Current owners: What would you tell a new buyer?

B

bushido_blade

Member
Background: I commute to work 3-4 times each week, amounting to about two hours in the car each time. I have a family of 4 and a dog. Most of my driving is on paved roads in North Carolina random weather (but little to no snow). I cannot spend more than around 26k on the car, or the payments will be too much for our finances.

It's almost time to pull the trigger. I'm down to two choices:

The practical, reliable, mostly boring Honda Accord sedan (V4) that has a CVT and all of those related quirks

The sexier, more interesting Mazda6 Touring that comes with a few noticeable issues of its own: poor Apple product integration, outdated console UI and features

My second-time hand-me-down '01 Accord isn't going to last til New Years without expensive repairs, so it's time to buy.

2014 Mazda6 owners: If you were me and were about to buy the 6, what would you do the same or different? What options would you add, which would you leave off? Remember that I'll be living with this car for probably the next ten years.

Thank you for your expertise and lively debate.

-BB
 
Touring / Tech package is definitely the sweet spot in the product line. I'm very happy with mine. The blind spot monitoring/rear cross-traffic alert radars work as advertised and once saw an approaching car 40-60ft away when backing up. I've only had it for a couple weeks now.

Read the manual! I can't stress this enough. The tech on a car like this is advanced and you need to understand its nuances to get the most out of it. Many of the questions asked here are right in the manual.

If you get the TomTom Nav and want to use it, copy/paste the contents of SD card they give you to a faster one (I used an https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)). Then be sure to update its software through TomTom Home. It will be much faster and more usable if you do both. I had written it off as useless before I did these steps, now I use it constantly.

Another thing: The tan interior will make the car feel warmer and more spacious, but will probably need more frequent cleaning. From my research 303 Aerospace Protectant and Vinylex are the best products to use after cleaning to keep things looking new. I've yet to have to do anything with it.

Another edit: The seats are very comfortable. The longest trip I've done so far was only about an hour but I've felt no discomfort at any time. My old Envoy gave me noticeable lower back pain after the same drive.
 
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BB: I'm probably in the minority on this forum on this, but I purchased the Touring without the Tech package and don't find myself missing any of the additional "features" described here in the forum. I did have the dealer add the auto dim mirror and the fogs, and the factory mudflaps, and I added the sill plates and WeatherTech mat package myself. I've never been a big Bose fan, figure if one is really into sound an aftermarket set of speakers and head unit would be the way to go. The factory Tom Tom Nav package is questionable at best, I bought a cheap Garmin for those times when I actually need directions. I was out the door for $25K including all tax and license. Just a thought. I actually would have been fine with the Sport model but dealer was able to get me into the Touring for about a grand more, so went for it. Rampage
 
I'm with you on that Rampage. I went with the Touring w/out tech and If I were to put the extra money down I would go with the base GT as it is very closely priced with the Touring/tech package plus includes leather, sunroof, heated seats, advanced lighting, etc, etc..
 
I'd consider leasing it first. The lease finance rate is very low, mine is equivalent to 0.9%. I have a Grand Touring which, with destination charge, stickered at $31,290. At $1,400 out of my pocket, I'm at $322 ($295+tax (9.5% in CA) a month for the next 3 years. After 3 years, I can buy my car out at $17,500ish (don't remember exactly), which I can loan out for 3 years, assuming low APR, I'll be at $460ish a month. I guess $460ish is where you'll be, if you finance yours for 60 month at Mazda's low APR of 0.9% (I assume zero down). I'll make payments for 1 extra year vs you, but for the first 3 years I have a significantly lower payment to make. I assume this is relevant because you mention that payment is what's important for you here

Now, the extra 4 grand that you would pay over the sixth year (if you went my route) would get you a nicer looking vehicle. Only important safety feature you get on GT is xenon lights, all the rests (leather, LED DRLs, small lip spoiler, power seats, etc) are an icing on the cake. But if you are going to own the car for the next 10 years, why not??? It is really just 10% more total price-wise.

