ANYTHING to do with the MAZDA 6... - Page 4

**Mike 94PGT** · 3-29-03, 20:30

FWIW, I test drove a canary-yellow Mazda 6 today with the "GFX" package. I believe the only option missing was the leather interior. Here's my take on it:

The interior is very well put together. The stereo interface take s abit of getting used to but in seconds seemed intuitive. The HVAC controls are low on the console and require a good look to get to. I'm sure that too would become intuitive. The seats were firm and upright - not like my PGT. You feel up-high in this car. The seats are nicely supportive. With the driver's seat in a good driving position I was able to sit in the back seat without my knees touching the front seatback. Lots of headroom too though I'm only 6-foot. The instrument cluster is shocking-red, even in broad daylight, such is the illumination. The doors close with a very solid feeling and no extraneous noises; little effort is required to latch them.

The trunk is cavernous and has a really low lift-over. The lack of intruding shock towers plus a 60/40 split rear seat make this thing capable of hauling alot of stuff.

The V6 engine is quiet at idle and with the hood raised, sounds much like a KL. The gearbox throws are short and fairly notchy though I didn't sense any of the 1-2 goofiness the PGT gearbox has. The clutch is a tad heavier than my PGTs though with 10 years and 178,000KMs, I'm sure mine would stiffen up if refreshed. Take up is pleasant and predictable on the '6.

On the road, the suspension is nicely damped and not much noise gets into the cabin. Sharp edged potholes produce nothing untoward inside the car. The chassis exudes stiffness and this integrity can be felt in the way the car handles nasty holes in the road. Steering is just about perfect in terms of weight and turn-in. The 215/17 tires provided good cornering feel and good wet traction. The tilt and telescoping steering wheel make it easy to adjust it just so. Control weighting and feel is high-quality. This is a well put-together car.

The engine: well, hmmm... Throttle response is lazy, compared to my KL. The throttle plate is controlled by a motor, not a cable so this may be a calibration thing. There's a sense of being disconnected from the engine. Even during shifts the engine RPM hangs a bit which is another computer intrusion...

It's got a nice intake growl at WOT and a 6500-ish RPM redline. A 1-2 shift at this redline provided a nice kick in the back but getting there seems to take a bit. 1st gear is quite short providing a reasonable acceleration rate but 2nd seems too tall. An extra gear and closer ratios would be nice. I was to involved in other things to notice engine RPM at 100KPH (60MPH)

Engine torque, despite having VVT, seems definitely lacking below 3000RPM. Above 3000, the car is quite responsive but below it feels more like an I4, especially when in a gear higher than 1st. My PGT definitely feels torquier below 3000 than this Durtech-derived V6. Accelerating onto a parkway on-ramp seemed less than frantic. It's hard to say what's going on: the car curbs at 3300-lbs (pretty fat...500 more than the PGT) and I had 2 other people in the car at the time. I missed the VRIS-howl at 4250 the KL provides. Like a Jetta VR6 I drove not long ago, this engine seems to deliver a very flat torque curve. The lack of any "peakiness" - even if just a few foot-pounds - seems to give the illusion of slow-ish acceleration. I think this is indeed an illusion because I found myself at illegal speeds fairly quickly. I'd say my PGT feels a bit faster but not by much. At redline the motor sounded smooth though not as "musical" as a KL.

The brakes were awesome though I didn't abuse them. They were right now and pedal modulation is easy and predictable. Handling felt secure enough though wet roads prevented any high speed off ramps to really test it.

It's a very well done car. Very solid, nice gearbox & clutch, great interior with lots of space. Not especially fast though. Like many car mags have said, it needs another 30 HP and perhaps to lose a bit of weight. And, it would be nice to have a 2-door coupe option.

The car had a sticker of $CDN30,460 which is pretty competitive. Out the door, with no haggling and no mention made of a trade on the PGT, it would have been $CDN36,500 (taxes, destination and all that stuff) which is pretty high. $30K I can stomach, not $36K.

