2014 Mazda 6i Touring with Manual Trans.

MattsMSP

Member
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2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege
Hi all,

I am currently in the market for a new-to-me vehicle, and am stuck between what to get: 2014 Mazda 6i Touring with 6spd Manual or 2nd Gen Mazdaspeed 3. I know, they're completely different cars, however the 6 does put a smile on my face for different reasons than the MS3. What I'm wondering if anyone out there had a similar predicament? I'm coming from a MSP and am just worried that even though I like the 6 at this point, I may get bored with it over time. I've been stuck between these two for a few weeks and haven't made any headway towards a decision.

Thanks for any insight you may be able to pass along.
 
I've got a 2016 MZ6 GT. I love the car but it is nowhere near as fun to drive as my Miata. I would see if you could take each one home overnight so you have plenty of time to figure it out. If you really enjoy throwing a car around than the 3 might be better. If you spend a decent amount of time on the highway, than the 6. The 6 is still a fairly dynamic car to drive but it's no sports car.
 
I've got a 2016 MZ6 GT. I love the car but it is nowhere near as fun to drive as my Miata. I would see if you could take each one home overnight so you have plenty of time to figure it out. If you really enjoy throwing a car around than the 3 might be better. If you spend a decent amount of time on the highway, than the 6. The 6 is still a fairly dynamic car to drive but it's no sports car.

I put on about 20k miles a year, so logically the 6 is the way to go. I've been using the same shop since my for about 8 years and two mechanics and the service manager all say the 3rd gen 6 is the way to go. I enjoyed driving it, but I'm worried about getting bored with the acceleration - I could stiffen up the suspension a bit and probably be happy with it. I sure wouldn't get sick of looking at it though.
 
That many miles a year, I would get the 6. Suspension is calibrated nicely. Only issue is the power is decent, not great. But, I'd rather have the mpg which is awesome.
 
If possible, get the '16 model since it has better interior and is quieter on the road.
I have '14 Mazda3 and '16 Mazda6. Trust me when I said, the latter is significantly quieter.
I assume '14 Mazda6 is as noisy as my '14 Mazda3 here.
W/o the new interior of '16, I probably would have chosen other vehicle. Love the MMC of Mazda6.
 
I have had my 14 Mazda 6 for 2.5 years now and have put on 76k so far. It is fast enough to be fun in a straight line and what not, but off ramps and corners are the best. The gas mileage is great too. Have logged 76k on my fuelly and at 32 MPG for the lifetime since new. Mine is an automatic, but I kind of wish I would've gotten the manual. But, the automatic doesn't hesitate to downshift in any gear when it needs to. It is very fast at downshifting when you give the pedal input.
 
If possible, get the '16 model since it has better interior and is quieter on the road.

I'm not sure I can swing the '16 at the moment, but I didn't think the '14 was too loud for my taste. I do wish I could get the '16's infotainment system though.


I have had my 14 Mazda 6 for 2.5 years now and have put on 76k so far. It is fast enough to be fun in a straight line and what not, but off ramps and corners are the best. The gas mileage is great too. Have logged 76k on my fuelly and at 32 MPG for the lifetime since new. Mine is an automatic, but I kind of wish I would've gotten the manual. But, the automatic doesn't hesitate to downshift in any gear when it needs to. It is very fast at downshifting when you give the pedal input.

Have you had any significant problems creep up in those 76k?
 
Just tires at 30k because the stock Dunlops were JUNK. I also put new rotors and pads on the front at about 60k. They weren't shot, but rotors were warped and just plain annoying. Probably could've got another 25k out of them. Otherwise, it has been a great car. Road noise is a bit annoying, especially when windy and/or on rough roads. Very surprising to me-even at 76k, there is not a squeak or rattle to be heard. It is quite amazing. Very solid built car and fun to drive. I am a Nazi about keeping it clean and wax it about every 2 months. I still get compliments on it quite frequently and a lot of people are floored when I tell them I have 76k on the odometer. Looking forward to trading it or selling it outright this fall as the wifey wants a '16 CX-9
 
I am wondering how hard it would be to find any manual trans Mazda 6 out there. When we got ours, there was only 1 manual in a 250 mile radius, and it sold as I was on the phone asking about it.