P.S. Also, radar-cruise control that is available on the GT is amazing stuff for highway travels. Not have to use pedals for literally hundreds of miles of travel (exception is when congestion is heavy, then using it is not so convenient) makes a remarkable difference in fatigue. Think about exploring the lease first, then buying out option. With really low lease finance rate, it makes perfect sense if you want to enjoy lower payment
 
If you plan on traveling with a dog, I might get the cloth seats vs the leather. It is very very supple leather, and unless you put down a thick blanket I could see it getting scratched up bad. I second the tech package. I didn't really have the choice when I bought my 6 , but I don't regret it.

The backup camera is great, especially in the snow when viability outside my windows is poor, and the sensor has seen several cars that I haven't, and I am grateful for that.

I'm not sure where you live, but it is very difficult to find the oil for my Mazda 6 in town, so maybe ask the dealer if they can throw in some free changes, or get a deal from them, since you might have to go there to find the oil anyway.

Overall, the Mazda 6 is the best car I have personally owned, and I have never had so much fun behind the wheel of a car. This car sold me on mazdas.
 
Some of what others see as benefits to the GT I see as cons. Leather needs more maintenance. The sunroof lowers the headroom enough that I couldn't raise the seat to where I wanted it on the car I test drove (I'm 6'3"). And the HID bulbs are much more expensive to replace. But there are pros as well, of course. Just not enough of them to justify the price to me.

The headroom issue was enough to take the GT entirely out of the running for me, but others might not mind.
 
I bought the Sport with 6MT. Trash the factory head unit and install a Pioneer AVIC or similar double-din touchscreen and you have Bluetooth, Apple and Android integration, a reverse camera and steering wheel controls for under $1k installed. If you want to, spend the money for a navigation unit, but who needs it when your phone does the same thing and you get turn-by-turn directions from the car speakers via Bluetooth.

When my cloth starts looking ratty, I'll have Katskinz leather installed by an approved installer. I expect this car to see 300k miles, and I am perfectly happy with the Sport package. 17" tires are cheaper and there's not as much expensive stuff to break in the long run vs. the Touring/GT.

IMO automakers are getting crazy with the "creature comforts". Infared Cruise, Smart City Braking, Capacitors to store energy, projector headlights and various other things will be very expensive to replace if you plan on running the car into the ground as I do.
 
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bushido_blade said:
Background: I commute to work 3-4 times each week, amounting to about two hours in the car each time. I have a family of 4 and a dog. Most of my driving is on paved roads in North Carolina random weather (but little to no snow). I cannot spend more than around 26k on the car, or the payments will be too much for our finances.

It's almost time to pull the trigger. I'm down to two choices:

The practical, reliable, mostly boring Honda Accord sedan (V4) that has a CVT and all of those related quirks

The sexier, more interesting Mazda6 Touring that comes with a few noticeable issues of its own: poor Apple product integration, outdated console UI and features

My second-time hand-me-down '01 Accord isn't going to last til New Years without expensive repairs, so it's time to buy.

2014 Mazda6 owners: If you were me and were about to buy the 6, what would you do the same or different? What options would you add, which would you leave off? Remember that I'll be living with this car for probably the next ten years.

Thank you for your expertise and lively debate.

-BB
Click to expand...

Background: I bought my 6 Touring w/o Tech Pkg. for $26k after taxes back in May. The price included the pearl paint charge, fog lights, mud flaps, a cargo net, wheel locks, an auto-dimming mirror w/o homelink and a Zoom-Zoom license plate frame. I just passed 15,000 miles and I commute about 75 miles each day Monday through Friday (50% city, 50% highway). I'm in the DC metro area so the weather I experience is similar to yours (but with more snow). I plan on driving my 6 until it dies.

I recommend going with the 6 Touring. It's a great value for what you get. The Tech Package is up to you, but considering that it's only a $2,000 upgrade and that you're keeping your car for at least 10 years, it might be worth it because it does include very convenient features (I want rain-sensing wipers...). As someone said before, the Touring model's the sweet spot of the lineup.

And as another fellow member said above, the shape and texture of the leatherette seats make them VERY comfortable. To add to that, the 6 rides very smoothly on freeways and the noise level is tolerable. I drove 11 hours to Quebec City, 7 hours to Toronto and 6 hours back to DC with 3 adult-sized humans and no one complained about comfort. The leatherette will also handle your dog well. Mine's been through suntan lotion, spilled food and drinks, dirt and regular nonsense and yet it still looks showroom-clean. Odors from food and rude people don't stick to leatherette as well. To add a dimension to that, you could opt for all-weather floormats (I bought mine from WeatherTech). It makes the interior easier to clean.