**Claeren** · 3-30-03, 11:31

Quote:

$30K I can stomach, not $36K.

My sentiments EXACTLY! If it was 30k out the door i would already own one but for 36k i could buy so much more car...

Claeren.

PS - Mike, go test drive a Mini Cooper-S if you haven't already, so much fun, although again a tad over priced....

IIISeries · 3-30-03, 18:03

Everyone "complains" about the 6 needing more HP, but trust me, after break-in, it gets a LOT faster. It seems like my car gets more powerful with every few hundred miles that pass. My butt dyno tells me it probably would be front bumper to B-pillar with my 330 in an all out drag race. My 3 has run consistent high 14s at the track, so I personally dont think that's too shabby.

But there's more to the 6 than speed anyway. Its the total package; I still says it's like a FWD, Japanese BMW

**Mike 94PGT** · 3-30-03, 23:11

Well, a 3300+ pound curb weight, a 6300PRM power peak (just 200RPM shy of redline) and a high 5000RPM torque peak combine to make it feel lethargic below 3000. I didn't check the mileage on the demo car I drove so I'll allow that perhaps it's still tight, but car magazines have commented that "another 30 or so horses" are needed and these are broken-in press fleet cars. As tested, it runs 0-60 in 6.8-seconds and the 1/4 in 15.4@93. Considering it's got 60 more HP than the PGT/MX6, I'dve hoped for quicker times. So lose some weight '6 and get some more low-end grunt (a VRIS-style system might help here) and you'd be nearly perfect.

I liked the car, alot. $36K is too rich for me (I'd rather buy something used and have some playing around money left over) but I wouldn't kick it out of my driveway for farting. For the money, I just hoped for a bit more.

IIISeries · 3-31-03, 1:33

Well for those that cant get enough, there's always hope that Mazda'll release the Mazdaspeed version. Or better still, drop in that 242 HP 3.5L V6 from their future sport wagon.

**jdwk** · 3-31-03, 23:59

Just got a Mazda 6 today. Ok well, my girlfriend did which pretty much means I did too.
It's a 6cyl 5spd fully loaded as most of us here would want. It is a very nice car, on the level with my mom's '01 Accord V6. However, it is much more fun to drive. It has some balls too it and the exhaust sounds pretty decent for a stock car. It is definitely a car I could drive a couple hundred thousand miles in.
With the appearance package it looks better than just about any four door on the market.
I would have to disagree a little with the torque curve. It seems plenty strong in the low end and jerks you pretty good around 2000 even if you don't give it much gas. However, past 4k there isn't the climb of my MX-6. It remains flat, so it doesn't have that rush that you get as the second VRIS opens up and you climb to red.
It is definitely slower than the MX-6, but I consistently catch myself going faster than I expected.
I have only had a day with it, so my opinion may change, but so far I am really impressed. If I had to buy a four door, this would be my car short of an S4.

IIISeries · 4-1-03, 0:31

Quote:

Originally posted by jdwk

It is definitely slower than the MX-6, but I consistently catch myself going faster than I expected.

Huh? I hope youre talking about YOUR MX6 and if so I assume you mean it's modded, because the 6 could walk all over an LS. Not saying the LS is slow, but the 6 is definitely stronger.

And also, take it easy on the new engine!

**mx6rider1085** · 4-13-03, 22:31

When I first bought my v6 mazda6 i was disappointed with the performance, i didnt feal any. But after the 600 mile break in I felt a lil better performance. I heard from my shop teacher that after the first 1000 miles its good do to an oil change to get rid of metal shavings so i did that. About 100 miles after i felt a great increase in power. And it is gradually getting better, im at 1600 miles now and I am very happy with the power and I realized that the mazda6 has lots of potential. It just doesnt seem powerfull because mazda was trying to get great fuel efficiency (it uses as much gas per mile as my old i4 mx6) so i plan on opening up the intake and exhaust and new chip and the 6 should be very impressive.

