MAZDA 6

[Banz86]

Hi DK,

Indeed ... highest of low is often better than lowest of high ... the lows are hungrier with their statement products.

 

Yup ... no A3 or Q2 for me but was hoping ok for wife since she drives Mon-Friday to/fro work nia in academic field.

 

Indeed ... 1.8L turbo can feel underpowered compared to my fxt.

 

Yes, CO also decided not to go for below mid/high conti ... probably next car after mazda 6 then.

 

Had my wish for conti or 190e back then before 40 yrs old but stretched it for the E200 W124 masterpiece at 220k back in 1992 or almost 300k all in for ownership and will never do it again ... dun care eternity but only for the experience which was fine.  Nevertheless, younger bros should go for the sky and push oneself without overstretching which old man like me cannot liao :(

 

Cheers,

 

Richard

 

Hi Richard,

 

You mentioned that you CO decided not to go below mid/high conti.

 

It's personal preference for mid/high end conti or more on the build quality / engine capacity / engine power?

 

My car shortlist have a A3 and A4 (depending on budget) therefore would like to understand preferences based on another user perspective.

 

Thanks 

[Banz86]

Hi Richard.

 

The general idea I have about the more "atas" conti brands is never to go for their lower-end cars.

 

The A3 was never a consideration for me. Sat in one driven by my colleague and was astounded by how close the build quality and overall feel was to a mainstream Jap car like Mz3 or Altis.

 

A4 was pretty nice, but to me the one I really liked was the A6. It had the "feel" of an atas German car that you expect when you're paying that sort of money. Unfortunately Premium only brings in the 1.8L turbo for that one.

 

In general, the German luxury brands struggle to deliver good value for money once you go below their mid to higher end makes (e.g Merc E class, A6, 5 series). Once you go below these, they've stripped out so many of the features that you start wondering whether the car you're gettingis truly "premium" anymore.

 

Plus, in SG. Where a car is an expensive 10 year lease. Value for money makes much more sense unless you really have money to burn.

 

My own personal view, there are also fun cars in the smaller premium makes.

 

Example: BMW 116d. It's really fun car to drive (with decent shove) even though it's a diesel engine. Flaws: Too many hard plastics for the interior at that price point. Maybe if you say the older Merc-A, Audi A1, A3, those are really lacking.

 

With the newer C-class, BMW 3 series, Audi A4, those technology, build quality has flowed down to those series. 

 

And yes if comparing to the next level, they're really lacking in comfort and luxury factor.

 

I have test driven the Audi A3, A4, A6, BMW 1, 3, 5, Merc A, C, E. They really cater to the diff groups of buyers based on their budget.

[DK3410]

My own personal view, there are also fun cars in the smaller premium makes.

 

Example: BMW 116d. It's really fun car to drive (with decent shove) even though it's a diesel engine. Flaws: Too many hard plastics for the interior at that price point. Maybe if you say the older Merc-A, Audi A1, A3, those are really lacking.

 

With the newer C-class, BMW 3 series, Audi A4, those technology, build quality has flowed down to those series. 

 

And yes if comparing to the next level, they're really lacking in comfort and luxury factor.

 

I have test driven the Audi A3, A4, A6, BMW 1, 3, 5, Merc A, C, E. They really cater to the diff groups of buyers based on their budget.

 

Hi Banz.

 

Agree, there's a car for everyone's tastes.

 

Just that, when you look at the price point of the so-called smaller premium makes, you have to start making objective comparisons with other cars at that price-point (i.e the higher-end Jap makes, the only Korean premium brand thus far is Genesis).

 

Because really, besides paying for that very nice-to-have Premium German Conti badge, what else are you objectively paying for? Features? Build quality? Engine prowess? The drive?

 

I have driven the CLA 200 belonging to a relative, for an extended time, and the conclusion I had after driving it was:

When you pay for half a "proper" Mercedes Benz, you get half a "proper" Mercedes Benz. The interior is cramped, the suspension virtually non-existent, horrendous in-car entertainment, and bluetooth that keeps disconnecting from my phone. It doesn't shout "premium German quality" when you consider that Mercedes prides itself as "The best, or nothing".

 

At the end of the day, to each his own. It is very tempting to get a premium German just for that badge (even the 3-pointed Swastika, YES!!!), and I don't deny there's a certain snob factor to owning and driving one (I sure did feel that driving the CLA). But for a mere mortal like myself that doesn't have unlimited money to throw away, really need to sit down, think hard, and make objective comparisons.

