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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#62 of 120 Ummm.... by maxamillion1 Sep 17, 2008 (9:42 pm)
Replying to: dgs4 (Sep 17, 2008 5:02 pm) Took maybe thirty mintues to get all that information...and all of it was found right here on Edmunds.com Some of you are being way too anal retentive about features rather than the heart of the review. It was 3 V6 models against each other and the winner was the Mazda 6 because it drove the best, got the best gas mileage, had the best interior ergonomics and looked the best. No one said anything about HID lights, or rear air vents, or all the little nit picky stuff some of you people are focusing on. The addition of the premium package, or whatever package it is some of you are bitching about missing on the Altima, wasn't going to change the outcome of the test. Actually Rear A/C vents were mentioned in the Edmunds.com review...but HID lights were not....and instead of trying to address those of us who are simply discussing this partricular comparison test, you might want to check the type of langauge you used in your own particular message. Afterall, isn't that the reason this blog disscusion was created in the first place? I'm sure if things get too rowdy here a moderator will do his or her job, that's why they exist. Further, Edmunds.com themselves has a section for each review that compares the "Top 10 Features" so obviously feature content is important. I myself have stated that I don't think the results of the test would have changed...but like with any post on these forums, if you don't like what it typed, you simply don't have to read it. Replies to this message: dgs4 (Sep 17, 2008 10:13 pm) maxamillion1 (Sep 17, 2008 11:10 pm) madpistol (Sep 19, 2008 7:00 pm) and 1 more...
#63 of 120 Re: Ummm.... [maxamillion1] by dgs4 Sep 17, 2008 (10:13 pm)
Replying to: maxamillion1 (Sep 17, 2008 9:42 pm) "if you don't like what it typed, you simply don't have to read it." Go read my post again. At the very top of my post I clearly said I did not read it. No time to go through all of that. I don't care about features, I care about the stuff that matters when you're reading a professional car review; performance, ergonomics, noise levels, interior space, and gas mileage. If all of that stuff is no good then I could care less that it has nine million fluff features. As a matter of fact I think some auto manufactures throw as many features and gadgets at you as they can in the hope you won't analyze the stuff that matters. If adding some premium package to the Altima still wouldn't have changed the outcome I don't understand why so many of you are wasting so much time talking about it? Further my language was fine. Let the moderator worry about his/her job and you worry about yours, which isn't moderating this messageboard. Replies to this message: maxamillion1 (Sep 17, 2008 11:10 pm) madpistol (Sep 19, 2008 7:00 pm) gooddeal2 (Sep 19, 2008 7:42 pm)
#64 of 120 Re: Ummm.... [dgs4] by maxamillion1 Sep 17, 2008 (11:10 pm)
Replying to: dgs4 (Sep 17, 2008 10:13 pm) That was my point exactly...instead of you moaning and groaning about our discussion, why don't you let the moderater "moderate" and do his or her job and take care of it. Complaining is one thing but use of disrespectful language is another and does not contribute to the discussion at hand. Dynamics, quality, fuel economy and other aspects are important, but features are obviously important to many of us and to Edmunds as well. Take a look at the "Top 10 Features" category. 8 out of 10 of the features would have been on the Altima with Prem. pkg. Feature content and price contributes to 20 percent of Edmunds' testing results each, a score that ties with "Evaluation" and is higher than the "Performance" category that is so important to you. The discrepencies between price gives the Altima a relatively small advantage over the competition while the discrepencies in features gives the Altima's nearest competitor a clear advantage. The Altima would have beaten the Accord on feature content and it would have slotted somewhere between the 6 and Accord on price allowing it to equal or even surpass the Accord in the rankings...that's the point...and Edmunds makes note of it in the test. Also, it has been noted by many a publication that the Altima feels substantially more upscale when equipped with leather interior...that seems to be a Nissan trait in general. None of these cars are bad, and its obvious that the 6 is the clear winner, but the results could have changed significantly had the Altima been better equipped. Point, blank, period....we can't blame anyone but Nissan for it though. Replies to this message: madpistol (Sep 19, 2008 7:00 pm) gooddeal2 (Sep 19, 2008 7:42 pm)
#65 of 120 by ribbonspeakers Sep 18, 2008 (7:09 pm)
IMO so-called "features", in a very general sense, are one of the worst aspects of modern autos. No, not saying I dislike all features, but they always add at least some weight. There are very few to no "passive" features. Virtually every one must be powered when operated. That power requires a source, usually the motor. The more the features, the larger the alternator. The larger the alternator, the more fuel is consumed to power it. It's a vicious, endless cycle. I see & hope for a day soon coming when one of the more enlightened companies (Honda?) will spend millions of dollars for an ad campaign proudly announcing "FEWER FEATURES!" toward their goal of saving fuel. Just a thought.... Replies to this message: bvdj84 (Sep 18, 2008 7:24 pm) maltb (Sep 19, 2008 7:34 am)
#66 of 120 Re: [ribbonspeakers] by bvdj84 Sep 18, 2008 (7:24 pm)
Replying to: ribbonspeakers (Sep 18, 2008 7:09 pm) I saw a Mazda 6 in person today, I was impressed, and it was quite the car. Its pretty big, nice seats, fit and finish feels good. Very classy looking car! Love the red color they have.
