[rpg51]

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.

 

[perseus]

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.

 

[Shawn Beisel]

This is news from about 6 mos. ago with a guess (?) at the engine choices for the upcoming rear drive CX 5. Could be similar to the what the 6 will get. I think it includes choices which will only be available in specific markets.

This was first posted by Minsanity Jun 18 '20
2022 Mazda CX-50 SUV May Replace CX-5 With RWD Platform, Straight-Six Engines

Mazda will have two platforms. One for the Mazda 3 and CX-30, the other for the Mazda 6, CX-5, CX-50, CX-9 and maybe a CX-70 because why not more SUV's. They might even come out with a coupe but I wouldn't expect that for awhile. I think they are trying to position themselves as an Acura, Genesis, Lexus, Infiniti competitor which is a tough market. They don't sell cars on the scale of Toyota or Honda so have to go bit higher in price with lower quantity sales with higher margins. I think its a bold move but I really hope it works out. Especially with the Inline 6 because none of the other Japanese cars will bring one out. In fact the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 will be discontinued in 2-3 years opening up more sales for Mazda.

 

[kgpoyser]

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.

 

[cuzed]

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.

 

[allpurposeben]

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.

 

[Had4mazdas@]

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.

Look at the specs. CX5 rear leg room 39, m6 38.7,,,CX5 rear head room 39 m6 37.1 M6 has slightly more rear seat shoulder room but less hip room.
Most telling, CX 5 has 103.6 cubic feet of passenger volume while m6 has 99.8. And then there is cargo volume, where the 5 has 39 cubic ft behind the rear seats and the 6 has a 14.7 cu ft trunk.
CX 5 has all those space advantages with a much smaller road footprint.

I am unsure why I cannot "equate " them to one another, as it serves to explain why many are going to compact SUVs these days to replace their midsize sedans. If you like the 6 because it looks better, handles better and is more fuel efficient than the CX5 (which, by the way, are some of the reasons why I chose a 3 over the 6) I can see that, no need to say it is roomier when clearly it isn't.

 

[DPAcpa]

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

 

[PaulKim]

I test drove cars "up market" of the 3. They are objectively better but subjectively I just couldn't get myself to have something not as fun to drive. You can feel the [relative] lightness of the 3 and the design intentionally added in some fun factor in the way it drives.

I'd go upmarket if I wanted more comfort, more room, or had a family, etc. But as a single guy who likes to drive and only can own one car right now the 3 was what I decided on.

It was on Turo, but I think it’s super rare to find manual cars to rent on there period. I think it’s a great alternative rental service to test out cars you might be interested in since it’s just people renting out their cars. Much better than typical rental companies.

+1 on renting to test drive. I probably wouldn't have ever considered the Mazda 3 but I drove one as a rental and was surprised with how much I like it and well it drove and the automatic transmission in sport mode. Turo is a pretty good service as well, I like getting cars with unlimited mileage for road trips.

 

[Ben_21TPP]

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

 

[Had4mazdas@]

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.

 

[brassrox]

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).