 

In SG, the car is arguably the 2nd most-expensive thing we'd ever spend our money on (next to our home). So it really does pay to be prudent. Also need to consider the fact that the turbo conti engines can ONLY drink RON 98 petrol (for whatever reason). This drives up the cost of ownership down the road (no pun intended).

 

Got nothing against conti brands. You know that they're doing some things right when the Japs and Koreans are trying hard to copy them. So if I had "proper" money, I'd go for a "proper" Mercedes Benz like the E-class or even CLS or something, just to show that "I'm rich enough to own this yo!". It's nice to be able to dream...

Edited November 2, 2018 by DK3410

[Spurman]

Conti also got diff range...

 

Mazda dun compete with audi. Mercs. Bmws. They compete with volks. Seat. Opels.

 

Ultimately even europeans accept korean amd japs cars. Wallet friendly perhaps or value for money to them.

[DK3410]

Conti also got diff range...

 

Mazda dun compete with audi. Mercs. Bmws. They compete with volks. Seat. Opels.

 

Ultimately even europeans accept korean amd japs cars. Wallet friendly perhaps or value for money to them.

Volkswagon... Have witnessed too many issues with its gearbox (many of my friends and colleagues USED TO drive VW). They are beautiful to look at and great to drive (esp the Sirocco)... Until the transmission s***s itself.

 

SEAT... Too little sales to actually have traction in SG. The miserable sales volumes translate to miserable after-sales support. But like in my previous post, non-German continental makes were never really on my radar. Perhaps a SEAT owner could clarify on his experience of owning a SEAT.

 

Opels... A bit too pricey to compete with the Japs. Other than that, great-looking. But miserable sales volume compared with its more atas counterparts like BMW, Merc and even its "equal level" VW. Don't want to have to wait months for a spare part...

 

Believe me, up until the gearbox issues and Dieselgate, I'd always envied my friends and colleagues who drive VW. But the engineering with their DSGs is so reprehensibly atrocious that they've basically made durability optional. When so many of them encounter problems and all tied in with the gearbox, your non-spider sense starts tingling... Even as recently as 3 months ago a colleague of mine had to give up his VW Golf GTI Cabriolet of 5 years because of gearbox issues. He switched to an Infiniti Q50 2.0T. Nice car in flaming red, and he drives it like it's a Ferrari.

Edited November 2, 2018 by DK3410

[SZ_ford]

Hi Banz.

 

Agree, there's a car for everyone's tastes.

 

Just that, when you look at the price point of the so-called smaller premium makes, you have to start making objective comparisons with other cars at that price-point (i.e the higher-end Jap makes, the only Korean premium brand thus far is Genesis).

 

Because really, besides paying for that very nice-to-have Premium German Conti badge, what else are you objectively paying for? Features? Build quality? Engine prowess? The drive?

 

I have driven the CLA 200 belonging to a relative, for an extended time, and the conclusion I had after driving it was:

When you pay for half a "proper" Mercedes Benz, you get half a "proper" Mercedes Benz. The interior is cramped, the suspension virtually non-existent, horrendous in-car entertainment, and bluetooth that keeps disconnecting from my phone. It doesn't shout "premium German quality" when you consider that Mercedes prides itself as "The best, or nothing".

 

At the end of the day, to each his own. It is very tempting to get a premium German just for that badge (even the 3-pointed Swastika, YES!!!), and I don't deny there's a certain snob factor to owning and driving one (I sure did feel that driving the CLA). But for a mere mortal like myself that doesn't have unlimited money to throw away, really need to sit down, think hard, and make objective comparisons.

 

In SG, the car is arguably the 2nd most-expensive thing we'd ever spend our money on (next to our home). So it really does pay to be prudent. Also need to consider the fact that the turbo conti engines can ONLY drink RON 98 petrol (for whatever reason). This drives up the cost of ownership down the road (no pun intended).

 

Got nothing against conti brands. You know that they're doing some things right when the Japs and Koreans are trying hard to copy them. So if I had "proper" money, I'd go for a "proper" Mercedes Benz like the E-class or even CLS or something, just to show that "I'm rich enough to own this yo!". It's nice to be able to dream...

 

Not really true on one of your points, my friend's A4 is use ron 95, as stated in his user manual.

 

End of the day the German carmarkers want to widen their net and cater to as many buyers as possible.

