Originally submitted at Autoweek.com
Mazda's redesigned Mazda 6--larger and with more power than versions of the car sold in other markets--goes on sale late this summer.The changes make the 2009 Mazda 6 the company's third vehicle designed specifically for North American customers, the CX-7 and CX-9 crossovers. Other markets will get...
Glad I got mine when I did
Pros: Informative, Easy To Understand
Best Uses: Making Purchasing Decisions, Staying Informed
I'll guess I'm echoing many other reviewers when I say this: I'm dismayed that "my" Mazda6 has been reduced to yet another Bloatmobile with no utility-oriented variant. I'm glad I got my manual-tranny '6 wagon when I did.
Mazda can say all the US market wants is the sedan, and maybe that's true of rent-car fleets, but in so doing reduces itself, to my eyes at least, into just another mainstream manufacturer.
How's this for a wacky idea... If Mazda had the courage to ONLY offer the hatchback version, I think it would open a lot of American eyes to what a non-truck "could be" in terms of utility. This would be akin to the US Treasury stopping the printing of dollar bills, which would "force" us to use dollar coins. While both bills and coins are available, you can argue all day about how coins are better (and cheaper) than bills, but if bills are available, people will keep using them because that's what they've always used.
Mazda, I'm disappointed in you. At the very least, offer a "real" stickshift with the V6.
My '6!
Tags: Mazda6 wagon
(legalese)
