MAZDA 6

[richard_crl032]

1 hour ago, RogerNg_185295 said:

The mileage usually has been tampered with . Not to scare you, but preowned cars all like that one.

Almost standard procedure by used car dealers and 100% if mileage is exceptionally high ...😏

[richard_crl032]

10 hours ago, arataka said:

Conclusion

No regrets and I am likely to get the same car on hindsight. Again, only remorse is not seriously considering a second hand 2.5L. I think the 2.5L would have been the ideal car within my budget.

Hi Arataka,

I was given a choice to pick up nice looking hatchback 2.5L only vs the executive 2.0L which I ended when buying new for my wife.

Main reasons as follows:

- 143k+ vs 108k, recurring higher roadtax, higher FC

- smoother and more responsive drive due to 2.5l but not anything like my forester xt

- other option e.g. toyota 2.5l hybrid etc. if indeed to spend 143k+ and better resale value

Indeed used 2.5l will be a better option.

Cheers.

PS: keep reading about creative way to avoid istop but advise sincerely not to mess around with how to manage safety related braking but brake as intended and naturally .. just get sgd50 disable module from aliexpress that I had installed for last 3 yrs

Edited August 17, 2021 by richard_crl032

[Kopickosong]

@arataka Quite a fair review, we've got a mazda SUV in our "stable" (although not the sedan 6) so I can relate to some of the points. We've also got other horses in the stable, a 3 series, Camry and another conti ride that leans toward the "cold door category" which replaced a VW previously. 

In particular - Value for money
In complete agreement here, have yet to find anything in the price bracket that matches what Mazda offers, from the exterior (I think as of today, be it their sedans or SUVs, they're still THE sharpest looking or would be in top 2/ 3), interior, handling and drive. You don't really need to be an owner to appreciate the looks;  the new Mazda line ups almost always stands out in a good way at parking spaces. 

On interior and features, it puts some of the conti rides to shame (esp on their entry models). In fact I have friends on conti rides that get amazed when they hop in, or find out about stuff they don't get in their rides which Mazda gives. NVH and refinement is really brilliant at the price point but I understand that's because Mazda focused on NVH for the facelift for the model I'm on. And you are spot on that its not that conti rides or other alternatives cannot match it or do it one better.  Such rides definitely exist, but it is pretty much guaranteed they all come at steep price premiums. As far as ROI goes, the diminishing returns on $ spent for those to me at least, are insanely huge. 

Are the incremental pros enough to justify dropping another say 30-40k? Mileage varies, and to be frank the folks that can "afford" those types of rides probably don't care since money isn't much of a concern. But it is the segment that buys into the entry conti rides because of the badge prestige that really lose out big time in my view. 

iSTOP
Agreed on iStop, versus some other makes and models, I found that the iStop is completely within my control (there is a "trigger point" on the brake based on how hard I depress) and I typically choose to activate it on my own at the lights depending on conditions. If I know it's going to be red for awhile, I'd activate it. So perhaps its on older models or makes for Mazda which might be different in terms of the activation. So I am perplexed as to other people spending extra money to disable this completely. Again might be because the older models worked differently.

On the quality of life issues, am also broadly in agreement with what you've mentioned, 
Space is generally not a strong suit for Mazdas across all the classes, you'd never find anything class leading in this area, but I wouldn't necessarily say its an issue to the point of usability. For the shapes and design of their rides, the cost of it is no doubt space. 

Agreed that the gear shifts can be finnicky when navigating carpark slopes esp in certain conditions as it "hunts for the right gear". Haven't yet figured out how to 100% replicate those situations, so I'd say it's not too huge a "daily" issue for myself other than the 2% of the time perhaps. On the roads, its smooth as hell for me, heck I didn't even realise it was 6 speed originally when I first test drove it. My friend's GTI Golf is also a 6 speed, and I'd say there really isn't a discernable difference in the smoothness.  

Walk away lock - Have encountered what you encountered before when I first got the car, there is a "blindspot" when you move towards the rear as you have rightly called out or if you move a distance away before all doors are closed. I've learned to listen for the first beep which signal's that all doors are closed and its ready to auto lock when you walk away. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Kopickosong

[Lotr8445r]

Does anyone encounter while driving the car front suddenly sensor start to alert even though the front car is not very near ( more than 2 meter away? This happen today when raining heavily. ty
 

[Kopickosong]

@Lotr8445r Like you say, raining heavily, and going by this morning it was legit heavy. Does happen at times, best is test again after the rain, wipe the sensors clean and see if it still continues.

