I do worry about the extra size hurting handling, and in tight city parking, but I've always loved the styling on the 6. Who considered both and why did you go one way or the other?

M3. Size and AWD. Nuff said.

 

M3 --> Stinger --> M3. Agreed.

 

I came from driving a Laguna so did think about the Mazda 6, but I had enough of large cars especially when parking was limited. There is two version of the mazda 3 nowadays a hatchback and saloon.

 

The Kia Stinger AWD weighs between 3800lbs to 4000lbs depending on which model. The Mazda 3 AWD weighs 3250lbs. 550lbs is quite a weight difference between the two. I am estimating the Mazda 6 AWD will weigh around 3650lbs with the inline 6. 3550 for the inline 4 and AWD.

 

I think my RWD GT was closer to 3600, but 3250 is actually a bit less than I thought. I guess mass is more important than weight in some respects.

ETA - Looks like the Turbo is closer to 3400, but your point stands.

 

I thought about it, but after renting a 2.5 manual on turo, it was just to big. I love driving smaller cars, so the 3 was a better fit for me.

 

Interestingly, it was a 1-month long work rental of a 2016 Mazda 6 that got me so excited for the brand...I remember loving how it drove, but it was kind of big. I parallel parked it for that entire month in Brooklyn with no issues though.

 

I think a RWD/AWD Mazda 6 will probably feel a bit smaller since it will be more agile with a better balance due to RWD. Big FWD cars like the Mazda 6 tend to feel a bit boat like with all the weight on the front wheels.

 

Having "liked" the previous forum entry - I autoslalomed a Mazda6 Turbo... pretty aggressively - and I really was impressed. Much more agile than I would have thought. I have never driven my '17 like I did the Turbo in the Mazda Drive Event.

 

I like 6s but have no use for a mid size family sedan in general. CX 5 has more space with less footprint, easier to get in and out off and better with bulk carrying and towing abilities. 6 drives better, but 3 better yet. Got a 3 for me , 5 for the wife. Don't need a 6. If we only had one car, it would probably be a cx-30

 

I must correct you. the CX5 doe NOT have more room that the M6 especially in the back seat. You're comparing a compact SUV to a Mid Size Car. They dont equate to each other.

 

I expect the inline 6 to start well above the price of the turbo 4, 35,000 or so. One or both 4s will be reconfigured for rear drive so they can stay competitive with other mid size sedans.
Same for cx5.
Anybody heard about the planned transmission for the inline 6? If they have to reconfigure the 4s for rear drive, they will likely get the new transmission as well.
3s and 30s will likely soldier on with the old 6 sp auto.

 

They are developing an 8 speed automatic for the RWD platform. I bet you an inline 6 in RWD form will start around 33-34k which is nearly the same price as the 2.5 turbo in the Mazda 6. I dont believe the 2.5 turbo will be in the RWD platform. Just a base 2.5 4 cylinder and inline 6.

 

I considered trading my 2019 AWD 3 for a 6 GT with the 2.5T due to the frustrations I had in the beginning (AC not working correctly) I gave the dealership one last try at fixing the problems with the 3 and they were successful and lost the sale as a result.

I prefer the drive of the 3rd generation 3 over the 4th, especially with AWD. The newer model is softer than I would like. The 6 is a little further down that path. It is also slightly bigger. I brought my 6’3” son with me and asked if he would be more comfortable in it and he said it was not a big enough of a difference to matter. (He never complains).

I prefer a small responsive car. A Mazda2 (with the 2.5T) would be my ideal car. That said, I would be happy with either the 3 or the 6.

If you value a little more space in a great sedan, you can’t go wrong with the 6.

 

I considered a 6. But, the 3 is now so big that the 6 just seems like overkill. I drive an s2000 in the summer so the 3 seems huge.

 

I say get the 3 sedan. It's basically the same car, but smaller and more nimble. And you'll get better mileage. Full size sedans come with more prestige in the US, maybe because they're bigger. But if you don't care what people think, and you don't really need a larger sedan, then the 3 should be significantly more fun to drive, and easier to park to boot.

 

I took a close look, and drove both both the 6 and the 3 (turbo versions).
In the end I bought the 3 Turbo sedan, mainly because it has the same motor (well almost the same), and as a result it makes for a more fun and quicker ride. The other reason; 90% of the time I will be the only occupant and do not need the extra room. And lastly, the 3 cost a bit less.

 

We went from 2018 6 GT Reserve to the 3 Turbo. The 6 with a 2.5T just couldn’t put the power down below highway speeds, we really wanted AWD. The only things we miss from our 6 are the ventilated seats.

 

If I needed to move a small piece of furniture, I would ask a friend with a CX-5 not one with a Mazda6.

 

I personally prefer how the 6 looks and drives, and 6 Carbon Edition is the same price as my car and has more features. The biggest reason I got the 3 was because I can start it from my phone lol. But I’m leasing this car with the intentions of swapping into the new 6 down the road

 

The carbon addition of the 6 is a bargain, and even more so the CX5 carbon. We could hope for Carbon 3s and cx30s for 2022.

 

An old thread but after going on 2 test drives each, I preferred the 3, simply because the 6 struggled to put the power down through the front wheels. Maybe they'll bring out a carbon edition 3 for the 2022 model year (although the color combo is already available, so maybe not).