We as buyers, make our choices. What is important to every buyers differs. Space, looks, safety, budget, power, warranty.........the list goes on

 

don't like the cheap looking interior of CLA? for about the same money get a top spec Mz6 or harrier. These cars won't be perfect either.

 

Choices, choices, choices..........

[richard_crl032]

Hi Richard,

 

You mentioned that you CO decided not to go below mid/high conti.

 

It's personal preference for mid/high end conti or more on the build quality / engine capacity / engine power?

 

My car shortlist have a A3 and A4 (depending on budget) therefore would like to understand preferences based on another user perspective.

 

Thanks

Hi Banz,

 

Guess it was not vfm and associated conti reliability but not the coveted conti performance and ride.

 

Frankly speaking, A3 and Q2 may look nice feom far but far from nice. Just to add to explain a bit more, give me either to replace my current 1 yr old fxt and I would say pls go away politely.

 

Most importantly for you, A4 pls ..

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Edited November 2, 2018 by richard_crl032

[Davidklt]

What in dash car camera do you use ? Because of the sensor in front of rear view mirror, the positions of the camera can be quite unsightly.

[richard_crl032]

Mz6 2.5L FC ranges between 7.3 L/ 100 km (mostly highway) and 8.0 L/ 100 km (more city or stuck in traffic jam).

 

Agree that the fit and finish on Audis definitely superior to that of Mazda. You can already feel and hear the difference when you open and close the door.

 

Having said that, it's obvious Mazda has been copying a lot of Audi's design language for the interior. The central control knob, screen, etc, are so similar that when I got into the cabin of the CX-9, for an instant it felt like I was in the Audi Q7.

 

A few things to bear in mind though, about turbocharged engines:

1) The lifespan of certain components are generally shorter in turbocharged engines when compared to their naturally aspirated counterparts

 

2) Must always respect the service interval. Turbos run hot, and at higher pressures (they're called forced induction for a reason) than naturally aspirated engines do. The last thing you want is to miss several preventive maintenance visits and have the turbo blow up in your face. The repair cost is going to be really painful.

 

3) Must bear in mind to not shut off the engine immediately after driving a turbocharged engine hard. Must let engine idle for a while to bleed the heat from the turbocharger turbine. Otherwise, you can expect the lifespan of the expensive components there to shorten, considerably. Well, on the upside, you can be on first-name basis with the servicing department people.

 

Turbocharged engines are awesome to drive. They just need a little more TLC compared to their naturally-aspirated siblings.

Hi DK,

 

8l/100km is 12+km/l which I doubt is typical of city + singapore hwy driving.

 

Expect 10-11k/l even if partial switch-off engine technology seems for logical for a typical 2.5l NA sedan.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

[DK3410]

Hi DK,

 

8l/100km is 12+km/l which I doubt is typical of city + singapore hwy driving.

 

Expect 10-11k/l even if partial switch-off engine technology seems for logical for a typical 2.5l NA sedan.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

 

Hi Richard,

 

I am indeed getting around 7.3 to 7.5 L/ 100 km for highway driving. When stuck in a jam, that value quickly rises to 7.9 - 8.0 L/ 100 km. With a lot of city driving, it would then rise to about 8.3 L/ 100 km.

 

If you've spoken to my wife, she'd tell you I'm a very sedate driver (i.e I drive like I'm sedated), and very light-footed. I hardly ever rev it past 2000 rpm.

 

One of my previous rides was a 2nd-generation Prius, so I am aware how light-footed I am (could easily get 4.4 L/ 100 km on that one).

 

I still do rev it to 3000+ rpm from time to time though, but only when the situation warrants it (like merging onto highway).

Edited November 2, 2018 by DK3410

[richard_crl032]

Hi Richard,

 

I am indeed getting around 7.3 to 7.5 L/ 100 km for highway driving. When stuck in a jam, that value quickly rises to 7.9 - 8.0 L/ 100 km. With a lot of city driving, it would then rise to about 8.3 L/ 100 km.

 

If you've spoken to my wife, she'd tell you I'm a very sedate driver (i.e I drive like I'm sedated), and very light-footed. I hardly ever rev it past 2000 rpm.

 

One of my previous rides was a 2nd-generation Prius, so I am aware how light-footed I am (could easily get 4.4 L/ 100 km on that one).

 

I still do rev it to 3000+ rpm from time to time though, but only when the situation warrants it (like merging onto highway).

Hi DK

 

Cool and good to know !

