My rant

[TheIntrepid]

Okay I have one question.

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE MAZDA6 and Mazdaspeed6?

It's a generic mainstream import sedan. It's the competitor to a Camry, Accord, Altima, Sonata, Optima, etc.

Why is everyone suggesting Mazda6's?

No sorry my real question is...what does the Mazda6 have that's "special" that the Camry, Accord, or Altima don't offer at similar prices as the Mazda?

No trolling here, honestly, just wondering. 

[cawimmer430]

Mazda 6 = FUN TO DRIVE

Camry = SLEEPING PILL

[ifcar]

Steering feel?

[TheIntrepid]

1985 Camry = FUN TO DRIVE

1985 300SE = Sleeping pill, when it decides to start

Wow thanks Wimmer:)

[cawimmer430]

Wow thanks Wimmer:)

Anytime. 

[SaltyDog]

Camry- boring, costs a lot
Accord- costs a lot, it's a Honda
Altima- doesn't handle well
Sonata- boring
6- the best mainstream sedan out there.  Boo ya!

[TheIntrepid]

Camry- boring, costs a lot
Accord- costs a lot, it's a Honda
Altima- doesn't handle well
Sonata- boring
6- the best mainstream sedan out there. Boo ya!

Thanks:) That's the kind of reply I was looking for.

[SaltyDog]

Thanks:) That's the kind of reply I was looking for.

sarcasm?

[TheIntrepid]

No.. honesty.


edit: i mean it. 

[SaltyDog]

No.. honesty.


edit: i mean it. 

[93JC]

Okay I have one question.

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE MAZDA6 and Mazdaspeed6?

It's a generic mainstream import sedan. It's the competitor to a Camry, Accord, Altima, Sonata, Optima, etc.

Why is everyone suggesting Mazda6's?

No sorry my real question is...what does the Mazda6 have that's "special" that the Camry, Accord, or Altima don't offer at similar prices as the Mazda?

No trolling here, honestly, just wondering.?

Better question: what do any of the import sedans offer over, say, a Malibu or Fusion?

I think that's a much trickier question.

[TheIntrepid]

Better question: what do any of the import sedans offer over, say, a Malibu or Fusion?

I think that's a much trickier question.

Reliability.

unless you're being sarcastic...then i'm an idiot

[93JC]

No, I'm quite serious.

According to many, including the Toyonda-worshipping Consumer Reports, if you want the most reliable car you need a Buick. So why doesn't everyone drive Buicks?

[TheIntrepid]

No, I'm quite serious.

According to many, including the Toyonda-worshipping Consumer Reports, if you want the most reliable car you need a Buick. So why doesn't everyone drive Buicks?

Because they're floaty, large, and made for old people. My mom has an Allure (LaCrosse) in Edmonton and actually thinks the Camry's a stiff-suspensioned sports car when she comes home from her business trips.

[ifcar]

93JC, while reliable, the LaCrosse has serious problems with interior packaging and no inexpensive fuel-efficient engine option. The Camry and Accord have the best 4-cylinders in their basic price range.

[MX793]

No, I'm quite serious.

According to many, including the Toyonda-worshipping Consumer Reports, if you want the most reliable car you need a Buick. So why doesn't everyone drive Buicks?

Brand perception.  Buicks are thought of as soft, floaty cars for old people.  Toyota is seen as a little more trendy. 

Further, even if the domestics did improve their quality and reliability to levels above Toyota or Honda, it would take a few years for consumers to catch on especially if the Japanese are still building vehicles that are good enough to keep people from looking elsewhere.  Stigmas die hard, and the Big 3 (or 2.5 now) earned a bad one that they are still trying to recover from.

[93JC]

Yeah, but consumers (around here) don't buy four-banger Camrys, they buy top-o'-the-line models (whatever they are... XLE V6/SE?). Lower-end four-bangers are rentals. If people want inexpensive, fuel-efficient cars they buy Civic and Corolla (which, I must admit, do get very good fuel economy).

As for the so-called boatness of the Allure, touareg208, has your mum driven an Allure CXS? From what I'm told it's a whole other animal compared to the CX and CXL.

[TheIntrepid]

60% of Camry sales are 4-cylinders. I may have seen a total of 10 V6 Camrys in the new body style...mine included.

[93JC]

60% of Camry sales are 4-cylinders. I may have seen a total of 10 V6 Camrys in the new body style...mine included.

80% of the new Camrys I've seen have been rentals. Of the handful of consumer Camrys, all have been V6s.

'Cept one, a hybrid.

[ifcar]

Yeah, but consumers (around here) don't buy four-banger Camrys, they buy top-o'-the-line models (whatever they are... XLE V6/SE?). Lower-end four-bangers are rentals. If people want inexpensive, fuel-efficient cars they buy Civic and Corolla (which, I must admit, do get very good fuel economy).

As for the so-called boatness of the Allure, touareg208, has your mum driven an Allure CXS? From what I'm told it's a whole other animal compared to the CX and CXL.

I see relatively few V6 Camrys, even most of the XLEs are 4-cylinders.

And while the LaCrosse/Allure isn't any more of a boat than the non-SE Camry in any form, it has other problems.

[ifcar]

80% of the new Camrys I've seen have been rentals. Of the handful of consumer Camrys, all have been V6s.

'Cept one, a hybrid.

How can you tell?

[Raza]

Toyonda, that's a new one.

That said, the Camry is the best car ever made, especially in SE trim.  It may lose in straights to a Ferrari 430, but it definitely corners faster.  It is to this day unsurpassed as a sporting machine, and even though countless efforts from European luxury companies to surpass its comfort and performance (BMW M5, Mercedes E55/E63, Audi S6/RS6) they are much, much more expensive, and even at three times the price, only come close the Camry's dynamism.  Interior appointments are also unmatched, while the Camry offers the best quality in luxury and technology, all its European and other Japanese competitors can come up with are superfluous gizmos and cheap plastic tchotchkes. 

[Raza]

How can you tell?

He keeps a log.

[TheIntrepid]

How can you tell?

The new generation V6's have dual exhaust tailpipes. The Hybrids have HYBRID on the sides and "Hybrid Synergy Drive" emblem on the back.

[ifcar]

I meant about the rentals. Hybrids have different taillights and the V6s have the dual exhaust, but aside from the little stickers, there's nothing distinguishing about a rental car.

[TheIntrepid]

Most of the rentals in Alberta (93JC's land) have Enterprise, National, Budget, or Discount stickers on them. If not stickers, their front plates are ads for the rental company.

[93JC]

Roughly 8/10 Camrys I've seen have had big "Enterprise", "Discount" and "Budget" stickers on the back? All of 'em have had a wheezy, four banger exhaust sound? All the other ones without big stickers on the back have had six-cylinder exhaust notes?

I don't know.



()

[Danish]

Toyota is seen as a little more trendy. 

I never thought I'd see this statement on the forums

[The Pirate]

Better question: what do any of the import sedans offer over, say, a Malibu or Fusion?

I think that's a much trickier question.

A manual transmission.  If I could get a Pontiac Grand Prix or a Dodge Charger with a manual tranny (even with the smaller engine), I would buy one in a second.  I realize that the Fusion has a manual tranny, but try finding one.  It's a lot easier to find a 5 speed import.

[93JC]

People don't, as a rule in this part of the continent, buy cars with manuals anyway.