So 3,000 miles in and where do I stand on it?
Performance:
This is where the 6 hurts a little. Power is just average. It has the displacement for more power (I'm not a fan of turbo), so I'm not sure why they handicapped it outside of fuel economy reasons. Sport mode does make a difference for the better, but overall, power is average and gets me from point A to B just fine. The automatic transmission is pretty smooth, but seems to struggle to find the right gear when I mash the pedal to ramp things up. Sport mode doesn't have this issue of course. I should've gotten the manual, but the wife can't drive it and she will use my car from time to time. She doesn't care to learn. I'm not mad about it.
I give performance a B-.
Handling, suspension, noise:
This is where the car shines. It handles great. The steering feels great, it hugs the curves just right, and it never feels unsure of where to go. It does roll a little in hard turns, but nothing that makes me worry. Since I have the Sport model, the 17" tires don't bother me and I don't find the ride rough at all. I can't speak for the 19" wheels, but coming from an F-150 4x4, the ride is fine. Tires could be quieter (stock tires are crap) and the wind/road noise could be better, but it's nothing bad.
I give handling and suspension an A+ with the noise levels at a B+.
Exterior and Interior styling:
This car looks awesome. It has an aggressive look without looking silly, unlike the Camry with that black plastic grill at the bottom. The lines are clean and the panels are well put together. Inside, the cabin has a premium feel, for an economy price. The steering wheel is a little small. The pedals have the right feel. The HVAC controls are well placed. I did have to re-learn the windshield wipers due to the fact that after 11 years in my F-150, the controls were different. Muscle memory at its best. Trunk space is very good. Glovebox is good, but the center console sucks. Too damn small. The seats are comfortable and give good support. On a side note, the decision makers for the cloth seats need to think again about them. I have two dogs and yes they shed, but there is something about this material that just attracts their fur like magnets. It can be a task to remove it when I vacuum the car. My F-150 was cloth as well and the fur didn't stick to it as bad as the Mazda. Again, it's nothing that a solid vacuuming can't take care of, just still a head scratcher.
I give the exterior and interior styling a solid A. Cloth seat materials, C.
Technology/sound and options:
I think the infotainment system is well designed. When I was researching cars, I tested the 2015 Mazda 6. The infotainment system sucked. It was just dog slow. Clearly they made the right decision for 2016. It can be a bit slow to boot up at times (I wonder what type ARM processor they are using and clock speeds, if in fact it's even ARM), but it's consistent and doesn't give me fits. I never get lost and don't find it complicated in the least. The sound system sucks. I test drove a Touring with the Bose system. It sucks too. I have two amps and a sub I may install. Maybe I'll just put the sub in. I do wish they included automatic headlights across all trims. It just seems logical and I'm sure it's not a backbreaking cost. The quick blinker feature is interesting and I use it, just sometimes I push too hard and it goes all the way. Four window one touch up/down function is pretty cool. I don't use their navigation software because even if I did have the chip, Google Maps and dare I say Apple Maps is better and updated more frequently.
I give the technology and options portion an A. Sound system a C+.
Fuel Economy:
It's good enough. I average about 28 mpg based upon what the computer tells me and it lasts me close to 400 miles before it needs a full refill. It's mostly city driving. Gas tank size is a little puny, but in reality there is no space to increase storage.
I give a B+.
Final score:
I am very happy with this car. No question. It's a car that I like to look at and want to drive. The red looks real nice and the 30% tint in front and 15% in the back make it look smooth. I didn't plan to get a new vehicle until early spring 2016, but my F-150 (2004 V8 4x4 and 211k miles) took a mechanical nosedive in no time and with the marriage and honeymoon, finances could only dictate a lease for this model. I'm just fortunate enough to be able to do get into a new vehicle. I am not well versed in Mazda long term reliability (long term being 10 years and 200k miles), but we'll see how it goes. It's still early, but I am very happy in this car. I highly recommend it, but also still do your homework.