[shawn207]

On 8/17/2021 at 12:29 AM, R32 said:

Coming up to my second year of ownership of a 2.5 wagon so here's my responses

a) Strained engine seems typical of the exhaust system, if I try to accelerate harder, it will be a not-nice kind of loud too. However the natural torque of the larger capacity means I don't really need to use the higher ranges of RPM. The auto gearbox is as you describe - dimwitted at times especially if you change your mind last minute. If you're smooth and predictable, it can keep up. 

b) That's a good way of describing it. Some owners disable iStop completely, but it resets after each engine off. For me, I have iStop on and brake hold off. 

c) The infotainment is pretty driver-centric but if you have a mobile phone holder your passenger can control the entertainment from your phone (I use iOS). 

d) Wagon gets no tailgate release either. 

- Your driver's door lock is the central locking switch

- Storage space is generally lacking but at least the central armrest and cupholders are large enough to store odds and ends.

- Rear space is cramped compared to other mid-size sedans. Its worse for wagons as the wheelbase is slightly shorter. However there is slightly more headroom when you enter the car due to the wagon shape.

- I personally prefer non-LED, but its personal preference as LED can make the interior look quite stark even if its not bright white. Something to do with diffusion of light I guess.

- The walk away auto lock is biased towards the rear of the car - you can walk all the way around the rear without triggering it to shut off. Walking around the front as you have found out, you leave the detection range and the car won't auto lock because it doesn't detect the key leaving while the door is still open. Look out for the beep sound or set your wing mirrors to fold as an easy visual indicator that the car is locked. 

Petrol and engine choices

I found that the 2.5 is much more thirsty than the 2 litre in urban driving (lots of stop and go) and will consistently underperform the 2 litre by about 20% across all types of driving conditions. My average is around 9.8km per litre, 10.5 if I really concentrated on driving efficiently. However I consistently use only 95 octane and have swapped between Shell, SPC and Sinopec with no discernible differences. 

I would look out for noise issues concerning the front suspension of the car. I hear it when I have coming down a MSCP ramp while turning, and also crossing humps head on when the suspension is wet. Both issues were reported to TEK during servicing and rectified under warranty. Other users report side mirrors failing to fold properly, seems to be a common Mazda fault as my friend in a Mazda 5 suffered the same issue. My solution is simply not folding the mirror, as none of my other cars had auto-fold mirrors anyway.

Other nice features I enjoy are the head up display, the much-maligned 360 degree parking camera, and ventilated seats. 

If Singapore had brought in the 2.0 wagon that would be my first choice for a car , hands down. Can’t afford the 2.5 road tax 😭

[shawn207]

On 8/17/2021 at 3:29 PM, Kopickosong said:

@arataka Quite a fair review, we've got a mazda SUV in our "stable" (although not the sedan 6) so I can relate to some of the points. We've also got other horses in the stable, a 3 series, Camry and another conti ride that leans toward the "cold door category" which replaced a VW previously. 

In particular - Value for money
In complete agreement here, have yet to find anything in the price bracket that matches what Mazda offers, from the exterior (I think as of today, be it their sedans or SUVs, they're still THE sharpest looking or would be in top 2/ 3), interior, handling and drive. You don't really need to be an owner to appreciate the looks;  the new Mazda line ups almost always stands out in a good way at parking spaces. 

On interior and features, it puts some of the conti rides to shame (esp on their entry models). In fact I have friends on conti rides that get amazed when they hop in, or find out about stuff they don't get in their rides which Mazda gives. NVH and refinement is really brilliant at the price point but I understand that's because Mazda focused on NVH for the facelift for the model I'm on. And you are spot on that its not that conti rides or other alternatives cannot match it or do it one better.  Such rides definitely exist, but it is pretty much guaranteed they all come at steep price premiums. As far as ROI goes, the diminishing returns on $ spent for those to me at least, are insanely huge. 

Are the incremental pros enough to justify dropping another say 30-40k? Mileage varies, and to be frank the folks that can "afford" those types of rides probably don't care since money isn't much of a concern. But it is the segment that buys into the entry conti rides because of the badge prestige that really lose out big time in my view. 

iSTOP
Agreed on iStop, versus some other makes and models, I found that the iStop is completely within my control (there is a "trigger point" on the brake based on how hard I depress) and I typically choose to activate it on my own at the lights depending on conditions. If I know it's going to be red for awhile, I'd activate it. So perhaps its on older models or makes for Mazda which might be different in terms of the activation. So I am perplexed as to other people spending extra money to disable this completely. Again might be because the older models worked differently.

