Bought a 2014 Mazda6 Grand Touring to replace my 'TOTALED' 2014 Mazda6 Touring!

IgoZoom

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2012 Mazda CX-9 GT FWD, Crystal White Pearl, Bose/Moonroof
As I previously shared in a posting on 04/22, I was t-boned by a drunk driver on the evening of 04/12/14. My 2014 Mazda6 Touring was destroyed but I walked away with only minor/superficial injuries caused by the seatbelt and side-impact airbags!

Last Tuesday (05/06/14), I purchased another 2014 Mazda6 to replace it! I chose the same color combination (Blue Reflex w/ Black interior) but got the Grand Touring instead of the Touring this time around. It had been sitting on the lot for more than six months because the Sticker Price was $30,290, which doesn't reflect a $200 price increase that took effect in late-summer or fall of 2013. It was manufactured in May 2013, so it might have been sitting in inventory for up 10 months???

I found it at a dealership located about 300 miles away and I was both curious and suspicious of why this beautiful car had sat unsold for so long!?!? The vast majority of Grand Touring models featured the MRCC+ FOW Pkg (Radar Cruise Control & Forward Obstruction Warning) or Technology Package (i-ELOOP, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Control + MRCC/FOW)...but this was one of the oddballs that didn't have either package. It also seems that most Blue Reflex Grand Touring buyers want 'Almond' Leather instead of Black...and this one had Black.

After two weeks of haggling via email and a few phone calls, I got it for $26,500 plus $66 in tag/title/registration fees! I bought it in an adjacent state that doesn't collect tax for Georgia, so I had to pay the Georgia Title Ad Valorem Tax (6.75%) when I registered the car today. Even at $28,358 including tax, I am still very happy with the deal I got! The final price included the $500 Owner Loyalty Bonus Cash AND I also got 0.9% financing for 60 months!

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> My Touring had the Technology Package, so it had Navigation, Bose audio, Advanced Keyless, Smart City Brake Support, Rain-sensing wipers and Homelink). It also had the Rear Lip Spoiler and Fog Lights, so it almost looked like a GT on the exterior. But the unique platinum wheel finish on the GT really sets it apart and is much more striking in person than photos can do justice!

The Grand Touring has a quite a few upgrades over the Touring w/ Tech Pkg, some more useful and impressive than others. My favorite is definitely the Bi-Xenon HID headlights & Adaptive Front Lighting System. The difference compared to the fixed halogens in the Touring is very noticeable. Im also very happy to have SiriusXM, just like my 2012 CX-9 GT. Its also the perfect time of year to enjoy the Power Moonroof! =)

An odd and unexpected difference is the look and feel of the Leather seats. I actually think that the Leatherette in the Touring looked and felt more like real leather than the real stuff in the GT does??? But at least the leather seats are heated, which isnt an option with the leatherette. The extra adjustability, power lumbar and driver seat position memory are all nice upgrades in the seating department.


The Paddle Shifters are kinda silly to me, but maybe if Mazda hadnt made the 6-speed A/T so good already, they might be useful?
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I love my GT - you will like your paddle shifters for mountain roads or preventing it from over downshifting. Mostly, I am happy that you are safe after such an accident. It sounds like you got the car that suits you. I love my MRCC + FOW GT, and the bixenons that turn are amazing and they do spoil you. Enjoy the new ride!
 
I love my GT - you will like your paddle shifters for mountain roads or preventing it from over downshifting. Mostly, I am happy that you are safe after such an accident. It sounds like you got the car that suits you. I love my MRCC + FOW GT, and the bixenons that turn are amazing and they do spoil you. Enjoy the new ride!

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> Thanks!

I’ve owned 14 different cars in my 24 years of driving, but my 2012 CX-9 was my very first automatic. It has a manual shift gate similar to the one in my new Mazda6. I expected to use it all the time, but after the novelty wore off (after a few weeks), I’ve only used it a handful times. The Aisin 6-speed automatic always seems to be in the right gear at any given time and it readily downshifts two or three gears if needed for a quick burst of speed for passing or merging. It does a better job on its own than with my manual intervention.

It doesn’t hurt that the 3.7L V6 in my CX-9 is good for 270lb-ft of torque at 4250rpm as well as 273hp at 6250rpm. Of course, the penalty for that power and performance is paid at the gas pump! I just hit the 25k mile mark and the highest average mpg I’ve ever managed on a tank is 18.6mpg…and it’s usually in the 17s….

Before I drove the 2014 Mazda6, I expected the 6AT to be just like every other fuel-efficient mid-size sedan. They rush to upshift to the highest gear to maximize fuel economy. But they are slow to downshift and often refuse to do so unless you floor it. Or even worse, they don’t shift at all because they’re CVTs! (yuck!)

But the Mazda6 surprised me much like the CX-9 did! It’s upshifts and downshifts very quickly and without hesitation. It is deceptively quick for a car of this size with a 184hp engine. I have rarely felt the need to use the manual shift gate, so I don’t expect the paddle shifters to be that much more useful. Much like the crappy backup camera in my CX-9, I will probably forget that they’re even there after a few months! =) But I might learn to love them, who knows?

I debated whether to buy a GT with no options vs. getting the Technology Package. Some of the features such as i-ELOOP, active grille shutters, Lane Departure Warning and Automatic High Beam Control were interesting, but not worth the extra $3k in cost. The GT comes standard with my favorite tech/safety feature- Blind Spot Monitoring. I fell in love with it on the CX-9 and now I can’t imagine not having on any vehicle. I also think Smart City Brake Support is very cool.

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I love my GT - you will like your paddle shifters for mountain roads or preventing it from over downshifting. Mostly, I am happy that you are safe after such an accident. It sounds like you got the car that suits you. I love my MRCC + FOW GT, and the bixenons that turn are amazing and they do spoil you. Enjoy the new ride!

BTW, I just noticed that you're from B'ham! I lived in the "Greystone" area (280/Cahaba Valley) from 2007-2010. My best friend was transferred from Atlanta (where we grew up) to B'ham in 2005 and he lived in Mountain Brook for a few years before moving down to Pelham. I moved back to North Georgia in 2010 to be near my family, but I still miss Birmingham! A year after I moved back, my best friend got transferred back to ATL also.

I buy all of my Mazda Accessories (including the Door Sill Trim, Bumper Guard and Rear Parking Sensors for my new GT) from MedCenter Mazda. They have great discounted pricing on Accessories and Parts and a very good website to order them. Just in case you didn't know. =)
 
Yep! I got the whole car (and accessories) from Med Center - they really are a jewel of a dealership so far compared to many others around here. Let me know if you get together on a Mazda cruise - I'd be happy to let my GT meet yours. (I almost got the blue, but after owning a blue car from 2002-2014 it was time to go back to red). I still love blue though!
 
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