Final score is an A-.
Performance:
This is where the 6 hurts a little. Power is just average. It has the displacement for more power (I'm not a fan of turbo), so I'm not sure why they handicapped it outside of fuel economy reasons. Sport mode does make a difference for the better, but overall, power is average and gets me from point A to B just fine. The automatic transmission is pretty smooth, but seems to struggle to find the right gear when I mash the pedal to ramp things up. Sport mode doesn't have this issue of course. I should've gotten the manual, but the wife can't drive it and she will use my car from time to time. She doesn't care to learn. I'm not mad about it.
I give performance a B-.
Handling, suspension, noise:
This is where the car shines. It handles great. The steering feels great, it hugs the curves just right, and it never feels unsure of where to go. It does roll a little in hard turns, but nothing that makes me worry. Since I have the Sport model, the 17" tires don't bother me and I don't find the ride rough at all. I can't speak for the 19" wheels, but coming from an F-150 4x4, the ride is fine. Tires could be quieter (stock tires are crap) and the wind/road noise could be better, but it's nothing bad.
I give handling and suspension an A+ with the noise levels at a B+.
Exterior and Interior styling:
This car looks awesome. It has an aggressive look without looking silly, unlike the Camry with that black plastic grill at the bottom. The lines are clean and the panels are well put together. Inside, the cabin has a premium feel, for an economy price. The steering wheel is a little small. The pedals have the right feel. The HVAC controls are well placed. I did have to re-learn the windshield wipers due to the fact that after 11 years in my F-150, the controls were different. Muscle memory at its best. Trunk space is very good. Glovebox is good, but the center console sucks. Too damn small. The seats are comfortable and give good support. On a side note, the decision makers for the cloth seats need to think again about them. I have two dogs and yes they shed, but there is something about this material that just attracts their fur like magnets. It can be a task to remove it when I vacuum the car. My F-150 was cloth as well and the fur didn't stick to it as bad as the Mazda. Again, it's nothing that a solid vacuuming can't take care of, just still a head scratcher.
I give the exterior and interior styling a solid A. Cloth seat materials, C.
Technology/sound and options:
I think the infotainment system is well designed. When I was researching cars, I tested the 2015 Mazda 6. The infotainment system sucked. It was just dog slow. Clearly they made the right decision for 2016. It can be a bit slow to boot up at times (I wonder what type ARM processor they are using and clock speeds, if in fact it's even ARM), but it's consistent and doesn't give me fits. I never get lost and don't find it complicated in the least. The sound system sucks. I test drove a Touring with the Bose system. It sucks too. I have two amps and a sub I may install. Maybe I'll just put the sub in. I do wish they included automatic headlights across all trims. It just seems logical and I'm sure it's not a backbreaking cost. The quick blinker feature is interesting and I use it, just sometimes I push too hard and it goes all the way. Four window one touch up/down function is pretty cool. I don't use their navigation software because even if I did have the chip, Google Maps and dare I say Apple Maps is better and updated more frequently.
I give the technology and options portion an A. Sound system a C+.
Fuel Economy:
It's good enough. I average about 28 mpg based upon what the computer tells me and it lasts me close to 400 miles before it needs a full refill. It's mostly city driving. Gas tank size is a little puny, but in reality there is no space to increase storage.
I give a B+.
Final score:
I am very happy with this car. No question. It's a car that I like to look at and want to drive. The red looks real nice and the 30% tint in front and 15% in the back make it look smooth. I didn't plan to get a new vehicle until early spring 2016, but my F-150 (2004 V8 4x4 and 211k miles) took a mechanical nosedive in no time and with the marriage and honeymoon, finances could only dictate a lease for this model. I'm just fortunate enough to be able to do get into a new vehicle. I am not well versed in Mazda long term reliability (long term being 10 years and 200k miles), but we'll see how it goes. It's still early, but I am very happy in this car. I highly recommend it, but also still do your homework.
Final score is an A-.
