hand banana

so for the past 20 years my family has owned nothing but toyotas and hondas but with my dads 1999 camry is nearing its death and hes been searching for a replacement

getting a new toyota is out of the question because they all look like old people cars, and hes not thrilled by the new accord

he now is looking into the 2014 Mazda 6, which i gotta say looks like a sweet car
makes 184hp on a 2.5 4cyl while getting 38mpg highway...pretty impressive if you ask me, everyone who reviewed the car seems to love it and ive seen some reviewers ranking it over the camry and accord

im pretty sure Mazda is now owned by Ford? We have never owned a Ford or a Mazda before.....if anyone can chime in on reliability on Mazdas that would be great
or if anyone has the car and can give me some feedback that would be great too!!

JH82

Ford used to own part of Mazda, but not anymore. As for reliability, Mazda is pretty good from my experience. My mom has a 2010 Mazda 5, my sister-in-law has a 2005 Mazda 3, my younger sister has a 2003 Protege5 (which I handed down to her), never had any major problems. I'm considering getting a 2014 Mazda 3 myself.

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hyperpm

Ford doesn't own Mazda. I believe they have some shares in company similar to how Toyota has some shares in Subaru but Mazda bought most of Ford shares back but at time shared parts. I've had my 2008 MS3 and zero issues, it now has 83k miles. Mother in law and coworker has cx9 and sis in law has 3 sedan, no complaints/issues from them either. Also hear a lot of good things about new Mazda 6. My wife has the choice to drive 09 Pilot and 08 MS3, she takes the MS3 all the time because "she" says its fun to drive.

FurY

I hear lots of good things about Mazda's and the proof is on the roadways... you still see older models driving around which I think is always your best indication of how they hold up. The only concern that I personally would have with buying a Mazda is rust. A lot of the early 2000's models I see are now suffering pretty badly from rust and wheel well rotting the same way Hondas used to be back in the 80's/90's. Mechanically they appear to be fine, but cosmetically they don't seem to hold up as well. Do a google search and you'll see some examples. That is the main reason that I personally have never picked up a Mazda, but I am a big fan of the MS3 and I like the new Mazda 6 turbo diesel.

Saki GT

Ford and Mazda used to share components - the last gen 6 was a shared platform, and I believe shared engines with Ford. Ford ended that partnership and the new SkyActiv engines and the new 6 platform are all Mazda.

Overall, its like you've read - great overall package but you need the upper trim level to get the most out of the car. The new 6 is being hailed as better than its competition in terms of driving and interior amenities.

rob-2

It's really hard to tell you how a brand new car is going to be in 100K miles.

JSR_AP2

Almost every comparison I've read conclude the new 6 has the best handling and is most fun to drive in the class, but still loses out to the new Accord on refinement and those little daily livibility things that they rank highly, placing the Accord on top. I somewhat like the new Accord...it's attractive in the now-typical reserved Honda fashion. But I've been lightly modded Accord sedans with just wheels, a drop and the like that look VERY nice. A local one around me has Buddy Club brakes and it looks sweet. The 6 does have a more aggressive and menacing look, and much less smiley/happy than the 3 (still like the previous gen 3 more than current one which is way to happy). As mentioned, Mazda is now independent and putting forth great designs without having the parent's big bank account. My friend's 06 Mazda 3 has had zero issues and my wife's old 323 was still running fine until it was traded in for that cash for clunkers dealio and it was OOOOLD! If your dad wants a driver's car, then the 6 would be the best option in its class.

JonBoy

I found that I liked the 6 more in pictures/on paper but in person, it didn't look quite as good. Overall, I think it still looks better than the Accord but I think the Accord will age better. Inside, I liked the Accord layout better. Never been a fan of Mazda interiors, overall.

For MPG, it's as good as anything out there. For speed, it's as good as anything out there. For handling, it's supposedly the best. I don't think you can go wrong with it, honestly. The only real unknowns are long-term reliability and resale value.

rob-2

Have you considered an Acura TSX? They have a v6 but both the 4 and 6 are fun to drive. Lots of features for the money. Just throwing it out there.

Chris S

I've driven the new 6, and it's very impressive. I'd pick it over its competition in a heartbeat.