Article Comments - Mazda 6 vs. Honda Accord vs. Nissan Altima

120 messages, Last post on Feb 27, 2009 at 2:31 PM

You are in the Mazda6 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA6, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Car Comparisons, Sedan

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)

Outline

Messages Page 12 of 13: 1; ...; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; Prev; Next; Last

#106 of 120 Re: [bvdj84] by madpistol Oct 13, 2008 (6:55 pm)
Replying to: bvdj84 (Oct 13, 2008 5:27 pm) Alabama winters can range anywhere from fairly cold (50 degrees and below) to icy (20ish on bad days) but most of the time it's pretty mild. I remember last year there were days during winter where it was above 50 degrees and I was wearing shorts. Anyway, in response to the moonroof thing, I don't think I will ever be able to get a car that doesn't have a moonroof ever again. I was spoiled by it in my old Solara, and now I'm spoiled by an even better one in my '08 Altima! You've just got to love having a constant stream of fresh air in your cabin. It's very serene feeling at night.
#107 of 120 Chat night by pf_flyer HOST Oct 14, 2008 (10:29 am)
Tuesday means Mazda chat night! Mazda ownership is not a requirement! Just bring yourself and your love of cars and the desire to discuss anything and everything automotive and you're good to go! The chat opens at 8:45 pm ET and runs until 10 pm ET. I hope you're able to join us tonight to meet and greet with your fellow CarSpace members! See you there!
#108 of 120 Re: [bvdj84] by thegraduate Oct 20, 2008 (7:08 am)
Replying to: bvdj84 (Oct 13, 2008 5:27 pm) Well golly bvdj, as a meteorology student who just so happens to work in the weather department of a local TV station, I'm glad you asked! Our lowest "average" low is right around freezing, with the lowest "average" high around 51 degrees. About once a year we'll drop to around 10 degrees, with many of our colder mornings being in the low to mid 20s. It is also normal that we'll have some winter days with highs reaching the 60s. I distinctly remember shopping at an outdoor-type mall in shorts and flip flops in early December (technically Autumn, but most people think of December 1st as the start of Winter). Madpistol answered this question pretty accurately too, thanks for stepping in for me Mad! Replies to this message: madpistol (Oct 25, 2008 5:28 am)
#109 of 120 Re: [thegraduate] by madpistol Oct 25, 2008 (5:28 am)
Replying to: thegraduate (Oct 20, 2008 7:08 am) No prob Grad. I've only lived here all my life.
#110 of 120 Edmunds V6 comparo = 6 > Accord > Altima by zzzoom6 Dec 25, 2008 (12:44 pm)
I've driven all 3 cars and I'd have to agree w/ most of what the Edmunds testers concluded. At the time my mom was shopping for a car, the Mazda6 was not out yet so we drove the Accord and Altima (as well as the Sonata and Azera). Of these 4, I liked the Accord the best (though thought the Sonata was the best value). I thought the suspension was the most sorted of the 4 and that the quality of the interior was much better than the Altima which still has some really cheap feeling materials like on the plate that has the window contols by the door... really hollow sounding and has that thin, brittle plastic feeling. I agree that the engine/ transmission of the Altima was better than the Accord, but since the Accord was no slouch either, I preferred the build quality and it's ability to sort out rough roads better. But a month later, I was in to get an oil change on my 2005 mazda6, and decided to take the time to give the new 6 a test drive. I was not unhappy w/ my current mazda6, but I was curious. First thing I noticed was the responsiveness of the engine: much more torque than my v-6 and quite a bit quicker from a standstill even though my '05 6 has a manual. Really, I'm impressed with everything about this newer version... I came really close to buying one. The interior was very nice, it was as quiet as the Accord or Altima, but had a better suspension that handled rough roads as well as the best but had less body lean in corners that gave the car a feeling of more control. Steering feel was very good, better than the Accord and Altima, but not as good as my current 6. I think what held me back from doing the trade was a lack of a hatchback. I'm sure I would have been very happy w/ the new 6, but I knew I was still happy with my "old" 6... But this is what my scorecard looked like (best first, worst last): Interior quality: accord (minuses b/c of cluttered dash), Mazda6 (very close to the Accord, but lacked a little finesse), Altima Drivetrain: Altima, Mazda6 (surprisingly close to the Altima though), Accord Suspension: mazda6, accord, altima brakes/ steering feel: mazda6, accord, altima seat comfort: accord, mazda6, altima exterior looks: mazda6, altima, accord (by a lot...) extras: mazda6 (xenon, btooth, blindspot warning system, keyless start/entry, best mpg), altima (keyless start/entry, cvt), accord (navi, resale value) really, all 3 cars are very, very good. but given a choice, using different ways of analyzing which one to choose (practicality, fun to drive, utility), I would choose the 6 also. well done Mazda!
#111 of 120 6 or accord? After owning 5 Mazda's got my first honda by su_a_ve Jan 04, 2009 (8:10 pm)