The main thing that annoys me about my 6 is its infotainment system, but that's not something that can be avoided unless you pick a 6 Sport with stick. As you said, the iPod integration is very clunky and I sincerely hope Mazda releases an update for it. Whenever you turn on the stereo it will always play the first song on your iPod (I'm sick of hearing 1, 2 Step). And there needs to be a shuffle feature. The trunk light is also useless, so you'd want to replace the stock bulb with an LED. That's about all the complaints I can think of right now. They're insignificant to the overall experience and I wouldn't pick any other sedan for the money.

Hope this helps... Happy shopping!
 
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cmfireman said:
I bought the Sport with 6MT. Trash the factory head unit and install a Pioneer AVIC or similar double-din touchscreen and you have Bluetooth, Apple and Android integration, a reverse camera and steering wheel controls for under $1k installed. If you want to, spend the money for a navigation unit, but who needs it when your phone does the same thing and you get turn-by-turn directions from the car speakers via Bluetooth.

When my cloth starts looking ratty, I'll have Katskinz leather installed by an approved installer. I expect this car to see 300k miles, and I am perfectly happy with the Sport package. 17" tires are cheaper and there's not as much expensive stuff to break in the long run vs. the Touring/GT.

IMO automakers are getting crazy with the "creature comforts". Infared Cruise, Smart City Braking, Capacitors to store energy, projector headlights and various other things will be very expensive to replace if you plan on running the car into the ground as I do.
Click to expand...

Not long ago, power brakes, steering, windows, a/c, etc where considered "crazy "creature comforts"". the cheapest way is not to get a vehicle at all. stop being retrograde.

For example, $900 for radar cruise control for 10 years is $90 a year, $7.5 a month!!! $7.5 a month for significantly less fatigue on highway drives is a BARGAIN. Xenon bulbs are about $40 each, how much does a halogen bulb costs??? 30% better illumination for what, extra $20-30 when the time for replacement comes is a BARGAIN too!

smart city braking could be a difference between bumper bender, and a $3-4k repair. and so on.
 
1-n-million said:
Not long ago, power brakes, steering, windows, a/c, etc where considered "crazy "creature comforts"". the cheapest way is not to get a vehicle at all. stop being retrograde.

For example, $900 for radar cruise control for 10 years is $90 a year, $7.5 a month!!! $7.5 a month for significantly less fatigue on highway drives is a BARGAIN. Xenon bulbs are about $40 each, how much does a halogen bulb costs??? 30% better illumination for what, extra $20-30 when the time for replacement comes is a BARGAIN too!

smart city braking could be a difference between bumper bender, and a $3-4k repair. and so on.
Click to expand...

Totally Agree!
 
One negative discovered today:

If the car gets coated in ice, the fuel door gets stuck shut and has to be freed by chipping away between the gap. I got it open after multiple tries but then the gas cap wouldn't come off! Upon closer inspection, the plastic tether is supposed to rotate independently from the cap. The ice froze it firmly together and it took longer than I'd care to admit to get it free. It also took a surprising amount of force. A rubber seal around the gas fill opening would be a welcome design improvement.

Also, the trunk doesn't like to latch closed when there's a lot of ice around it. I've hit that problem on three separate days so far. The trunk is closed when the ice forms, so how it gets that way is beyond me. You'd think it'd fit nicely back into the ridges in the ice.

My old car (GMC Envoy) had none of these issues by design, but I'm willing to bet the new Accord has at least the gas fill problems. Probably not relevant to you in North Carolina but something to consider for others who might stumble upon this.

Takeaway: Interior gas fill releases are a pain. I'd rather just pop it open from the outside despite the 0.00000001% chance of someone siphoning off my gas.
 
amd20x6 said:
Takeaway: Interior gas fill releases are a pain. I'd rather just pop it open from the outside despite the 0.00000001% chance of someone siphoning off my gas.
Click to expand...

