Mazda Appoints New CEO, Prioritises USA - Wonder If Any Immediate Impact On CX-5

Sounds like the 2018 turbo Mazda6 was developed to be a comfortable cruiser with passing power. That's not exactly a bad thing and I think would attract more buyers to the brand. Their decision to move upmarket or luxury is softening their cars. I'm still waiting for the 45-65 mph time from Motor Trend. That's really what matters to me, how fast can I pass that car in front of me. I don't think I even took my Speed3 up to 100 mph. Why would I? I just need to pass someone, not race. And I want to pass other cars as fast as I can.
 
Issue with US enthusiast market is you give them power then they will ask AWD / Wagon / Brown / Manual in all trims - no manual with AA / Carplay - I swear bro I would have bought it like last week.

LMAO! Yes! Exactly that.

MZD is going for more mature deep pocket buyers. The 6 is comfy, stylish and luxurious - but kind of breaks away from its basics as the best driving car in the segment. Its now tied or slightly behind Accord.
I think this still remains to be seen. The other articles I posted were much more complimentary than Jalopnik.
 
Sounds like the 2018 turbo Mazda6 was developed to be a comfortable cruiser with passing power. That's not exactly a bad thing and I think would attract more buyers to the brand. Their decision to move upmarket or luxury is softening their cars. I'm still waiting for the 45-65 mph time from Motor Trend. That's really what matters to me, how fast can I pass that car in front of me. I don't think I even took my Speed3 up to 100 mph. Why would I? I just need to pass someone, not race. And I want to pass other cars as fast as I can.

An NA 2.5L Mazda6 was clocked at 3.9 seconds for passing power. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mazda/mazda6/2014/2014-mazda6-i-touring-verdict/

BTW, that's for a broken in Mazda6 at 24k miles which reflects real world performance better than a new one from the lot. I would expect a low 3-second time for a Mazda6 T. Not as fast as a MazdaSpeed3 of course but more like entry level luxury passing power.
 
An NA 2.5L Mazda6 was clocked at 3.9 seconds for passing power. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mazda/mazda6/2014/2014-mazda6-i-touring-verdict/

BTW, that's for a broken in Mazda6 at 24k miles which reflects real world performance better than a new one from the lot. I would expect a low 3-second time for a Mazda6 T. Not as fast as a MazdaSpeed3 of course but more like entry level luxury passing power.
Believe it or not, I have a OneNote list of passing times from Motor Trend :)

Yes a 2014 Mazda6 does it in 3.9 seconds. The 2016 Mazda6 GT, which is heavier does 45-65 mph in 4.1 seconds. A 2016.5 CX-5 GT AWD does it in 4.3 seconds. This 0.2 second gap between the Mazda6 and CX-5 probably won't even be noticeable for the general population. Maybe that's why more people get the CX-5, I dunno. Anyway, the 2018 Mazda6 with the turbo, with supposedly 310 lb-ft of torque, I hope, does it below 3 seconds. The 2018 Accord 2.0T does 45-65 mph in 2.9 seconds, while the 2018 Camry XSE V6 does it in 2.8 seconds.
 
Sounds like the 2018 turbo Mazda6 was developed to be a comfortable cruiser with passing power. That's not exactly a bad thing and I think would attract more buyers to the brand. Their decision to move upmarket or luxury is softening their cars. I'm still waiting for the 45-65 mph time from Motor Trend. That's really what matters to me, how fast can I pass that car in front of me. I don't think I even took my Speed3 up to 100 mph. Why would I? I just need to pass someone, not race. And I want to pass other cars as fast as I can.

Ah ok, guess I misunderstood what the reviewer meant in the review B-n-B posted.
 
If they moved to make it softer it's because everyone complained how noisy and stiff it was.
 
Ah ok, guess I misunderstood what the reviewer meant in the review B-n-B posted.

The Jalopnik reviewer was just expecting more out of the car and was really biased toward having a manual transmission. It would have been helpful if he made some comparisons in the review. Like how is the turbo Mazda 6 not as good as say the new Accord 2.0T, or the Camry V6, or a 3 series or an A4. Even compared to the NA Mazda6, the only thing that separates them is that the NA Mazda6 was more fun with a manual transmission. Like when he was complaining about not being able to link corners when driving back roads. It's definitely going to be more boring in an auto trans car, because all you do is steer.

