loco4rx8

I am trying to come up with a recommendation for my Mom's next car. I really think she'd love the Mazda6 as far as driving it and the features it has. But she really needs something that is reliable, and the 6 makes me nervous because of all the Ford in it.

I have read some things on the Mazda6 forums that make me paranoid, but then I look at this forum and realize that if I didn't already have an RX-8, I'd never get one after reading all of this! So, are the problems overblown, or is the Mazda6 an unreliable dog?

Anyone here own one? Any personal experiences with them? Thanks!

dtorre

I don't know have a Mazda 6i 5 door and the thing has almost 30K miles, no problems so far, allthough recently the car has begun to feel even more sluggish. Its an auto, the only problem I have are the seats are uncomfortable, the speakers suck, and it doesn't get great gas mileage either....just like the 8 ....

overall its a good car....and when you fold down the rear seats and open the hatch it feels like you could camp out in there

otherside

2003 and 2004 were tough years for the mazda 6. No major problems, just little things(constant cel problems, recalls etc...) 05 and up is your best bet. Very reliable and much improved from previous years. Of course there is always the Mazdaspeed6 if your Mom likes to hot rod, really fun car to drive!

brillo

i had a 2003 V6 MTX Mazda6 and had no problems what so ever (other than the guy who rear ended me). it had a few recalls, (what car doesn't) but was a great drive.

loco4rx8

Well, sounds good so far. Thanks for the input, I hope more people with experience with the car will chime in.

My mom would need an automatic. dtorre, you said it's now "even more sluggish" - is it that bad? The reviews seem to indicate the 4 cylinder is still pretty peppy. I guess with an automatic, though, it might not be so hot.

zoom44

www.mazda6tech.com

ucleadguitar

iTrader: (1)

I had a 2004 6i Hatch and traded it in at 48k miles for the 8. The car was great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Some pros and cons:

Pros:
Great Styling
Lots of Passenger Room
Lots of Trunk Space
Great Suspension

Cons:
Gas Mileage Sucked - 18 mpg in an Auto
Automatic Tranmission Sucked...the new 5/6 spd Autos are much better
Rattles, Rattles and more Rattles

I had few problems and the couple I had were all replaced under Warranty. I would definitely recommend getting the v6 and skipping the 4 cylinder if you want some power.

Ike

My best friend had an '03 or '04 6S and it had all kinds of nagging problems, they were so bad he had to threaten to lemon law it a couple times so they would stop "trying" to fix the problems and actually fix it. The new ones may be better, but if you're looking for something extremely realiable you may be better off looking at the competition.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

My parents have an 03 V6 auto and its been trouble free with the exception of a few recalls.

loco4rx8

Interesting experiences. I have seen the Mazda6 Tech forum, but like I said, it's hard to tell if the problems you see there are exaggerated, much like what we see here. I'm not saying the problems aren't real, just that people come to Internet forums to post complaints and try to get answers. Rarely do people post stuff like, "I love my car. I has given me no problems!"

I'm afraid if I post a question like this over there, I'll be villified for not searching. I did search, but unfortunately, it seems like there are some reliability issues with the car. Or at least the people who post on those forums seem to have some problems.

The rattle thing bothers me. I had always heard that the 6 had a nice upscale interior (for the price), but rattles are not cool. I turned the stereo off on my 8 today on the way home from work, and heard not one rattle. Then again, my last car was a 2000 Accord V6, and it rattled like a cheap tambourine. Reliable as all get out, but rattled bad.

loco4rx8

Thanks. Do you know about how many miles?

dtorre

Well loco by sluggish I mean it seems as if the engine's been lagging lately...could just need a tune up....suprisingly the 6 is litterally the same speed as my auto 8 when I had it....made it go to a manual 8 fast =P...by the way its an 05

loco4rx8

Nice pic! The 6 really is a nice looking car. Maybe I should advise her to try to wait a couple more years and see how the newer models are doing. I guess if you only chose a car by reliability ratings, everyone would be driving nothing but Hondas and Toyotas.

Ike

The new Sonata is a pretty nice car for the money and Hyundai reliability has come a LONG way.

loco4rx8

Ike, it's funny you should say that. I did look into the Sonata. I do not like the look of it as much as the 6, but you do get a lot of car for the money. They are getting very good reviews too. I wonder if it will have nasty 1st model year issues, though.

brillo

If your buying new, the 6 should be almost trouble free at this point, the onyl downside to the 6 is next year it may have the newer more poweful ford 3.5L V6 than the current 3.0L.

The sonota is a ncie car, but it is aimed at the camry, not the accord and 6 which are sportier to drive. I drove one as a rental and when compared in context I was very impressed.

dupa12345

we have an 06 .. and not much to say about reliability .. but it's a perfect wife car .. and so would be a perfect mom car .. women love it .. even when i drive i have to admit its the easiest car to drive ive ever driven .. its like cutting through power .. i guess there is some tranquility about a larger underpowered car ( ohh yeah we have the i ) for the price we couldnt do any better

though if this is your moms retirement car and reliability is the no 1 factor .. go with the all famous reliability kings like honda or toyota .. i'd recommend the fit .. elder women in europe love it .. though here its considered new and hip

loco4rx8

Thanks everyone. I'm happy to know that some folks have been having good experiences with the 6.

My mom hates the Fit, so that's definitely out. Way too small, and she's the typical hatchback-hating American.

Sounds like looking at the 6 wouldn't hurt, plus the Sonata and why not try the Accord and Civic... Mom has already driven the Camry and Corolla and wasn't particularly impressed with either one. Both were base versions and were seriously underpowered, but she liked the seats in the Corolla. If she goes the Camry route, she would have to get a used Camry with a bigger engine since she can't really afford a new V6 Camry at this point. She didn't like the seats in the new Camry either - she has back problems so seat comfort is a big thing.

Rootski

iTrader: (1)

What about an Audi A4? My brother has one, and it's a very dependable and handsome car with plenty of features. You could pick up a lightly used one in your price range.

Japan8

Or a Jetta with the 2.0T engine...

ATL-6s

Stick to Mazda.

nez

its american car....soooo no

ATL-6s

O here we go again. Not going to waste my time with american-japanese bashing crap.

loco4rx8

I really like some Audi's but VW is kind of out of the question, I'm afraid. I know two different people who've had terrible experiences with VWs. One girl's Passat is in the shop constantly.

Nice looking cars, though, and I'm sure they drive great. I just don't think I can recommend one for my mom after those experiences.

What I'd love for her to have is an Acura TL. But have you seen the resale value on those things? Sheesh - $30,000 for a used car with 40k miles?

Japan8

if this is the kind of comments you have... please keep them to yourself. No one here is interested in hearing them.