What's the difference between a Mazda 3 and a Mazda 6?

Question

Are they good cars? reliable? What is the average price? What is their depreciation value like? any other reccommendations?

What are good features of it? safety? gas mileage? etc.
I;m asking about the Mazda because I read about it in one of my bf's car magazines and it rated pretty high.

I am going to buy a car in like 5 months and I will be just out of college and into the real world. I need something reliable and not too expensive. Everyone says a civic but EVERYONE has it.

I really like the Lexus IS300, Acura TL, Corolla S (to give you an idea of the styles I like) but too expensive!

Answer 1

I didn't want to go with a Honda either in my search for a new car. I started out just as far in advace as you are. I spent A LOT of time researching many different models.

I ultimately chose the Mazda 6. Initially, I was after the Mazda 3. I compared it across all the makes of cars and the value for my money was in the Mazda. The safety features come standard on 99% of their models while in Honda, you had to pay bookoo more to have the stuff added. Why was I set on the M3? I was coming out of a compact car and wanted to stay in the "compact" car class. I went to one of the local dealerships and test drove the 3. Great sprinty little car. Lots of fun to drive but there were some serious rear blind spots that I really didn't care for at all. Because the car I test drove didn't have leather seats, I asked the guy to show me something else with the leather for me to get an idea of the quality. That's how I came upon the Mazda 6. It is incredibly spacious inside the car and is lacking those bad blind spots that I saw in the 3. I took that car for a test drive and loved it just as much.

In my opinion, the 3 would probably be a little more fun to drive. My ATX 6 seems a little sluggish sometimes. As far as gas mileage, I seem to be getting about 27 mpg in the 6 which is a nominal difference compared to the 3. That is a 50/50 mix in hwy city driving. My previous car was getting about the same mileage. It was a bit of a shocker going from a 12 gallon tank to 18, but I can drive about 150 to 200 more miles than with my previous car, so really, I'm filling up less often which is great to me.

The safety features are invaluable! Everywhere I look in my car, there are air bags. Your insurance company will love you for ANY car you get with Side curtain airbags. And the insurance quotes I got for both the 3 and the 6; no more than $50 difference every 6 months. Edmunds claims the 6 to be in the top ten of the least expensive cars to insure. And I believe them.

If you are going to stick with the base models of these cars, they will differ a lot in prices. Don't get confused with the sticker prices though. I paid $3k less than my sticker price. I probably could have gotten a better deal but I'm still happy with what I paid.

Check out:

www.edmunds.com
www.consumerguides.com
www.nadaguides.com

They will give you good estimates on actual pricing in your area and give you an idea on their invoices, which is where you want your actual price to be close to.

www.carbuyingtips.com

Obviously tips on buying a car, but it helped me out a lot with explaining some of the things dealers will add to the car to jack up the price.

Answer 2

Get the 3. I have a 2004 mazda 3 5-door and I think it was one of the best decisions i have ever made. I love this car. I got mine fully loaded. It has a 6 disc cd player, navigation, leather seats, moonroof, HID's, and nice looking rims. The performance is great. It has plenty of power and pretty good gas mileage.
This car has been reliable so far. Its been 2 years now and haven't had any problems. I know Honda and Toyota have better reputations for reliability but those cars are ugly. My mom has a corolla S and the interior looks so cheap. I think the 3 is the best looking car in this price range. I don't know how much 3's are now but i payed around $22,000
You can go to Mazda3forums.com to see what other people think

Answer 3

Mazda 3 is a smaller vehicle, targeting younger owners as well. It's a pretty nice car.. these cars go for about $15-20K depending on the options you want. Mazda 3, 6 or Corolla S. If you like the IS300 or Acura TL, you maybe able to get a gently used car within this price range.

Answer 4

3

Answer 5

Cost
In terms of gas mileage, the Mazda3 beats the MAZDA6. As far as fuel economy, the Mazda3 has the Mazda6 beat. The Mazda3 will save you money at the pump compared to the Mazda6. In terms of MSRP, the Mazda6 costs markedly more than the Mazda3. The Mazda3 is considerably less costly than the Mazda6 with respect to out-the-door price.

Utility
Neither the MAZDA3 nor the Mazda6 has a marked advantage in terms of seating capacity.

