greenwad
greenwad
View My AgentPage

Print this Page | Digg It | del.icio.us

Tags: 2009, mazda, mazda 6, new mazda 6, sedan

Tag Links: 2009, mazda, mazda 6, new mazda 6, sedan

2009 Mazda 6
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if people could just admit when they’d done something wrong? Well, to our surprise, Mazda did just that at a recent preview of its new Mazda 6 sedan. Rather than spinning the numbers to make it look like the last Mazda 6 was a sales triumph, Mazda told us the truth. While its key competitors (Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima) sold more and more units, the Mazda’s sales were flat.

“One of its weaknesses was its size,” said a senior vice president. The chief engineer admitted, “It was clear that we needed to improve wind and road noise.” The R&D director acknowledged, “Our engines had worst-in-class displacement, output, and efficiency.” All of those shortcomings aside, however, the biggest turnoff to customers was the 6’s relative lack of quality.

The engineers working on the second-generation Mazda 6 had a clear goal: keep the sporty handling, but give the new sedan a big dose of power, room, and quality. And, boy, did they ever. The new 6 (which is 6.9 inches longer) looks two or three price classes more expensive than its predecessor. When viewed from behind, its clean design and twin sculpted exhaust diffusers (on V-6 models) are pure Lexus. Its curvaceous body panels look elegant and aren’t ruined by any fussy details - a nice departure from many of today’s overwrought and clichéd designs.

Our top-of-the-line test car’s interior was outfitted with perforated leather seats and high-gloss black plastic interior trim that looked like dark-stained wood. The interior is more elegantly designed and feels of equal or better quality than Mazda’s main competitors - and it’s also much larger than before. Whereas the last 6 was at the bottom of its class in interior space, the new one is at the top, boasting key measurements on par with all of its supersize rivals. Read Article
2009 Mazda 6



Comments:

Images hosted in your AgentSpace can now be posted in the comments section using the following syntax (case matters):
[img]IMAGE URL[/img]
Example: [img]http://agent004.myautospies.com/users/150/Sample-Gallery/sample1.JPG[/img]
blackbrblackbr - 5/30/2008 9:56:55 AM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
This car just isn't doing it for me as a possible 2007 Acura TL replacement. I don't really like the front end styling, or the interior, which is too cold (maybe a lighter color would liven it up a bit). I suspect enthusiasts will enjoy the car though but I lean more towards the sporty luxury side of the house.

reply to this comment
aarononymousaarononymous - 5/30/2008 10:18:55 AM
+4 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
It looks very similar to that new acura they keep showing only better, not bad for a mazda


tattedtwicetattedtwice - 5/30/2008 12:41:53 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Shouldnt you be looking at other pretend luxury cars? Theres always the es and A4 to replace your fancy-Accord.


lexusrox123lexusrox123 - 5/30/2008 1:43:20 PM
-1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
i'm not liking that front end. the concept was much better. and btw, id take a camry over this.


Peyton18Peyton18 - 5/30/2008 10:04:44 AM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
I'm impressed...not a TL replacement, but a nice camry/accord replacement.

reply to this comment
holmstarholmstar - 5/30/2008 10:05:30 AM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
less lateral support on the seats? They say they are maintaining "zoom-zoom" AND making it more refined, but more refined usually means a softer ride and thus less cornering ability. Less side bolstering on the seats is just a confirmation to me that mazda is abandoning zoom-zoom to chase the mass market.

reply to this comment
M35MTM35MT - 5/30/2008 11:11:23 AMView My AgentSpace
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
I hate it, if you're too fat then buy another car!! But of course, Mazda wants to sell more so I guess they have to make the seats fat-ass-ready.


tattedtwicetattedtwice - 5/30/2008 12:35:21 PM
0 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Clearly somebody read the one nitpick, rather than the whole article, so let me help you out:

"Without question, though, the four-cylinder Mazda 6 is the handling champ in this segment. The V-6’s optional eighteen-inch wheels generate loads of grip, but the lighter engine gives the four-pot 6 balance unlike any other large front-wheel-drive car. At-the-limit handling is nearly neutral, with all four tires generating their share of grip - quite the opposite of the understeer-only Camry, for example."



holmstarholmstar - 5/30/2008 6:28:22 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Well perhaps I'm biased since I owned a '05 6s and currently own a mazdaspeed 6, but come on... making the car softer is not equal to zoom-zoom. The whole reason I bought these was because they had awesome handling for the price, and they come with a manual transmission.