#67 of 120 Re: [ribbonspeakers] by maltb Sep 19, 2008 (7:34 am)
Replying to: ribbonspeakers (Sep 18, 2008 7:09 pm) Good luck on your quest. Just don't expect much of a following.
#68 of 120 Re: Ummm.... [maxamillion1] by madpistol Sep 19, 2008 (7:00 pm)
Replying to: maxamillion1 (Sep 17, 2008 11:10 pm) It's interesting that there's this much debate over the Altima's interior design when compared to the Mazda6 and Accord. Remember that interiors have never been Nissan's strong point. Nissan always seems to push towards ergonomics and inoffensive interior styling that is usually fairly bland. The only real exception to this would be with the new '09 Maxima and Infiniti's G and M cars... Notice how those cars are significantly more expensive than the Altima, Accord, and Mazda6. Also, notice how Nissan's packages are only "stackable" as one package usually requires the others below it. Nissan has a game. It's called "How much money can we make you spend on our cars?" I mean you can buy a boring Altima 2.5S with cloth interior and "ugly" interior styling, or you can buy an Altima 2.5 SL, which has premium double-stitched leather, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, and special wood or carbon fiber inserts and a host of other "niceties" for about $5000 more. When you move up to the Maxima or an Infiniti, you get even nicer interior materials, and more features. I think the Altima 2.5 SL's interior has a flare to it, especially in the black on black/silver color scheme. Is it nicer than the Accord's? That's subjective, but I think the Accord's interior looks very upscale, especially in the EX-L trim. At the same time, Honda has an agenda, and they know that their customer fan base will not put up with Nissan's pricing tactics. I guess that makes people that buy the Accord "smarter" right? So why did I buy the Altima? Why did I buy the Altima 2.5 SL w/ connection pkg over the Accord EX-L 4-cyl? Every reason that I will throw out is subjective to the buyer; the Altima is lighter and more tossable, it gives more road response through the wheel, it has a quicker 4-cyl than the Accord, the trunk is bigger, the rear seat is 60/40 split folding, the Intelligent key system and push-button starter are stupidly convenient, the Altima has a trip computer, the Bose stereo sounds better than the Accord's premium stereo, the CVT is cool AND it has a manual-shift mode, the rear seats have individual reading lights versus the Accord's traditional center light, the doors have built in ground lights, the rear seats get air vents, and the center stack is more ergonomic in its design compared to the Accord. As for the 2009 Mazda6, it wasn't on the market when I purchased this car back in April '08, but if it had been, I can guarantee I would have purchased the Mazda6 instead. It's funny because the Mazda6 either meets OR exceeds nearly every reason I just listed when compared to the Altima. The only thing that I believe it doesn't win on is curb weight, but apparently, that doesn't matter as the car is still a lot of fun to drive. There. I said what I believe about all 3 cars and what I've experienced so far. Flame away!!! Replies to this message: gooddeal2 (Sep 19, 2008 7:42 pm)
#69 of 120 Re: Ummm.... [madpistol] by gooddeal2 Sep 19, 2008 (7:42 pm)
Replying to: madpistol (Sep 19, 2008 7:00 pm) ...I mean you can buy a boring Altima 2.5S with cloth interior and "ugly" interior styling... Wow! I found the interior in the Altima is as good/nice as the Accord but is way better than the Camry. I can barely read the CD's display (odometer is bad as well) on the Camry, I cannot comment on the Mazda b/c I never like them.
#70 of 120 altima 4 cyl by 06g1k Sep 20, 2008 (4:47 am)
When I test drove these cars the altima 4 cyl is just flat out head and shoulders above the others.It really is the only one that doesn't have you wanting a 6 cyl.And it seems fuel mileage is better than the others too.That's one of the reasons consumer reports likes it so much.My wife is averaging 27mpg with no highway.I've had three accords and I truly was going to get the 08.But the wife thought it was to big.I wanted to drive it anyway and although I liked it, it just had alot of road noise.To me it cheapened the feel of the car.The mazda 6 had not come out yet. Replies to this message: bvdj84 (Sep 20, 2008 9:26 am)