New Car

Gucci Pilot

Gucci Pilot

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Gucci Pilot
Planning on buying a new car when I get home from this deployment. Kinda narrowed it down to the Honda Accord EX-L and the Mazda 6 Grand Touring. Anyone have any info on the Mazda 6 specifically? Mom has an Accord and loves it. Don't know of anyone that has the Mazda 6. Basically curious on Mazdas reliability and maintenance track record. Haven't test drove them yet but will when I get back.
 
The biggest peeve I remember from my Mazda experiences (I had an MX-6 and my SIL had a Mazda 5) is the tires. The wheels are designed for low profile, low aspect ratio tires (typically between 50 and 65 percent) and I always experienced low tread life. YMMV (literally).
 
Id check out Subarus too, way more care for the same money.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
Planning on buying a new car when I get home from this deployment. Kinda narrowed it down to the Honda Accord EX-L and the Mazda 6 Grand Touring. Anyone have any info on the Mazda 6 specifically? Mom has an Accord and loves it. Don't know of anyone that has the Mazda 6. Basically curious on Mazdas reliability and maintenance track record. Haven't test drove them yet but will when I get back.
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Ya live in snow country.. or the tropics??
 
While in Japan, I used to own a Mazda (don't remember model, but boxy like the 6).
Was a real MX-hog and thought it adversely reflected on the quality of automobiles that the Japanese produced (but that was 40 years ago).
Have an MX-5 now, with 175k miles on it. Basically don't do more than change the oil and it still appears to be nearly new (but is 14 years old.)
Best car I've ever owned.
My tires (Michelin) typically last 110k. Brakes about 40k. Timing belts got changed at 75k & 150k (but techs said still looked nearly new). Tires are 65 aspect.
IS LOUSY (can I emphasize that!!!) IN SNOW. HATES THE STUFF!!!!
KEEP CHAINS WITH YOU IF YOU DRIVE IN WINTER
 
I've had three Mazdas - a RX3 Wagon, a 626 and a Miata.

All fun cars.

But I would rank Toyotas and Hondas at the top of the heap, reliability-wise, at least in my limited experience with them.

Neither Mazdas not Subarus seem to fare quite as well, though they're still good choices.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
I was kinda looking at the BRZ as well. Looks like a fun car to drive. Plus I'm single so I'm not hauling kids.



.
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The BRZ is rear wheel drive, a joint between Toyota and Subaru, luckily it's mostly subaru.

If you want something fun checkout the turbo impreza, WRX, or if you really have a need for speed the STI. All all wheel drive and VERY fun.
 
I've owned both Hondas and Mazdas....my family has owned both makes as well. Utility-wise, they're both about equal, maintenance-wise they're both about equal, price-wise the honda my be a smidge more (but pretty much equal). To tell you the truth, I like the quality of the interior in the mazda a bit more, but that's just a personal preference. I will tell you this though...my mom has a mazda 3, and my dad had an accord. The mazda 3 got roughly 35-39 mpg (mostly freeway driving) consistently. The accord was close, but definitely below those numbers as well.
The other thing that I like about the mazda, is that when I bought mine, I also bought the pre-paid maintenance package with it. With the exception of brakes and tires, all maintenance is covered...oil change, other fluids, belts, etc. This coverage is good till 75k, I believe.

Bottom line is this: both cars are very comparable. Go out, test drive the mazda 6 and see how you like it. Personally, I'd go with the mazda...all other things being about equal, I just like the mazda's body styling a bit more.
 
James331 said:
The BRZ is rear wheel drive, a joint between Toyota and Subaru, luckily it's mostly subaru.

If you want something fun checkout the turbo impreza, WRX, or if you really have a need for speed the STI. All all wheel drive and VERY fun.
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I've driven multiple Subaru vehicles and have never really understood all the Kool-Aid drinking fanboyism about them. The never ending head gasket problems do nothing to sway me as well. Seems like an average Japanese economy car to me.
 
Bill Jennings said:
I've driven multiple Subaru vehicles and have never really understood all the Kool-Aid drinking fanboyism about them. The never ending head gasket problems do nothing to sway me as well. Seems like an average Japanese economy car to me.
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When we lived in snow country, our Outback was terrific. Snow and ice just didn't matter. Once we moved to the Sunbelt, it became our courtesy car.

