I can never drive our Mazda 6 without feeling the pain of Mazda product planners, engineers and marketers. Their challenge: To capture the performance-oriented sensations promised by the "Zoom-Zoom" corporate positioning and also make a family sedan with sufficiently broad appeal.
In other words, how do you take Zoom-Zoom mainstream?
It's easy with a Miata or Mazda 3. Make 'em taut, sharp, not too isolated, and you're there.
With a family four-door, you run the very real risk that the potential audience will all call it too stiff and go buy an Accord or Camry. (Which they do, in droves.)
Personally, I'd like a sedan that purports to be driver-centric to be truly rewarding to drive. The steering should feel accurate and well weighted, suspension action should be firm but compliant, the ride should talk to me about the road surface, the brake pedal should barely move. And I know it doesn't require BMW pricing to get all this.
In the Mazda 6, I can feel the tension. The steering is heavier than in a Camry, yes, but not by a whole lot. The ride is a bit stiffer and noisier than in an Accord, perhaps, but I don't feel a dramatic advantage in control and response in return. So what are we getting? A sedan that is truly sporty and spirited to drive? Or one that is just a little stiff and noisy? I'm sure there are folks (both within Mazda and without) who would say the car has gone too far and others who think it hasn't gone far enough.
And I don't have the answer.
It's certainly a pleasant, effective four-door to drive around in. Not particularly quick, but spritely enough. And pleasingly fuel efficient. Handling is settled and predictable. I like the seats, the dash layout is fine and small controls are problem-free. In fact, the Mazda 6 gives me nothing at all to complain about. (I don't care for the Blind Spot Monitor system, but it's easy to shut off.)
But is this car sufficiently crisp and sharp to support a philosophy that tries to say, "Our customers are serious drivers, and they know how a car should work"?
Nope.
I guess that puts me in the "not far enough" camp.
Kevin Smith, Editorial Director @ 20,603 miles
ocramida says:
04:52 PM, 11/23/09
I got to drive a Mazda iSport in San Francisco whil eon business for a week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sure it had an auto and sure it had a 4 cylinder but I felt good driving it. I was able to find an excellent driving position for my 6'3" frame so that my hands were comfortable at the 9 and 3 positions and it soaked up bumps without feeling overly soft. I also found it to handle extremely well- tight and responsive. This coming from a MS3. I think Mazda is in a tough spot, they don't want to sell-out but they cannot ignore the sales numbers that teh lesser quality (IMO) Camry and Accord pull in. I won't even mention the Altima since I don't trust it's reliability under Renault ownership. So is it that most Americans are simple soft and lazy and don't know what "good" actually is? Or is it that the Mazda6 is poorly engineered? I don't even think the second one is an option frankly since every Mazda I've owned over the past 20 years has been well-made, relaible and a hoot to drive. I've been looking at the new MS3, but somehow I think I'll give the 6 a try when I want something a little softer than teh MS3, but entertaining and with personality. I just wish they would give us enthusiasts a 6 speed stick with the 272hp 6 cylinder.
BTW that is a gorgeous angle of the 6.
gharry says:
07:03 PM, 11/23/09
Well put, ocramida. I'm not sure I could buy another 6, given that they don't let the V6 mate to a manual transmission. My '03 V6 with the 5-speed is a blast to drive, and I just can't go to a slushbox. I tried a few years back, and I was pulling my hair out. The Mazdaspeed 3 sure looks tasty, though. It might be the replacement when the '03 6 goes to my daughter.
rdm925 says:
05:26 AM, 11/24/09
As I said in another post,since 2003, when the previous model came out I've been a fan of the Mazda 6. It's a great alternative to the boring and bloated Accord's and Camry's.I think that Mazda would love the higher sales numbers but makes a mistake to follow the herd andmake their car softer and larger to compete. They made a mistake to build a larger USA only car and introduce it when gas prices started to spike again. There are people like me who something different and sporty in a sedan. Honda used to have a fine Accord. Now especially with the Crosstour they have gone fat and ughly.
