[jaguarrr]

Well I have had my Mazda 6 for just over 3 months and almost 10,000 kilometers, so I am pretty sure that I can give a fairly honest opinion on this car. And that opinion is that it is the most irritating and over rated vehicle out there at this time, and I hate it with an absolute passion. Here are my reasons :
1. Whoever it was that came up with the idea to put 18" wheels and low profile tires as standard equipment on this thing should be taken out back and shot. They make the car handle like a total dog during low speed manouvers. If your driving along at anything under 60 kph and you come across a small seam in the road, then it just grabs you and yanks you over. Very dangerous, and it makes for very unpleasant driving. And thats on top of the fact that you feel every little peeple and crack in the road due to the lack of rubber cushioning from the ultra low profile tires. I just put 16" snow tires on there and the ride and handling are infinitely better.
2. The cheap material they are passing off as "Leather". How they can call it that with a straight face is beyond me. I thought it would soften up with a little wear and alot of conditioners..... but nope.
3. The auto climate controls. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, please explain to me why the A/C unit needs to be on when I want to it to get warm???? Having the A/c on kills the fuel economy, and there is no need for it to be on when its only 2 degrees outside. And even when you put it on manual, it still doesn't warm up properly.
It warms up for a while, and then for some bizzare reason starts blowing cool air. Why?? I dunno. Gremlins maybe.
4. Speaking of outside temperature, you have to reach over and push the AMB button (ambient) in order to see the outside temp, becasuse the darned auto climate setting is displayed in the same lines, so if you change to temp setting, then you have to go back and push that little button to see the outside temp again....AAAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
5. I have the 5-door hatch and have discovered that when everything is nice and warm outside and in, all is quiet. However, when it gets cold outside, all the panels shrink due to the cold, and that whole car rattles like a childs toy. So, note to self, only test drive cars in the winter time, that way you know if everything is tightened down.
6. How did they get the engine in there?? With a crowbar and a sledge hammer? I had to break out the owners manual to find out where to put the washerfluid. Never had to do that before.
7. What is with the cup holders?? The first time I put my lovely medium coffe into one, I had to get a pry bar to get it out because it sits so low that the lid was flush with the top. How assinine is that?

So... in conclusion, this car sucks. Plain and simple. I recommend anyone thinking of getting a Mazda6 to
just go to the nearest bar and drink yourself silly in the hopes that you will shake off the notion of wasting your hard earned cash on this complete piece of garbage.

I am so utterly disappointed with this car that it truly can't be properly expressed without a using a few pounds of TNT and a detonator. I think my problem was that I over hyped it my mind, and well, lets face it, there is alot of worse cars out there, and I will admit that the 6 is the best LOOKING car out there. Just not the most well thought out one. I find myself now trying to get rid of this thing wothout taking too much of a loss on it but I don't have much hope of that happening.

Hey??? Any of you suckers.... err... I mean, nice people wanna buy a slightly used Mazda6?? Give you a good price on it.
I'm serious btw.
Anyone???
Anyone at all??
I live in Toronto, and will deliver it to your door.
Honestly.

 

[msumlin]

I guess someone didn't do their research/ homework, before purchasing the vehicle.

 

[brightwhite]

You couldn't find the washer fluid reservoir without the manual? Sounds like you've got other issues.

Honjestly, if you're disappointed in the car because of things like the cupholder design, you'd be better off with something mundane like a Camry.

 

[Mz6GreyGhost]

I guess someone didn't do their research/ homework, before purchasing the vehicle.
[/b]

:yesnod: Absolutely, considering just about ALL those complaints can be discovered during a test-drive or two.

 

[rowan]

Jaguarr is correct about the 18" tires. In my opinion, the car does better in the handling dept. with 16s; noticeably better than 17s. I think the Japanese probably designed this car for 16s. But his wheel complaint can be easily remedied. 16" OEM wheels can be purchased for cheap on e-bay, this site and others. No big deal.