After two pilots had the hood flip up on the highway, shattering the windshield, and the interior sun rotted out, I sold it to an employee for next to nothing. That damned thing is still running strong, two years later.

But, yes, when it was fairly new we had to replace the head gasket. That was a real design flaw that should have been fixed for free, but wasn't.
 
I had a Mazda GLC years ago and it was a Great Little Car. A friend is on his second new new 3 and is thinking about buying his third. Swears by them.
 
Get the one you like to drive the most. Live is too short to worry about small differences in reliability between the various car companies.
 
I have owned a few subies, my folks have foresters, bought my girl a forester.

The head gasket issue arises when non OEM thermostats are used, especially with folks who don't pay attention to their temp, and especially in the older versions of the 2.5

Out of all the subarus I have had, my friends have had, and my parents have only one had a head gasket issue and that was due to improper mx performed my a local mechanic. He machined and replaced the gasket at his expense.

If you know much about cars you'll see the MAJOR difference in layout between a Subaru and a accord or Mazda 6.

I had a very decked out older wagon with a WRX engine swap, drove that car the way it was built, sand, snow and VERY aggressive, never even coughed funny.
 
Big Mazda fan - on my ninth.
I like Subarus, but if no need for AWD, then why? Head gasket issues largely dealt with post-2005. Less precise than Honda or Mazda, a feeling of greater durability.
Hondas are most expensive, and perhaps a bit more fragile than the Mazdas. I enjoyed all of mine. Hardest to work on.

Can't go wrong with any of them, really.

I like a small wagon, which makes Mazda3 and the Impreza top choices. (All new Subarus have bloated ridiculously, but the Impreza is still the size of the old Outback.)

The BRZ is one hot set of wheels, for sure.
 
Honestly, why are you considering a foreign car? Is it because you think that they are "the best built" cars?

I currently own 2 American cars (GM) & a Toyota 4 runner. I have owned European makes and don't own any now merely because I had too many cars and not enough drive time in most of them. (My MGB GT sat for 8 years without even being started for instance.)

Of all the cars I've owned, the foreign ones were the highest maintenance. We just spent $2K on the Toyota for "required" 90K mile maintenance.

Conversely, my Saturn has 250K miles on it and has barely cost me 2K in 225K miles (other than oil changes, tune ups, tires, etc). 2 water pumps, 1 radiator, 1 window regulator, 1 serpentine belt & tensioner, 1 brake job, 1 motor mount, 1 TPS sensor.

That ain't bad.

Were I to consider replacing the Saturn today, I'd be looking REALLY LONG AND HARD at the Chevy Cruz Eco. It is basically my Saturn updated. Same wheelbase, cabin interior size, 2 adults up front and 3 kids or 2 adults in back seating, 35+ MPG highway, and a warranty equal to anyone's. For about $20K or a bit less out the door.

And, no, I don't sell cars for a living. Not a auto mechanic either.
 
Buy a C-150 and get a zip car membership and a bicycle.:lol:
 
A friend of mine has a Mazda something....it still runs despite his best efforts to wreck it, drown it and outdrive it. He's a HORRIBLE driver and most of his cars wind up totaled in a few years due to wrecks or fires...
 
I just bought a new car in that class. I did a lot of research on the Mazda's, Toyotas and Hondas. I've owned a few Hondas in the past but opted against the new accord. The front seat wasn't comfortable to me and the interior wasn't what I was expecting. Looked at the Camrys but just think the exterior is fugly. I own a 2013 Mazda CX 9 and love it. Great vehicle with plenty of power and a fantastic interior.

Ultimately, I bought a 2014 VW TDI SEL. it's roughly the same price as the Accord but has a cleaner interior. It has all the bells and whistles. What really sold me was the gas mileage. In the first 5K miles I've average 46 MPG in regular everyday driving. Still a little concerned about VW reliability but with the extra 100K warranty I feel good.
 
Very interesting, Matt. I wish you the best of success and hope you'll keep us informed.

I think the VW TDis are a great idea and very nicely realized. But I'm very scared off from what I've heard about electrical issues and maintenance and general. I would love to be incorrect on this.

