the callum brothers became design leads of mazda and jaguar around the same time and made their cars look the same. moray callum went back to ford and continued spreading that design language everywhere he could
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That would certainly be my preference but there's little choice in mid size sedans. I also don't want something that's expensive to maintain (looking at you BMW).
Strangely enough this is one of the more subdued body styles these days.
I live in an almost snow and ice free area and there is very little salt used on the roads. And this would be one of two cars so it would stay home in bad weather. My S-I-L and daughter have Mazdas and after 6 or 7 years they have absolutely no rust. So yes I think a Mazda will last here.
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The black wheels and red leather are my fave things about the car. The thing that I HATE (and I hate this on all current cars) is that HUGE ***** grille. Why do car manufacturers keep torturing us with these huge ugly grilles and huge ugly brand emblems?
The black wheels and red leather are my fave things about the car. The thing that I HATE (and I hate this on all current cars) is that HUGE ***** grille. Why do car manufacturers keep torturing us with these huge ugly grilles and huge ugly brand emblems?
Good lines, color is nice in that it will blend in. Muscular lines will look even better in 20 years when all the bevs look like the offspring of a door wedge and a soap bubble. I definitely went through a phase of liking black wheels IF there was a silver trim ring around the perimeter, but not so much silver sculpted designs. Solid black just looks out of place on such a nice car. Now, however, I’m digging more of a normal silver with very plain spoked design, such as the Ford oem Hollander or enkei tsr6. If it were me, I would negotiate with the dealer to put on a more conservative wheel package, or just plan to upgrade. There are no handling benefits to be gained by such low profile tires. I’m approaching 50.
I have been looking at alternate wheels. About 18" seems like a good option. Our roads are pretty good here but we would take this car on trips and you never know what you'll find.
I don't think the dealer wants to get into swapping wheels. I would probably take the black ones off immediately and sell them on Bring-a-Trailer or similar.
A couple that appeal to me are the Borbet Type RE in Bright Silver Paint (10 spokes) and Enkei Tuning T6S in Matte Silver Paint (6 spokes). Both are 18X8. Both recommend 225/50-18 tires. As far as I know both are highly reputable manufacturers.
I would probably go for High Performance all season radials. They would almost never see snow but stuff happens. We had a major snowstorm move in while we were away taking a class, and it's nice to be able to drive home in your own car. I never want to drive again on summer radials on snow - been there, done that - and survived.
I like the look, the red interior and even the car color but I am with many on the wheels, I dont care for Black out anything. So as a hint to my age I would love to see brushed Aluminum Spokes. Age much closer to 70 than 60.
Nice looking car. The wheel/tire combo is pretty good looking, but they would get DESTROYED in short order by the roads here! 50 profile tires are plenty thin enough, 30 is ridiculous. Otherwise it’s a looker, almost reminds me of a Lexus F. I’m 56.
I don't mind it but you can see the Ford family similarity to a Maine state police cruiser.
Ecotourist, I have a '17 Mazda6 (bottom trim line in Canada - GX - and 6MT... the latter transaxle NLA). While I will not comment on the aesthetics I will say a couple of other things (and feel free to PM me anytime):
- '21 is end of the line for the Mazda6; not sure that bodes really well for the future;
- the 6AT has been good for Mazda, and is not an unreliable transaxle, it may not be as good as some, say, an 8AT's. More gears are better... but only up to a point;
- this transmission is not a "range-select" unit, but rather a more true manual-action unit. Not my preference. There is a subtle difference in how it operates;
- Mazda has 2% of the sedan mkt with their 6. The Accord has something like 19%? I'd rather be in the latter group for future spares;
- Mazda paint chips really easily. It's really thin as well, and if you put PPF on, it could peel off the paint on removal;
- The gauge of sheet metal is really light. Feels fragile to me.
- The drive quality has been nudged toward more luxury (compared to the '17);
- Galvanizing has not got a great rep.;
- noise mitigation is considerably better versus '17... but not as good as the '19+ Mazda3;
- engine torque characteristic favours low and mid range... 'Outa breath then at top end;
- Me, I think I'd look really closely at the Accord Sport...
PM for more...
- '21 is end of the line for the Mazda6; not sure that bodes really well for the future;
- the 6AT has been good for Mazda, and is not an unreliable transaxle, it may not be as good as some, say, an 8AT's. More gears are better... but only up to a point;
- this transmission is not a "range-select" unit, but rather a more true manual-action unit. Not my preference. There is a subtle difference in how it operates;
- Mazda has 2% of the sedan mkt with their 6. The Accord has something like 19%? I'd rather be in the latter group for future spares;
- Mazda paint chips really easily. It's really thin as well, and if you put PPF on, it could peel off the paint on removal;
- The gauge of sheet metal is really light. Feels fragile to me.
