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OP
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well, i finally went and test drove one the other day. i will say, im impressed. i really really like that car. i drove the 5-door, or hatch back, or whatever the heck its called. handled nicely, engine felt strong, interior is great, and with the hatch, when the seats fold down you get TONS of room. to those that have graduated to one, im jealous.  to those that like them, go drive one. you'll like them even more.
#4559 of 6535 born on Feb 17, 1998
Black 1998.5 CSVT
FOR SALE [cleaning house]: SVT rear swaybar. Reasonable offer and its yours!
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Joined: May 2003
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CEG\'er
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I really like these cars too, they look pretty sweet, howere I heard that they didn't perform too well in a recent crash test.
I think I have the web page on my gf's computer, and will post when I see her next.
The only reason I point this out is because the safety of our tours has been documented many a time.
A side from that, the two car I'm torn between are the mazda 6 and the Nissan Altama 3.5 SE.
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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Try parking one in a busy parking lot. Unless they revised the turn radius, you'll be soured on it.
"Think of it, if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under the tweed." Clarkson on the Mondeo.
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 325
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CEG\'er
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My g/f has the Mazda 6i 5-Door Hatch. It's pretty nice, but there are a few things I don't really care for on it.
MY05 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
World Rally Blue / Gold
98 Contour SVT - Sold
WTS: Stock SVT Rear Sway Bar. PM me.
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Originally posted by ZER0:
A side from that, the two car I'm torn between are the mazda 6 and the Nissan Altama 3.5 SE.
Good choices either way. A buddy of mine has a Mazda 6s 5-door model (black), 5-speed. I love the looks of the Mazda 6 platform. Very nice car overall.
The Alty SE is a nice choice as well. The Alty is a bigger car, better rear seat room, and is up on power as compared to the 6 by a decent margin. The 05's have a much better quality interior over the previous models as well.
What characteristics are most important to you?
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Joined: Aug 2000
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A $500 intake will close the power margin between the 6 and Altima, for a combined price lower than the Altima... and the Altima still handles like a boat.
OK... so I am a staunch fan of the 6. To me, the Altima is a 2nd class car in comparison.
The additional body styles of the 6 over the Altima give a lot more versatility... the 5-door has huge cargo space, while having the sportiest look of all.
Turning circle... I don't notice it. Definitely a drive and see how you feel about it on your own.
The side crash test was performed w/o side airbags, and was still decent. 2005 models come with side airbags standard.
Brad "Diva": 2004 Mazda 6s 5-door, Volcanic Red
Rex: 1988 Mazda RX-7 Vert, Harbor Blue.
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Yea the 6 ROCKS! It's is a much better looking car then the boring Maxima.  Too bad they discontinued the yellow... But the bright red on the hatch is no slouch! The turning radius was unnoticed by me as well. The only sucky part is the break in period of the motor. It will feel real patetic at low RPMs till you get past about 5000 miles. Even getting the Injen intake instead of the CP-E (500 dollar unit) you can improve your HP by 11 peak and 20ish mid range! I ran 14.988 @ 93.83 stock to 14.75 @ ~95! With that CP-E system I believe mid to low 14s are very possible.
Mazda 6S, V6, Speed Yellow
5 Speed, Sport package
Bose audio
Painted 'stash and HIDs!
w/Injen 1/4 14.750 @ 94.94
Former car:
99 Contour SE Sport Black MTX V6
SVT plastic...
1/4 - 15.012 @ 90.58
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Joined: Aug 2000
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Originally posted by mmarfan:
I ran 14.988 @ 93.83 stock to 14.75 @ ~95! With that CP-E system I believe mid to low 14s are very possible.
this was one of the major reasons i couldn't go with the 6s 5door or sedan. even AUTO altimas/maximas are hitting 14.7x @ 95x totally stock.
imo the mazda definitely has the nicest exterior styling and handling of sedans in it's price range, but when all else was factored for my wants/needs (passenger space, interior niceties, and torque/power) in the 6s came up slow and short. 90% of my driving is highway, 2 lane suburbia, or traffic so the pluses of the mazda couldn't make up for everything else for me.
the 05 alti has an improved interior which also helps to close the gap on interior comfort. but if mazda would just put 20-30 more hp/torque in their cars they would pretty much have a monopoly on the segment.
'03 Saab 9-5 Aero
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The room differences between the 6 and the Altima aren't as big as the car's size differences (5") would suggest. I noticed no difference in practical seating room. Front head room is the only consistently roomier dimension in the Altima.
Manufacturer:
Headroom: Front - Altima +2.7"(Mazda w/moonroof,Nissan N/A)
Rear - Altima +0.5"
Legroom: Front - Altima +1.6"
Rear - Mazda +0.1"
Shoulder: Front - Altima +0.2"
Rear - Altima +1.1"
Hip: Front - Mazda + 1.7"
Rear - Mazda + 1.1"
Consumer Reports:
Headroom: Front - Altima +2.0"
Rear - Tie
Legroom: Front - Tie
Rear - Altima +0.5"
Shoulder: Front - Mazda +0.5"
Rear - Tie
I'll let features be a matter of personal preference. I didn't see anything the 6 lacked in comparison that are noteworthy enough to recall (OK, now navigation... but you can put one in for what Nissan is asking for it... the car has a place for it.)
The CP-E gives the Mazda6 that +20-30 in the horsepower and torque department.
Brad "Diva": 2004 Mazda 6s 5-door, Volcanic Red
Rex: 1988 Mazda RX-7 Vert, Harbor Blue.
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From now on, instead of reading through these bland praises of how the 6 has this or that over every other car in the segment (which it really doesn't, when you break it down) I'm just going to post this link and let it be. This is the website to go to for all your basic Mazda 6 needs. On a side note, though I've said this thousands of times, most people that buy cars in this segment are not going to throw on computers or intakes to get more power out of it. That's extra money when a car next door at the Nissan dealer already offers it straight from the lot. Consequently, if I put this on a 6 to "even things out" and then turn around and throw that on an Altima or Accord, both Nissan and Honda will still come out of the box being quicker and making more power. Hard concept to understand, I know.  Guess it must be all about looks though.  -SAV
Troll. 1997 VW Jetta MkIII GLS 5spd
All hail my appearance on CEG!
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