The rest of his post is nonsense; just infantile whining. None of the petty matters that outrage him are grounds for offloading a car that is decent overall. Ambient switches and cupholders is piss-ant stuff. Whatever he replaces the car with is bound to have a few features that won't meet expectations. What will he do then? Offload the next one? He should test-drive all future candidates three times minimum, making sure each time to bring his little cup along with him to make sure that the engineers have designed their cars around it...

 

[ShaDrag]

+1 to what you guys are saying

 

[jaguarrr]

Jaguarr is correct about the 18" tires. In my opinion, the car does better in the handling dept. with 16s; noticeably better than 17s. I think the Japanese probably designed this car for 16s. But his wheel complaint can be easily remedied. 16" OEM wheels can be purchased for cheap on e-bay, this site and others. No big deal.

The rest of his post is nonsense; just infantile whining. None of the petty matters that outrage him are grounds for offloading a car that is decent overall. Ambient switches and cupholders is piss-ant stuff. Whatever he replaces the car with is bound to have a few features that won't meet expectations. What will he do then? Offload the next one? He should test-drive all future candidates three times minimum, making sure each time to bring his little cup along with him to make sure that the engineers have designed their cars around it...
[/b]

Oh I agree, it is all piss-ant stuff (except for the 18" wheels), but if you put enough piss ant stuff together then it makes for a very frustrating driving experience.
As for the rest of you yahoos saying that all this stuff could have been easily discovered with a little research a "a couple of test drives", well, your just dead wrong. I read just about every article I could find on the Mazda6 for 6 months, and even read tons of posts on this very forum, which was probably a bad idea as most of you just love your cars and wouldn't say a bad thing about it no matter what. No car is "perfect" and I know that, and I figured I could learn to live the little querks because out of all the cars I test drove, and there was alot, the 6 was the least annoying. I was wrong. And if my little honest opinion about your beloved and cherished Mazda6 offends any of you.... well.... too bloody bad. I won't make an apology for MY PERSONAL OPINION.

 

[Sigma]

If the 6 was the least annoying of the ones you drove just imagine how annoyed you'd be with all those now. You would inevitably discover all sorts of little things that you missed on those test-drives too.

You're making the assumption that if you dumped your 6 you would get something better. But you're making the exact same mistake you made when you bought the car in the first place -- you're assuming that the condition that you drove the cars in is the condition that they will be in forever. You're looking at a finite snapshot in time. You're probably going to find at least as many nitpicky things on any car out there.

read tons of posts on this very forum, which was probably a bad idea as most of you just love your cars and wouldn't say a bad thing about it no matter what.[/b]

Actually, most of your complaints, are very common ones, including the crappy stock leather, the weird-acting climate control, and squeeks from the 5-Door particularly in the cold. The 18" tire thing is also common, but not as widely reported since they've only been available for a short time and not too many people opt for them. So if you had read all that you claimed to, you wouldn't be surprised by them.

The only complaints of yours that I haven't seen here many times before is complaining about having to press the Ambient button to see outside temp (this is common on almost every car out there today, though I agree kinda dumb) and the fact that you can't put small drinks into the large cupholdlers. And for the vast majority of people those large cupholders are great since they fit damn near anything, no matter how big, so it's no surprise I haven't seen that one before.

Oh, and the inability to locate the Windshield Washer thing. But how you can't figure out where that goes, I don't know. It's pretty obvious I would think. Now, a legitimate gripe about the V6 being crammed in there would be the also widely complained about (there we go, talking "bad" about our cars again) fact that it's so tight that most people have to remove their bumpers just to change a headlight bulb.

 

[lolwtferic]

Sigma to the rescue, again, as always. Someone call an ambulance.

 

[Kansasdog]

"3. The auto climate controls. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, please explain to me why the A/C unit needs to be on when I want to it to get warm???? Having the A/c on kills the fuel economy, and there is no need for it to be on when its only 2 degrees outside. And even when you put it on manual, it still doesn't warm up properly.
It warms up for a while, and then for some bizzare reason starts blowing cool air. Why?? I dunno. Gremlins maybe."

