[Closed] I'm so cool.... I'm thinking of buying a Mazda 6 (Estate!)

They are nice, but when I looked into it a wee while back, you appeared to be able to get considerably more Passat/Mondeo/Vectra estate for your money.

Octavia estate?

Thanks geoff.

Right now, I have nothing to compare spec wise - we're going from a Mazda MX-5..!

We've got an 05 one - its been brilliant, the only real issue we've had with it is that it is pretty rubbish in snow, certainly compared to the Golf that we also own. OTher than that its been superb and is a much more enjoyable drive than the Golf.

following on from your MX5 post - the handling is not dismilar (as much as it can be going from a 2 seater to an estate). it drives much more lightly than you'd expect. I also went from an mx5 to the 6

I had a 2004 2.0 TS2 Estate. It was a nice car, quite nippy and not too bad on fuel. They have a known issue with clutch judder when cold. The back seats folded flat and could be triggered by a handle at either side of the back of the boot which was quite cool.

They do not have the height at the back like the Mondeo or Passat which was my main issue. I could get two bikes in the back with the front wheels and seatposts off. 20" frames and 26" wheels. Could probably have fitted more at a push.

Benefits of the TS2 were mainly the six cd Bose stereo and the cruise control was good.

>They are nice, but when I looked into it a wee while back, you appeared to be able to get considerably more Passat/Mondeo/Vectra estate for your money.,<

That's interesting because I found the complete reverse to be the case! Went for the Mazda 185bhp diesel Sport which pulls like a train, handles well (for an estate)and is surprisingly good fun to drive. It's loaded with toys incl Bose ICE, Bluetooth, heated seats, Xenon lights and much more. Also has a very very simple rear seat flip / clever parcel shelf arrangement ( which stows under the loading platform) and will swallow a large 6" tavel bike without taking the wheels off. It manages not to look big - almost identical to the Mondeo in capacity. Mondeo is a huge looking brute of a car imo...

Can't comment on the Vectra but had a Passat before the Mazda - easily the most unengaging, unreliable pile of junk I've ever owned.

Only downsides to the Mazda I've found: the interior is slightly plasticky and it likes to eat front tyres if you drive it vigorously 😉

mango - it's encouraging to know that it drives well. I do fear not being able to cope with the transition (though I drive the Mx-5 infrequently).

MrGrim - interesting re bikes. TBH, we've a child due later in the year, so need something practical, and I'm sick of hanging my bikes off the back of the MX-5.

Cheers

Tom

Are we talking new car here? The 2009 is a completely different beast from the 2004 et al.

Mazda are part owned by Ford but didn't want their engines - thought they could build better themselves ;-)The 3 new diesels 140/165/185 all very frugal for the performance. 185 is a smart option for Co cars users - only another £1 / month in tax, significant increase in performance and little sacrifice in fuel economy

Heather - didn't see your post when I responded to the others.

Very interesting. Need to work out which model gives the best options.

EDIT - yes, new. However, likely to be petrol, unless you can convince me that diesel is the future.

You'll be the talk of the council recycling centre for sure...

the six cd Bose stereo

You'll be the talk of the council recycling centre for sure...

Can you imagine how tongues will wag..? 😀

>unless you can convince me that diesel is the future. <

In real world driving 400Nm of torque leaves the petrol for dead 😉

plus 43mpg if you hammer it and 50mpg if you dont

Engine's a little clattery on start up but once warmed up feels more like a bmw straight 6 than a Japanese 4 pot. Take a test drive and judge for yourself

Congratulations Tom!

😀

In real world driving 400Nm of torque leaves the petrol for dead

Ooh.

Congratulations Tom!

Thanks, Jon. Hence the need to get that C2C (or wherever we go) in the diaries and done this year. There's no way I'll be allowed out on a bike after Junior North arrives.... 😉

Yay, another stw-ling to add to the fold. Congrats!

Our mtblette is 3 months old now and the bullet has been bitten. The MX5 has to go come spring and another car substituted in its place.

Congrats!

Is it going to be a massive baby? A Mazda 6 estate is pretty big! 😉

I've just been to a Mazda garage to look today, then to Honda, then to Volvo. No way the new Honda is worth the extra money and the slope to the boot makes the space very small. The V50 is good and tempting as an auto but again probably too small.

Are you buying new? Check out the prices www.broadspeed.com are doing on Mazda6's. I got a great quote. So 2.2D TS2 163 or 2.2D Sport183, which is best?

My brother bought one a few months back. Very nice, quite stylish for an estate, comfortable etc, he is very pleased with it.

Agree on the Honda although they are superbly made. Honda trying and probably coming up short in trying to beat the BMW 3 at its own game.

Volvo seems to inhabit that similar no mans land (like the Saab) not quite as good as more costly Audis and Beemers but more expensive and smallerer than the Passat, M6 etc.

Homnda was a tempting package and a big improvement on the previous hearse-like thing but at the end of the day they sacrificed a lot of space, they are way more expensive, smaller, slower and have less toys than the M6.

Yay, another stw-ling to add to the fold. Congrats!

Thanks. Jnr North is still v much a bun in the oven (and only 3 months along, so fingers crossed).