The problem with Mazda's 6-speed auto is that the gears are too tall. You can go from something like 10 mph all the way past 60 mph in just 2nd gear. If I'm not mistaken, you can go all the way to 80+ mph in just 3rd gear. When you go WOT and the car only shifts once before you have to back off, because you're over the speed limit or you're already catching up to some other cars, that is not fun. This is where cars with manual transmissions are more fun. Usually the manual transmission cars have gearing with closer ratios and you can bang 1-2 shifts while going WOT before you have to stop. I don't think the turbo Mazda 6 is a slam dunk for Mazda, but it seems like people will have to test drive one to form their own opinion of it.
 
If they moved to make it softer it's because everyone complained how noisy and stiff it was.

I didn't mean the suspension is soft. The suspension for the 2018 Mazda6, based on reviews, is almost as good as the german luxury sedans. A good balance between compliant and firm. When I say soft, I mean soft overall from a performance perspective. If you go through the reviews for the Accord 2.0T, the Camry V6 and the new turbo Mazda6, you'll come to the conclusion that the driver's car out of the three, is surprisingly the Accord 2.0T. The 2018 Mazda6 is the "affordable luxury" choice.
 
If you're comparing the 3 cars Finch talks about it's not going to come down to those .1 or .3 seconds. It's going to be: which one do you like to sit in. So the 6 has caught up to its competition when it was behind.
 
If money were no object I would take an A4 or 3 series all day over the turbo 6. However for the money I think it’s quite compelling. I would definitely take the Mazda over the Camry. Accord is closer but I think I would still go Mazda.
 
If you're comparing the 3 cars Finch talks about it's not going to come down to those .1 or .3 seconds. It's going to be: which one do you like to sit in. So the 6 has caught up to its competition when it was behind.

And is still arguably the most good looking out of all midsize sedans right now.
 
And is still arguably the most good looking out of all midsize sedans right now.

For sure in mainstream. The Accord and Camry don’t look great to me. I really like the A4 though and I think it will age well like the Mazda as well. I think Camry is going to be dated very fast.
 
If money were no object I would take an A4 or 3 series all day over the turbo 6. However for the money I think its quite compelling. I would definitely take the Mazda over the Camry. Accord is closer but I think I would still go Mazda.

Mazda6 T is actually getting some love in an Accord forum http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/241-10th-generation/514770-mazda6-turbo-honda-accord-2-0t-why.html
Check out the polls. 22 votes for Mazda6 T 27 votes for Accord 2.0T

For overall performance the Mazda6 T is in between their Accord Sport and Accord 2.0 T models imho. Again my stance is consistently wanting the Honda's drivetrain with.....well I'd like a Honda engine transplanted in a Mazda. There done :)

Check out this guy's review from the Accord forum:

Drove the Mazda6 signature last night (this is the direct competitor to the 2.0 Touring. The Grand Touring is more like EX-EXL). My observations on the Mazda6 Signature.

1) 6 spd auto is butter. Channels power in a very linear fashion and has a converter lock from 2-6 gears. More torque than the 2.0T and it comes on confidently.

2) Tip in is not immediate but far more gratifying as you get above 1500 RPM.

3) Exterior appearance is still only average. Front fascia is far prettier than Accord. (Note, btw, that Hondas own dream garage marketing is using special lighting to de-emphasize the grille. Check it out).

4) The interior, overall, is several steps more premium than Accord. More premium than Camry. This was the revelation for me.

Napa Leather seats, Sen Wood, suede, and soft touch materials are nearly everywhere (including the back doors). Padding on the center console is heavy and includes heavier knee padding than Accord. USB ports in rear come from factory not your Honda dealer.

And there are little touches everywhere. Lid for cup holders feels premium. Piano black surrounds for window switches feel and look like more than they are. Puddle lights on all four doors (Standard on Accord for years until they started cheapening their interiors) are red on the door but shoot a white LED down where you use the light.

Drive this car. I was impressed.

 
Honda has been having issues with the 1.5T and not sure about the 2.0T. But I’d agree the rest of the car is definitely better on the Mazda.
 
If money were no object I would take an A4 or 3 series all day over the turbo 6. However for the money I think it’s quite compelling. I would definitely take the Mazda over the Camry. Accord is closer but I think I would still go Mazda.

you can get a used 2017 a4 for cheaper than a new mazda 6 GT
or you can get a brand new a4 at the base trim or the mazda signature for around same price.

i love mazda don't get me wrong but in both those instances i'm choosing the audi
 
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