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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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)

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#43 of 120 Re: Will adding the $4,200 Premium package turn the tables? [maxamillion1] by cx7lover Sep 11, 2008 (12:50 am)
Replying to: maxamillion1 (Sep 10, 2008 10:34 am) Are you serious? It does compete with the Camry in any configuration regardless of handling. Based on what you're saying the SE doesn't compete with the 6 in any configuration because it doesn't have a gaudy "sporty" tacked on body kit. And if you didn't know the SE is still no where near the 6 in sportiness, based on my test drive today. Oh and it is BETTER than the Altima in a lot of aspects. Replies to this message: maxamillion1 (Sep 16, 2008 1:32 pm) aviboy97 (Sep 16, 2008 1:39 pm) maxamillion1 (Sep 16, 2008 2:05 pm) and 5 more...
#44 of 120 by ribbonspeakers Sep 11, 2008 (7:15 pm)
For Camry apologists equating pure numbers sold to quality: If numbers sold told the whole story then Big Macs would be the best food on earth. A test drive of an '05 Porsche 911 Cabriolet Tiptronic was my very best automotive driving experience. The red '09 Mazda 6i Touring A/T just purchased is the best car I've owned. It's not a 911, obviously, & nothing else is. But it's extremely satisfying for an affordable family car. A smooth, uphill grade, 180-degree-curved freeway on-ramp was taken flat out yesterday. Very mild four-wheel drift, no oversteer, no understeer, transmission stayed in the same gear in which the ramp was started. It's not a high-performance sports car by any stretch but does provide a lot more fun than most family cars. The Camry is the epitome of boring; it was correctly left out of the comparison because as posted earlier, it's a carryover for '09 & earlier vintages were not top rated (Toyota's busy w/ the Venza/Camry wagon). There's obviously nothing wrong w/ the Honda Accord 4-cylinder 190hp I got to test drive alone (no salesperson), but compared to the Mazda the Accord lacks panache, lacks low-end torque, is a bit louder when revved, handles less good & lacks the Mazda's gauge/interior design. IMO it's remarkable that Mazda went from the middle of the pack (overall) to the front of the most hotly contested of all car markets. I'm glad I got mine early before they become commonplace on the road, which probably won't take long. Replies to this message: moparbad (Sep 12, 2008 1:02 pm) keitha3 (Sep 12, 2008 2:02 pm)
#45 of 120 Re: [ribbonspeakers] by moparbad Sep 12, 2008 (1:02 pm)
Replying to: ribbonspeakers (Sep 11, 2008 7:15 pm) MO it's remarkable that Mazda went from the middle of the pack (overall) to the front of the most hotly contested of all car markets. I'm glad I got mine early before they become commonplace on the road, which probably won't take long. Which attributes of the new 6 change it from mediocre to best in class? You praise the 09 for handling and the previous generation was already best in class for handling. 09 is IMHO not as fun to drive as the previous 6. My comments are in regard to four cylinder models and not the V6's. I don't care for the V6's.
#46 of 120 by ribbonspeakers Sep 12, 2008 (1:27 pm)
Maybe it's more accurate to call the earlier version middle of pack or somewhat better as an overall package. I did not use the word "mediocre" which means moderate or lower quality. Ditto, prefer the I4 (to the V6) because of better front-rear balance, less understeer, better fuel economy, etc. I'm 6-3 230 lbs. Base on its handling reputation I sat for long stints in the earlier Mazda 6 trying to convince myself I could be happy in that interior space, smaller than average for the mid-size class IIRC. There's no way that interior would fit me for even moderate length trips. Considering the overall advances throughout the car as compared to '08, it seems safe to assume that any handling advantage in the earlier model would be only related to lower weight. The '09 is a lot larger. Also the inevetible (& sometimes senseless) increase in features comes w/ a weight penalty. Per manual my '09 6i Touring A/T (third in ascending list of four trim levels) is 3309 lbs; pretty good considering the features & interior space (includes largest in class trunk). What is weight for erlier-generation I4 A/T? Money considerations are always personal. IMO the "Touring" upgrade in features & interior design/materials is well worth the extra $2200 MSRP. This particular car even included heated front seats (contradicts brochure which sates heated seats only offerred on the top trim level).
#47 of 120 Re: [ribbonspeakers] by keitha3 Sep 12, 2008 (2:02 pm)
Replying to: ribbonspeakers (Sep 11, 2008 7:15 pm) I was very impressed with the Mazda 6, especially the 6 cylinder. I thought it was a joy to drive and, from what I've read, the interior quality/space is improved from the previous generation. If not for questions about reliability and not really wanting to deal with the service department at the dealership I visited, I might well have purchased one. I was dearly tempted. I ended up buying an '09 Accord, which I'm enjoying quite a bit and will moreso when the engine breakin period is complete. As far as Camry's, their aesthetics didn't float my boat. I've had both Camrys and Accords in the past, and my preference is the Accord. Still, the Camry is just a completely different kind of vehicle that I imagine would quite please many consumers.
#48 of 120 Reliability by cx7lover Sep 12, 2008 (5:17 pm)
The powertrain is pretty proven, the CX-9 is still faring very well with no issues to speak of from the engine or transmission. Not a great reason not to buy one. The same transmission in my CX-7 is still faring well after a year of abuse and 40K miles in that year.
