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Sedans Mazda6 Article Comments - Mazda 6 vs. Honda Accord vs. Nissan Altima
120 messages, Last post on Feb 27, 2009 at 2:31 PM
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Finding the Sweet Spot in Family Sedans - After all the poking, prodding, driving and scoring, the $30,690 2009 Mazda 6 s Grand Touring earns a total of 70.3 points in our comparison for a 1st-place finish. (more)
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Replying to: slamtaz (Sep 08, 2008 7:59 pm) AND to quote the reviewer: "(The Altima V6 also requires premium fuel.)" No it doesn't....suggested yes...required no. "The Mazda's six-speed automatic transmission can be shifted manually for added control or exhilaration, and the shifts are crisp and positive." Also fails to mention the Altima can do this as well, but makes it a point to say the Accord cannot. Honestly it's frustrating. Both the Accord and Altima weren't going to come out on top right from the get go.
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Replying to: karpediem (Sep 08, 2008 8:23 pm) The package would have put it at the most expensive in the test, and it still would be the same basic interior design leather or not. It's also lacking in trunk and rear legroom considerably vs the 6.
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Replying to: cx7lover (Sep 08, 2008 9:35 pm) I priced it out on Edmunds and the 3.5 SE with the premium package is under $30K MSRP. Not sure if you have ever sat in an Altima both with the basic interior and the upgraded interior, but it is quite a difference. "The Nissan Altima's stark dash couldn't be simpler to operate or understand, but in this base-model version, the ventilation system doesn't offer automatic or dual-zone functions, and the radio features push-button manual tuning. This comment would not have been possible if they tested a comparable model. "It's also curious that not one of these three top-line sedans was equipped with rear vents for the climate control." Another place a comparable Altima would have scored higher in that guy's opinion. I'm not saying the Altima should have won, and I will check out the 6 in time, but it annoys me when reviews are done like this.
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Replying to: karpediem (Sep 08, 2008 8:23 pm) I have the MSRP/Invoice pricing for all three as follows: 2009 Honda Accord EX-LV6 1) No options (as Everything is standard on the Accord except Navigation) $29,225/$26,548 2) Add the Navigation System with Voice Activation and Blue tooth: This option is priced at $2200/$1988 which brings the grand total to: $31,425/28,536 2009 Mazda6 S Grand Touring: 1) Bose CD6/Moonroof pkg (which consists of the 333 watt BOSE Am/Fm/Cd6 changer, power moonroof with global position switch blue tooth compatibility, Sirius Satellite Radio) This pkg is priced at $1,760/1408 for a grand total price of: $30,690/28,264 2) Add Navigation System with Voice Activation and Touch Screen:$2000/1600 for a total price of $32,690/29,864 Nissan Altima 3.5SE 1) -Sports pkg (which for 09 consists of the HID headlamps, Vehicle Dynamic Control, fog lights and rear spoiler) $1,490/1293 -Moonroof pkg (power moonroof with one touch open/close feature) $850/738 -Splash Guards (mandatory on the Altima) $135/107 -Floor Mats (Try finding an Altima without them...and no they are NOT standard) $175/134 -Premium pkg (Heated leather seats, leather shift knob, dual zone climate control, rear a/c vents, Homelink garage system, metallic metal trim, RDS, BOSE Am/Fm/Cd6/XM and bluetooth, Speed sensitive volume control and power lumbar support.) $2,460/2,134 For a grand total price of: $31,485/28,901 Add the Technology pkg (Nissan navigation system with voice activation and touch screen, XM Nav Traffic and rear view camera) $2000/1735 $33,485/30,636 The Altima is damn expensive in fully loaded V6 trim. For that kind of money I'd be inclined to move on up and over to the Maxima...which has more power, more features and a much better interior. The Altima is overpriced IMO. A comparison test done earlier this year included an Altima 2.5SL with an MSRP of $29,160, with the changes to pricing for 2009, the price of a similarly equipped 2009 Altima 2.5SL with all the pkgs is nearly $30 Grand!!! So even if the Altima had been equipped to the same levels as the Accord and Mazda6 (the Altimas falls between the two feature-wise when similarly equipped) it still would have lost points for lacking some features and having the highest as tested price...that is if they had compared all 2009 models instead of 08s vs. 09s. Even with 2008 pricing the Altima would have been only slightly cheaper than the Mazda6 on a good day...with the way Nissan does packaging. But just to be on the fair side, I dug up 2008 pricing for the Accord and Altima and here goes. 2008 Honda