That said, I predict that it will be a very nice car that will compete much more strongly with the cam-cords than the previous model. If I had to choose between them I'd definately choose the mazda.


Maverick2020Maverick2020 - 5/30/2008 10:32:17 AM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Mazda is definitely on a roll with this next-generation Mazda6. It looks like a million bucks, especially compared to the Camry (esp the interior, which Toyota did on the cheap).

If they can't get sell than 70,000 units here in the U.S. with this new vehicle, there is something really wrong.

reply to this comment
lexusrox123lexusrox123 - 5/30/2008 1:45:27 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
mazda6 looks like a million bucks? lol, i'll tell you what looks like a million bucks: 2009 maserati granturismo!


SteedPubSteedPub - 5/30/2008 10:49:31 AM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
It should do well. The last car had its shortcomings, but keep in mind the car had been around for a LONG time. When it hit the market it was competitive for about a year. Like most Mazdas, they are some of the greatest cars nobody knows about. Their marketing efforts have ALWAYS been weak.

They are still also aching from the rotary stigma believe it or not. I sold Mazda's in the 1990's and people would still say, "Oh I dont want one a them, they got that dang rotary in it". Of course I would say, "No, they got rid of that years ago it has a regular engine now". People would still look at you like you were lying.

Today of course Mazda still screws around with the brand image destroying Wankel with the RX-8, the only car in the world that you still need to carry a case of oil the trunk for daily driving.

reply to this comment
blackbrblackbr - 5/30/2008 11:19:59 AM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
As a former RX-8 owner I can testify to that. The RX-8 was the most fun, yet infuriating car I've ever owned.

reply to this comment
montyz81montyz81 - 5/30/2008 11:20:57 AM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
This is not enough to move me away from an Altima. Of course that is hard to do, the only time I moved away from nissan was when I wanted a full size truck in 2001. That got me a Tundra. Then in 2004, i went to an Armada.

reply to this comment
tattedtwicetattedtwice - 5/30/2008 12:32:15 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Sounds like someone is living up to their username.

So, in your jaded world, it's just an impossibility that maybe, just maybe, they did their homework and produced a well-engineered and winning car, huh? Sad.

This isnt a car from honyota here, so it's not just thrown together, knowing the lemmings will buy it regardless.

reply to this comment
NItePhireNItePhire - 5/30/2008 12:28:25 PM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
I think that its biggest fault will be that it isnt a Honda. Car Magazines will slob all over it and say its the best thing since sliced bread. Then every car magazine in the world will do a comparative test and it will end like this.
1st Honda Accord
2nd Mazda 6
3rd Nissan Altima
4th Chevy Malibu
5th Hyundai Sonata
6th Toyota Camry
7th Ford Fusion
8th anybody else thats left ..G6,Aura,Galant etc...
One last thing I dont really even like Accords it just that no matter how ugly and fat it gets the car mags wont let it lose.



reply to this comment
tattedtwicetattedtwice - 5/30/2008 12:38:54 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
This looks like Car and Driver's outcome. M/T will have the camry in 1st place, since they're the ONLY magazine in the world that likes that thing. I still laugh at them giving it car of the year. Like Autoweek said, thats like a gourmet food magazine picking a bologna sandwich as delicacy of the year.


cericceric - 5/30/2008 12:40:28 PM
0 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
It takes time to climb up from ditch where Mazda was.
At least Mazda produce designs that appeal to consumers.
Honda, on the other hand, seems to have two design teams graduated from two totally different schools (Civic, CR-V camp vs. Accord, Pilot, Ridgeline camp)
The sales figures of MAZDA are going up while everyone else's is going down.


reply to this comment
StarStar - 5/30/2008 1:25:48 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Honda has only one design school called UGLY.


