[Byakuya]

4 years; 100k miles. A milestone worth noting, even with modern cars.

Honestly, I purchased this car originally because I needed something to replace the gas-guzzling, oil-eating monster that my 2004 V6 Mazda6 had become. I know cars aren't investments, and I certainly know getting a new car is essentially throwing away thousands - but I didn't care because the 3rd generation Mazda 6 is just too good to pass up.

Looking back, the only thing I'd do differently is get the MTX, not the ATX GT.

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I got the car while I was still commuting 132 miles per day (~40,000/year), expecting to drive it into the ground. I knew this would be my first and last brand new car, so why not use it for what it was made?

A job relocation, a new job, marriage, vacations, founding a car club and hosting events all across New England, and 4 years later: here I am.

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I still turn around and look at this car every single time I get out of it. I still push it hard into corners when I need a smile on my face, and I still get excited to take it on long trips and show it off.

The Avg. MPG hasn't been reset for over 70k miles and it's stayed above 34mph the entire time. Real-world MPGs with a very heavy traffic commute are easily over 32. I can get 37+mpg any time I need to, but it's hard to not want to just cruise around in this thing.

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Below are the records I've been keeping of the car. I'm sure I've missed a few things, but hopefully this helps at least one person: which is why I do it

These images are fairly large, so feel free to right-click and "open in new tab" for the full size.

Please, feel free to make this thread into a discussion for preventative maintenance, questions, concerns, etc. That's why I'm putting this up here so people can talk about their experiences and new owners can see what to look for in their future - That's why i'm making this a sticky.

Edit: I know there are some typos and bad references in there - didn't have time to fix them up. Hopefully you know what I mean.

 

[MilR]

Congrats! 100k miles is quite a milestone although it is now almost expected of any modern day automobile to reach that figure. I dont think there is another car in its price range with all the standard amenities one would expect from a mid-sized family econo sedan other than Mazda 6. Sure, there are GTIs, Focus ST, Civic Sis etc, but they are either too small, or too harsh or too impractical as a daily driver.

The terrible DC traffic does not allow me to rev above 3k RPM, so i consistently clock 33/34 mpg in mixed driving conditions and almost never below 27 mpg in cities making it the most economical car i have ever owned.

Here's to many many more trouble free miles on your Mazda6! Zoom Zoom!

 

[pepe]

Thanks for this. It saves me asking early adopters of the 3rd gen how reliable it has been.

Im in the same car as yours. A 2014 GT model purchased early 2013 but manual transmission here.
I bought used a few weeks ago with half the mileage as yours
I plan to run it to the 100k level and then as in the past, i usually feel the itch to bail before something major can come up

 

[tickerguy]

I have over 100k on my 2015 6-Sport..... zero problems, just oil changes, plugs, a set of tires and brakes.

Maintenance, in other words, all wrenched by myself. I still love the car.

 

[Byakuya]

I have over 100k on my 2015 6-Sport..... zero problems, just oil changes, plugs, a set of tires and brakes.

Maintenance, in other words, all wrenched by myself. I still love the car.

Don't forget an OVTune as well sir. You've been running that for a LONG time and (clearly) he knows what he's doing.

 

[tickerguy]

True that. I think I had something like 10k on the clock when I got that....

 

[ocramida]

I keep going back k and forth about the overall tune. Concerned I'll light my front tires even more than I currently do. But I am interested in a bit more power. Also not sure if it's night and day

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

 

[Ligerzer0]

I see you have the same problem as I do. I'm refering to the one where you always look back at your car when you park her. My girlfriend gets jelous sometimes>

 

[Byakuya]

I see you have the same problem as I do. I'm refering to the one where you always look back at your car when you park her. My girlfriend gets jelous sometimes>

My wife has accepted it at this point

 

[ocramida]

My wife has accepted it at this point

Yeah my wife just thinks I'm crazy. I think sometime she'd prefer I look at other women just because it would be "normal" .

But yeah after 20 years together she'll notice my eyes wander and say "so do you like that car?" To her a car is an appliance. She loves her CX9 and she'll drive it into the ground.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

 

[dearmy96]

Hello
What is OVTune? Is it listed in the manual? And at how many miles?
Thanks in advance!
Ron

 

[Mazda6Suspension]

Hello
What is OVTune? Is it listed in the manual? And at how many miles?
Thanks in advance!
Ron

https://www.ovtuned.com/collections/miata/products/mazda-skyactiv-2016-tune-kit?variant=27254804358

a $560 tune that is supposed to give you 20-30 hp on premium gas, but if you to dyno it, it'd probably a lot less than that, you're better off spending that on the suspension, but hell if you have money to burn

 

[toy4x]

https://www.ovtuned.com/collections/miata/products/mazda-skyactiv-2016-tune-kit?variant=27254804358

a $560 tune that is supposed to give you 20-30 hp on premium gas, but if you to dyno it, it'd probably a lot less than that, you're better off spending that on the suspension, but hell if you have money to burn