(I should also mention I typically buy cars 8-12 years old, so not a good source of info for new cars.)
 
All great inputs! Not set in stone with a foreign car. Just no domestics that really stood out to me. Since I'll be spending close to 2 hours a day in it, interior comfort and features were high on the priority list for me along with being somewhat fun to drive. High MPGs are also high on the priority list. Would like something that gets in the low to mid 30s.

ClimbnSink said:
Buy a C-150 and get a zip car membership and a bicycle.:lol:
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You laugh...the thought had crossed my mind :D
 
Bill Jennings said:
I've driven multiple Subaru vehicles and have never really understood all the Kool-Aid drinking fanboyism about them. The never ending head gasket problems do nothing to sway me as well. Seems like an average Japanese economy car to me.
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The big deal with Subarus is the AWD system. Historically, the performance of Subaru's AWD system has been a good deal better than most competitors. A good AWD system improves performance even in the rain, though it also increases the weight of the vehicle.

We owned a 2002 Outback wagon, and it would go anytime we hit the gas, even in deep unplowed snow. It experienced the well-known head gasket issue even though Subaru insisted that our VIN was outside of the affected range. They would do nothing, zip, nada to help us out, going so far as to suggest that because we didn't have ALL of the recommended maintenance done at the dealer, we could be at fault for the problem. I knew that they knew there was still a problem, because they started dumping sealant in the cooling system of new vehicles in an effort to stop the problem. This qualifies as scum-baggery in my book, but I honestly don't think that I would have received a different response from any other auto manufacturer. As a car buyer, if you have a lousy dealer and encounter a maintenance problem, you're sunk. And most dealers are lousy. The quality of the dealership now carries significant weight in my auto buying decision.

Beyond that, I'm 6' 1" tall, and Subarus have always been cars that I "wear" rather than cars that I "sit in." In our Outback, neither front seat traveled backward far enough for my liking, but the passenger side seemed especially cramped.

With that being said, if I were in the market today, I'd probably still consider Subaru. I do live in snow country, and regardless of what was on the road or how crappy the factory tires were, our Outback always got us where we needed to go when we needed to go there.


JKG
 
Subaru cult member here. The extended family is on our 5th and never had a blown head gasket. The WRX in the garage is about 2000 miles short of 100k and has had a new headlight, one set of brakes and one set of tires and that's it.
 
One of my co-workers also brought up the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Thoughts?
 
G-Man said:
Very interesting, Matt. I wish you the best of success and hope you'll keep us informed.

I think the VW TDis are a great idea and very nicely realized. But I'm very scared off from what I've heard about electrical issues and maintenance and general. I would love to be incorrect on this.

(I should also mention I typically buy cars 8-12 years old, so not a good source of info for new cars.)
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You can find my TDI stories in past threads. I wholeheartedly recommend the Jetta TDI to the nearest junkyard.

Great idea, awesome mileage car from a right-sized turbo diesel. Fussy german engineering and expensive parts. A lot of broken stuff that should have never broken.

The extended warranty saved our butts to the tune of over $13K in repairs not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
 
Oh forgot. New member of the Subaru cult here. Dad's old 2000 Outback.

At 95K our Subaru specialist shop recommended the timing belt be done and the head gasket gets done also as part of a "100K kit" of parts and labor they've learned just to do and be done with it, over the years.

That AWD system will plow through stuff my SUVs and trucks balk at and not even notice it's there. It's damned near impossible to unglue that thing from the road. It makes washboarded dirt roads disappear.
 
denverpilot said:
You can find my TDI stories in past threads. I wholeheartedly recommend the Jetta TDI to the nearest junkyard.

Great idea, awesome mileage car from a right-sized turbo diesel. Fussy german engineering and expensive parts. A lot of broken stuff that should have never broken.

The extended warranty saved our butts to the tune of over $13K in repairs not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
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My son has had the same experience. The extended warranty in a VW is standard equipment. It saved him having to pay $4000 when the engine lunched a valve at 30,000 miles.