Looking at the base models, 4cyl. Both are priced basically the same. Mazda offering 2.9 instead of 3.9% by Honda. However, my concern is service. One of the local Mazda dealers closed a while ago. The one I currently service my MPV, well, I don't expect it to last much. The store has not been updated in over 15 years, comparing to the their across the street VW dealer. And of course, my other concern would be resale value, which should not matter much if I keep the car for 10+ years. Except the main reason of getting this is to get away from my awful Tribute which has been a disaster of a (Ford) truck. Basically, two dealers that I've been talking to, don't seem that desperate to sell, even though they are not selling at all. Their staff seems to have been gutted and usually there's only one person in the sales floor. 3 times that I stopped by a Honda dealer, the place was packed and had to wait to get to talk to a sales manager. Love my mazdas (626, protege, tribute and 2 MPVs), but this time honda won. Replies to this message: bvdj84 (Jan 24, 2009 11:08 am)
#112 of 120 Re: 6 or accord? After owning 5 Mazda's got my first honda [su_a_ve] by bvdj84 Jan 24, 2009 (11:08 am)
Replying to: su_a_ve (Jan 04, 2009 8:10 pm) I think the mazda and the nissan are lacking ever so slightly in fit and finish. Their all good, but lacking.
#113 of 120 Re: Article Comments - Mazda 6 vs. Honda Accord vs. Nissan Altima [KarenS] by 201mph Feb 07, 2009 (11:31 am)
Replying to: KarenS (Sep 08, 2008 9:04 am) I wanted to comment on some of the earlier comments inferring that the authors of the comparison chose the Mazda because they are obviously sports car oriented, and therefore the Honda would be the choice for many people interested in other attributes. I have to confess that I have a 2007 MazdaSpeed6 so I most certainly do trend towards the sporty side. That said, I think you can make a very good argument that the sort of handling and braking Mazda provides have a real world application as far as safety goes. Who would not want the best braking, for instance? Previous to my "6" I had a 2007 Mazda 3 Grand touring that I bought new. Less than a month after buying it I was driving down a four lane road when a woman that simply did not see me pulled out in my lane less than 50 feet away while I was traveling about 30-35 mph. Seeing me just as her car entered my lane and with heavy traffic to my left, and only a second or two separating us, she threw her arm up over her head bracing for the collision. I was certain as well that I would hit her, and was determined in the second or two available to get my speed down as much as possible. I jammed the brakes as hard as I could and with assistance from the electronic brakeforce distribution (that I previously thought was kind of a a gimmick) startled both of us when I simply stopped-in little more than a second- a car length away from her! She looked startled, and then sheepishly drove away and I knew that Mazda had done as good a job on the brakes as they had done on the handling. My Speed6 (like the "3 I had) stops in only about 116 ft from 60mph, which was Porsche quick only a year or two ago. I sold the 99' Honda Civic EX I bought her at the age of 16, and got my 20 year old daughter a 2005 "3" as well, within a month or two of my near miss which she loves because it is both quicker and better handling than the Civic she had liked so much, but which was a little underpowered for her. The Honda's great resale value helped me to spend very little getting her a much newer car and we are both big fans of the zoom zoom thing that Mazda has going. I was simply amazed at how well they tune suspensions for good ride quality while giving handling that borders on excellent for the same money (or less) as other car makers. I like Honda's, and had a 280 hp Acura 3.2 CL type S, but I sold that to buy my Speed6 because I feel like the "6" is a better car in almost every way, plus all wheel drive, and with no reliability problems with any of the Mazda's I have owned (just like my Honda's) they are a better car for the money. I know it sounds gushy, but I couldn't be happier with my decision to make driving FUN again while commuting, or wherever I go.
#114 of 120 by ribbonspeakers Feb 07, 2009 (8:37 pm)
The '09 Mazda 6i is my favorite car of all I've owned (about 35); RWD would make it about perfect. IMO 4-cyl midsize sedans are capable of the best balance of performance & economy. It's shameful & almost unforgiveable that Detroit has ignored this segment in favor of gas guzzling pigs associated w/ our current wars. The coming Chevy Cruz promises economy & performance as a compact. GM & Ford midsize cars are too heavy to provide fun w/ 4-cylinder motors, something both should look at seriously & correct if they want to stay in business. Americans scrimp & cheap out on 4-cylinder technology (unrefined, rough, underpowered), forcing buyers to prefer the sixes, which suck up fuel & are too heavy to "toss around". I may try the estimated $29k Mitsu Lancer Ralliart DSG AWD. The Mitsu is almost certainly too cramped for my 6-3 230 lbs, which is too bad because its DSG is IMO the aboslutely most fantastic gearbox on earth, period. The AWD is nice, as is the power & economy of the inline-4-turbo & its fantastic EVO suspension. OTOH we can always hope the Mazda Speed 6 is just around the corner; though it will probably lack the state of the art DSG. Replies to this message: thegraduate (Feb 24, 2009 8:46 am) bvdj84 (Feb 24, 2009 9:16 am)
#115 of 120 Re: [ribbonspeakers] by thegraduate Feb 24, 2009 (8:46 am)
Replying to: ribbonspeakers (Feb 07, 2009 8:37 pm) GM & Ford midsize cars are too heavy to provide fun w/ 4-cylinder motors, something both should look at seriously & correct if they want to stay in business. A little research goes a long way. 2009 Ford Fusion Base Weight - 3,101 lbs 2009 Mazda 6 Base Weight - 3,258 lbs (Both the most basic model, with manual transmission and 4-cylinder engine). For 2010, the 2.5L engine in your Mazda will be the same engine in the base Fusion. Guess if the Ford isn't fun, the Mazda must be a pain in the rear to drive, to you!