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I agree that they're in a different class. And the TL is very likely worth every penny of the extra $13,000+ over the 6, but just not to me.

Maybe when I'm making a little more than I am now and have some positive equity on my 6 I'll look more seriously at it. As it stands, it's just a little out of my comfortable price range for what you get. $5000 more, and I'd probably have bought the TL over the 6s.

And, well, you can have your opinion of the 6 vs the SVT. You've driven them both, so you are entitled to your educated opinion.

You hit my big debate...

I love the TL, but is it worth $8000 more than a Mazda6?

My only issue with the TL, besides the price tag is the fact the rear seat does not fold, seriously limiting the utility of the car. That is what may swing me to the 5-door 6.

The 6 has exceptional reliability, better than the Accord the new TL is based on. So I wouldn't shirk the 6 based on quality. Also, I found torque steer minimal in the TL I flogged.

Has any of you driven or even seen the 04 TL in person in detail.. bluetooth heated seats, 4 piston brembos, drive by wire throttle, navi, xm etc yada yada yada..

I agree the TL is not worth $8-10,000 more than the 6.. its worth 15 more after looking at the 6 months ago...

fit and finish exterior and interior are worlds apart

those that i mentioned are just a very minimal list

lsd
vsc
hid's
way better seats
tranny
interior room
when i pull up next to a 6 my car seems about half a car bigger
the 6 seems to be the size of my svt
motor is all the difference in the world

3.2 270hp vtec compared to 3.0 not sure on hp 225 or thereabouts.. when i tested it i liked my svt modded more than the 6 stock. Thought the 6 was very underpowered for the money compared to whats out there altima, accord etc.. in its price range.

apples to oranges...you see where the 10-15 or some come in when you add everthing .. fit and finish included

have you even driven or been inside an 04 TL 6spd?

all I'm saying is that the extra money is very well justified..and rightfully so for the extra 10 or so g's

Now that's a list of features worth paying for; With the exception of the fit-and-finish, which is a little more subjective.

The 6 is small compared to the TL. It's almost exactly the same size as your 'Tour.

The 6 is an SVT Contour with a 3L swap, upgraded suspension, and a far upgraded interior, and is priced accordingly. Same size, almost exactly the same tranny, same interior space, etc

The TL is definitely a very nice car. At 5K more, I would have got it without a doubt. At 7K more I would have been hard-pressed to not get it, even though it would strain my budget.

But a full 50% more money every month (probably more because I wouldn't have gotten low finaning), plus heightened insurance, just isn't worth it to me. I just don't think it would be worth an extra ~$275-350/month to own one.

If I had the money to easily throw around, I would have gotten it hands-down. But the difference isn't enough, for me, to make myself eat Ramen noodles every night for 5 years.

Mazda 6 TL
Length 187in 189in
Width 70in 72in
Height 57in 57in
Whl base 105in 108in
Front:
Head Room 39in 39in
Hip Rm 55in 56in
Shlder Rm 56in 58in
Leg Rm 42in 43in
Rear:
Head Room 37in 37in
Hip Rm 54in 54in
Shlder Rm 55in 56in
Leg Rm 37in 35in

Luggage 15 cu ft 13 cu ft
max Cargo 15 cu ft 13 cu ft

Weight 3241 lbs 3482lbs


I was suprised at how close these two are in size to each other!

Hm. So am I.

The TL looks so big compared to the 6.

Not too surprised about the lack of storage space. The 6 has got a freaking cavern for a trunk.

It's definently quite a bit heftier though, at 200 lbs heavier. But it's got an extra 50hp that more than makes up for it.

I agree with you... I have driven the TL and I love the car. I believe the car is worth the extra $8000 (list to list, which is the only way I compare) over the Mazda 6 5-door s.

The question is do I have the extra $8000 to spend, and if I do, do I want to put in into a car, towards stuff for the house, or save it against a rainy day? I don't have the numbers to decide if I have the cash yet, much less what I want to do with it.

The 6 represents keeping my place in the world. It's a great car that I love dearly, but is equivalent to my SVT. The TL represents a big step up in the world in every way. If the rear seat folded, the car would be perfect.