2008 Mazda 6

2008 Mazda 6

So it’s finally happened… you’ve started to grow up, you now have a steady job, perhaps you got married and you have a child on the way. Your spouse suddenly tells you that your two-seater sports car is just too impractical, and words about minivans spring up. You suggest that your significant other should be the one that gets stuck with the embarrassment mobile, then an argument breaks out but fortunately in the end a truce forms and it’s time to buy a mid-sized sedan. The two immediate choices are of course America’s two best selling cars, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, but for some reason most people stop there and gloss over something that could be even better.

There are plenty of great choices in the mid-sized market now. Nissan’s new Altima is excellent, Hyundai’s Sonata isn’t bad especially for the price, Saturn’s European sourced Aura is worth a look, and then we get to Ford. You may remember awhile ago, that Ford ran one of those funky tests where they invited normal people off the road to do a comparison drive between their Fusion, the Camry, and the Accord around a makeshift track to see which one brought a smile to their face; and in the end everyone said that the Fusion was easily the most fun of the bunch, but of course most people weren’t aware of why. If you talk to a Ford salesman they’ll tell you the Fusion is a great handling car because it runs off of the Ford CD3 platform, some random purposely unintelligible technical babble, and then move on to tell you that Ford is awesome. What they won’t tell you is that this incredible platform was designed by Mazda, and it’s been used in the 6 for years.

The current Mazda 6 is going to be replaced completely before the year is up by the new model, but does that mean you should wait on a car purchase, or look elsewhere? That’s what I’m going to try and answer for you right now but the short answer is run to the Mazda dealership right now. The 6 is an excellent car, and since the new model is coming in, there should be some ridiculous deals you can pull off on the remaining 2008 6’s.

Positives: When the 6 first came out in 2002, there was one major issue with this car that has been solved in its final iteration. The styling in my opinion was brilliantly done if you had the aero kit on the car; but without it, the car looked like it was walking around in its underwear and seriously looked like it was missing something. With the recent facelift done on the car though, it now looks just fine with just the rear spoiler on the trunk lid. So now, with or without all the body kitting this is a very sporty looking car, which is nice.

Despite being owned by Ford, who tend to use ridiculously cheap trim on their cars, the Mazda 6 has an attractive, well put together, quality interior. All of the plastic bits have a nice, soft, quality feel, and everything is easy on the eyes. The interior is certainly nice but things on a whole aren’t quite up to Toyota/Honda standards. The only major thing I can use to prove this is the cloth used to upholster the seats. Since this was a 2008 6, the car was obviously still fairly new, but the weird dimpled surface on the seats were already looking worn.

The basic layout of the dashboard is fairly easy to understand and operate, but things do change slightly depending on options. For instance, the AC setup on more basic models is very ergonomic and can be operated by people who’ve never seen a car before; but, if you opt for climate control you may need to take a couple of minutes to look things over. No matter what options you choose though, the gauges and other displays in the 6 are very easy to read and light up red at night, which is easier on your eyes. In all the 6 isn’t a bad place to be.

I would spend time talking about ride comfort, cabin space, highway noise levels, trunk space, and other tedious things like that which aren’t bad in the 6, but they’re not very important when you talk about the 6; because, no matter what, the Camry and Accord will beat it in all these boring categories. The important bit is how this car drives.

I only had to drive ten yards to realize I was driving something special. The fat leather wrapped steering wheel gave my arms a physically pleasurable sensation every time any form of turn appeared. The steering wheel provides loads of feedback and the entire car really does feel like a sports car. The throttle response is excellent; the brake feel is excellent; and the car feels a lot smaller and lighter than it really is which is something only proper sports cars tend to pull off.

I drove the “i” model while in south Florida and there admittedly weren’t many turns, but I did find some turn circles to go around at reckless speeds. The 6 does indeed provide loads of grip and even when the tires start to let go a bit, nothing seems all that alarming and you still feel you’re in absolute control. Through normal city driving, the 6 will never get pushed past its limits and it will actually make mundane trips to the supermarket and job commuting more exciting compared to its competitors.

