Faults:

The fuse in the cigarette lighter has gone out.

There seems to be some water leaking in the trunk on the carpet when it rains or I wash it. I haven't gone to the dealership yet though.

General Comments:

This car has some seriously good handling including an excellent steering system.

I really like the telescoping steering wheel.

The seats could be a little softer.

I have a 4 cylinder and the last tank I only got 20.3 mpg. Yes I do drive it fairly hard, but this is still unacceptable.

Faults:

Check Engine light would come on repeatedly after the first few months of ownership. The Dealer claimed it was a problem with the EGR valve in the exhaust. However, the problem did not seem to have been fixed, despite several trips to dealers in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Alabama. The dealer in Alabama seemed to be the only one to solve this persistent glitch permanently.

No other problems to date (been about 6 months now).

General Comments:

I really enjoy this car.

The Mazda 6 is the only car I have driven in its class that can even approach the driving joy I had in my old 98 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro (which I no longer have due to the antics of a drunk driver that hit me). Sure an Accord or Altima are more powerful, but none of those could put a smile on my face when they got into the turns of a mountain road. The Mazda put them to shame in the fun-to-drive factor, especially the Accord.

The Mazda also looks better than any other car in its mid-$20K class. It may be a bit to racy for some, but for a young college student, it comes close to perfect.

I have driven from coast to coast in this car, and it remains extremely comfortable. Plenty of room and luggage space. Very comfortable seats (except I don't care too much for the black leather in summer), and the sound system is incredible (although not as good as my old Audi's).

Nissan and Honda continually advertise their cars on TV. Mazda doesn't need to, word of mouth seems to be doing better than any Ad-campaign.

Faults:

This car's fuel line connector to the engine failed at 3300 miles leaking gasoline all over my garage. The part for repair was not available and has to be made new! This has already taken one week and who knows when it will be ready. Previously the car handled nicely. Short people will not find it comfortable, but I did. It is too bad that Mazda cannot repair their own product with any efficiency.

General Comments:

This car handles well. The paint scratches easily however. The car is comfortable for a 6 footer like, but my 5 foot 2 inch wife hates it.

Faults:

Back seat base CAME LOOSE while my son (and his child seat) was in it! JUST a bit terrifying. Fixed at dealer at no charge - only took 5 minutes. Still left me a bit shook up, though.

Rear brakes make a bit of a grinding sound during heavy braking. Dealer attributes this to ABS, and says it's completely normal. While the ABS isn't "jerky" like that of some cars, I can really hear the ABS modulation in the rear. Front braking is as smooth as glass.

General Comments:

This is a GREAT-feeling car. Feels as tight as a drum. Plenty of power, smooth trans, very fun in the "manumatic" mode. It feels as though the tires are glued to the ground. This car just begs to play out in the twisties. A true joy to drive.

The interior is very comfortable, and the gauges and dials are right where they need to be. Excellent climate control system. Great seats. Stereo system could be a *tad* better, but it's much better than other stock systems I've had.

I know it's the car's first production year, so I'm mindful of any new rattles, squeaks, etc. so far - not a problem at all.

But just to be safe - I got the "everything" warranty. :-)

Faults:

At less than 1 month old at at 1222 miles, I have a fuel line leak, so bad the fire department was called out last night by the neighbors because of the toxic spill.

General Comments:

I had been much anticipating the release of this car to the public, but have learned a valuable lesson. Don't buy a car the first year it comes out.