What do you guys think of the new Mazda 6 compared to the maxima?
I think it is a very nice looking sedan but I dont know if it has the power the maxima has.

 

it cant hang with a max. sorry.

 

kinda looks like a mitsubishi galant to me.

 

maybe not going straight but that new 6 will burn any stock Maxima(SE or not) in handling...

 

110% right!!!

 

Mazda 6 is a nice car. I haven't test driven one yet, but I've seen some reviews of it posted by members. It's underpowered compared to the Max (Mazda 6's V6 makes 220hp I believe, whereas the 02/03 Max is rated at 255hp).

However, as irvine78 stated, it will outhandle the Max any day of the week. I've read some reviews where people are saying it handles like a 3 series bimmer, which if true, is very impressive.

Overall, the car is a nice package, but there are a few suspect things about it. #1, the engine was made by Ford, so reliability may be an issue, and #2, it's a first-year production, so we'll have to wait and see how its reliability will turn out. As far as I know, Mazda's aren't known for that. But who knows, with their new sporty approach, perhaps they've changed their cars around.

 

No doubt there. Interior space is a bit smaller than my current 01 but the 6 "feels" nicer. (read: opinion). It looks WAY better than the new 04 booger machine Maxima.

(read: opinion) I would say if you want comfort and luxury...go Maxima (if you can tolerate the looks and control placement) if you want some tossibility and "performace" type stuff (not including straight line) go 6. Plus rumors of power plants in the 6 are coming up. Nothing fact, so no need to perpetuate possible fiction, but will make me watch to see if its true. If so...bye bye Max.

I got to sit in both side by side and actually preferred the 6 over the Max. Wish I was able to sit in mine and the 6 at the same time.

 

Engine is a Ford engine but its tuned by Mazda.

 

ditto. i dont think that engine makes the power it should or could and im sure it doesnt sound as good as the vq. and quality will def. be an issue.

 

My buddy test drove one a couple months ago. Shortly after I let him drive my 2k2 Max auto. His impressions were that the Mazda 6 has a slightly stiffer ride but the steering on the 6 is much more precise and responsive. He couldn't get over how well it handled considering it's price. He's driven an IS300 and wasn't this impressed. I think the IS300 is overrated and overpriced. If the IS430 makes it over here, that'll be a monster (still expensive tho).

He said the Maxima was definitely faster (duh) and had more torque steer (duh again).

I personally don't like the interior of the the Mazda 6 - it looks cheesy. The 6 does have a lot of nice features IMHO but just isn't in the same ballpark as a Maxima.

 

hi guys,

a friend directed me to the website below earlier this morning. instead of speculating about the 6's handling, why don't you try it out yourself?

http://www.mazdarevitup.com/info.asp

 

I ran across this thing before, but I figured it's open to people who purchase the 6 and want to improve their driving skills. Anyone know for sure who this is open to? If it's open to anyone, I'll bring my Maxi to the Boston one!

 

it costs $39.00 to register, but there's no restrictions on who can go.....

 

I drove the 6....It is very small inside and i was not impressed with the power. My altima would destroy it straight line..but not in the twisties. Very nice looking car,,,,Interior of the max is MUCH nicer...6 is on par with the Altima as far as cheap interior goes....let's not forget one very important factor...the engine is a Ford.....that ends any chance of me ever considering it.

I asked the salesman...Who makes the engine???? He did not want to tell me.....but had to and tried to candy coat it. I would never take that car over a maxima

 

before I stumbled into my Maxima. I liked the car and the press sounded great, but as far as them actually producing v6-5 speeds...as far as I'm concerned, that's a myth. I was on the call list to drive a v6-5 speed as soon as one came in and that was 4 months ago. Of course, they said I could order one, but I'm damn sure not going to order one without driving one first.

 

Feels small compared to the max and I don't like the center console setup. I heard Mazdaspeed was going to turbocharge it next year like the new Protege that's out. Maybe I'll think about it then.

 

Performance Mazda (also owns Nissan) has 5 speed manuals on the lot. Come on down to GA and take one for a spin. You won't be disappointed.

 

Thats what I have heard as well. Here is to dreaming!

Garret Turbo and I/C

 

Have a friend that got a new 5sp mazda6. Handling was fine, but not super. center console was horrible. Wouldnt be worth buying (imho) just for that alone. Not as fast as i would have hoped as well.

 

i went down to the dealer & sat in one, and IMO i thought it was too small for my taste. to be rolling with 3 ppl in the back its way too tight

 

Thats where I bought my Max. Do you work there??

 

Isnt the Mazda 6 in a different class then the Maxima, and is in the same class as the Altima?? It does seem a lot smaller then a Maxima.

 

One of my wife's co-workers purchased one of them last month. I was picking her up. ( her max was getting serviced) he tried to follow me out of the industrial area. i saw him in the rear view mirror. So i dropped it and left him. the next day he asks my wife what do i have under the hood. she said just the V-6. hahahaha

 

u guys think the 6 will hang with a 2k1 auto

 

Its the Mazda 6 MPS, which appeared @ the Paris Auto Show:





But its still kinda in the concept stage.

Anyhow, I know my 2K2 Max can blow a Mazda 6s away on the straightaways but, I'd HATE to have to face it on winding roads.

Peace.

