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Midsize Sedans Comparison Thread - READ ONLY

12297 messages,  Last post on Apr 13, 2007 at 11:55 AM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda MAZDA6, Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy, Saturn Aura, Sedan

#11 of 12297 Owned 3 Of Them by fitguy Apr 20, 2005 (7:59 pm)
I've owned (not just driven) 3 of the bunch, here is my spin: 2000 Passat 1.8T: nice when new, a fussy piece of crap as it aged. Only runs well on premium, many problems including the infamous "oil sludge" issue even with fanatical maintenance. Would not recommend to an enemy.   2003 Accord Coupe 2.4L: Bought because I hated the looks of the sedan but wanted a Honda (3rd Accord) after owning the disaster above. Excellent in almost every category; 0 problems, 34 mpg hwy on 87 octane. Still excellent cars, but PLEASE fix the looks of the sedan!   2004 Mazda6S Hatchback: Bought for the fun, utility, and so as not to have to look at an Accord sedan in my driveway . Strong Points: Driving atttributes, overall build quality in terms of body "tightness", good looks. Weak Points: Gas mileage, road noise, some cheap interior/component parts (heater fan, for example), transmission (5 speed auto, hear '05 6 spd much better) not a great match for the motor. Overall: A more enjoyable car overall than the other two; if the reliability holds out, the better choice by far if you like to push a car to it's handling limits once in a while, and with the hatch- if you need to load a bunch of bulky stuff in it once in a while. Of course, looks/body style are subjective- but reliablity is quantifiablle and some cars are just not.
#12 of 12297 Passat by fish8 Apr 21, 2005 (3:34 am)
Owning a 2004 Passat has been a great experience so far (fingers crossed), but from reading these posts, VW has allot of work to do to fix the perception (reality) as far as reliability is concerned. It really is a shame, because they do build great driving cars. Maybe the new Passat will be a big step forward in reliability.   Has everyone forgot about the Mitsubishi Galant(do they even make those anymore) ?
#13 of 12297 hmmm by newcar31 Apr 21, 2005 (4:10 am)
Yes, I have testdriven Mazda6s, and while the car handled very nicely, I was quite unimpressed with the motor. The duratec is crappy because it is at best mediocre compared to its competitions.    Nissan Altima: 250HP / 249TQ 20/30 Honda Accord: 240HP / 212TQ 21/30 Subaru Legacy: 250HP / 250TQ 19/25    Mazda 6: 220HP / 192TQ 20/27   The only engine that really stands out there is the Honda.   As far as power is concerned, the Honda stands out, but the Nissan is a bigger engine and the Subaru has a turbo, so that's not a surprise. Your mileage numbers are off too. Replies to this message: spinzero (Apr 21, 2005 5:01 am) tenpin288 (Apr 21, 2005 6:47 am) newcar31 (Apr 21, 2005 7:05 am) carzzz (Apr 21, 2005 10:15 am) and 4 more...
#14 of 12297 Re: hmmm [newcar31] by spinzero Apr 21, 2005 (5:01 am)
Replying to: newcar31 (Apr 21, 2005 4:10 am) As far as power is concerned, the Honda stands out, but the Nissan is a bigger engine and the Subaru has a turbo, so that's not a surprise. Your mileage numbers are off too.   Well, no one is stopping Mazda from increasing the displacement, or slapping on a turbo. Do people cross shop only among midsize sedans with 3.0 N/A motor?   Plus there's a good reason as to why Nissan VQ-series engines have been constantly praised as one of the world's very best for many years. In my mind its performance and efficiency is no less impressive than somewhat gimmicky Honda V-TEC.
#15 of 12297 spinzero by newcar31 Apr 21, 2005 (6:24 am)
I just checked the mileage stats again, and the Altima automatic gets better mileage than the manual. Wow. That's pretty impressive.   Anyway, I like the VQ. Like I said, my parents own an I35, and I've driven it quite a few times.   I just don't agree that the V6 in the Mazda6 is "crappy". The others are more efficient and powerful, but that doesn't make the duratec "crappy". It's a really nice V6 and it's smoooooth. It's even smoother than the VQ in the I35.   Also, Mazda did slap on a turbo, but on the 4cyl. It's the Mazdaspeed6. It's a couple grand more than the Subaru turbo, but the Subaru turbo is a couple grand more than the Altima, Accord, and Mazda6s. It's going to have AWD, 274 hp, 280 lbs-ft of torque, but the ride might be too sporty for some folks.
#16 of 12297 Re: hmmm [newcar31] by tenpin288 Apr 21, 2005 (6:47 am)
Replying to: newcar31 (Apr 21, 2005 4:10 am) The only engine that really stands out there is the Honda   Why? It has neither top HP or TQ and gets the same mileage as the Nissan. Why does the Honda engine stand out? Replies to this message: newcar31 (Apr 21, 2005 7:05 am) carzzz (Apr 21, 2005 10:15 am) newcar31 (Apr 21, 2005 10:34 am) bklynguy (Apr 21, 2005 3:16 pm) brian1 (Jul 08, 2005 12:31 pm) and 1 more...
#17 of 12297 Re: hmmm [tenpin288] by newcar31 Apr 21, 2005 (7:05 am)
Replying to: tenpin288 (Apr 21, 2005 6:47 am) Because it gets the same job done as the VQ with less displacement and it's a smoother engine. Regardless of the hp and torque numbers, the acceleration numbers for the automatic Altima and Accord are very similar. I think a few mags have the auto Accord actually being quicker.   But anyway, I don't want to get in the middle of an Altima and Accord pissing match. I'd take the Altima over the Accord just because it looks better. Replies to this message: carzzz (Apr 21, 2005 10:15 am) newcar31 (Apr 21, 2005 10:34 am) bklynguy (Apr 21, 2005 3:16 pm) brian1 (Jul 08, 2005 12:31 pm) mazda6s (Jul 08, 2005 8:17 pm)
#18 of 12297 Re: Regarding Duratec [spinzero] by alpha01 Apr 21, 2005 (7:13 am)
Replying to: spinzero (Apr 20, 2005 7:29 pm) Spinzero- which transmission did you test in your said Mazda 6 drive? The new 6A makes a world of difference vs. the old automatic, from what I've read.   ~alpha
#19 of 12297 newcar31 by spinzero Apr 21, 2005 (7:16 am)
Yup, I agree the new Mazdaspeed6 will be very hot. I'm not a big fan of the bulging hood, but it's got a very nice direct injection turbo motor, along with AWD.(albeit a heavily FWD based one) It should be a good choice for people that are looking for something inbetween Legacy GT and STi / Evo. Now if they can just detune that engine a little and put it on Mazda 6 s like what Subaru did with their STi EJ25 -> LGT, it'll be even better.   This is such an exciting time to shop for a car!
#20 of 12297 good idea by newcar31 Apr 21, 2005 (7:50 am)
Now if they can just detune that engine a little and put it on Mazda 6 s like what Subaru did with their STi EJ25 -> LGT, it'll be even better.   That sounds like a good idea. Detune it a little, and offer it in a model that doesn't have 18 inch wheels and a stiff ride. It'd sure be different than the Accord and Altima then. I wonder if the turbo 4 is a more expensive engine to build than the V6 though? I'd bet it is.

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