IMHO there has been some undue praise regarding quality of craftmanship and attention to detail. Especially the finish of plastic parts deserves no ovations (among other things that will be a part of another topic). I'm talking about removing or avoiding mould lines. It's mostly a question of aestethics but it makes the car feel cheap and inferior when you encounter them in so many visible areas. I've taken some pictures of the most apparent mould lines both outside and inside of the car. You may call me a spoiled brat but this is not the quality I would expect in any mid-class car today. I'm quite happy with the design and appreciate efforts in that area but the ways of materializing it are not on par with the hype that surrounds it.
Plastic parts
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Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
Hmm...i see what you mean...but then again...i doubt mazda will worry about mould lines...when they sell a record number of 6s without having to meld everything together...ppl will be happy to even buy such an able car for a decent price...and look more upon the well-to-do aspects of the car.
Hmm...i see what you mean...but then again...i doubt mazda will worry about mould lines...when they sell a record number of 6s without having to meld everything together...ppl will be happy to even buy such an able car for a decent price...and look more upon the well-to-do aspects of the car.
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
Dude! I'm genuinely surprised you are this picky Sigvard. About 10 years ago, everyone in Estonia was driving Ladas, and maybe the occasional Skoda and Volga. This is not a luxury car, it's a car that is for the middle class. It is not on par with a BMW or Audi, and it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be close, and I think it passes.
Dude! I'm genuinely surprised you are this picky Sigvard. About 10 years ago, everyone in Estonia was driving Ladas, and maybe the occasional Skoda and Volga. This is not a luxury car, it's a car that is for the middle class. It is not on par with a BMW or Audi, and it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be close, and I think it passes.
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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). I just assumed that the quality should be the same or better (it can't be that hard to get rid of those mould lines, can it?).
All in all, I'm happy with the car and try to overlook the little things that could make it feel less than it deserves. However, I intend to speak my mind about things that bother me. After all, that's what this forum is all about. So stay tuned!
P.S. Congrats on your Drivers License
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I'm surprised you know so much about our motoring history... Yes, it used to be different (those were the days - I was fourteen when I first took the keys of my dad's old Volga); but much has changed during these years. I have nothing against Mazda (damn, I bought one!); but I think the standards for quality have dropped somewhat. The '84 Mazda 626 that I drove few years ago did not have the faults that I highlighted in this topic (nor did my '82 BMW that I bought 10 years ago - then again, it didn't have so much plastic either
). I just assumed that the quality should be the same or better (it can't be that hard to get rid of those mould lines, can it?).All in all, I'm happy with the car and try to overlook the little things that could make it feel less than it deserves. However, I intend to speak my mind about things that bother me. After all, that's what this forum is all about. So stay tuned!
P.S. Congrats on your Drivers License
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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Anyway, I think the overall finish of this vehicle stands out - ahead of competition.
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I can see what you mean, but let's face it: that's nothing you react on when you sit down in the car. But we all know this: there are things with all cars that start to bug us after a while. Keep us posted as to what you find!
Anyway, I think the overall finish of this vehicle stands out - ahead of competition.
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Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
Sigvard,
Your pix would make a great "what part of my Mazda is this" puzzles.
I'll have to go back to my 88 626 to see how Mazda's fit and finish has improved (or not) over the past 15 years.
Interesting stuff. I was a lot more worried about the inside not looking so good after reading your post until I looked at the pictures. I understand your concerns but don't think they'll bother me as much as you.
MM
Sigvard,
Your pix would make a great "what part of my Mazda is this" puzzles.
I'll have to go back to my 88 626 to see how Mazda's fit and finish has improved (or not) over the past 15 years.
Interesting stuff. I was a lot more worried about the inside not looking so good after reading your post until I looked at the pictures. I understand your concerns but don't think they'll bother me as much as you.
MM
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246 Posts
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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Coen
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Looks like some things didn't changed since the '98 626. But then again, if you want a completely fine quality, buy a Maybach or something..
Coen
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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First, you can design a mold so the lines remain in less apparent areas. This is, however not always possible, especially with complex details.
Secondly, you can make a better quality mold so the parts of the mold fit better together. The cost of the mold can be up to $200-300K anyway so the little extra effort should not make it a lot more expensive.
Last, if all of the above fails you can simply remove the excess plastic. Apparently they didn't bother paying too much attention to that.
Oh, well. Looks like I have to try and find my old plastic modelling kit and remove the residue myself. I enjoy tinkering with cars but didn't expect to get my hands on the 6 quite as soon.
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Had a close look at my friend's '02 Renault Megane Scenic today. The mold lines are there (albeit a lot less disturbing) and there's nothing you can do to avoid them completely. But. There's plenty you can do to make them less visible.
First, you can design a mold so the lines remain in less apparent areas. This is, however not always possible, especially with complex details.
Secondly, you can make a better quality mold so the parts of the mold fit better together. The cost of the mold can be up to $200-300K anyway so the little extra effort should not make it a lot more expensive.
Last, if all of the above fails you can simply remove the excess plastic. Apparently they didn't bother paying too much attention to that.
Oh, well. Looks like I have to try and find my old plastic modelling kit and remove the residue myself. I enjoy tinkering with cars but didn't expect to get my hands on the 6 quite as soon.
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Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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Sure, and do you really want to drive a car that's actually just an 'ordinary' Mercedes-Benz for that shitload of money? I won't, I would buy a Bentley or to be chauvinistic; a SPYKER!!
Coen
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I'm torn here. Would trade in for Maybach, but the 6 looks better from outside. And then there's the fuel economy thing ...[/b][/quote]
Sure, and do you really want to drive a car that's actually just an 'ordinary' Mercedes-Benz for that shitload of money? I won't, I would buy a Bentley or to be chauvinistic; a SPYKER!!
Coen
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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Sure, and do you really want to drive a car that's actually just an 'ordinary' Mercedes-Benz for that shitload of money? I won't, I would buy a Bentley or to be chauvinistic; a SPYKER!!
Coen[/b][/quote]
Why not buy a few Mazdas instead??
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I'm torn here. Would trade in for Maybach, but the 6 looks better from outside. And then there's the fuel economy thing ...[/b][/quote]
Sure, and do you really want to drive a car that's actually just an 'ordinary' Mercedes-Benz for that shitload of money? I won't, I would buy a Bentley or to be chauvinistic; a SPYKER!!
Coen[/b][/quote]
Why not buy a few Mazdas instead??
Replying to Topic 'Plastic parts'
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Sure, and do you really want to drive a car that's actually just an 'ordinary' Mercedes-Benz for that shitload of money? I won't, I would buy a Bentley or to be chauvinistic; a SPYKER!!
Coen[/b][/quote]
Why not buy a few Mazdas instead??[/b][/quote]
It's funny how a suggestion not to buy Mazda turned into suggestion to buy a whole lot of them
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I'm torn here. Would trade in for Maybach, but the 6 looks better from outside. And then there's the fuel economy thing ...[/b][/quote]
Sure, and do you really want to drive a car that's actually just an 'ordinary' Mercedes-Benz for that shitload of money? I won't, I would buy a Bentley or to be chauvinistic; a SPYKER!!
Coen[/b][/quote]
Why not buy a few Mazdas instead??[/b][/quote]
It's funny how a suggestion not to buy Mazda turned into suggestion to buy a whole lot of them
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