On the quality of life issues, am also broadly in agreement with what you've mentioned, 
Space is generally not a strong suit for Mazdas across all the classes, you'd never find anything class leading in this area, but I wouldn't necessarily say its an issue to the point of usability. For the shapes and design of their rides, the cost of it is no doubt space. 

Agreed that the gear shifts can be finnicky when navigating carpark slopes esp in certain conditions as it "hunts for the right gear". Haven't yet figured out how to 100% replicate those situations, so I'd say it's not too huge a "daily" issue for myself other than the 2% of the time perhaps. On the roads, its smooth as hell for me, heck I didn't even realise it was 6 speed originally when I first test drove it. My friend's GTI Golf is also a 6 speed, and I'd say there really isn't a discernable difference in the smoothness.  

Walk away lock - Have encountered what you encountered before when I first got the car, there is a "blindspot" when you move towards the rear as you have rightly called out or if you move a distance away before all doors are closed. I've learned to listen for the first beep which signal's that all doors are closed and its ready to auto lock when you walk away. 

There’s a lot of NVH improvement in the new mazda3 and cx30 as compared to the old Mazda 2/3. Previously the cars admittedly were rather noisy. 

istop on the new mazdas seems to be capped at 30s, it restarts very fast. Seems different from the older mazdas.

Agree that space is never a strong point of Mazdas, my cx30 looks big from the outside vs Kicks, HRV but inside I wonder where the space went to? I guess it goes back to their philosophy of exterior being a very important part of the design (long bonnet) and therefore this compromises on the space. For me I’m a sucker on design so i choose to live with this. 

[R32]

2 hours ago, Lotr8445r said:

Does anyone encounter while driving the car front suddenly sensor start to alert even though the front car is not very near ( more than 2 meter away? This happen today when raining heavily. ty
 

Water droplets on the sensors. It happens quite frequently. 

[Tlks]

@arataka very comprehensive review bro. Thumbs up!

[Davidklt]

On 8/20/2021 at 10:22 AM, shawn207 said:

There’s a lot of NVH improvement in the new mazda3 and cx30 as compared to the old Mazda 2/3. Previously the cars admittedly were rather noisy. 

istop on the new mazdas seems to be capped at 30s, it restarts very fast. Seems different from the older mazdas.

Agree that space is never a strong point of Mazdas, my cx30 looks big from the outside vs Kicks, HRV but inside I wonder where the space went to? I guess it goes back to their philosophy of exterior being a very important part of the design (long bonnet) and therefore this compromises on the space. For me I’m a sucker on design so i choose to live with this. 

Not just space but the ability to keep their engine quiet at source. Once I came across a review and I agree. The reviewer said for those that cross over from Accord and Camry (NVH) would find the Mazda "crude".

[Kimmeng]

@arataka 

On 8/17/2021 at 3:29 PM, Kopickosong said:

@arataka Quite a fair review, we've got a mazda SUV in our "stable" (although not the sedan 6) so I can relate to some of the points. We've also got other horses in the stable, a 3 series, Camry and another conti ride that leans toward the "cold door category" which replaced a VW previously. 

In particular - Value for money
In complete agreement here, have yet to find anything in the price bracket that matches what Mazda offers, from the exterior (I think as of today, be it their sedans or SUVs, they're still THE sharpest looking or would be in top 2/ 3), interior, handling and drive. You don't really need to be an owner to appreciate the looks;  the new Mazda line ups almost always stands out in a good way at parking spaces. 

On interior and features, it puts some of the conti rides to shame (esp on their entry models). In fact I have friends on conti rides that get amazed when they hop in, or find out about stuff they don't get in their rides which Mazda gives. NVH and refinement is really brilliant at the price point but I understand that's because Mazda focused on NVH for the facelift for the model I'm on. And you are spot on that its not that conti rides or other alternatives cannot match it or do it one better.  Such rides definitely exist, but it is pretty much guaranteed they all come at steep price premiums. As far as ROI goes, the diminishing returns on $ spent for those to me at least, are insanely huge. 

Are the incremental pros enough to justify dropping another say 30-40k? Mileage varies, and to be frank the folks that can "afford" those types of rides probably don't care since money isn't much of a concern. But it is the segment that buys into the entry conti rides because of the badge prestige that really lose out big time in my view. 

iSTOP
Agreed on iStop, versus some other makes and models, I found that the iStop is completely within my control (there is a "trigger point" on the brake based on how hard I depress) and I typically choose to activate it on my own at the lights depending on conditions. If I know it's going to be red for awhile, I'd activate it. So perhaps its on older models or makes for Mazda which might be different in terms of the activation. So I am perplexed as to other people spending extra money to disable this completely. Again might be because the older models worked differently.