Accord EX-LV6: No options: $28,730/26,101 Navigation with voice recognition: $30,830/27,989 2008 Nissan Altima 3.5SE Premium pkg (which is basically every option except Navigation) Vehicle Dynamic Control (Which should be added since the Accord and 6 have it standard) Floor mats Splash guards $31,075/28500 Add Technology pkg (Nav, xm navtraffic and rearview camera) $33,075/30235 Which would still make it more expensive than the Mazda6 with less features! The only way the Altima is less expensive than the Mazda6 is if you delete the Vehcile Dynamic control...which would be serious demerit as far as Edmunds testing is concerned...other than that, try finding any Altima without floor mats and splash guards...it won't happen. I own an 05 Altima myself...but the new car is just expensive!! At 2009 Prices, as similiarly equipped as I could get them all models w/o Navigation the Altima comes in at a whooping $2260/2353 more than the Accord, while the price difference between it and the Mazda6 is decreased down to $795/631 in favor of the better equipped Mazda6. The Mazda6 is more expensive than the Accord by $1465/1716 when similarly equipped. Which brings me to this question...is the S Grand Touring really a competitor to the Accord EX-LV6? For similar money one could get an S Touring with Convenience and BOSE/Moonroof pkgs for similar money to the Accord EX-LV6. Here is a breakdown.... Mazda6 S Touring Bose and Moonroof pkg: (Am/Fm/Cd6/Sirius satellite radio, power moonroof with global position switch) $1760/1,408. Convenience pkg (Dual zone A/C,Welcome mode, Auto on/off Xenon headlights, Half leather trimmed seats, Heated mirrors, Bluetooth phone & audio, Ground illumination, Blind spot monitoring system,Rain sensing wipers) $1610/1,288 For a grandd total price of: $29,215/$26,622 which falls right inline with Accord pricing. Sure you lose heated full leather seats and power passenger's seat, but you gain a bunch of other features as well...all for similar money. hmmmmmmmmm..... I also agree with those who say the Altima feels completely different when equipped with leather upholstery and I also feel that interior color schemes have a lot to do with it too. With a charcoal or "blonde" leather interior, the Altima looks downright classy, but step into a model with charcoal, blond or especially "frost" cloth and it looks like a rental car special. The interior cloth fabrics feel low grade and the blond and frost interiors look especially cheap because of the lack in contasting color. The Altima would have been the most expensive car in the group (because of the way Nissan does options) and it would have still lacked the memory seats, LED taillamps, rain sensing wipers, blind monitoring system and auto dimming outside rearview mirrors with puddle lamps that are standard equipment on the Mazda6 S Grand Touring. I honestly don't think the results would have changed, or if anything the Altima would have lost MORE points.
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That some of the pictures used in the comparison test look like pictures used in the "First drive" test for these cars when first introduced. The mazda6 pictures especially look like those of the first drive test they did earlier this year. Also, it would have been nice if Edmunds could have used the 07 Altima 3.5SE with Tech. pkg that was turned in earlier this year as well as the 2008 Accord EX-L Navi they have in their long term fleet. The 3.5SE used in this comparison test was the SAME one Motortend got for there test of midsize V6 sedans when the Altima came in last place against the Camry, Accord and Malibu earlier this year. Same color inside and out and same features! Nissan 
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Replying to: karpediem (Sep 08, 2008 10:30 pm) Inorder to get VDC on the SL, which is more comparable to the GT 6, you have to get a technology package, instantly bumps the price to 33k with a tech package I don't want=off the list. I sat in an Altima w/ leather(I used to live RIGHT across the street from one), it wasn't all that great.
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Replying to: cx7lover (Sep 09, 2008 12:47 am) What exactly makes the 3.5SL more comparable with the Mazda6 GT than the 3.5SE? The fact that they both represent the top of the line trim levels based on standard equipment. That's like saying the Mazda6 S Grand Touring is a direct competitor to the Camry XLEV6 when we both know it compares with the Camry SEV6. You can get into an Altima 3.5SE with Premium pkg (which has everything the SL model) and VDC for around $31K/28.5K MSRP/Invoice. Which means that you could probably get into one now for about $26 grand after all rebates and discounting  
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Replying to: maxamillion1 (Sep 09, 2008 1:49 am)
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