2009 Mazda 6: Open Wide

Well, this is all due to the handling? I don't understand it because the engine is bigger and more powerful and the interior is much nicer. The previous one had sharper handling, that's about all of what this new one "lost".

"Welcome to the Camry side of life Mazda."

Unfortunately for enthusiasts, the desire for mainstream appeal has plagued most cars these days to the point of them being as exciting as a dishwasher. The Camry BTW has always been an appliance.

If I was going to purchase a car in this segment it would be the Accord, Malibu or the Passat.

"If I was going to purchase a car in this segment it would be the Accord, Malibu or the Passat."

I agree. The Passat CC looks like a great car to own.

Brian, have you tried the 4 cyl Malibu with the new 6 speed transmission? I heard that makes for a big improvement.

'The previous one had sharper handling, that's about all of what this new one "lost". '

You forgot about the V6 MT combo. That's a big loss right there.

"The Camry BTW has always been an appliance.

If I was going to purchase a car in this segment it would be the Accord, Malibu or the Passat."

To say a Camry is an appliance and then thinking about purchasing a Malibu or Accord is just hypocritic.

Everyone has their own opinion, but as I'm a fairly low milegae driver, I'd opt for the V-6 as I like more "Zoom-Zoom". VW's new plant in TN, according to VW Vortex, will produce more "mainstream" models as VW claims too few Americans appreicate the "Teutonic" handling etc. of the current models. You have to be true to yourself, so we'll see if VW pulls yet another boner like they did in PA decades ago.

I do wish Mazda, while no need to go as far as a Mazdaspeed 6, would offer a "sport" option with "grippier" tires, slightly tighter suspension etc. The current version of the "6" is a "landmark" car and in the top 3 in its class. 'Nuff said!

I wonder if the more "mainstream" VW will be a badge-engineered version of the Skoda Superb. . .

Re. "The Mazda 6 is now the kind of car you drive to work and forget for eight hours, then you go home (nice enough inside) and forget about it till morning."

I'm lost as to how this makes the case for the 4 cyl. Would the above not apply equally to the V6? Only without the sluggish performance and droning soundtrack?

@ hondacura: "The Camry BTW has always been an appliance. If I was going to purchase a car in this segment it would be the Accord, Malibu or the Passat."

The Accord is most definitley an appliance - and one now rendered in XL size only. Having driven both, I would venture a guess that a Camry SE would outperform the bloated Accordalon quite handily. Is it fun to drive? Not really. But that Toyota V6 is one strong puppy and extremely fuel efficient to boot. Honda can't lay a glove on it in that department - not even with VCM. And the suspension setup on the SE makes for a very composed ride / handling balance that is miles ahead of its soft-and-floaty XLE stablemate.

The four cylinder in my wife's Nissan Altima is more than adequate. She has the model before the CVT, but I don't see why the same engine itself wouldn't continue to be fine.

Ouch. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews on the Mazda6 4-cylinder. I'd like to drive one myself. I suspect the I4 with a manual transmission would still be plenty of fun. Maybe the 6 has gone to the "Accord side of life", but surely not the "Camry side of life".

It's also lost the wagon and hatchback... welcome to the Camry side of Mazda indeed. I remember my test drive in the first Mazda6 and it was quite a fun car, too bad the dealer screwed me over or I would be driving one right now.

Maybe instead of offering a proper station wagon Mazda6 they can create a bulky Mazda6 wagon a la Venza, but the 20" wheels make it sporty!

jaeger - i hate to break it to you but "go home and forget about it till morning" isn't the slam you think it is. Many people, MOST people are looking for a car that does exactly that and notihng more.

Also, I TOTALLY disagree that the Accord and Malibu are Camry-boring. They're not, both cars have MUCH more style and fun plus both interiors are finished to higher level (XLE maybe an exception)

@briancam - "jaeger - i hate to break it to you but "go home and forget about it till morning" isn't the slam you think it is. Many people, MOST people are looking for a car that does exactly that and notihng more."

I hate to break it to you pal, but I didn't view it as a slam. I just viewed it as being equally applicable to the 6 cyliner as to the 4. Therefore, not a basis for recommending the 4 as preferable to the 6. Follow?

And I didn't mention the Malibu at all - because I haven't driven it. But I stand by my comparison as between the Accordalon and the Camry SE. Have you driven both back to back?

Or did you read car & Driver's "Quickest Cars of 2009" series at various price points? Mazda 6, Altima and Camry sedans are all present. As is the trimmed-down and stickshift-equipped Accord COUPE. Even the not-so-svelte Hyundai Azera made the list. But the bloated Accordalon sedan? Nowhere to be seen.

I think the major problem is all these "enthusiasts" want options they'll never consider when it comes down to actually buying a car. Like a Mazda6 V6 MT.

Engine's change the way you view a car dramatically.

Those who bash the Camry need to drive the SE, otherwise your opinions on how Camry is an appliance COPARING TO OTHERS IN THE SEGMENT probably weigh next to nothing...

MT ran a comparo between the Camry SE and Honda Accord and I think the former came up on top.

I've driven the current model Malibu, 4-cylinder.

Don't climb into one too fast, otherwise it's going to feel like getting slashed across the back with a long blade. It's not as bad as a Jeep Compass, when it comes to banging your knee on the console right beside the shifter; still happens every now & then though.