On the quality of life issues, am also broadly in agreement with what you've mentioned, 
Space is generally not a strong suit for Mazdas across all the classes, you'd never find anything class leading in this area, but I wouldn't necessarily say its an issue to the point of usability. For the shapes and design of their rides, the cost of it is no doubt space. 

Agreed that the gear shifts can be finnicky when navigating carpark slopes esp in certain conditions as it "hunts for the right gear". Haven't yet figured out how to 100% replicate those situations, so I'd say it's not too huge a "daily" issue for myself other than the 2% of the time perhaps. On the roads, its smooth as hell for me, heck I didn't even realise it was 6 speed originally when I first test drove it. My friend's GTI Golf is also a 6 speed, and I'd say there really isn't a discernable difference in the smoothness.  

Walk away lock - Have encountered what you encountered before when I first got the car, there is a "blindspot" when you move towards the rear as you have rightly called out or if you move a distance away before all doors are closed. I've learned to listen for the first beep which signal's that all doors are closed and its ready to auto lock when you walk away. 

Well detailed written. Couldnt agree with you more on the quality of life issues haha.

[DOBIEMKZ]

On 8/20/2021 at 10:22 AM, shawn207 said:

There’s a lot of NVH improvement in the new mazda3 and cx30 as compared to the old Mazda 2/3. Previously the cars admittedly were rather noisy. 

istop on the new mazdas seems to be capped at 30s, it restarts very fast. Seems different from the older mazdas.

Agree that space is never a strong point of Mazdas, my cx30 looks big from the outside vs Kicks, HRV but inside I wonder where the space went to? I guess it goes back to their philosophy of exterior being a very important part of the design (long bonnet) and therefore this compromises on the space. For me I’m a sucker on design so i choose to live with this. 

The space although not generous is sufficiently good.

"...inside I wonder where the space went to?..." I think beside design and the huge engine bay, another factor is those huge wheel wells.

[arataka]

On 8/17/2021 at 12:29 AM, R32 said:

Coming up to my second year of ownership of a 2.5 wagon so here's my responses

a) Strained engine seems typical of the exhaust system, if I try to accelerate harder, it will be a not-nice kind of loud too. However the natural torque of the larger capacity means I don't really need to use the higher ranges of RPM. The auto gearbox is as you describe - dimwitted at times especially if you change your mind last minute. If you're smooth and predictable, it can keep up. 

b) That's a good way of describing it. Some owners disable iStop completely, but it resets after each engine off. For me, I have iStop on and brake hold off. 

c) The infotainment is pretty driver-centric but if you have a mobile phone holder your passenger can control the entertainment from your phone (I use iOS). 

d) Wagon gets no tailgate release either. 

- Your driver's door lock is the central locking switch

- Storage space is generally lacking but at least the central armrest and cupholders are large enough to store odds and ends.

- Rear space is cramped compared to other mid-size sedans. Its worse for wagons as the wheelbase is slightly shorter. However there is slightly more headroom when you enter the car due to the wagon shape.

- I personally prefer non-LED, but its personal preference as LED can make the interior look quite stark even if its not bright white. Something to do with diffusion of light I guess.

- The walk away auto lock is biased towards the rear of the car - you can walk all the way around the rear without triggering it to shut off. Walking around the front as you have found out, you leave the detection range and the car won't auto lock because it doesn't detect the key leaving while the door is still open. Look out for the beep sound or set your wing mirrors to fold as an easy visual indicator that the car is locked. 

Petrol and engine choices

I found that the 2.5 is much more thirsty than the 2 litre in urban driving (lots of stop and go) and will consistently underperform the 2 litre by about 20% across all types of driving conditions. My average is around 9.8km per litre, 10.5 if I really concentrated on driving efficiently. However I consistently use only 95 octane and have swapped between Shell, SPC and Sinopec with no discernible differences. 

I would look out for noise issues concerning the front suspension of the car. I hear it when I have coming down a MSCP ramp while turning, and also crossing humps head on when the suspension is wet. Both issues were reported to TEK during servicing and rectified under warranty. Other users report side mirrors failing to fold properly, seems to be a common Mazda fault as my friend in a Mazda 5 suffered the same issue. My solution is simply not folding the mirror, as none of my other cars had auto-fold mirrors anyway.

