I really love Ford's new sedan design theme.

[Submariner]

The current US Focus is fucking disgusting. 

+1

The Fusion is ok looking (though I don't think the face lift flows well with the rest of the car) and the Taurus has that odd curvature about it up front, with a strangely angular rear end.  And don't even get me started on them calling the "SHO" the show....jesus it sounds stupid.

[AutobahnSHO]

And don't even get me started on them calling the "SHO" the show....jesus it sounds stupid.

Did someone say "SHO"???


http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/02/video-ford-taurus-sho-follows-conan-to-la/

[FoMoJo]

I think that Ford succeeded in making their model line distinctive.  A Fusion is eye-catching -- whether or not everyone likes the style.  The Focus looks okay and does stand out from a rather motley crew in that segment.  The best, imo, is the 2010 Taurus; especially the restyled rear.  Not only is it very stylish, it is unmistakably Ford.

I do agree with Hemi that the original Focus, especially the hatch, was the best; even better than the new Euro Focus due here next year.

[sportyaccordy]

Whoa, we are getting the Euro Focus???

[2o6]

Whoa, we are getting the Euro Focus???

World Focus.

[r0tor]

The 6 is a day and night improvement IMO.  It's classy, and being based on the Mondeo means it is also very good dynamically.  Yes, quality could be improved but it has taken a step forward from the previous 6 in that regard.

the north american version is a bloated steamy pile of horse shit 

[sportyaccordy]

the north american version is a bloated steamy pile of horse shit 

Agreed. Even the last version was a bit too big and heavy. It looks like the new Japanese version would have been PERFECT.

I am sure Mazda is selling enough 6s but this would have been a good time to bring back the 9. Bring over the Japanese 6, make the big bloated piece of horse shit more of an upmarket TL/ES competitor. It's too big to be legitimately sporty but not high end enough to be luxurious.

[ifcar]

Agreed. Even the last version was a bit too big and heavy. It looks like the new Japanese version would have been PERFECT.

Even though it's also bigger than the first generation 6?

Besides, if you think the original 6 was too big, get a 3. That 6 was already among the smallest cars in its class.

[Raza]

Even though it's also bigger than the first generation 6?

Besides, if you think the original 6 was too big, get a 3. That 6 was already among the smallest cars in its class.

Iffy's right here.

You guys sound like you want to buy a pickup truck, but you want it to seat seven and have no truck bed and sliding doors. 

[93JC]

WTF. The old 6 was too small. And the difference between the North American 6 and rest-of-world 6 is only a couple inches here and there.

[sportyaccordy]

The American 6 is 8" longer than the Japanese one. And the Japanese one is about 90# lighter than the 1st gen 6. I thought they made it smaller.

In any case, there's no reason the new 6 had to be so big. The 6 + 9 deal would have worked IMO.

And I don't see how the last 6 was too small. My car seats 5 + luggage comfortably and is about 5" shorter than the last 6. What was it too small in comparison to? It's bigger inside than a 3 and is on par w/cars which were just fine space wise 10 yrs ago. If anything its competitors are too big.

[93JC]

The American 6 is 8" longer than the Japanese one.

7"

In any case, there's no reason the new 6 had to be so big.

It was smaller than everything else in its class, ergo it was too small.

All I know is I had to squeeze into the old one (minding my head in particular), whereas I don't with the new one.

The 6 + 9 deal would have worked IMO.

What's "the 6 + 9 deal"?

[ifcar]

What's "the 6 + 9 deal"?

He means having a smaller 6 with a full-size Mazda9 above it.

[r0tor]

The new world 6 is actually bigger inside then the previous gen and weighs less... the north american version is wayy bigger then the original and weighs more.

They went "big" to get more north american market share.  They did not succeed do to the sheer fact mazda buyers expect a "sports sedan" which is nimble and fun to drive - not the current bloated pig

[r0tor]

They did not succeed do to the sheer fact mazda buyers expect a "sports sedan" which is nimble and fun to drive - not the current bloated pig

my case in point - 80% of mazda 6 enthusiasts perfer the first gen car... http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=115255

[SVT666]

The new world 6 is actually bigger inside then the previous gen and weighs less... the north american version is wayy bigger then the original and weighs more.

They went "big" to get more north american market share.  They did not succeed do to the sheer fact mazda buyers expect a "sports sedan" which is nimble and fun to drive - not the current bloated pig

How is 3258 lbs a "bloated pig"?  That's 92 lbs heavier then the previous generation that was way too small.  That makes it the lightest car in it's class as far as I could find.

[93JC]

He means having a smaller 6 with a full-size Mazda9 above it.

Yeah, that's smart: let's waste time and money trying to sell a too-small car while peddling a much bigger one above it.

Two words for Monsignore sportyaccordy: FORD CONTOUR.

[ifcar]

The new world 6 is actually bigger inside then the previous gen and weighs less... the north american version is wayy bigger then the original and weighs more.