In the Sport trim at least, you give up too many things to have a manual. Somehow the car is not only slower, but also less efficient then the auto as well. I have never driven one, but have been told several times the gearing is not ideal.
 
I am wondering how hard it would be to find any manual trans Mazda 6 out there. When we got ours, there was only 1 manual in a 250 mile radius, and it sold as I was on the phone asking about it.

In the Sport trim at least, you give up too many things to have a manual. Somehow the car is not only slower, but also less efficient then the auto as well. I have never driven one, but have been told several times the gearing is not ideal.

It's tough to find a touring with a stick, but I simply like rowing my own gears. I had an automatic several years back for 7 months and sold it because I missed the manual, so I won't go back until I have to. I also have the luxury of not needing a car immediately.

When test driving the touring, the only thing on the gearing that really stood out to me was 6th revs higher than I anticipated at 60mph. My wife's '12 Mazda3 Skyactiv sits below 2k rpm while the '14 MZ6 was above, but somehow still gets better mileage(?). I suppose there's a chance I remember the rpm's in 5th instead of 6th for some reason, but I think that's how it was.
 
I've had my 2015 Mazda6 Touring MT for over a year now, just creeped over 17k miles as it's the daily driver. I still love driving the 6 any chance I get, but some days I am wanting for more power, so if you prioritize power over sensibility, the Speed3 will be the way to go if this will be your only car, I have the luxury of having a 1999 3000GT VR4 as my toy car :) As far as finding a Touring manual, it will be a tough find especially if you're looking for a specific color, you might have to deal with what's on the lot if you find on.
 
I've had my 2015 Mazda6 Touring MT for over a year now, just creeped over 17k miles as it's the daily driver. I still love driving the 6 any chance I get, but some days I am wanting for more power, so if you prioritize power over sensibility, the Speed3 will be the way to go if this will be your only car, I have the luxury of having a 1999 3000GT VR4 as my toy car :) As far as finding a Touring manual, it will be a tough find especially if you're looking for a specific color, you might have to deal with what's on the lot if you find on.

What's your rpms at 60 and 70 MPH? Do you feel 2nd is too tall?
 
I've had my 2015 Mazda6 Touring MT for over a year now, just creeped over 17k miles as it's the daily driver. I still love driving the 6 any chance I get, but some days I am wanting for more power, so if you prioritize power over sensibility, the Speed3 will be the way to go if this will be your only car, I have the luxury of having a 1999 3000GT VR4 as my toy car :) As far as finding a Touring manual, it will be a tough find especially if you're looking for a specific color, you might have to deal with what's on the lot if you find on.

I've ruled the MS3 out, so I'm left with the 6 or maybe something else. I haven't had any luck finding anything that interests me locally that's in the right price/mileage range.

I'm not too worried about the color, but the one nearby sold a couple days before I could have bought it, so it's back to the search. The next closest is a few hour hike, but there are two of them within 20 miles of each other. One white with the Sand/Black interior (23k miles), the other Red with black interior, factory GPS, and fog lights installed (40k miles). Only a few hundred dollars separate the price. I haven't found any closer as of yet.
 
RPMs at 65 stay around 2,300. And 2nd gear doesn't feel tall at all, it's very appropriate and has a decent pull after 3,000 RPM.
 
I am surprised the RPM's are that high. Of course mine is an automatic, but my rpm's at about 80 are 2300
 
If anyone's curious, I ended up getting a black 2016 from a local dealer. Weighing all the pros and cons, that seemed to be the best option.
 
Congrats, hope you enjoy your new vehicle! I would've gone with black as well if the red wasn't so eye catching.
 
Congrats, hope you enjoy your new vehicle! I would've gone with black as well if the red wasn't so eye catching.

Thanks! It's a change, but I'm liking it. I could've gotten a used red one had I driven a couple states away, but I decided against it :)
 
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