- The drive quality has been nudged toward more luxury (compared to the '17);
- Galvanizing has not got a great rep.;
- noise mitigation is considerably better versus '17... but not as good as the '19+ Mazda3;
- engine torque characteristic favours low and mid range... 'Outa breath then at top end;
- Me, I think I'd look really closely at the Accord Sport...
PM for more...
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@ Quattro Pete I'm retired and in my early 70s. The most relevant question is "Will I survive 20 years?" You don't even think about these things until suddenly they're right in front of you.
PS My car after this will be an EV. For now we need something that can go long distances without a fuss. Our typical summer trip would be 2000 Km each way. Currently (pun intended) that would require a lot of charging time. And some of the places we go don't have proper charging facilities. We'd be down to plugging into dryer plug-ins and (120 volt) block heater outlets.
Son had a 2010 Mazda3 until last year. Body was fine (no rust) and spent all its life outside and driven in some of the worse salty roads you will see anywhere.
15 years would be an easy for that car.
Edit: I just saw the last part of your post. I think Mazda did a nice job upgrading the front facia, however the side body lines just don't do it for me. I am generally a fan of sharp body lines, which this does't have. It is too swoopy looking. If I were buying based on style alone I'd be giving the Accord a hard look for a sedan in this segment. Don't get me wrong, the Mazda6 is an attractive sedan overall but personally I would be in the Accord camp based on style alone. I am around 30.
I agree with your assessment that the car is easy to service, and they aren't particularly needy. I wanted to write more earlier for you, but I only had my phone available. I'm no good at typing on it.
Other bits I enjoy about the Mazda 6 after two years & 40k miles of ownership:
1) The ride is comfortable and the car is quiet. Around 2018 Mazda added more sound proofing material, and it shows. The kid can be pitching a fit while pumping gas, and I can't hear it.
2) With good all season sporty tires, it handles ok for its size. Nothing like your E39 with good tires though.
3)The 2.5 turbo has good low-end torque and performs well.
4) Back seat has plenty of room, which is nice. The Mazda3 and CX-5 are cramped in the rear seat.
5) Trunk is huge, and even has a spare tire. Those are getting hard to find.
The things I don't care for:
1) Definitely not as engaging to drive as BMW 3-series (cannot comment on 5-series as I've yet to drive one newer than the E60 generation which ended in 2010).
2)When around freezing or below, transmission can be a bit slow to shift until fluid is warm. Luckily, this doesn't take too long.
3) Seat heaters & steering wheel heater are inferior to those on the German cars (VW, BMW). This may not matter to you, but I often hear about it from the other driver in the house. The steering wheel has two small spots that warm up and that's it.
4)Like most newer cars, it's darn near impossible to see out the back or sides when driving.
The trim levels just below the one your are considering have dark gray wheels instead of black. They look good too, but I think I prefer the regular silver look. The black wheel do look good with that particular color you are considering. I might give it a go and see how they are. I bet they'll be fine.
Other bits I enjoy about the Mazda 6 after two years & 40k miles of ownership:
1) The ride is comfortable and the car is quiet. Around 2018 Mazda added more sound proofing material, and it shows. The kid can be pitching a fit while pumping gas, and I can't hear it.
2) With good all season sporty tires, it handles ok for its size. Nothing like your E39 with good tires though.
3)The 2.5 turbo has good low-end torque and performs well.
4) Back seat has plenty of room, which is nice. The Mazda3 and CX-5 are cramped in the rear seat.
5) Trunk is huge, and even has a spare tire. Those are getting hard to find.
The things I don't care for:
1) Definitely not as engaging to drive as BMW 3-series (cannot comment on 5-series as I've yet to drive one newer than the E60 generation which ended in 2010).
2)When around freezing or below, transmission can be a bit slow to shift until fluid is warm. Luckily, this doesn't take too long.
3) Seat heaters & steering wheel heater are inferior to those on the German cars (VW, BMW). This may not matter to you, but I often hear about it from the other driver in the house. The steering wheel has two small spots that warm up and that's it.
4)Like most newer cars, it's darn near impossible to see out the back or sides when driving.
The trim levels just below the one your are considering have dark gray wheels instead of black. They look good too, but I think I prefer the regular silver look. The black wheel do look good with that particular color you are considering. I might give it a go and see how they are. I bet they'll be fine.
Thanks for that info, that explains a lot.
I know who a few auto designers are (I did not know who he was before your comment). I see he worked for Peter Horbury at Ford before Horbury went back to Volvo. I do know who Horbury is as I really liked his earlier work at Volvo (it's in my avatar. And driveway).
I see a strong resemblance now between this car and the current Volvos (pic below)I think that's wise. I have played with tire sizes on cars I like to drive "hard" occasionally and for all-around use I find a 225/50 to be a nice compromise of performance, comfort, and rim protection if it suits the car size/power/etc. Another thought is, if you get the Carbon, put an ad on Craigslist and I bet you someone will swap the 18s for you off their new Signature model or whatever. Or tell the salesman to suggest it to one of his other customers. Those are the "fad" now and someone would jump on it. I think it's a fad and will go away eventually (I hope). If you're near Vancouver there's plenty of new 6s like that around and someone would jump at the chance.