Convenience
The Mazda3's fuel tank will need to be replenished a bit more often than the unit in the Mazda6.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the MAZDA3 offers a bit more head room than the Mazda6, there frankly isn't much of a difference. While the rear of the Mazda6 provides a bit more head- and leg-room than the Mazda3, there frankly isn't much of a difference.

Dimensions
The Mazda6 is markedly heavier than the Mazda3. Your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Mazda6 than the MAZDA3 because of its bigger tank. The MAZDA3 and the Mazda6 compete for the same parking spaces.

Performance
In terms of horsepower, the Mazda6 packs quite a punch and will knock the Mazda3 down a few rungs. On the other hand, remember that high horsepower engines often command higher insurance premiums.

Handling
The Mazda6 and the Mazda3 have approximately comparable tires. With its tighter turning circle, the Mazda3 is very likely sprier than the Mazda6, something to consider if you do a lot of city driving; however, keep in mind that a vehicle with a tight turning circle may feel a bit twitchy on the highway.

Drivetrain
The Mazda6 has a more massive engine than the Mazda3. Keep in mind that smaller engines typically get better gas mileage, but a smaller engine usually has to work a little harder. The Mazda6 packs quite a wallop compared to the Mazda3 when it comes to torque, which is the force that lets you accelerate quickly. Torque is roughly equivalent to acceleration, and in this respect, the Mazda6 is quite a bit more powerful than the Mazda3.

Overview
The Mazda6 and the Mazda3 have the same basic after-sale protection.

Answer 6

Wow Amy!!
Your question sure opened my eyes to what Mazda has to do to communicate with Joe public out there.
It's amazing what people have to say about our products. And we're very appreciative of any comments - even the ugly (ouch!). Where would Mazda be if it weren't for the consumers who find time in their lives to let us know what they feel, want, expect or think.
Congratulations on going through school - welcome to the rest of your life...
Whatever vehicle you choose Amy make it a part of your life - an extension of yourself we love to say at Mazda. Buying a car depends upon the following : safety as the number one concern, then cost (purchase, running - fuel, insurance etc, maintenance), utility - what the vehicle gives you (space, entertainment, comfort mobility...) and what you can get out of it when you've had enough of it or wrecked it - yes even a totaled car has value.
Take your time in deciding. Oh and don't forget, there's the fashion statement too.
But be warned, not all things turn out to be as they appear. I mean some cars are absolute hell to certain people - you can't open the hood or the gas tank, the whippers come on when you hit the turn signal that sort of stuff. So make sure you test that the functions fit you.
And finally make sure that there is a reputable maintenance provider close to where you will be living.
Drive safely always.

Answer 7

Mazda 3 is an entry level sedan which means that you get all the important and necessary features at a fair price.

Mazda 6 is the big brother of Mazda 3 with a more powerful engine, bigger engine diplacement, more everything (yup, it consumes more fuel than the Mazda 3).

If you're more of a city person, I'd prefer the Mazda 3. If you like going out-of-towns, the Mazda 6 suits perfectly for you (but of course, with a higher cost of maintenance).

Prices is also at par with their competitors.

Answer 8

the resale value on mazda's is unbelievable right now ecspecially on the Mazda 3. The main difference in the cars is gas mileage and size. i sale mazda's and i would say that the 3 sales to a younger group of buyers than the 6 does. you can get a 3 starting at about $15,300 and a 6 starting at about $19,500! Look at mazda.com to build and price the car that you like!

Answer 9

Back to the original question - do the math (the difference is 3). The 3 is a 323 and the 6 is a 626. Different trim levels distinguish the two but, essentially the same car with a choice of engine size.

Answer 10

My mother has a 3 wagon and I have the 6 sportwagon. We both LOVE our cars (she bought hers on my recommendation). The main difference is the size; the 3 is a bit smaller and better on gas mileage. My car is peppy and reliable; I haven't had any problems with it so far (knock on wood -- 27000 miles/ 2 1/2 years old). My mother absolutely loves her car too, she thinks it is adorable and zippy -- she's already got more miles on hers in one year than I have on mine and she hasn't had any problems with it. She lives in the snow and says it is great in weather too.

My main gripe about my 6 is that the tires are these special low-profile tires which cost an arm and a leg and a hand to replace -- if you go with this car definitely buy the road hazard covereage from the dealer... it was about $300 extra and ended up saving me $750 (or 3 tires!!!!).