Congrats!

Is it going to be a massive baby? A Mazda 6 estate is pretty big!

Thanks! I would suggest a celebratory pint at HTN, but after your last experience of Manchester beer.... 😕

Huge, I'm sure. What with Mrs North being a giant (4'10" and currently sick as a parrot...).... 😀

I'd rather avoid buying a car, but to shuttle between the sets of grandparents to be and pretending I'll still have time to ride a bike, I figured we'd get a luton van sized vehicle and get on with it..!

the last Mazda 6 I went in had a horrible cheap plastics in the cabin - far inferior to a mondeo IMO. It was probably a 4 or 5 year old model they so may have improved.

I picked up a Mazda 6 Sport 2.2d 185 bhp hatchback last friday.

1 week in and so far it's bloomin brilliant, can fit 2 complete bikes in with the seats down, have given it a rather brick week of driving, discovered it goes like stink and got 46.5 mpg

I looked at the V50 2.0D R Design and chose the Mazda as IMO it's quicker, more comfy, more fun to drive has 6 disc Bose, bluetooth etc etc AND the boot is about the same size.

+1 for the Mazda 6 (I looked at the estate, also brilliant but don't really need that much space).

I have an 06 mazda 6 estate ts2 diesel and it;s been great. The servicing has been cheap compared to audi BMW and you get loads more for your money than the comparable vw and imo it's a better car

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/search?dimensionIds=368&dimensionIds=316

Oh and it's whatcars current favourite too.

And i'll replace my current mazda 6 for another- best car i've ever owned. Great bike and family car

Test drove a couple of diesels about 4-5 years ago. Decent but dull. Road noise (especially above 50mph) very apparent on original 6 - facelook was much improved in this regard.

Also a big gutless and full of cheap plastics/upholstery that scratched/marked easily. Kamikuri (sp?) thing was a good idea but not exactly a deal-maker IMO.

Opted for an A4 in the end.

SM

He'd be buying the new 6 so comparing to the old model isnt really relevant...

The new 6 still has a bit of road noise but this is more than offset by the superb Bose sound system and handling. I'd agree the interior plastics are not in the same league as Audi for example but tbh they are actuallly no worse than the Ford S Max I also own which has plastic chrome peeling and colour chippping aplenty after only 25k. SMax might be another option for the OP as they reallly are enormous inside. Supposed to be a drivers car but again I've been very disappointed - massive torque steer and horrible central deadspot in the steering. Driving against the 6 is like comparing a minibus to a gokart.

They certainly aren't gutless now (see above)not the Diesels anyway...

I'd suggest the Kamikuri system is a big deal to most folk that use estates heavily - The Passat and Audi for example are a PITA. The former requires you to flip the flimsy seat squabs first and the latter has a 'system' that doesn't even fold flat. Audi also a much smaller car.

Regret to say I found both the Audi and particularly the Passat mechanically unreliable - IIRC the user surveys bear this out.

As I said earlier I've found it a great car - its interior foibles are more than offset by all the plusses.

I have an 07 hatch, 1.8 TS. The estate has something like 10cu ft more room, but they are rare when i was looking. Drives well, but very poor in snow/ice. BIG boot, and ok leg room behind drivers seat (I'm 6ft5).

I found like for like the passat was a lot more expensive.

Don't like the look of the new ones, but nicer than the mondeo still...

I would have liked the diesel but don#t do enough miles to have warrented the extra money at the time.

Cheers all. Enlightening indeed.

Seems like a good option. Hope to dfrive one this weekend, so I shall report back on what it feels like.

Make sure you add seat covers to your shopping list.

Make sure you add seat covers to your shopping list.

Can I not just go straight for a tarpaulin, or is that not the done thing these days. 🙂

[wistful look]*laments the passing of vinyl seats*[/wistful look]

Got a 58 2.0D SL estate (the older diesel). Be aware that these older diesels have a lousy diesel particulate filter system that is not suited to stop/start/urban driving. Apparently the newer ones don't have the same problem. It's well documented if you're considering a second hand one.

I like the car - it's well kitted out as others have said but it is a bit plasticky. My previous car was an A4 Avant which was a fair bit smaller but definitely more fun to drive and a far nicer interior.

I've had the car for 6 months and can't criticise it so far. I just don't 'enjoy' it like I did my old car. Very practical though with bikes and kids.

Also they don't/didn't come with a spare wheel. They have the space for one but by default come with a can of squirty stuff.

I suspect we'll be on for a petrol model (prob 2 litre), as Mrs North seems to have an automatic aversion to diesels.

Here's a quesiton - what sort (and type) of mileage does one need to do to justify diesel over petrol (and vice versa)?

I have one. 2.2D 185 Sport estate. It is loaded with toys, looks good and for the money puts most other estates to shame. Despite it's claimed 185bhp and 400 Nm of torque it doesn't feel as nippy as my Saab 93 TID 150 however (and the Saab is heavier). Never managed to work this out.
Also fuel economy isn't as good due to the Cat V requirement for new diesels.

diesel isnt worth it unless you are doing 15000 plus miles a year- if you are buying a new car