2004 Mazda 6 Sport Wagon 3.0L V6

Summary:

We'd buy another one in a heartbeat!

Faults:

Absolutely nothing!

General Comments:

Coming out of 4 Honda accords in a row (2 sedans, 1 wagon, 1 coupe, we were pleasantly surprised by the fit, finish, and overall quality of this car. The warranty is light years better than the Honda (no loaner car provision) the reliability up to this point is flawless, and dealer service has been PERFECT! At 100 mph, this car feels like my brother's BMW, at half the price. Great mileage, great looks, great price. Big bang for the bucks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd June, 2005

2004 Mazda 6 Sport I4 GT I4

Summary:

Reliable, cheap to run yet sporty!

Faults:

So far so good! Nothing has gone wrong. If anything, I don't like the slow reception of the accelerator when in auto mode. I usually drive it in manual mode.

General Comments:

I've had this car for just over a year and it has been through a hot summer and a cold winter. Still drives as well as when I bought it. Gas mileage is better than ever. I love the interior. I still get lots of looks telling me that the car still has appeal as I ain't a pretty guy! Regular servicing has been done which probably helps. No recalls, no faulty accessories, no alignment problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th May, 2005

2004 Mazda 6 4 cylinder

Summary:

A worthy alternative to the all too common Camry and Accord

Faults:

Two weeks after I purchased the car, I was unable to start the engine due to a fault in the anti-theft system.

General Comments:

My wife and I love to drive this car. It strikes an excellent balance between performance handling, ride comfort, and road noise.

The 4 cylinder engine is adequate for the flat Midwest with decent acceleration and acceptable if not inspiring passing power.

Though the mileage is within the expected range for a family car, I find it strange that my 2001 V6 Malibu gets slightly better city mileage and considerably better highway mileage.

The mileage is still acceptable and the envy of my friends who own full size and baby SUVs.

The ergonomics, including the electrically adjustable seat position are among the best of the several domestic and imported cars we test drove.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th May, 2005

2004 Mazda 6 2.2

Summary:

Very disappointing - does not live up to hype or Mazda's previous reputation

Faults:

Car was great for the first few months, but then developed several problems that Mazda has been unwilling to acknowledge / fix.

Power/performance are way down as is gas mileage.

Stick shift is clunky and rough.

Cold starts are terrible.

Traction control is complete crap in the snow.

General Comments:

Repeated trips to 2 different dealers and, after several months of asking - a regional service rep test drove it - said there's nothing wrong. Mazda has really let me down with the car and the lack of accountability and support.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th April, 2005

16th Apr 2005, 21:39

This is probably one of the worst comments I have ever read on this site. The author of it is clearly biased against Mazda and hates their products, clearly shown in the negative comment based on such tiny defects.

20th Apr 2005, 15:24

Not sure your comment is fair. The post is just stating that Mazda hasn't been accountable for some issues. I wouldn't be very happy if a car I just dumped 20+K on delivered poor performance.

I agree with the critique on the traction control (I find it way too aggressive with throttling down, especially when trying to shift with the M/T). I just drove Ford's 05 'Stang, and found their traction control to be much more refined (which surprised me, since it was a Ford).

The Mazda6 has had quite a few reported problems with the clutch (see mazda6club.com, there are over 2K posts on the topic). I have yet to hear of any admission on Mazda's part regarding their poor clutch. My car has 30+K miles on it, and I'm worried my clutch is going. Considering my Honda Prelude made it to 170K before the clutch went (Altima past 80K when I sold it, Toyota Tercel at 120K replaced clutch), that is really poor. I should be able to shift into 3rd gear at high RPM without the pressure plate crapping out on me.

While I love my car, I sympathize with the original post. Mazda has lost some reputation with the 6. Even Consumer Reports has dropped their rating just due to problems with the car. It'd be like buying a Honda Accord, the "most reliable car," just to find it isn't any more reliable than a Chevy Malibu. Just a thought.

30th Aug 2005, 20:27

Well I don't know if you've been keeping up, but the Accord has dropped considerably. It ISN'T much better than a Malibu anymore.

16th Apr 2007, 13:58

I hope you guys know that Mazda is owned by Ford. On the V6 they use a Ford engine and a Ford transmission. The 6 has its share of problems; just read the issues on www.mazda6club.com with people's engines dying and transmissions failing, and Mazda not knowing how to fix it, other than replacing the part and then never reporting it to Mazda, because if you call corporate, they scratch their head and are like what? We've never heard of these problems...

It happens all the time. Not to mention all the rattles the car has.

14th Jan 2009, 22:09

Hey Y'all,

Bought a 2004 Mazda6 wagon and really liked it. Especially the "low" mileage and matching price,@$6500! I thought I had a good deal.

But wait, not two days upon purchase, the car had developed a strange rattling noise, perhaps classified as a knock, whenever it went over a bump! You can feel it most definitely in the "Steering Wheel". Took it to the dealer, nice enough guys, but to no avail. I just now have read some of the horror stories about bad PCV valves and the like!... who knew? Any suggestions? I am beginning to think I may sell the car before I have problems. What say you?