They went "big" to get more north american market share.  They did not succeed do to the sheer fact mazda buyers expect a "sports sedan" which is nimble and fun to drive - not the current bloated pig

Have you found anyone who's driven both and said that having a shorter wheelbase made the global car a night-and-day improvement over the US one? Our Mazda6 is already one of the best-driving cars in its class, so if you didn't like it, you likely wouldn't love the other either.

[Raza]

How is 3258 lbs a "bloated pig"?  That's 92 lbs heavier then the previous generation that was way too small.  That makes it the lightest car in it's class as far as I could find.

It weighs around the same as my car!  That's pretty light for a midsized car.

Also, if the market dictates that the car should be bigger (say, as big as its competitors), then it should be better.  You can't just say "the whole market is wrong, midsizers should be smaller" when there's a compact market.  I can't see why anyone would ever need a sedan with more space than my Jetta.  Which is why I bought it.  I had a Passat, and instead of buying the new Passat, which I deemed too big for me[/i], I bought a Jetta, which is a compact.  Do you people finally see the reason automakers sell more than one car?

[r0tor]

jump all over me all you want, the 4 year old 2008 model outsold the all new 2009 model by 40% year to date.  Yea sure the market has changed, by a 40% hit for a brand new model shows nothing but a wrong decision being made.

[ifcar]

jump all over me all you want, the 4 year old 2008 model outsold the all new 2009 model by 40% year to date.  Yea sure the market has changed, by a 40% hit for a brand new model shows nothing but a wrong decision being made.

The 1st-gen Mazda6 was a fleet queen. All fleet queens saw huge sales declines when rental agencies cut back their purchasing.

[r0tor]

sorry, but styling and car wise we got hosed

[omicron]

Yeah, that's smart: let's waste time and money trying to sell a too-small car while peddling a much bigger one above it.

Two words for Monsignore sportyaccordy: FORD CONTOUR.

The first two generations of Mondeo/Contour were overwhelmingly dull - much like watching my lawn not grow in the drought. I cannot for the life of me understand the Europeans fawning all over it as they did. The current-model is much better, although why it needs to have taillights like Marlene Dietrich's eyebrows is beyond me. An XR5 Turbo with the Falcon's lovely ZF automatic sounds like a fine car indeed.

[93JC]

sorry, but styling and car wise we got hosed

Nigga please, the differences are superficial.

[nickdrinkwater]

Yeah, that's smart: let's waste time and money trying to sell a too-small car while peddling a much bigger one above it.

Well, Ford did that, right?  Fusion and 500?

[ifcar]

Well, Ford did that, right?  Fusion and 500?

The Fusion was bigger than the Mazda6 it was based on.

[ChrisV]

The first two generations of Mondeo/Contour were overwhelmingly dull - much like watching my lawn not grow in the drought. I cannot for the life of me understand the Europeans fawning all over it as they did.

Basic ones, yes, but the V6 SEs and SVT versions (especially the later) were not dull at all.

[sportyaccordy]

Yeah, that's smart: let's waste time and money trying to sell a too-small car while peddling a much bigger one above it.

Two words for Monsignore sportyaccordy: FORD CONTOUR.

I agree that the Ford Contour was too small

But I think the 'midsize' car was its ideal size in the mid 90s. The Accord, 626 etc nobody complained about those cars being 'too small'. Now a midsizer with the same interior volume as those cars is 'impossibly cramped'. Again I have take road trips with 4 other people in my Accord... a car with prob less interior volume than a new Civic... and we got on just fine.

Eventually, "midsizers" will dwarf the likes of S-Classes and Bentleys in the name of one-upmanship. Mazda could have reengineered the 6 to have more interior room in critical areas without having the car grow that much.

How is 3258 lbs a "bloated pig"?  That's 92 lbs heavier then the previous generation that was way too small.  That makes it the lightest car in it's class as far as I could find.

The latest crop of Mazdas are all relatively light as a part of a company initiative to just make lighter cars. If they had made a smaller 6 it would have been lighter still.

[r0tor]

How is 3258 lbs a "bloated pig"?  That's 92 lbs heavier then the previous generation that was way too small.  That makes it the lightest car in it's class as far as I could find.

the world car 2987lbs...

[Raza]

I think pickup trucks are too big.  And too trucky.  I've been driving for seven years, and I've never used a pickup truckbed, so they should get rid of those.  They're too high; they should be lowered.  They look ugly, so they should be more sleek.  They also should seat more people.  Four doors, but it should also be a 2+2 coupe that's a boat and a plane.

You guys are fucking morons.

THEY MAKE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CARS FOR THIS EXACT FUCKING REASON.  If midsizers are too big for you BUY A FUCKING COMPACT, dickwads.  If you're saying that your Accord is big enough and it's not even the size of a Civic, which is a compact WHY DO YOU CARE THAT THE MIDSIZER IS LARGER?  Competition and market demanded that midsize cars get larger; and guess what?  They did.  They also became better packaged, safer, faster, et al.  If you think that the midsize car is too big for you, guess what else?  You're not the fucking market.  So start looking at fucking compacts.