One of those car buying threads (FINAL DECISION MADE)...

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

I don't have direct experience with either car, but I used to drive a Mazda and my wife drives a Toyota.

I loved my Mazda. It looked great, drove beautifully, and when it hit about 70k miles everything broke.

My wife's Toyota never has any trouble, and neither did her Toyota before that. She put about 170k miles on that sucker, and only traded it in to get a minivan once we had 2 kids.

Toyotas aren't the most exciting cars, but they're very well made. The difference in the warranties would be a huge factor for me.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

The 2.3L four-cylinder makes good power and is lighter than the V6, changing the handling characteristics.

A price like that on the revised 6 might be very hard to pass up, under the circumstances. That's a good car (yo Mazda! Where's the Mazdaspeed version?)

Ford dealers are dumping 2009 Fusions because there's a revised 2010 Fusion waiting in the wings. (Either way, you end up with a car that looks like it ate a Gillette Sensor3 razor. )

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

Took the Fusion out for a spin today at the local Ford dealership. I really like it a lot. Pretty loaded, with a V6 for $15,995. I think it's between the Mazda6 and the Fusion now. The Camry is a bit outside of my price range.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

How much more is the Camry over the Mazda6 and Fusion? If it's reasonable, I wouldn't be so quick to eliminate it. You'll win either way with the Camry ... its resale value will hold if you do something in 2-4 years. If you keep it, I suspect it will last years longer than either the Mazda6 or Fusion. (See JR's and Old_Tony's endorsements for further proof)

In summary: Money. Well. Spent.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

It's about $3K more if I get the Camry I want. I'm trying to find maybe an older Camry (2007 or 08) that would be closer to the price.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

If you can do that, I really think it would be better-spent money.

I trust the Fusion/Mazda6 no further than I can kick it. Ford isn't making a mechanically superior product (yes, I can't stand America ... I'm ready for that retort) and while I like the look of the Mazda6, I question its long-term viability mechanically.

As for the Toyota ... again, lots of endorsement for the Camry. I don't think that's an accident.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

When we switched the tires with another brand on Mom's old Camry ... no difference in road noise. And Camry handling is <i>stodgy</i>. Stodgy car for stodgy people. As <i>Car and Driver</i> has pointed out, the Camry's aimed toward baby boomers in their 50s.

Oh, and here's a car that beat a Camry in a head-to-head-to-head competition held by <i>Car and Driver</i>: http://tinyurl.com/d2asss
And another: http://tinyurl.com/cwe4ey
And another: http://tinyurl.com/d7uw4n
And yet another: http://tinyurl.com/d3f8zk

Mazda didn't submit a 2008 car for that comparo because they were putting finishing touches on the 2009 Mazda 6, which they didn't have any of available for the media fleet.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

Uh, our driver's ed car was a Camry and it was fine.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

And it's wonderful for driver's ed, but ...

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

2MCM,

We get it. You're not a big fan of the Camry. None of us ever said it was a permanent part of Car and Driver's 10Best. Yes, the Accord is still the gold standard - 22 times a 10Best proves that Honda can't be bribing the editorial staff that many times. Handles better and has better ergonomics than Camry, too.

Chevy? Not yet. Getting better and needs to show it's more than just one vehicle for a year or two.
Hyundai? Getting there. But has to do what it has been doing for years and prove it can be a good long-term bet before the love pours in.

The Altima is a decent machine, but the four-cylinder is underpowered for a vehicle of its size. Give the 3.5L six and a manual and I'll consider biting.

The Camry isn't the greatest thing ever put on the road. But it's dead, dead solid, it doesn't fail, it doesn't fall apart, it lasts and while the handling isn't the cat's meow, it doesn't have the feel of steering the machine through sticky oatmeal, either.

And given tmayforth's choices, it's the Camry. And it's lapping the field.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

Added benefit?

It would have to have benefits, period, to have added benefits.

Being built by a union certainly doesn't make it a good car. Most likely makes it overpriced and less reliable.

 

Re: One of those car buying threads (Mazda6 vs. Toyota Camry)...

And if he's 60 years old, it'd be a great car for him.

And to put it very bluntly, Toyota's been resting on its laurels when it comes to build quality and reputation — kind of like what GM did before it started its drop in the mind's eye. Toyota dropped from first to fifth overall in <i>Consumer Reports</i>' latest survey of vehicle quality, the V6 Camry got a "below average" rating for build quality in that survey due to transmission issues, Edmunds.com notes that the quality of the materials used by Toyota has slipped and there have been problems with Camry airbags spontaneously deploying.

(And the Camry feels like driving through sticky <i>cement</i>, not sticky oatmeal.)

Best car for the joy of driving: 6.
Best car for transportation as a function: Accord coupe, 4 cylinder, auto transmission.
Best car for resting on your laurels and enjoying retirement: Camry.

Last fall, William Montgomery over at <i>The Truth About Cars</i> tested all the new mid-sized sedans he could get his hands on. The winner ... was not the Camry (which came in fourth and "is as dreadfully underwhelming as comfy grandma underwear").

@tmayforth: See what kind of deal you can swing at the end of the month, rather than the middle of the month. But don't settle for a Camry unless you're absolutely dead certain it's the car for you.