I've owned 2 6's, and am the happy owner of a 2007 6i Touring 5-door (the first was stolen and totaled). Mine is reliable, sporty, versatile and not another cookie cutter sedan you see all the time. I wish that the current USA model offered a 5-door and wagon and was not enlarged but based on the Euro/Japanese model. I consider mine a domestic car since it was made in Flat Rock, MI. at the same plant as the Ford Mustang. I hope with the introduction of the Fughly Honda accord Crosstour and other 5-door crossovers that Mazda will decide to produce the 5-door and wagon here, like they did in 2004. Also, the reason that the Ford Fusion is such a good car is that it's platform is based on the Mazda 6.
sabre52270 says:
06:21 AM, 11/24/09
I'm assuming these comments are for 4 cyls sedans in this class. Without owning any of these sedans I can't really comment on the 4 cyl, other than to say that from what I test drove the Mazda's were a fun spirited 4. However, I currently own a V6 Mazda 6, which in my experience adds a lot of driving fun to the car. Again, I can't compare my V6 to any other sedan, since I only test drove them, but this car seems to have style you either like or don't and a bit more fun and "driving excitment" than the other V6 sedans out there. Fuel economy could be a bit better and placement of some things, like the outside temp and such could take some ques from the Ford Sync system, but other than that, this THE V6 sedan, just as the Mazda 3 is THE small car.
carguy622 says:
06:37 AM, 11/24/09
I still remember test driving the Mazda6 V6 in 2004. Now that was a fun family sedan, and just the right size. If the Mazda dealer wasn't such an jerk I would have had one. I put down a deposit and everything. Ended up with an Accord, which was nice, but boring.
despy1 says:
01:30 PM, 11/24/09
I drove a 4cyl Camry back in 2000 on a test drive. It was bloated and squishy then, I can't imagine what it is like now. Fortunately my wife's comment was something like, "It drives like a sofa" and we left for greener pastures. My 2006 Mazda 6 5-door with a V6 and manual is a blast to drive. Yeah the mileage could be better, but you don't think about that when you hit the apex of the corner. Count me in with the crowd that thinks the 'new' version of the 6 is a step back from everything that gives Mazda its character. No manual with the V6? Can't outperform the old model except in acceleration? Trying to be like Toyota? Not the way to go!
ocramida says:
02:57 PM, 11/24/09
It's easy to be on the sidelines and say that Mazda is doing the wrong thing. The fact is it would be stupid for them to completely ignore the market that the Camry and Accord have conquered. That would be irresponsible from a business standpoint. And they've already tried to do it "their way" with the 2003-2008 Mazda6. That version was also a mediocre sales success because it was too small and of low finish quality. The fact is Mazda is trying to find balance. The new 6 is a helluva lot better than the last 626 they built from 1999-2002. That car completely askewed any fun factor for a lame Camry imitator. The new 6 is by far their best effort to date to find balance in the family sedan category. Who knows the 2011 6 maybe the Euro 6. Considering the 2009/2010 models haven't been selling extremely well, Mazda may reduce costs by stopping production on the elongated version and modify the Euro variant to meet US safety requirements. I think all of you who fault Mazda on their approach aren't giving them enough credit for continuing to try and find a happy medium. Let's face it, they found success with the 3 after the protege failed to ignite sales numbers, now they just need to find that sweet spot with the 6. I think they will eventually. ALl their missing IMO is a 6 speed option on the 6 cylinder. I for one like the added space for my 6'3" frame and passengers, who BTW are not "Fat American's, but "Tall Americans"
ocramida says:
03:05 PM, 11/24/09
And I'll say it again... that picture of the 6 makes me want one. It's soooo sexy from that angle. Very European, very attractive.
ocramida says:
05:51 PM, 11/24/09
Another thing I failed ot mention. The rental I had in San Fran had close to 30,000 miles. And I think it was holding up really well considering the abuse it had apparently taken as a rental. It still felt solid and tight. Ther only issue was an internittent buzz above the drivers door. Closer inspection revealed that someone had removed the trim and taken the roof lining down.
rdm925 says:
07:44 PM, 11/24/09
I just want to say that in response to Ocramida, that many of your comments are valid and correct. I think that Mazda is still looking for the right balance and part of the problem is that as in all car companies the decisions are made 3-4 years in advance and market forces change overnight. I believe that they got caught by the spike in gas prices last year and the herd mentality in sedan car buyers. Since the mid-1980's when Honda, Toyota and Nissan(Datsun) started making better small sedans and became the "darlings" of Consumer Reports and the USA basically did njot make really competitive sedans and let this market slip away from them. I know I owned a 1980 Buick Skylark Sport Coupe X-car. It wasn't as bad as they say, but the 1986 Accord and 1986 Jetta GLI (which I bought next)ate it's lunch. However the Jetta was alot more fun to drive but not reliable.
Mazda has come a long way and I look forward to their next generation 6 model. I just like the fact that they are willing to be different and are more sports sedan oriented in there products. BTW my wife wants to keep her 2003 Tribute until she is ready to buy a CX-7. Her first Mazda was a 2002 Protege' 5 which she loved.