Valid point. It sounds like this is more a general design drawback of interior releases than a problem specific to the 6. A lot of things don't work right when they're covered in ice (windshield wipers come to mind).

The trunk thing, however, is weird. I've never run into that problem on any other car.
 
BB, I was in the same position as you 4 months ago. I was a loyal Honda owner for 27 years as I went from '86 CRX to '96 Integra to '03 Accord. I narrowed my choice down to the Accord vs 6 as well and test drove both of them. The Honda wasn't bad and I liked the interior more outside of the cheaper looking/feeling plastic in the lower portions. This might sound like nit-picking, but the fact that the Accords still don't have a split folding rear seat really bothered me (mostly because I'm part of a family of 3 with a dog and it's nice to have jr in back with whatever cargo beside him). I decided on the sexier, fun to drive 6 and so far have not regretted the decision at all.

I got a Touring w/o tech and have been ok with that too. I'm no audiophile, but the standard touring stereo sounds very good to me and thought that the more tech, the more chances for something to go wrong were. If you wanted to stay under $26K OTD, it'd be hard to get the tech depending on the taxes in your area and your negotiation skills.
 
If you haven't noticed, the accord has already been trumped by the new 6 as the hottest car in the segment. Sales wise accord is still doing better and the 6 will need some more time to catch up. I am already seeing the Mazda awesomeness spreading in my town. I bought a touring w/Tech for 25k plus the taxes which I think is a pretty good bargain. I am more than satisfied with my car. For me, other Japanese cars were not an option, as they are tad boring and bland. I find the interior of the 6 more upscale and elegant but this could be boring for others. I also feel the interior is adequate and has ample good features.

I know accord has a reputation of being reliable, but Mazda ramping up everything they will also get there in not time. If my post seems too biased, then be it. I am a proud owner of a killer Mazda :D
 
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I would say the following:

1) Styling is great (interior and exterior). But that's obvious.
2) SkyActiv technology has not lived up to my expectation.
3) Go to fuelly.com and check out the 2014 Mazda 6 if you are buying this car for the mileage claims. My numbers are lower than my expectations.
4) Lack of usable door pockets is annoying. I sometimes carry papers with me, and there is nowhere in the front to put them.
5) Infotainment center is usable at best. There are a lot of improvements to the software that Mazda could have made that would improve the user experience.
6) Do not just buy this vehicle because you love Mazdas (like I did) without checking out other vehicles.
7) If you are a DIY oil changer, it's a BREEZE compared to my older Speed3.
8) The car has a lot of wind noise. I sometimes think a rear window was left cracked open.
9) Audio system sounds like ass at low volumes.

That is all... these items are the things that have left the greatest impression on me after 6K miles of driving.
 
amd20x6 said:
Some of what others see as benefits to the GT I see as cons. Leather needs more maintenance. The sunroof lowers the headroom enough that I couldn't raise the seat to where I wanted it on the car I test drove (I'm 6'3"). And the HID bulbs are much more expensive to replace. But there are pros as well, of course. Just not enough of them to justify the price to me.

The headroom issue was enough to take the GT entirely out of the running for me, but others might not mind.
Click to expand...

I'm 6'4", and this car has plenty of headroom for me. I'm all legs - you must be all torso :)
 
khoney said:
I would say the following:

1) Styling is great (interior and exterior). But that's obvious.
2) SkyActiv technology has not lived up to my expectation.
3) Go to fuelly.com and check out the 2014 Mazda 6 if you are buying this car for the mileage claims. My numbers are lower than my expectations.
4) Lack of usable door pockets is annoying. I sometimes carry papers with me, and there is nowhere in the front to put them.
5) Infotainment center is usable at best. There are a lot of improvements to the software that Mazda could have made that would improve the user experience.
6) Do not just buy this vehicle because you love Mazdas (like I did) without checking out other vehicles.
7) If you are a DIY oil changer, it's a BREEZE compared to my older Speed3.
8) The car has a lot of wind noise. I sometimes think a rear window was left cracked open.
9) Audio system sounds like ass at low volumes.

That is all... these items are the things that have left the greatest impression on me after 6K miles of driving.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the things sticking in your brain are mostly annoyances. Would you buy the car again knowing what you know now?
 
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