**iggypop** · 5-4-03, 1:26

Quote:

I heard from my shop teacher that after the first 1000 miles its good do to an oil change to get rid of metal shavings so i did that

i didn't think ppl do that anymore . that's good . could be less than 1000 miles. more like 600-700 miles. what kind of oil did you put back in ?

**Losiho** · 8-18-03, 7:49

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike 94PGT
Lots of headroom too though I'm only 6-foot.

"Only" 6 foot ? Since when has 6 feet been considered short ?

8-19-03, 15:37

I'm not so sure about the 6 needing more hp either. I own a 6s 5spd and have plenty of power. Sure it could use a little more torque down low, but from 2500 to redline the car pulls quite strongly. I just ran mine at the track and posted a 15.6 at 89 mph as my best. Not bad considering everyone who has run at this track (Cicero, NY) attests that they run aprox. .4 sec slower there than at good tracks like Maple Groove and Englishtown. Also from the dyno's posted on mazda6forums, the v6 runs incredibly rich at wot from 3500 rpm to redline. So there is plenty more power there.

**gunmetalpgt** · 10-4-03, 15:07

too bad they didnt co design this engine with Yamaha again..!!

1989 SHO engine was a 3 litre and had 220 hp also, but it had two torque peaks, 200 pounds ft at 2800 rpm and at 4800 rpm... not bad for 14 year old technology.

**unkiedave** · 1-6-04, 14:25

Quote:

Originally posted by mxmissile
Drove through a dealership today to show a buddy of mine thenew '6's they had lined up. He's trading in his 1993 3000GT for one within the week.

6 is great and all but trading in a 3000gt for one. I guess you failed to lets us that he is having a kid or is getting married or is getting divorced...ect, right?

**unkiedave** · 1-6-04, 14:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Losiho
"Only" 6 foot ? Since when has 6 feet been considered short ?

When people like me roam the earth. Yay club 6'6"+

**Metman** · 8-5-04, 13:11

tutututututuututut....

Mazda 6 is indeed nice.... to all MAzda 6 owners.....Sell me your 17" wheeeels!!!!!!!!! =)

Oh I'll take MAzda 3 rims if available.....