Listen to this guy... He knows everything!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Mazda6Suspension]

Listen to this guy... He knows everything!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

the car already has more than enough power for you make lane changes and pass other cars, especially with the kickdown gas pedal, whatever hp this overpriced tune may give you, would only be a slight increase of power in real life, you will feel it, but it won't really do much for your car, if you want to improve your car, you have to start with the suspension, considering is what this car excels at, handling.

a proper set of springs and shocks, rear sway bar, front strut bar, camber arms, a proper alignment, good tires

$560 for a tune and is still gonna get beat by a civic next to it

 

[tickerguy]

It's not the HP, it's the lower-range torque that's worth the money.

I can switch between stock and the OVT on demand (just need my laptop with me) and if you drove my car with the two you'd choose the OVT flash every time.

The difference is not subtle -- at all -- any more than nozzles were on my ALH Jetta.

I took the latter in for a recall and the guy who did the work came up to me and asked "what the hell did you do to that car?" when he gave the keys back to me.

When I had my "6" window seals done (under recall) the guy who worked on it asked me the same thing.

Yeah.

 

[Mazda6Suspension]

It's not the HP, it's the lower-range torque that's worth the money.

I can switch between stock and the OVT on demand (just need my laptop with me) and if you drove my car with the two you'd choose the OVT flash every time.

The difference is not subtle -- at all -- any more than nozzles were on my ALH Jetta.

I took the latter in for a recall and the guy who did the work came up to me and asked "what the hell did you do to that car?" when he gave the keys back to me.

When I had my "6" window seals done (under recall) the guy who worked on it asked me the same thing.

Yeah.

Anyone would choose the car with the OVT tune, but for free :grin2:

Also, it seems many people from the OVT tune thread are concerned with long term reliability with this tune. You can have the OVT dude claim all the wants about not seeing any problems or anything, but he ain't nostradamus and this tune hasn't been around for many years. Remember, he is trying to sell a service, you think he is gonna tell you bad things will happen? LOL We simply don't know if this tune will cut the engine's life in half or not. Why risk reducing the life of your vehicle for a little more speed?

Maybe, if you don't plan to keep the car for too long, but those $560 could be used towards a car with a bigger engine anyway. If you plan to keep the car for 10 years, is not worth the risk.

 

[TitaniumVT]

...Also, it seems many people from the OVT tune thread are concerned with long term reliability with this tune. You can have the OVT dude claim all the wants about not seeing any problems or anything, but he ain't nostradamus and this tune hasn't been around for many years.

I think you missed the part where Ticker Guy indicated that he has over 90,000 miles (at least) with the tune, and has had zero reliability issues with it. In fact, I don't recall reading of anyone who's had reliability issues associated with the tune....so, there's that.

 

[tickerguy]

Actually, I have over 110,000 miles on the car now.... virtually all of them with the tune.

And zero issues.

Oh, I also have UOA's to back up that nothing bad internally is going on either.

 

[dasrider]

Does tickerguy owe mazda6suspension money or something?

Why in the world is he this concerned about how somebody he's never met (I assume) spends his money? If $560 makes the car more enjoyable to drive every time you get in it, why not do it?

As much as I have enjoyed my new to me 6, I have to admit the car would benefit from better low and mid-range torque. I understand it is designed with economy in mind and it is only an NA 4-cylinder engine pulling a fair amount of car around - you can only get so much from it. If this tune helps with that then it is an interesting proposition.

 

[Byakuya]

Does tickerguy owe mazda6suspension money or something?

Why in the world is he this concerned about how somebody he's never met (I assume) spends his money? If $560 makes the car more enjoyable to drive every time you get in it, why not do it?

As much as I have enjoyed my new to me 6, I have to admit the car would benefit from better low and mid-range torque. I understand it is designed with economy in mind and it is only an NA 4-cylinder engine pulling a fair amount of car around - you can only get so much from it. If this tune helps with that then it is an interesting proposition.

tickerguy is a well-respected forum member who has contributed in many places with his experience and expertise. He's an excellent example of the OVTune working exactly as it should, and being worth every penny if you're looking for low-end torque.

Mazda6Suspension has very strong opinions that never take into account other people's experiences

Mazda6Suspension, Seiya, please give it a rest. If I want to spend $500 on a gold statue of The Rock to place on my dashboard, LET ME. It's MY car, it's MY money, and they're MY opinions.

I've heard nothing but good things about the low-end torque from OV's tune - and that's what it's geared towards. These cars are fine as they are, but if you're someone like me who came from the V6 Mazda 6, you miss that extra "oomph" when you get on it to pass someone.

Also - $500 towards a full engine upgrade/replacement is not going to get you too far.