over the Accord, even though the dealer was offering the Accord for cheaper.

Anyone who's ridden/driven my 2018 6 GTR has been shocked that it's MSRP is less than a base TLX. I've gotten endless comments on even just exterior design. The current 6 looks like a Japanese luxury sedan(which it really is, in my opinion) and you could totally fool people by telling them it's a $50,000 car if they don't know anything about Mazda.

When my father came to visit and drove it, he immediately noticed how quick the 6 speed transmission is. Off the line the Accord is quick for sure, but when you're already rolling in the power band the 6 will smoke almost any asshole on the highway except for the most powerful muscle or luxury cars. Sport mode? Forget it. My father actually equated to be equal to his powerful motorcycles in terms of acceleration.

 

The current 6 looks like a Japanese luxury sedan(which it really is, in my opinion)....

....but when you're already rolling in the power band the 6 will smoke almost any asshole on the highway except for the most powerful muscle or luxury cars. Sport mode? Forget it. My father actually equated to be equal to his powerful motorcycles in terms of acceleration.

Both of those are great points. I really think the 6 looks the part of a Japanese sporty luxury sedan...I absolutely love the angles of it and I enjoy looking at it so much.


That power band comment is also really spot on. The car does pull hard. I am getting used to it now but catching the car in its sweet spot, especially when it leisurely shifts into second and you hammer it and can catch the wave of torque, you can tell it's got power and I love it.


I guess I kinda still like my car

 

Bose in GM vs Bose in Mazda are worlds apart dude. You can get the Mazda Bose sounding pretty good if you use the AUX and an EQ on your phone or other MP3 unit.

 

So the decision was made, and not what you would have expected. I eliminated the Accord (not a fan of the push button shifter, higher price like for like, and you simply see too many of them on the road). So that left me with 3 options.

• Option 1: Do nothing, and run my Chevy SS into the ground (80K miles and rising fast)
• Option 2: Get a CPO'd Mazda 6, run it for 4 years and give it to my son. Relegate the SS to garage queen status as a weekend car.
• Option 3: Sell the SS, and get a Jag XF Sportbrake (absolutely LOVE the look of these, they never sold, and there were still new 2018's nailed to the showroom floor gathering dust, going for > $25K off)

The emotional part of me really want to go with the Jag. Love that car, and financially it would have been the same cost-wise as option 2. But then 4 years down the road I'll have killed the Jag with miles and not have a solution to my son's first car. So at the end of the day, I've opted to go with Option 2. I found a silver CPO'd '18 Signature with < 4K miles out of state that I will be picking up this week. Amazing how much value for the dollar these are used. Thank you depreciation, I'll take $10K off for a practically brand new car and a better warranty. So I'm soon to officially be in the Mazda family, very excited!

 

Congrats but no need to rub the depreciation factor in for those of us that bought new . Really congratulations!

 

Both are compelling options in their own way.

I really dont know which one I'd go for if I have to pick.

 

I bought mine brand-new.

Worth. Every. penny.

Either way, congrats on the "new" 6! You'll enjoy it, and won't be spending time and $$$ at the Jag dealer service department...

 

@GTEyes - This is on a 2018 "6"? Yikes. That sort of misbehavior while moving (other than the slow starts, which is almost-certainly the battery) is very, very likely an ATX that is about to blow up. I'd check the fluid immediately and, if it's either off on level (you have a leak) or discolored change it immediately. But -- the odds are high you have a mechanical problem, likely a sticking solenoid or something similar. That needs fixed immediately or your transmission will almost-certainly detonate in short order and they're NOT cheap.

This should DEFINITELY be under warranty with a vehicle that new.

 

What he explained sounds like it may be imminent transmission failure, but once the solenoid(s) is checked out and replaced as necessary the trans will be perfectly fine, along with the fluid change. Sounds like hes probably pretty hard on the transmission too.

And, well.. if he doesnt address these things? Eventually the ATX will actually run into serious issues.

 

I own an MTX but two of my friends have ATX 6s and I've had a loaner ATX 3 (same gearbox, basically) as well; exactly ZERO of them have had any harshness or misbehavior whatsoever. That gearbox in your car has problems. As for the hard starting I'd be looking at fuel pressure before anything else, and I'd also do some careful checking for ground and similar issues -- electrical ground problems will play all sorts of hell with the TCM (module that controls the transmission, it's inside the gearbox) but SHOULD throw a code. Of course "should" doesn't mean "will."

There's no way I'd put up with any sort of misbehavior on the gearbox in this vehicle -- it's not normal or acceptable and neither is the hard starting. Never seen that on any of the "6"s I'm aware of either EXCEPT when you've got a dying battery and it's pretty obvious as it rolls over slower (that's not the car's fault though!)

 

Ever since the hard starts started happening i've had my phone out to record it..and not once has it did it since I've starting doing that..of course!

I do recall thinking the car's transmission was a little wonky from the get go but I thought it was because I was used to my MTX in my Mazda3. The starting in 2nd or having the car slip the torque converter, is that beviour you or others have seen? For example, if I come up to a stop sign, briefly stop or not even come to a complete stop and lightly on the throttle, the car will stay in second gear but allow some slippage with the torque converter until the car is at speed that's close to where it would be if it were in second and then you can almost not tell that the full torque converter is locking in. To me, that seems normal...fuel saving measure.

We are hijacking this poor guy's thread about buying a CPO'd Mazda6...speaking of that, no dealers within 500 km of my house do the CPO'd program. There is nothing available in the Atlantic Canada area!

 

I dont know about CA, but check on getting it lemon'd since youre having so many documented issues with it. That way you dont take the hit on the trade in.

 

I traded a 2018 Accord Touring for a 2019 Gran Touring Reserve. The dash had been out 5 times for repair. The last time they had the car for a week and i did not make it out of the parking lot - different issues. They never did get the dash stuff right. I will never own another Honda. Nuff said.

 

Probably because the newer Honda's are built in the states rather than Japan. Honda's are still quality japanese vehicles, minus the fuel dilution issues associated with the 1.5 and 2.0T

We've had members complaining of random little issues and quality related nuisances on 2018 and some 2019 models. They seem to be more solid before 2017.

 

The 2.0 Turbo Honda, as well, suffers from the same oil dilution (by fuel) malady as the 1.5 T?

 

Yep.

 

^I figured they were all about the same thickness, however I was wondering if his car was protected with a clear film. I am well aware of the care of a vehicle and its paint, I said nothing about swirl marks. The vehicle that I bought brand new and have owned for nearly three years looks better now than when I bought it.

 

If you want more handling out of the car new tires make it even funner. The stock ones are meant for SUV's so they do the job for commuting and highway driving. I'd say tahts the first worth upgrade if you are needing of one. Congrats I'm sure you wont regret it!

 

If you want more (better) handling out of the car (insert comma here) new tires make it even funner.

This is why grammar and punctuation is important. I shouldnt have to read something 6 times to understand that youre advocating buying better tires than what comes on it from the factory.

But yes, while they might not be made for an SUV, they are all season tires and meant to perform "well" in many situations, but not necessarily "great" in any situation. So getting better tires is well worth it.