Other nice features I enjoy are the head up display, the much-maligned 360 degree parking camera, and ventilated seats. 

 

Yes, I noticed that there is this soft 'tak' sound coming somewhere from the front during the very first turn of the day. It doesn't happen often, but if it does, its only during the very first turn. Then for the rest of the day, no more sound. Dry or wet, there is this sound. I believe this is a suspension thing. Is there anything to be worried about and worth mentioning during next service?

Also, almost all my friends who own a Mazda has the folding mirror issue. I think it was covered under warranty after which the problem never recur. Before purchase, I actually spoke to the SE about this, and he is aware of the problem. Dunno if true, but he said Mazda rectified the problem in all the new cars sometime in 2020 and no longer has this issue. Fingers crossed that is the case.

[Banz86]

On 8/21/2021 at 2:34 PM, Davidklt said:

Not just space but the ability to keep their engine quiet at source. Once I came across a review and I agree. The reviewer said for those that cross over from Accord and Camry (NVH) would find the Mazda "crude".

I'm driving a 2015 model year Mazda 6 (2nd hand) and I do find the NVH slightly better than my old 2010 Kia Cerato Forte. I do agree that the NVH isn't as good for cars of that segment, but I understand that they have added more stuff to reduce the sound in newer models. Even the Altis has better NVH than my Mazda 6. 

I remember sitting in my friend's new Camry. The ride quality is sooooo comfortable and the NVH is top notch (the price as well).

However, I love the driving dynamics of the Mazda. It is an extremely fun car to drive which I can close 2 "ears" on the NVH. 

[Kopickosong]

On 8/21/2021 at 2:34 PM, Davidklt said:

Not just space but the ability to keep their engine quiet at source. Once I came across a review and I agree. The reviewer said for those that cross over from Accord and Camry (NVH) would find the Mazda "crude".

Our hybrid Camry no doubt quieter, but it is afterall a hybrid. Although point to note, if you try to floor it, there isn't anything more refined about it. And with CVT, well... you get CVT. A lot of sound before you get moving. That's the stark difference between them and the Mazda; but don't mistake linear acceleration with turbo or rocket speed, the Mazdas sold here aren't meant to be first off the line but I'd say they're responsive when you do step on the pedal. 

I'd say these cars (here in SG at least because of our VES and road tax) aren't meant to really thrill you in terms of performance when you floor the pedal, but they generally are really great to cruise in. The Mazdas definitely excel in handling though. 

If you're okay with CVTs and looking at hybrid, the Camry definitely worth a look at. I'd pass on the Accord, its grossly overpriced here in Singapore compared to the Mz6 and Camry hybrid. I don't know what Kah motor is smoking, but I'd like some of it for my weekends. And I reckon a lot of folks agree, given you hardly see the Accords around compared to the Camry and Mz6.

[Newbie26]

49 minutes ago, Kopickosong said:

Our hybrid Camry no doubt quieter, but it is afterall a hybrid. Although point to note, if you try to floor it, there isn't anything more refined about it. And with CVT, well... you get CVT. A lot of sound before you get moving. That's the stark difference between them and the Mazda; but don't mistake linear acceleration with turbo or rocket speed, the Mazdas sold here aren't meant to be first off the line but I'd say they're responsive when you do step on the pedal. 

I'd say these cars (here in SG at least because of our VES and road tax) aren't meant to really thrill you in terms of performance when you floor the pedal, but they generally are really great to cruise in. The Mazdas definitely excel in handling though. 

If you're okay with CVTs and looking at hybrid, the Camry definitely worth a look at. I'd pass on the Accord, its grossly overpriced here in Singapore compared to the Mz6 and Camry hybrid. I don't know what Kah motor is smoking, but I'd like some of it for my weekends. And I reckon a lot of folks agree, given you hardly see the Accords around compared to the Camry and Mz6.

Mazda 6 is great to cruise and cornering is excellent

Arguably the best value car in its class

To be fair, BMW and other contis are one notch better in several other aspects of driving dynamics.

Personally trying to step on the gas to accelerate when green light appears is the most frustrating aspect of driving the Mazda, other than the infotrain      

 

  

[Kia7200]

Collecting my mz6 this coming 7 sep. Just love the premium interior n the beautiful exterior.

My third Mazda car. 

[Discoburg]

6 hours ago, Kia7200 said:

Collecting my mz6 this coming 7 sep. Just love the premium interior n the beautiful exterior.

My third Mazda car. 

Congrats dude.