WhelanWhelan - 5/30/2008 12:56:02 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
My cousin owns a 2004 Mazda 6S with the 3.0L V6, leather, heated seats, spoiler, 17" wheels, lip kit, sunroof, bose system, auto. He has 90,000 miles on the car now and the only things he has had to do was tires, brakes, wiper blades and oil.

The car runs great, drives smooth, is comfortable, sporty, looks great in the charcoal grey, and still has a good quality to it. Oh not to mention automatic climate control.

I enjoyed the last 6, I'm not big on the full size sedans of today that get bigger and bigger till you can't park them normally.

reply to this comment
GodgoreGodgore - 6/5/2008 7:00:17 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
This is better looking than the current Accord & Camry.



reply to this comment
To post a comment for this story, you must first Login.

If you do not have an account, you will need to Register (It's Free!).

Most Recent Stories
It's Getting Deep: Auto Maker's Propaganda Machines Continue To Pump Out Bull Crap In An Effort To Bolster Sales!Camping with the new Volkswagen TiguanNissan GT-R pricing increased for 2009Video: Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR's record Nurburgring runFiat to manufacture world’s cheapest car by 2010VW hints that the Microbus might be coming back after allMysterious "Project B" Mustang concept to debut at SEMAMercedes GL Class facelift spied almost undisguised2009 Honda Civic Sedan and Hybrid Facelift Released in JapanDiesel variants of the Subaru Impreza & Forester heading for Paris2010 Ford Mustang photographed driving around2009 Toyota HiLux Facelift - Official details & PicturesFord decides to reveal the 2009 Ford Focus RS again, this time in ParisHyundai will show the i20 i-blue concept in ParisAgent 00J's $100,000 Challenge: Whose Car Collection Will Reign Supreme?AUDI AG Records Significant Growth in European Export Markets During AugustWhich is Faster, The RS6 Or The R8? The Answer May Surprise YouToyota Remains Unconvinced That US Auto Sales Have Hit Bottom YetLexus Outlines 2009 Model Year ChangesGM Facts and Fiction: GM Tells It Like It Is. Tuning: Brabus B63 S breaks cover BMW worldwide August sales up 2 percentDo You Agree? LA Times Blame Big 3 Problems On Unfair Foreign Competiton!Paris Motor Show: Subaru Debuts Diesel Forester And ImprezaBMW's Newest Baby SUV The X2 Breaks Cover - Is BMW On The Right Track?Renntec Mercedes C63 AMGFerrari Enzo Replacement SpiedNew Jaguar XF-R Spy Shots from California DesertSarah Palin Opens A Can Of Alaskan Whoop-Ass On Obama And Democrats-But What Does She Drive?Recall Issued for 2009 Jaguar XFCONFIRMED: Chevrolet Volt to be revealed this monthStudy: Women get ’turned on by engine sounds of MaseratisLamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 gets diamond wheels and pink brakesWill Buyers Be Willing To Settle For A 4 Cylinder BMW, Or It That Just Too Far Of A StretchUpcoming Beetle Design Will Inject More TestostoroneRumor: Ferrari working on a 430 Scuderia Spider2010 Chevrolet Camaro orders start next monthHyundai to show Santa Fe hybrid concept in ParisIs Imitation The Sincerest Form Of Flattery? Honda Releases Their Own Prius Look Alike!2009 Mazda MX-5 FaceliftCitroen reveals new hybrid conceptEarly look at America-bound Ford C-MaxSpies Become MythBusters When It Comes To Your Options If You Think You've Bought A LemonIs BMW The Company Actually Behind The Audi A4 Driving Experience App?NHTSA Sides With Toyota On Unintended Acceleration Issues Claiming 400 Owners Had No CaseChrysler Still Sits In The Basement, Sales Down 34% For AugustHow Low Should It Go? Analysts Predict Oil To Plunge As Low As $80 A Barrel!The Bottom Falls Out Of Audi Sales In August, Down 16% For The MonthHyundai May Be Fuel Economy Leader By Meeting Standards 5 Years Ahead Of DeadlineGM Employee Pricing Program Fails To Limit Sales Losses - Sales Down 20.4% In August