GEN 3 MAZDA 6 pre facelift v facelift

[stevem100]

Hi just wondering if it's worth changing my 2 year old 2,2 175 auto sportnav with 20000 on the clock before the 3 years. So i would like to know if any of you out there are fortunate enough to have had a pre facelift and now own a facelift and can tell me the real benifits of changeing from one to the other for the money involved. Usual problem keep them to long and the exchange value is so bad so i need a few good reasons for the change. I await your replies.
cheers steve

[saddler5]

Hi Steve, I have the pre - facelift and am not considering changing.
As far as I can tell, the main differences seem to be a repositioning of the Sat Nav./Entertainment screen to make it look more like a tablet, DAB radio and electronic handbrake.
With the exception of the DAB radio I am not particularly interested in these, and the Mazda dealer told me my existing audio system can be upgraded to DAB for around £350.
Hope this helps.

[bazzamf]

Why don't you have a test drive of the new one, you will then be able to make up your mind. For what it's worth, if your car is behaving and reliable, I think I would stick with it, at least until it's three years old.
Don' forget, the largest depreciation is within the first few years of ownership, so there is no financial benefit in changing the car at two years old. If you don't like it, then that's a different matter. It's a head and heart thing at the end of the day.

[BBOY]

I also read that they had improved the sound insulation in the cabin as well, along with a heads up display which I presume would be in the Sport model .

[mareng73]

Do you want to rely on an electric handbrake especially in wet Britain?
I test drove the Toyota Avensis with one and decided on the pre-facelift M6 with a mechanical handbrake.
The high screen looks like a retrofit and a bit tacky same as fitted to the M3.

[Tall333]

So i would like to know if any of you out there are fortunate enough to have had a pre facelift and now own a facelift and can tell me the real benifits of changeing from one to the other for the money involved

A friend owned a new pre-facelift for about 1.5 years, and has now owned his new post facelift for about 1.3 years.  Both Sport Nav diesel saloons with manual boxes.  He reckons the facelift drives better, feeling more powerful and better insulated.  He mentions some small details too, like the re-positioning of the start button means it's no longer 'hidden' behind the steering wheel, and the door pockets are more useable etc.  I'm pretty sure his road tax went down too, and would I also be correct in saying only the facelift has iStop?

[saddler5]

I own a pre - facelift and had a post facelift as a courtesy car for two days recently whilst my alloys were being sorted under warranty (separate post). Both were Sport Nav. petrol and I thought they drove identically. The differences seemed to be the redesigned infotainment system, head up display for speed and satnav, DAB radio and electronic handbrake. The centre console between the seats was also redesigned but I thought it seemed too wide.
The I-Stop is on both pre and post facelift cars, but maybe only Sport models. The front door pockets are now much larger and more useable.
Personally, I prefer the pre - facelift car with the possible exception of the DAB radio.
It comes down to personal taste at the end of the day, but whichever one you choose I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

[mareng73]

All models of the pre-face lift have I-Stop. Mine is the SE diesel and do not find  it noisy nor slow.
There does  not  seem to be  any great improvements to the specs of the facelift. I am planning on keeping mine for at least ten years as long as it behaves itself. A diesel needs at least  50 k to run in nicely. I would say it was rather expensive to change a car after 3 years despite what sales try and con you with. They only want to sell more cars so a vested interest onyou changing yours.
I had my last car from new and sold it after 14 years  & 100k and it was going  very well, I cannot  say it cost me that much to maintain  it.
The most I ever spent on it in one go was £250 for cambelt change apart for a couple of tyres every 25k. Still got 53mpg on a run and 49 in town and it wasn't a Mazda. No recalls or TSB's just kept going.
Look after a car and it will look after you.

[ColinB]

I had a petrol SE-L pre facelift and upgraded after two years to a petrol Sport facelift. In my view the facelift is a far superior car even allowing for the change in trim levels. I think Mazda were a bit rattled when the new Mondeo came out and the facelift is is intended to confirm Mazda superiority. The suspension has been retuned to give a decent ride on the 19 inch alloys and while the previous car was pretty good, the facelift takes things to a new level in Sport configuration. I love mine and have no problems with the electronic handbrake whatsoever. The Mazda satnav is not as good as the earlier TomTom and certainly not worth paying for the live traffic features though.  As said above there are various minor improvements and I think that the facelift is generally better put together, it is certainly quieter. Certainly I don't regret the change but neither do I regret sticking with petrol!

Colin

[bazzamf]

I have a gen 2 Sport auto petrol, a model they don't do in the gen 3 car. I wonder why? Fortunately I'm not looking to change cars at the moment so am not too concerned. However, when I do decide to change and stay with the 6, I would need to go for the SE L nav.
My son has the gen 3 Sport auto 2.2 diesel, which is a really nice car, apart from the diesel bit. It lacks the refinement of the petrol engine to my mind.

[ColinB]

Yes, it is a pitty that they don't do the full spec on the petrols but I suppose it is the usual reason, they don't think they will sell enough to justify it.

I have a Tourer but would have preferred a hatchback but hatchbacks are not popular in either Japan or the US, they have a downmarket image in the former and Mazda are trying to position themselves in BMW/Audi territory so a hatchback no longer fits in with the company aspirations.

[stevem100]

Yep i would like to see them produce for the UK market a  220 BHP petrol auto sport nav 6 with all the toys and low emissions  I think it would sell like HOT CAKES  It would take me away from the diesle and back to petrol and i think the UK market would be quite substantial.
It's only my opinion but does anybody else agree ?
cheers steve 

[ColinB]

Yes, you may be right Steve, all the power of a diesel and the flexibility of petrol - what's not to like? Not altogether sure about the auto though. My car is the 2.0 manual Tourer. I have just spent two weeks driving 1800 miles around Nova Scotia in a Buick Versano auto which apparently has a 2.4l engine under the bonnet (hood?). It certainly went well enough but I found it a bit lazy to drive compared with a stick car and the car was not so responsive as my manual. You put your foot down to overtake and wondered what the car would do. If Mazda did do a high power auto then I think it ought to incorporate a paddle override.

American cars (which is what they have in Canada) do seem to be rather bland exterior designs and the interiors seem to be a generation or so behind what we expect over here. However most of the population seem to drive enormous pickups which fill your rear mirror! I did spot a lot of Mazda 3s though.

[bazzamf]

Looking at the Jaguar XE recently, they have a 2.0L petrol auto, which manages 0 to 60 in a little over 7 secs. They do it with a turbo charger. Mazda have it on diesel engines so why not on the petrol version?

[stevem100]

They sort of did with my 1999 Xedos miller 2.3 supercharged V6. GOD that car size of a JAG never stopped pulling had it for 5 years LOVED that car Emissions would kill it now. POWER of a 4 liter consumption of a 2.5 liter and that was only made in AUTO.