3-29-03, 20:30	#46 (permalink)
Mike 94PGT Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	FWIW, I test drove a canary-yellow Mazda 6 today with the "GFX" package. I believe the only option missing was the leather interior. Here's my take on it: The interior is very well put together. The stereo interface take s abit of getting used to but in seconds seemed intuitive. The HVAC controls are low on the console and require a good look to get to. I'm sure that too would become intuitive. The seats were firm and upright - not like my PGT. You feel up-high in this car. The seats are nicely supportive. With the driver's seat in a good driving position I was able to sit in the back seat without my knees touching the front seatback. Lots of headroom too though I'm only 6-foot. The instrument cluster is shocking-red, even in broad daylight, such is the illumination. The doors close with a very solid feeling and no extraneous noises; little effort is required to latch them. The trunk is cavernous and has a really low lift-over. The lack of intruding shock towers plus a 60/40 split rear seat make this thing capable of hauling alot of stuff. The V6 engine is quiet at idle and with the hood raised, sounds much like a KL. The gearbox throws are short and fairly notchy though I didn't sense any of the 1-2 goofiness the PGT gearbox has. The clutch is a tad heavier than my PGTs though with 10 years and 178,000KMs, I'm sure mine would stiffen up if refreshed. Take up is pleasant and predictable on the '6. On the road, the suspension is nicely damped and not much noise gets into the cabin. Sharp edged potholes produce nothing untoward inside the car. The chassis exudes stiffness and this integrity can be felt in the way the car handles nasty holes in the road. Steering is just about perfect in terms of weight and turn-in. The 215/17 tires provided good cornering feel and good wet traction. The tilt and telescoping steering wheel make it easy to adjust it just so. Control weighting and feel is high-quality. This is a well put-together car. The engine: well, hmmm... Throttle response is lazy, compared to my KL. The throttle plate is controlled by a motor, not a cable so this may be a calibration thing. There's a sense of being disconnected from the engine. Even during shifts the engine RPM hangs a bit which is another computer intrusion... It's got a nice intake growl at WOT and a 6500-ish RPM redline. A 1-2 shift at this redline provided a nice kick in the back but getting there seems to take a bit. 1st gear is quite short providing a reasonable acceleration rate but 2nd seems too tall. An extra gear and closer ratios would be nice. I was to involved in other things to notice engine RPM at 100KPH (60MPH) Engine torque, despite having VVT, seems definitely lacking below 3000RPM. Above 3000, the car is quite responsive but below it feels more like an I4, especially when in a gear higher than 1st. My PGT definitely feels torquier below 3000 than this Durtech-derived V6. Accelerating onto a parkway on-ramp seemed less than frantic. It's hard to say what's going on: the car curbs at 3300-lbs (pretty fat...500 more than the PGT) and I had 2 other people in the car at the time. I missed the VRIS-howl at 4250 the KL provides. Like a Jetta VR6 I drove not long ago, this engine seems to deliver a very flat torque curve. The lack of any "peakiness" - even if just a few foot-pounds - seems to give the illusion of slow-ish acceleration. I think this is indeed an illusion because I found myself at illegal speeds fairly quickly. I'd say my PGT feels a bit faster but not by much. At redline the motor sounded smooth though not as "musical" as a KL. The brakes were awesome though I didn't abuse them. They were right now and pedal modulation is easy and predictable. Handling felt secure enough though wet roads prevented any high speed off ramps to really test it. It's a very well done car. Very solid, nice gearbox & clutch, great interior with lots of space. Not especially fast though. Like many car mags have said, it needs another 30 HP and perhaps to lose a bit of weight. And, it would be nice to have a 2-door coupe option. The car had a sticker of $CDN30,460 which is pretty competitive. Out the door, with no haggling and no mention made of a trade on the PGT, it would have been $CDN36,500 (taxes, destination and all that stuff) which is pretty high. $30K I can stomach, not $36K.
	Mike (94 PGT - sold) 2002 Mustang GT ... whole buncha stuff... 2002 VW GTI 1.8T \| GIAC X+ tune \| APR R1 Diverter \| N75J \| Evoms V-Flow Stg 2 \| APR TIP \| Techtonics downpipe \| R-Line shift knob + TT short shifter \| Helix projectors w/6000K HIDs \| TT front brakes \| MFA sport cluster conversion \| OE Navigation

3-30-03, 23:11	#49 (permalink)
Mike 94PGT Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	Well, a 3300+ pound curb weight, a 6300PRM power peak (just 200RPM shy of redline) and a high 5000RPM torque peak combine to make it feel lethargic below 3000. I didn't check the mileage on the demo car I drove so I'll allow that perhaps it's still tight, but car magazines have commented that "another 30 or so horses" are needed and these are broken-in press fleet cars. As tested, it runs 0-60 in 6.8-seconds and the 1/4 in 15.4@93. Considering it's got 60 more HP than the PGT/MX6, I'dve hoped for quicker times. So lose some weight '6 and get some more low-end grunt (a VRIS-style system might help here) and you'd be nearly perfect. I liked the car, alot. $36K is too rich for me (I'd rather buy something used and have some playing around money left over) but I wouldn't kick it out of my driveway for farting. For the money, I just hoped for a bit more.
	Mike (94 PGT - sold) 2002 Mustang GT ... whole buncha stuff... 2002 VW GTI 1.8T \| GIAC X+ tune \| APR R1 Diverter \| N75J \| Evoms V-Flow Stg 2 \| APR TIP \| Techtonics downpipe \| R-Line shift knob + TT short shifter \| Helix projectors w/6000K HIDs \| TT front brakes \| MFA sport cluster conversion \| OE Navigation