 

Believe it is not typical on mentioned sedated driving and my comments.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

[DK3410]

Hi DK

 

Cool and good to know !

 

Believe it is not typical on mentioned sedated driving and my comments.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

 

Hi Richard.

 

Most of us Singaporeans tend to be less patient when it comes to transportation. Which is sometimes a pity because:

You're in such a nice car already, why not sit back, relax, and enjoy the drive in comfort?

I feel that way especially when I see people driving very nice drool-worthy contis (like S-class or 7-series) or nice plush SUVs/ MPVs driving like maniacs on the roads.

 

Our right foot is connected to a tap, and that tap is connected to the fuel tank. The harder we step, the faster that tank empties, and by extension, the faster it empties our wallets too... :p

[richard_crl032]

Hi Richard.

 

Most of us Singaporeans tend to be less patient when it comes to transportation. Which is sometimes a pity because:

You're in such a nice car already, why not sit back, relax, and enjoy the drive in comfort?

I feel that way especially when I see people driving very nice drool-worthy contis (like S-class or 7-series) or nice plush SUVs/ MPVs driving like maniacs on the roads.

 

Our right foot is connected to a tap, and that tap is connected to the fuel tank. The harder we step, the faster that tank empties, and by extension, the faster it empties our wallets too... :p

Hi DK,

 

Indeed many rush but guess some wish to gain a bit more time like cab drivers or simply to get things done to relax not on the road in a car but at home or with friends.

 

I certainly do not drive like a maniac like some errant race boys and road bullies but will certainly go on lane 1 at every opportunity and do still get to relax to enjoy the my ride ... often under the shady trees planted on the dividers.

 

Think just drive normally per speed limits instead of sedated driving also to avoid jamming up roads (with reasonable and not 10 car gaps from front car) and for those who wishes to speed up a little but still within speed limit, lane 1 is the right way to go. However, do also note that it is an overtaking lane to avoid if there is no traffic on lane 2 which many drivers unfortunately are ignorant or dumb to know it ... but fortunately, roadhogging is a traffic offence.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Edited November 3, 2018 by richard_crl032

[Hobbes187]

Not sure if I am the only one but I have tracked my FC over the last 6 tanks and found that RON98 gives better mileage over 95.

 

I pumped 2 tanks on 98 and got about 8-8.4L per 100km. The. Swapped to 2 tanks of 95 and got about 9.7-10L per 100km. Recent 2 tanks went back to 98 and got 8.2L per 100km again.

 

Same route and driver throughout...

[K1988]

Hi bros,

 

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Richard

 

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Hi Mr Richard

 

Are you able to share with me your SE contact ?

 

Thanks :)

[richard_crl032]

Hi Mr Richard

 

Are you able to share with me your SE contact ?

 

Thanks :)

Hi 1988k,

 

Paiseh .. I copied feom other bro's advice and deleted the SE name to avoid free advert .. cannot remember liao.

 

Just call 2-3 time to eurokar with this car expo offer and see who offer you the best before going test drive ? If you had test driven, you are stuck with the SE for a while of say 3 mths ...

 

Cheera.

 

Richard

[richard_crl032]

Not sure if I am the only one but I have tracked my FC over the last 6 tanks and found that RON98 gives better mileage over 95.

 

I pumped 2 tanks on 98 and got about 8-8.4L per 100km. The. Swapped to 2 tanks of 95 and got about 9.7-10L per 100km. Recent 2 tanks went back to 98 and got 8.2L per 100km again.

 

Same route and driver throughout...

Hi Hobbes,

 

For my fxt and past experience, I did not see such big difference or even hardly any difference on FC.

 

For sure octane98 feels quieter, smoother and with marginally betta pick up ... think with resulting less forceful acceleration which may explain your reported difference.

 

Clearly also you are not the sedated driver else I believe you will not find such difference.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

[Hobbes187]

Hi Hobbes,

 

For my fxt and past experience, I did not see such big difference or even hardly any difference on FC.

 

For sure octane98 feels quieter, smoother and with marginally betta pick up ... think with resulting less forceful acceleration which may explain your reported difference.

 

Clearly also you are not the sedated driver else I believe you will not find such difference.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Not sedated for sure... But my numbers are for 2.5L. I believe 2.0L has better fc. Actually besides the mileage I don't feel much difference between 98 and 95.

 

Maybe I will switch back to 95 for another few tanks to see if the pattern continues...