Guages are well thought out... despite the lack of a red-line indicater on the tach. The ride is comfy. But overall, yup; it's an appliance. Taller folks will definitely want to look elsewhere.

Wish me luck. My roommate wants a new car and I'm going to try to talk her into one of these (or a Mazda 3) over a Honda. It should be no contest but she and her whole family own Hondas and Acuras, and they are convinced that Honda is impeachably reliable over anything else.

compliance, 5 bucks says you fail.

I'm with louiswei. Once someone is convinced Toyota and/or Honda offer superior reliability, no amount of evidence to the contrary would ever, ever change their minds. It could blow up in a flaming wreck backing down the driveway, and they'd still come here to talk about how wonderfully reliable it was compared to Domestic/German/Korean/other Japanese junk.

Not just that stovt001, I am sure compliance is somewhat an enthusiast and his roommate is likely not. Usually an enthusiast will focus on something which is totally not the concern of the non-enthusiats. I predict the conversation to go like this...

compliance: Hey, you should check out the Mazda6

roommate: What's that?

compliance: It's a Mazda and miles better than Honda Accord in terms of handling. It has a better looking cabin and the BEST OF ALL, it has THREE! I mean THREE pedals!!

roommate: What am I gonna do with the 3rd pedal? Never mind... Is it more reliable than Honda Accord? Does it sell better? You know what, I've never see one on the street before so I dunno...

compliance: Trust me, it's the BMW in family sedans!!

roommate: That sounds expensive, anyways, I am probably looking for something smaller, like a Civic.

compliance: AWESOME, you should check out the Mazda3, it's miles better than Honda Civic in terms of handling. It has a better looking cabin and the BEST OF ALL, it has THREE! I mean THREE pedals!! Also, it offers a wagon version and if you really want to go fast you can get the MAZDASPEED3, it has TURBO!!

roommate: Umm... what's turbo? Oh and I don't like wagons... Also, my whole family drives Honda/Acura and we have great experience with them. I think I am gonna stick with a Honda... K thanks bye~~~

No no no, it's like this.

I've had Honda's all my life, they've been so reliable up to the 2 year lease end. It's amazing. I know my friend's GM needed oil changes within the first YEAR!!!!! OMG POS.

lol. I have already met the resistance. The answer when I say the 6/3 are just as reliable as Hondas is that I am not objective, because I also tried to argue that most of the cars she should look at are pretty much equal on reliability.

My plan is not to butt in too much, but I will make her test drive the Mazdas with the reasoning that she has to at least check competitors and develop a point of reference. She'll do that. If she's still not interested after a test drive, well, she can enjoy her boring new car.

The 6 is way better looking than the competitors, so I think that might go a long way. Of course, the 3 will probably not make it past the first look with that goofy snout :(. Sadly, the Jetta would be perfect, but I'm not even going to attempt recommending that. The last thing I want is someone pissed at me for their repair bills down the line.

"The 6 is way better looking than the competitors"

Dude, I agree with your roommate, you are definitely NOT objective...

@ compliance- Why not recommend a jetta? The mk v's are really reliable and they include free maintenance now so she can't exactly complain about high maintenance costs. Convince her to get a tdi :).

"Once someone is convinced Toyota and/or Honda offer superior reliability, no amount of evidence to the contrary would ever, ever change their minds. It could blow up in a flaming wreck backing down the driveway, and they'd still come here to talk about how wonderfully reliable it was compared to Domestic/German/Korean/other Japanese junk."

Sounds much like General Secretary Obama.

Bottom line, Mazda is the best mainstream (read: non-expensive) brand out there. Period. If someone said if I picked a brand they would give me one car at random from that brand, I'd pick Mazda without a second thought. Except for the Tribute, everything they have I consider to be one of the best for its respective segment.

Bottom line, Mazda is the best mainstream (read: non-expensive) brand out there. Period. If someone said if I picked a brand they would give me one car at random from that brand, I'd pick Mazda without a second thought. Except for the Tribute, everything they have I consider to be one of the best for its respective segment. They're fun. They have personality. That is what we need more of.

"Those who bash the Camry need to drive the SE, otherwise your opinions on how Camry is an appliance COMPARING TO OTHERS IN THE SEGMENT probably weigh next to nothing..."

Exactly. The number of so called enthusiasts dismissing the Camry as an appliance always makes me laugh. The engine is smooth and the gearbox is a wonder. The only problem it had was the ride, Lexus like smoothness but not the best for aggresive driving. But then if you want to drive a Camry like you were on the Nurburgring, you are most definately a moron.

Dude, all the mazda lovers on this board should just chill out. We get it, you are driving enthusiasts, you like to race Mazdas on the weekend and think that everyone should commute in one. Fact is, many people are not looking to do time attacks on a city street. They just want a semi-boring appliance that gets them to and from work relatively cheaply and reliably, and since Toyotas and Hondas have that reputation, live with it. Stop dissing other makes. Besides, as soon as everyone starts driving Mazdas, you would lose your moral exclusivity and you will have to start criticizing them for not driving Passats and Malibus. Ha ha ha!!!

porschecarrera: couldn't agree more.

"Welcome to the Camry side of life Mazda." Couldn't have said it better myself. The old car (of which I own an '03 s model) was alot like a poor man's E46 3 series BMW. Really! Perfect size. Incredible balance. Just right. Oh, well.