#49 of 120 Mazda 6 vs Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima by kong572003 Sep 15, 2008 (11:31 pm)
Yesterday, I took a long test drive in all three cars mentioned... The Mazda 6 and the Altima were more sport sedan oriented than the Honda Accord. They are fun to drive and offer many attractive features for the enthusiast looking for those attributes in a sedan. But when it comes to a family sedan that has pretty fair handling and is quite enjoyable to drive (even for the sport sedan enthusiast), plus, one hell of a lot more comfortable in the front and back seats, let's say, on a long vacation drive with the wife and two kids. It is hard to beat the Honda Accord. Not to mention there is no argument what so ever as to what car has the best reliability record. It is so obvious that the author of the article is a sport's car (not family sedan) enthusiast...If a sports car comparison is what the author wanted to write about, just add a few thousand dollars and change the article to BMW 1 series vs Infinity G35 vs Pontiac G8. The author when comparing the three sedans conveniently left out the comfort ratings of the front and back seats, except to mention the Altima's lack of head space in the back seat. Don't believe Consumer Guide (fall 2008) that rates the comfort levels of both the Altima and the Mazda 6 one to two notches lower than the Accord, front and back respectively. Just sit in all three cars and judge for yourself. Be honest, which car would be more comfortable to drive on a long trip? The Honda Accord hands down! Another misleading (fictional) aspect of the article is the fuel milage rating of all three cars. I don't know what three cars the author was testing, but the authors ratings on the Accord do not hold up to hundreds of happy Honda Accord 2008 owners that have written blogs stating much higher gas milage than 18 mpg overall on their V6's. I guess according to the author's figures, Honda is dishonest with their rating on the Accord's gas milage, shown as19/29. Where as the honest Mazda and Nissan companies tell the truth when they report the Mazda 6 is rated at 17/25 and Nissan rates its V6 Altima at 18/26. As well, make note and use common sense, duh, it's not hard to guess which cars you would be considerably more aggressive on the gas with, the two that are delightfully more fun to push to their limits, yes, the Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima. I used way more gas with those two cars over the Honda just in a test drive...Fun! All three cars are great cars and I'm sure all a joy to own for anyone fortunate enough to purchase one. I guess in the end, the author's article is apporiate for this election year. For the article, as impartial as the author probably thought it was, simply showed his ideology. Replies to this message: bvdj84 (Sep 16, 2008 6:05 am) jeffyscott (Sep 16, 2008 8:02 am) aviboy97 (Sep 16, 2008 6:42 am)
#50 of 120 Re: Mazda 6 vs Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima [kong572003] by bvdj84 Sep 16, 2008 (6:05 am)
Replying to: kong572003 (Sep 15, 2008 11:31 pm) See, if I didn't find the altima down right ugly. I feel it looks like a slug, dragging its big rear end around. I am serious. The rear is huge, heavy! Nothing special about dragging that thing around. I don't get a sporty vibe from it. The interior is just middle of the line. The Altima coupe is very nice though, But, I have never really been interested in nissan all that much, only because of the design. Its okay, its just me though. My take on it. You know what though, I have not driven it though, so I can judge there, perhaps it does drive nice, but I have no desire to. Now the new mazda6 looks amazing, design is certainly not boring like the nissan, very classy. I think they are going to do really well with this. I have not driven this car yet, but plan to. Not that the Accord has out there type of looks either, but it certainly holds it style and finish well. Great interior, great engine, its a honda. IHonda, I love Honda. Design of the sedan could use more looks the Accord coupe has or more outgoing design, and it would not have hurt any sales, and many would applaud them for doing so, but it could cut into Acura line. Replies to this message: jeffyscott (Sep 16, 2008 8:02 am)
#51 of 120 Re: Mazda 6 vs Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima [kong572003] by aviboy97 Sep 16, 2008 (6:42 am)
Replying to: kong572003 (Sep 15, 2008 11:31 pm) Okay, we should not believe Consumer Guide when it comes to reviews, but rather believe you, obviously a Honda bias fanboy, in regards to comfort? Common, you cannot say that! The whole "Don't believe them, believe me!!" attitude just does not work. Now, if you respectfully disagree with their comfort ratings, and you think the Accord is more comfortable that is fine. Just don't accuse reviews of being wrong, and your opinion of being right. I also noticed you mentioned the observed FE of the Accord as being inaccurate. The fact is, when you want to use all the Accords power it uses gas. The Accord is engineered to cruise and get better fuel economy, not to utilize all 268 ponies (271 for 09) and still get an average of 25mpg. Bottom line, as Edmunds stated, when using all that power, down goes the fuel economy. Mazda engineers their engines to USE the power they have, hence why the observed FE was in line with the EPA estimates. BTW, it's the EPA that tests the engines, not the mfgr. I have read about the many people you mention who are happy with their FE in the Accord V6, however, you conveniently left out the hundreds of unsatisfied Accord VCM owners as well. You want to talk about a fair and balanced review by Edmunds, how about a fair and balanced post by you in regards to the Accord owners? Bottom line is all three are good cars. It is obvious the Mazda and Nissan are geared more towards performance and the Accord is geared more towards the "family vacation cruiser". We all know that. What matters is what works best for you. If it's the Accord, that's fine. The Accord is a really good car, as is the Altima and Mazda6. I'm not trying to bash you here, just be aware that everyone has different opinions and feelings towards these cars. All in all, we are all enthusiasts.
#52 of 120 Re: Mazda 6 vs Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima [bvdj84] by jeffyscott Sep 16, 2008 (8:02 am)
Replying to: bvdj84 (Sep 16, 2008 6:05 am) See, if I didn't find the altima down right ugly. I feel it looks like a slug, dragging its big rear end around. I am serious. The rear is huge, heavy! I feel exactly the same way about the Altima's looks. The new version made it even worse...now when I see the prior one, I think it's not so bad. I was relieved (in that I would not feel a need to give it any consideration) that I found the seat very uncomfortable when I drove one. Mainly drove it because I was intrigued by the CVT.