I'd be interested to know what is your standard for 'killing fuel economy". -10%, -20%? In my experience aggresive driving will reduce fuel econmy much more than the A/C.

 

[catiro]

For those that have driven the stock 18s and stock 17s, are there much of a difference between the ride/handling?

Also, I think if those are the only things you can complain about then thats good. It could be much worst. We could be having mechanical or electrical problems. I for one love my 6s.

 

[rowan]

For those that have driven the stock 18s and stock 17s, are there much of a difference between the ride/handling?


[/b]

Someone else will have to answer the 18 versus 17 question. I can vouch for the fact that 16s are better than 17s. I don't think the ride quality differs all that much, but the car sure handles better with 16s. At least that's my experience.

 

[LapisLazuli6]

I will be glad to answer the 18s vs. 17s question in a few weeks. I just ordered MazdaSpeed rims with 18s and have driven 12k miles on the 17s already.

EDIT: The 18s do pull more on road grooves and make the car feel a little more unsure in heavy rain than the 17s did. These are Bridgestone tires, so it could be the brand.

 

[Redlinez]

Wow, and I thought I had little gripes. Having to hit the amb temp button??? Did you not raise the hood when you test drove it? The only valid complaint I saw is the squeaks and rattles when cold. Whatever you do, don't buy a new GTI/Jetta. This sumbich has more buzzes and rattles than the worst American car. You bought a hatchback, that doesn't ever help.

 

[LapisLazuli6]

Whatever you do, don't buy a new GTI/Jetta. This sumbich has more buzzes and rattles than the worst American car. You bought a hatchback, that doesn't ever help.[/b]

My 02 Jetta squeaked and rattled til the day it died of a wiring problem, from 1900 miles on up. Hot or cold.

I have a loaner 6s wagon now, 3900 miles when I got it, 2006. The dash rattles like hell when going over rough roads. Thank God mine doesn't do that!

 

[Shaggin' Wagon]

1. No comment.
2. No comment. Our Beetle had leather and I've sworn it off in the future. Too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter - plus it is slippery.
3. There are a few topics on this one, a relatively active one too that I've commented in. Just because the light is on it doesn't mean the a/c in actually on. It basically means it is ready. It would come on if the car enters defrost mode, as it should. But as for running while 2 degrees, it simply doesn't. It even says so in the manaul. (at least it is in the 04 manual)
4. Yes, that is a little annoying.
5. Really!? I thought it looked rather roomy! Then again, we were coming from a Beetle! You should see the engine bay of one of those! It was a 2 hour surgical procedure to change a headlight bulb!!! As for needing the manual to find the washer fluid resevoir - I can't come up with anything... I'll just leave that alone.
6. I've never had anything in one shorter than a 12 oz can - and that fit just fine.

 

[sexy6s]

wow son...i admit some of the things in the car piss me off..but they're little things...

amb temp...who the hell cares
take the damn A/C off than....

stuff like that is just dumb...but than again i guess with your lack of research you get what you paid for?

http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?show...c=37323&hl=

 

[Daishi]

um... if by handle better you mean turns like crap and doesnt respond well to your steering wheel movements then yeah the 16's do have better handling lol. U must be crazy my 18" kosei's with goodyear Eagle f1 gs-d3 tires has MUCH better handling than the 17" or even the 16" stockers.. the second u turn the wheel the car moves...

 

[Gerald]

Help me, help me, my little girly cup of coffee is to small for my cup holder. What ever will I do!
Oh my god, my leather isnt as nice as a jag. What ever will I do!
I cant find my washer fluid! (A tight engine bay shouldnt be your concern because anyone that cant find the washerfluid has no buisness in there anyway)
I could go on but their wouldnt be much point.

 

[lilmira]

Help me, help me, my little girly cup of coffee is to small for my cup holder. What ever will I do!
[/b]

:laugh: :rofl: This is the first time I heard people complaining about something being too big to fit. Usually people complain about things being too small to fit them even though they are just fine.

A lot of time people forget about how much they pay. Why don't I get this and that?
If you are really anal about leather, there is always Mercedes, BMW and Audi.