Great car. Poor execution. Which always surprises me, since Germans are usually so proud of their quality.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
All great inputs! Not set in stone with a foreign car. Just no domestics that really stood out to me. Since I'll be spending close to 2 hours a day in it, interior comfort and features were high on the priority list for me along with being somewhat fun to drive. High MPGs are also high on the priority list. Would like something that gets in the low to mid 30s.



You laugh...the thought had crossed my mind :D
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You can always buy a prius.... jk don't do that to yourself
 
I have a 1998 Honda Accord with 223,000 miles and everything works on it. It's not exactly fun to drive by any means but I have no passion for driving so I don't care. I never have problems with the thing.

There is no doubt, when and if that car gives up, I will spend about $3,000 on the nicest Honda Accord I can get for that money. Really the cheapest way to drive.

That said, I personally don't think Honda's quality today is what it was in 1998, and I think the American cars have came a long ways as well. They truly built junk in the 90s.
 
I'll also jump in for going against VW. I just traded my first VW in and will never buy another. It was an awesome car but as it was approaching the 60k warranty mark things started going wrong and it scared me.

On the flip side, just got a Grand Cherokee diesel. Over 30 MPG highway on a full size suv. More to come on the long term performance and maintenance.


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Gucci Pilot said:
Planning on buying a new car when I get home from this deployment. Kinda narrowed it down to the Honda Accord EX-L and the Mazda 6 Grand Touring. Anyone have any info on the Mazda 6 specifically? Mom has an Accord and loves it. Don't know of anyone that has the Mazda 6. Basically curious on Mazdas reliability and maintenance track record. Haven't test drove them yet but will when I get back.
Click to expand...

They're pretty much on equal footing, buy which you like better.
 
James331 said:
Id check out Subarus too, way more care for the same money.
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We bought a new car for my lovely bride over the summer. She'd been driving a 2002 Forester since new, great little car, she loved it. She thought she wanted another Forester or an Outback and we started there but test drove a lot of vehicles together. She wound up buying a RAV4. So much more car for the money than a Forester and far more refined, especially the interior. We were really disappointed with the Subaru interiors' comfort, styling and appointment.

Those cars aren't in the same end of the spectrum that Gucci is looking at though so this cost/value example might not apply.

FWIW
 
OP, have you looked at Fords? They've got a really broad cross section of vehicles to choose from.

And if you're an EAA member, you can get their vehicles for employee prices - basically cost plus $200 or so. It's called their X Plan pricing. I've bought three in the last 4 years that way.
 
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OP, I have been the parts/service manager in a Ford/Honda/Mazda dealership since 1996. I have seen every manufacturer many times over through the years as we service any make and model. Every one have/had models that were problematic. However, the quality of automobiles today is outstanding no matter which car you buy. Find the car that makes you smile when you get in to drive, no matter which brand it is. The chances are the same that you will have problems with any car. Don't over think it, don't spend hours doing internet research (unless you really like doing internet research), go drive a ton of cars, buy the one with the highest smile factor.


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mikeinbama said:
OP, I have been the parts/service manager in a Ford/Honda/Mazda dealership since 1996. I have seen every manufacturer many times over through the years as we service any make and model. Every one have/had models that were problematic. However, the quality of automobiles today is outstanding no matter which car you buy. Find the car that makes you smile when you get in to drive, no matter which brand it is. The chances are the same that you will have problems with any car. Don't over think it, don't spend hours doing internet research (unless you really like doing internet research), go drive a ton of cars, buy the one with the highest smile factor.


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Best advice yet....:yes:....:thumbsup:
 
Just had a ride in the Mazda 6, very comfortable,however kind of a loud interior. Owner said car was getting a couple of gallons more than advertised. I'm also looking for the wife,all options on the table at present.
 
We will be looking for a new (used) car soon. We plan to go to the LA Auto show and buy from whatever company has the most impressive exhibit. If there is a tie, we will go by whoever has the best looking women on <the> display.



But seriously, a big car show is a great way to get a feel for the entire market. And they are fun, too.
 
For driving dynamics, I like the Mazdas a lot.

The Ford Fusion is a great buggy, and, while many may rail against it because it is GM, the Chevy Malibu is a good car, roomy, peppy, extremely good gas mileage.

Fact is, any car you get, well-maintained, is likely to serve well. You might do well to shop the dealer as much as the car.
 
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