Sulu

Are you saying that the Mazda6 is "too little, too late"? I don't disagree but i do wonder why, if Mazda mid-size sedans (626, 6) have been around longer than the Sonata and the Fusion, is it late to the party? Furthermore, the Fusion was originally built on the 6's platform, so did Ford build a better Mazda than Mazda, and how was it able to do that?

If Mazda has been in this market longer than others, what makes the current generation -- and possibly this new generation -- the late one to the party?

I have wondered why the current generation did so poorly and wonder if this poor showing has made shoppers forget that there is another option in the mid-size market.

KevinGS

Looks great, needs more power though.

They better make a turbo version or something...else this will be all for naught. Mazdas have to be BETTER than Honda and Toyota, not similar.

LexFather

Marketing....Mazda has not had a clear message with the 6. Quite frankly the name is just dumb. Mazda 6. Does that sound like something you would want to buy?

Its amazing how Hyundai blew past Mazda here and their marketing has been a huge part of presenting the product as well as their 100k warranty.

Outrage

You can get a Mazda 6 with an tractor engine.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

it's not too late, but it is too little. that is, for mazda to STAND OUT among the cacophony of marketing from their MUCH BIGGER competitors, they have to be different. similar situations in another industry would be Apple when it was much smaller and had to be 'different' than a PC. or in the car biz, Subaru or Porsche - to survive they must retain being different from everything else as well as exceptional in how they are different. you can't just be different. Saab learned that.

no, Ford didn't, but they could market the hell out of it.

put simply, not enough buyers consider it when looking for a vehicle, and if they do, they don't have an answer to why they should take a chance on a niche player vs. a giant competitor.

it's marketing strategy 101.

the tough part is Mazda ALREADY KNOWS THIS for other parts of their business like the MX5 (Miata) and RX8 (now gone i think). their cuvs are ok but nothing special either.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

The biggest thing is the weight! A shade UNDER 3000lbs for a midsize sedan vs bloated competition.

Another + is the optional diesel soon to hit shores with 310lbft

It also is a looker and Mazda has always been the "BMW" of the mainstream sedan offerings

spwolf

and handling... and new engines and transmissions.

Mazda is high tech compared to competition. They spent money not only on design (looks good) but also on making the car lightweight and giving it high end engines and transmissions.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

good stuff, but those things are still hard to sell unless it results in a real performance or economy or some other edge over competitors.

it's definitely nice looking but i'm sure we've seen the top of the line model. lower end versions with smaller/cheaper rims for example, won't look as compelling.

to give an example of what i mean about the weight - let's suppose an accord was 500lbs less than a camry. would the consumer care? i don't think so, unless it made a tangible difference in performance, running cost, or something else.

pman6

where does it say it's under 3000 pounds?

It weighs the same as the accord, according to mazda website, at 3232 lbs for the base model

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...ehicleCode=M6N

Outrage

The 2014 Mazda 6 with an automatic is 3,232 lbs. A Nissan Altima 2.5S with a 2.5 liter I4 and CVT is 3,108 lbs. A Hyundai Sonota GLS with a 2.4 liter I4 and automatic is 3,199 lbs.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

so why again should someone buy this (very nice) mazda 6 over anything else?

pman6

choices.


my local mazda showroom already has one of these on display. Gonna stop by one of these days and see how much the rear headroom is cut.

LexBob2

It probably will have sharper steering and handling than the competition. But I don't know if that's really enough to separate it in this segment.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Full spec optioned 6's in Russia are supposed to ring in at 3109lbs. A base version without tech etc. could be below the 3000lb mark

bruce van

The Mazda6 has always been a sporty alternative to the main 3 mid-sized imports: Camry, Accord, Altima.

I comparisons, it has always done well, but never resonated with consumers.

Here are what I think may wrong:

1. Mazda has the worst marketing of all 3. No one but car enthusiasts know about it.

2. Mazda's typically don't have very good resale value, a big minus in my book

3. People in the mid-sized, mid-priced sedan segment are generally not car enthusiasts. They want something that is dependable and has a proven track history. That's why it is so hard to take the title away from Camry & Accord as boring as some may claim.

4. A person would buy a Mazda6 if they want to be different from the mainstream market. The 6 is different and it's a great looking car, but it's not compelling enough. It has to be outstanding in design, performance, and value to really stand a chance.