I remember the first time I saw one of the (current style) facelifted 6's. We were driving up to Snoqualmie Pass to ski in 2019. My step-son was driving as he was learning then. I recall a red one came up and passed us and I was like "What was that?" I spun around to look because I was really struck by the elegance and balance of the overall form. Life is way too short to drive ugly cars or motorcycles.
V90 XC:
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For those of you suggesting a Honda Accord, it's definitely on my possibilities list. But the local dealer has none in stock at the moment. Apparently they've had hardly any 2021 stock - probably due to the chip shortage. I'd be looking at the 2.0 Sport or Touring. I prefer a car with a bit of Zoom.
I should have bought an Accord Sport 2.0 6MT but by the time I found out they had stopped making them, the only ones left were black, which I didn't want.
Another car we've looked at is a Lexus IS 300 AWD with an F1 Sport Package. It's very nice too but quite a bit more expensive (about $10,000 Cdn more).
My ideal next car would be mid-sized, sporty, attractive, have reasonable fuel economy, comfortable for 2 adults on a long drive, roomy enough for 4 adults on a short trip, reliable when new and not likely to be crazy expensive to maintain when it gets old. As you can see I keep my cars for a very long time. I'd prefer a manual transmission but they've become quite rare. And I would like a spare tire and an engine oil dip stick. I don't really want run flat tires, a flat repair kit, a CVT or DSG transmission and I'd prefer to avoid unnecessary complexity like engines with cylinder deactivation.
To be honest, none of the cars we've driven so far are as nice as our E39 BMW. It has a manual transmission, an M-sport package and an interior appearance package. It's still a beauty. It has a real spare tire on an alloy rim, and an oil dipstick. And it has only 163,000 Km (about 100,000 miles). Another option is to restore it, to proactively fix all the things that hang over your head with an old BMW - like all that expensive plastic stuff under the hood. But then I'd have an excellent 20+ year old BMW - which is not what I'd describe as the ideal long distance car.
I should have bought an Accord Sport 2.0 6MT but by the time I found out they had stopped making them, the only ones left were black, which I didn't want.
Another car we've looked at is a Lexus IS 300 AWD with an F1 Sport Package. It's very nice too but quite a bit more expensive (about $10,000 Cdn more).
My ideal next car would be mid-sized, sporty, attractive, have reasonable fuel economy, comfortable for 2 adults on a long drive, roomy enough for 4 adults on a short trip, reliable when new and not likely to be crazy expensive to maintain when it gets old. As you can see I keep my cars for a very long time. I'd prefer a manual transmission but they've become quite rare. And I would like a spare tire and an engine oil dip stick. I don't really want run flat tires, a flat repair kit, a CVT or DSG transmission and I'd prefer to avoid unnecessary complexity like engines with cylinder deactivation.
To be honest, none of the cars we've driven so far are as nice as our E39 BMW. It has a manual transmission, an M-sport package and an interior appearance package. It's still a beauty. It has a real spare tire on an alloy rim, and an oil dipstick. And it has only 163,000 Km (about 100,000 miles). Another option is to restore it, to proactively fix all the things that hang over your head with an old BMW - like all that expensive plastic stuff under the hood. But then I'd have an excellent 20+ year old BMW - which is not what I'd describe as the ideal long distance car.
Here's another idea...
By all accounts Porsche's PDK is a finely designed piece of kit; if you were able to get a lightly used second gen. Panamera, even a V6... one that clearly was not driven by someone with latent Grand Prix driver aspirations... would you at all consider that? You know, the one where the rear end styling was "fixed"... '18+???
My sense is that the PDK is a ZF unit, programmed by Porsche, and it's my contention that if a PDK is not indiscriminately downshifted at speed it's lasting-power is good.
By all accounts Porsche's PDK is a finely designed piece of kit; if you were able to get a lightly used second gen. Panamera, even a V6... one that clearly was not driven by someone with latent Grand Prix driver aspirations... would you at all consider that? You know, the one where the rear end styling was "fixed"... '18+???
My sense is that the PDK is a ZF unit, programmed by Porsche, and it's my contention that if a PDK is not indiscriminately downshifted at speed it's lasting-power is good.
I dont like black rims because it has no contrast. Black tyres black rims, in the dark it the tyres and rims will look like one unit.
At one point I was going to buy a Hyundai Kona N that is coming out this fall, but am not now because Hyundai ( 3 of the buyers on the internet that were were all set on buying one, are passing on it since it is no longer a Golf R chaser. It has black rims, and forged ones at that, so I was going to block up a brand new car and have the rims re powder coated to a color you can see. That is how much some people dislike black rims. Not a cost I would want to incur, but the rims are ok looking and very light and strong. They just have to be seen. I agree with the poster alcyon above me, no contrast and the look as one unit takes too much or hit on looks. Yes, I know it is all subjective.
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