For a car of this size, the 2.3 liter engine and the 156 hp it produces seems a little weak, and it kind of is. This car is by no means quick, but you wouldn’t believe that if you drove it yourself. This 2.3 liter engine is easily one of the best four cylinder engines I’ve ever seen. The VVT system on it guarantees power everywhere across the rev range and it genuinely feels quick. You never get the sense that the car is struggling, and power always feels abundant.

If you opt for the 3 liter V6 6s, things are a bit different. You’re now dealing with 212 hp instead of 156, so the car is rightfully faster. If you get a 6s in manual it can get from 0-60 in less than seven seconds which is certainly quick enough for most people. The automatic version will be a bit slower even if you use the manual mode, but I drove it around and I certainly wasn’t complaining. There are faster mid sized sedans around even if you compare the 2008 6 to cars from the same generation, but trust me the 6s will be more than quick enough if you’re a parent. Also, since the 6 isn’t channeling a ridiculous amount of power to the front wheels, there really isn’t any torque steer, which makes this car feel even more balanced, and more sports car like.

The exhaust note of the V6 is noticeably more exciting, although there is a proviso. If you’re just dithering about town at low speeds the exhaust sounds sort of hallow and numb; in fact, at low speeds the four cylinder engine sounds better. However, once you start flooring the gas pedal things start to change. Running at high revs, the engine delivers a nice powerful roar which can send a tingle up your back… especially if you’ve gotten used to driving around in a Camry.

Now thankfully I did drive the 6s in New Mexico rather than Florida. Other than the engine, the car is essentially the same, but since the location was different there is more to write about on handling terms. I had the pleasure of driving the 6s around Sandia Mountain, and I have to say the 6 really comes alive there. I was of course bogged down by fellow tourists, so I wasn’t able to fully unleash the 6’s potential but I still loved every minute of it. Some people refer to the 6 as a poor man’s BMW in terms of handling, and out in the mountains I can completely agree with that statement; this car is just fantastic when the roads get twisty.

Negatives: There are of course one or two issues with the 6; the first of which I mentioned above. If you’re in the market for a mid-size sedan because you’re seeking space, comfort, quietness, and all sorts of other old man desires, the 6 loses hands down to the Camry. So if those things are high on your priority list, the 6 isn’t for you.

The other issue is relevant towards everyone and it involves the V6 engine. If you’ve opened a consumer reports magazine over the past few years you’ll notice that they wrote down some evil things about the 6 because it isn’t all that reliable. The thing they kind of hint at but sometimes don’t state outright though is that the 6 is actually perfectly reliable… if you get the 6i with the Mazda designed 2.3 I4. If you get the 6s with the Ford derived V6 though, you will be making quite a few more stops to see your local dealer…

Conclusion: So what we have here is a sort of undersized mid-sized sedan that isn’t as comfortable as its main rivals; but, in terms of fun it runs rings around the opposition. Personally I would buy the 6 over any other mid-sized sedan, even the almost identical but cheaper Ford Fusion (This is because even Ford will admit the 6 is better put together). The 6 lets you know that even if a baby’s on the way you can still have a fun car… and that alone makes this car something special.

I have driven the new 6, which is a brilliant drive, but as of now I don’t see myself brushing aside the old 6 and buying a new one. The new one is much larger, more comfortable, quieter, more powerful, and so on since Mazda really wants loyal Camry and Accord buyers to have a change of heart; but because of this, the 6 loses a lot of its original raw sports car charm which has already won over loads of customers. Sure the new 6 is definitely more refined and more grown up, but let’s face it; I’m sure we all wish we never had to grow up!

Summary:

The Good: It’s a mid-sized sedan that drives like a sports car

The Bad: Not as big or as comfortable as the competitors

Verdict: Unless you hate driving with a passion, why buy anything else?

Random Stats:

Engine: (6i) 2.3 liter I4, 156 hp, 154 lb-ft torque (6s) 3 liter V6, 212 hp, 197 lb-ft torque

EPA Fuel Estimates: (6i) 21/29 (6s) 18/25