6s Sedan * Automatic Transmission

I bought the 6s brand new at a year end sale for $18,500 and then drove it for 12 mos. WHAT A FUN CAR! Not only was it a blast to drive for everyday use, but with traction control it performed very well in the worst weather. I found myself trapped in a Noreaster (aka blizzard) in the middle of rural Connecticut late one night (Dec 26 2005). Other cars were going off the road all around me but the 6's traction control kept me on the road. I also made several high speed, 15 hour trips to the Midwest and the car handled very well crossing Appalachian Mountains. The 6 hugged the road on curvy, winding I-80. The [Volvo designed] suspension in this car is a big plus. If the roads are poorly maintained where you do most of your driving this is one sedan worth checking out. The seats are well designed and I didn't endure back problems like I did with my former car.

As a Real Estate Broker I had a blast driving my 6 around the city all day long(Boston). It was a great looking but low key car for business purposes. For me the 6 was like an incognito sports sedan but not boring looking/acting like the Camry. Clients and friends were aways impressed with the car. The interior features were user friendly, well located, and there is ample storage space throughout. The trunk is HUGE and can easily accomodate several sets of golf clubs. The back seats fold down for long objects. I didn't have a ski rack but a Trule rack would enhance the look of this car.

Unless you demand the high performance of a v6, I wouldn't say that the v6 is absolutely necessary. Parking-lot like Boston traffic didn't allow me to take advantage of the v6 very often and it just sucked up more gas. I drove a rented 6 without the v6 for a week in Chicago traffic and the non-v6 model performed just as well. If you require a car that's easy to parallel park in the city this is a good car. I wedged the 6 into some pretty tight spots on a number of occasions.

I had the dark steel-grey color which looked great when it was clean. But if you're in a cold climate your dark colored car will not look clean between November and April without constant visits to the car wash.

SECURITY FEATURES: The 6 has some good built in security features that I believe are standard on all models. There's an interior flashing indicator that alerts potential intruders of a security system. The keys have built in microchips that interact with the ignition which enables the car to start. Most dealers are installing LoJack in all of their new Mazdas.

TRADE IN VALUE: I sold my 6 to go back to school without the car payment, and a dealer gave my family $15,500 as a trade-in with under 13K miles (family member used it as a trade in to save on sales taxes). I believe the better than average trade in value was due to 1) my low year end purchase price (with $3K incentives) 2) a v6 with low mileage and 3) the dealer wanted to please the family member using it as a trade in. Take time to comparison shop as there is quite a price disparity with used models.

QUALITY RATINGS: I did read up on the "average" quality ratings in Consumer Reports for the 2004 Mazda 6. After only 6 mos I had an $800 repair that had something to do with the pressurized fuel pressure. This was fully covered by warranty and I was told that this was a common issue with this model. If you really want this model year I would bring the Consumer Report with you and use it as a bargaining chip when purchasing from a dealer.

A NOTE ON DEALERS: I shopped 3 different Mazda dealers. Mazda dealers are not all the same so shop around until you find one that you feel comfortable with.

1. A Mazda dealer in Quincy, MA attempted to sell me a "demo car" that they claimed "had been driven by Mazda Executives." We ran a CarFax report on the car and discovered that it had been previously owned by Enterprise Rent-A-Car out of Pittsburgh. THEY TRIED TO SELL ME A RENTAL CAR and they claimed it would be sold as new with the same bundle of warranties as a new car.
2. A Mazda dealer in Norwood, MA would present me with a gimmicky new sales pitch every time they contacted me. ANNOYING.
3. I finally purchased my Mazda from Ira Mazda in Danvers, MA and they were very honest and straightforward.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: A broker colleague of mine had a brand new 2004 Mazda 3 and she had nothing but problems with the car. Everything was covered by warranty, but it was a hassle just the same having to bring the car to the dealer numerous times.