 

unmodded a 2k1 auto will have a hard time with a v6 5 speed 6.

 

The 6's are pretty nice. My sister is gonna get one this spring i think. I test drove an automatic 4 cyl and wasnt all that impressed. I like the way they look and they handled nice and it was overall nice and tight. My friend works for the mazda dealership and he said the V6 5-speed one is pretty quick. Decent car....



-Steve

 

I test drove both the Mazda6 and the 03 SE within a week of each other. I ended up buying the 03 SE for the following reasons:

1. Killer VQ35 engine. There is nothing out there (<$30k) that can compete with VQ35's combination of smoothness, power, and torque. The v6 in the Mazda6 is slightly more buzzy but by no means horrible. It has less displacement so naturally the torque is less, and so is power.
2. 6spd vs. 5spd. i don't think i need to explain this one.....
3. price. Similarily equipped, the mazda6 is only about $1k cheaper than a 03 max with heavy discounts. but the max has a much more "expensive" feel. no discounts on the mazda6 whatsoever. in fact chances are you'll have to order one and wait for it....

it DOES handle better than the SE which you can easily tell when doing slalom maneuvers. it just feels more "connected" to the road even though the body-roll is about the same as SE's. I haven't driven the acura rsx but the mazda6 is the best front wheel drive car I've ever driven.

mazda6 does have smaller interior but that wasn't my concern. it has better bucket seats than the max for performance driving.

mazda6 is on the car&driver's 10 best car list in it's first year! max is not...

 

I could never be a successful car salesman. I'm too damn honest I did purchase my Maxima there back in November '02, though. I also test drive the hell out of some of their demo models. Same goes for the Mazda side.

 

Well, when I got my 2K2 Max the Mazda 6s wasnt even available for me to consider.

 

Car and Driver did the quarter mile in 15sec with a trap of 93mph.

 

I saw a mazda six today, it was yellow with dual exhausts...The exhausts looked like something that holds coffee grounds..Infact as I passed the slow pp colored car I saw a Folgers (tm) sign...No really I did.. Ha Yah I raced one today, I have a 01 se max with some mods on it..It's pretty fast for a automagical machine...Anyway this fool thought the yellow color gave him some hp..I guess he was wrong..Plus the whole duel setup didn't even help..Do those things even come in dual?! In japan the japanese mazda six known as the um aleri something...is dual i think ahh I dunno...All I know is that off the line the thing isn't worth the 20g sticker...Is that the price? LOL haha ok..Anyway I do know that if a 01 max can take it, prolly a stock 02 can..

Mods-PR cai, TP, Greddy Evo, Brembo rotors, some lights that give me 100hp no really it does because it blinds ppl which slows them down haha ok...

 

That was the manual one, the auo one which most people will get was tested by Motor trend in the Feb 2003 edition.

0-60= 8.1 sec
1/4= 16.3@ 87.1 mph

So in the automatic version its slower than 95-01 automatics and in the manual form its pretty close to 95-01 manual.

 

i test drove one and really considered it before i got my max. but it wasn't any better than my 99 contour svt. that's why i didn't get it. does it handle better than the max. oh ya. better than the svt? no way. not even close. just an opinion. they can be really fun though...

 

Haven't got to test drive one yet, but the yellow looks hot as hellz..

 

Yes, they can come with dual exhaust as an option with the V6. And as to handling better than the CSVT (I had a '99 as well), there's no way you could have found that out during a 10 minute test drive. You'd have to have the car for at least a weekend.

It's longer, wider, and does weigh 180ish pounds more, but it's packing more interior room by far, as well as luggage and truck space. It also has bigger wheels. The one difference is that it has about 1.2" shorter wheelbase. It's got a tighter turning radius. It's got a bigger engine with more HP and TQ, but it doesn't use premium fuel

 

Hehe...I am glad someone is stickin up for Ford

I have a Focus and its been as expected. Better service (I get loaner cars) better paint (remember the Focus has a real low slung hood and NO chips). Just a stupid place for the oil filter.

I like the 6. It IS in a different class, but I would NOT buy an Altima (super cheapo on the inside) or the new 04 Booger Mobile. Remember its all opinion when you decide whether or not you like a cars interior or exterior. Sure, Nissan has THE best motor, but when the outside of the car looks like crap because of crappy paint and the inside looks a million years old due to crappy assembly....how long are you going to keep that car before you see the "VQ" advantage..?

 

One of my co-workers (and good friend) has a black Mazda 6. His is Auto; its like my Max, gated shifter.

We park next to each other every day (reserved lot) and his car has a very nice exterior, especially with the 17" wheels and factory body kit. The factory dual exhaust looks nice too.

But the interior is NOT as nice as my Max, and it was obvious to me (and even him) that 6 got a LOT of styling cues (knockoffs) from BMW and Max.

I got my 2k2 Black Max a few months before he got his 2k3 Mazda 6 in Black. With my H&R and FSTB/RSB setup I handle twisties better than him, but a stock Max would have trouble keeping up.

As for power, there is no comparison.

But all in all I really like the 6.

 

http://www.cardomain.com/member_page...=279597&page=3

 

I drove it today, the new 6 with the V6 doesnt have the maxima's power, but the handling is a lot sharper than the maxima's (at least a stock maxima's). Otherwise the only cool thing was the RED illumination. Verdict: I'd still take the maxima