4-13-03, 22:31	#53 (permalink)
mx6rider1085 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Boca Raton, FL Age: 22 iTrader: (0)	When I first bought my v6 mazda6 i was disappointed with the performance, i didnt feal any. But after the 600 mile break in I felt a lil better performance. I heard from my shop teacher that after the first 1000 miles its good do to an oil change to get rid of metal shavings so i did that. About 100 miles after i felt a great increase in power. And it is gradually getting better, im at 1600 miles now and I am very happy with the power and I realized that the mazda6 has lots of potential. It just doesnt seem powerfull because mazda was trying to get great fuel efficiency (it uses as much gas per mile as my old i4 mx6) so i plan on opening up the intake and exhaust and new chip and the 6 should be very impressive.
	Proud new owner of the new 2003 Mazda 6

8-19-03, 15:37	#56 (permalink)
Blackout Location:	I'm not so sure about the 6 needing more hp either. I own a 6s 5spd and have plenty of power. Sure it could use a little more torque down low, but from 2500 to redline the car pulls quite strongly. I just ran mine at the track and posted a 15.6 at 89 mph as my best. Not bad considering everyone who has run at this track (Cicero, NY) attests that they run aprox. .4 sec slower there than at good tracks like Maple Groove and Englishtown. Also from the dyno's posted on mazda6forums, the v6 runs incredibly rich at wot from 3500 rpm to redline. So there is plenty more power there.
Blackout Location:

3-30-03, 18:03	#48 (permalink)
IIISeries Banned Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Age: 29 iTrader: (0)	Everyone "complains" about the 6 needing more HP, but trust me, after break-in, it gets a LOT faster. It seems like my car gets more powerful with every few hundred miles that pass. My butt dyno tells me it probably would be front bumper to B-pillar with my 330 in an all out drag race. My 3 has run consistent high 14s at the track, so I personally dont think that's too shabby. But there's more to the 6 than speed anyway. Its the total package; I still says it's like a FWD, Japanese BMW

3-31-03, 1:33	#50 (permalink)
IIISeries Banned Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Age: 29 iTrader: (0)	Well for those that cant get enough, there's always hope that Mazda'll release the Mazdaspeed version. Or better still, drop in that 242 HP 3.5L V6 from their future sport wagon.

3-31-03, 23:59	#51 (permalink)
jdwk Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Phoenix iTrader: (0)	Just got a Mazda 6 today. Ok well, my girlfriend did which pretty much means I did too. It's a 6cyl 5spd fully loaded as most of us here would want. It is a very nice car, on the level with my mom's '01 Accord V6. However, it is much more fun to drive. It has some balls too it and the exhaust sounds pretty decent for a stock car. It is definitely a car I could drive a couple hundred thousand miles in. With the appearance package it looks better than just about any four door on the market. I would have to disagree a little with the torque curve. It seems plenty strong in the low end and jerks you pretty good around 2000 even if you don't give it much gas. However, past 4k there isn't the climb of my MX-6. It remains flat, so it doesn't have that rush that you get as the second VRIS opens up and you climb to red. It is definitely slower than the MX-6, but I consistently catch myself going faster than I expected. I have only had a day with it, so my opinion may change, but so far I am really impressed. If I had to buy a four door, this would be my car short of an S4.

10-4-03, 15:07	#57 (permalink)
gunmetalpgt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: iTrader: (0)	too bad they didnt co design this engine with Yamaha again..!! 1989 SHO engine was a 3 litre and had 220 hp also, but it had two torque peaks, 200 pounds ft at 2800 rpm and at 4800 rpm... not bad for 14 year old technology.

8-5-04, 13:11	#60 (permalink)
Metman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ile Perrot, Canada Age: 22 iTrader: (0)	tutututututuututut.... Mazda 6 is indeed nice.... to all MAzda 6 owners.....Sell me your 17" wheeeels!!!!!!!!! =) Oh I'll take MAzda 3 rims if available.....