ange1

tough

u'll have to drive it... tsx is faster but with harder suspension
but mazda is so comfortable on wavy roads

then there's the legacy, i like how the window doesn't have frames, and it's also a good handling car like mazda 6 on wavy roads...

but tsx is better for hard driving, 90 degree turns etc...

depends on where u live, i hate driving a tsx on a crappy road(hard suspension, i can feel the pain , u know, not me, but the car lol)...

dom

274HP actually.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...0&postcount=66

jcg878

The drop of the 6's reliability (according to CR) is telling, IMO. I actually really like the 6. I think it's a little better looking than the TSX, handles slightly better, and has a great V6 snarl. But the interior isn't my style, my wife hated it, and I thought the dash layout looked cheap. As petty as it is, the feature of that car that put me off the most was the LCD screen for the stereo/climate control. It looked about as aesthetically pleasing as one of those $1.99 G-Shock watches that you bought for your dad at the school Santa Sale when you were in 2nd grade.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

I seriously flogged a Mazda 6 around during the Mazda Rev It Up event prior to getting my TSX and wasn't that impressed with the handling of the car (despite it being dropped on eibach springs). Don't get me wrong, the handling is decent, but not fantastic. The TSX, when I got to flog it around, felt just that much better. Plus, I got much nicer amenities, a better interior, and Honda reliability.

ClutchPerformer

ianS

Yes, Mazda 6 - made in USA - Engine from Ford
TSX - made in Japan - Engine from Honda

I will consider Mazda3 over Mazda 6.

crisco

I think the exterior of each car has its pluses and minuses. I like the front of the 6 better, but dislike the rounded rear and hideous taillights. OTOH, I think the rear of the TSX is sharper and cleaner.

My neighbour has the 6 V6 hatchback. He really likes it, and says he considered the TSX but wouldn't drive a 4cyl.

For me, I spend 99% of my time with my car by sitting on the inside - so the interior quality and feel needs to be a primary consideration. When I sat in the 6, I thought it was nice, but about the same or less than the level of my old 01 accord in terms of plastics and leather etc. In other words, not even close to the level of the TSX. The other factor was the 6MT shifter - can't begin to tell you how much this does in terms of the overall driving experience.

The only minor downside about not having a V6 is that I'm still getting used to the idea of a high-revving engine in this car - in order to extract all the torque, and that this won't harm the engine...my brain says its ok, but my gut tells me otherwise...

Brain640

There has been a ton said on this subject so I'll be quick with two small things I saw when i was choosing between the two cars. The interior of the M6 felt like it was gonna fall apart in 3 years, and i planned on having whichever car i got until gasoline became obsolete. Also, look at these awesome forums. Hundreds of active members and thousands more browsing and posting questions like yours. Mazda 6 owners have to use edmunds, or i found something similar to this site as a thread on MX6 forums. Maybe you could even factor the network availiable here into you final descision for a purchase... along with the TSX being better in every way that i saw as important.

fraga

Well, I have first hand experience between the 2 because I recently traded in my Mazda6 for a TSX.

My 03 Mazda6 had waaaaaaay to many nagging problems that could never get resolved. There seems to be a SERIOUS brake/rotor issue that Mazda can't seem to solve. Within the span of a year, I had made 3 trips to the dealer for service for either Rotor Machining, Replacement or TSB/Recalls. The transmission was extremely jerky. They tried to update the ECU, and it helped a little. The brakes would seem to make a high pitched squealing sound when turning. Interior was extremely nice and well laid out with many ammenities except Navigation. V6 was HORRIBLE on gas, averaging about 19mpg. I had no faith in this car what so ever, and as soon as I saw an opportunity to get into a TSX, I leaped head first.

You can't go wrong with Honda/Acura.

P.S. I love this car...

mg7726

^^

TSX's major letdowns are the windshield, moonroof, and speaker rattles...all on the verge of being fixed. otherwise no one here has reported other major issues with this car. (knock on wood)

Belzebutt

Do you find there's a noticable difference in power?

pandimus

I didnt when i test drove both of them, but the acura was hellllla more on the smooth factor. Even my wife, who is totatlly ignorant about cars pointed it out.

fraga

Umm...I can tell there's a little less torque in the TSX...but that's about it. I remember that 2nd and 3rd gear were monsters in the 6. But, alas, with these damn gas prices...I could care less about WOT...

Belzebutt

That's kind of surprising given it's an I4 vs. a V6...

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Not really, considering the amount of effort Honda went through to make sure that the K24 was as smooth as possible. The Ford sourced V6 in the Mazda really is not smooth at all. Of course, coming from Ford, what did you expect.

TSX 'R' US

wow...I didn't know the mazda had those issues... I'm glad I didn't decide to settle on one and got the TSX instead

fraga

I think it has to do with the fact that Mazda is dipping into Fords parts bin and they just don't seem to be too compatable.

dzuy

i'm glad you did too. too bad we have to put up with you on the forums

mtnkill

I recently had to drive a 6 for 2 weeks while waiting for my TSX to be recovered, so I have a little bit of opinion to add.

Interior:
As others have mentioned, the interior was just no where near the TSX with regard to fit/finish, etc. Road/wind noise was pronounced, radio was sub-par, and I didn't like the climate controls. The one thing I did appreciate was the stereo mute button on the steering wheel. Also, the storage space was very odd...there is a compartment with a flip-up lid on the top of the dash, above the radio...I couldn't get used to that.

Ride:
Handled fairly well, brakes were better than the TSX (not a stretch there), torque was decent, though not as smooth as the TSX. One strange thing, and maybe this is just me, but it felt slower than it actually was. I would be doing 50 when I thought I was doing 35. Very disconcerting.

So, my personal choice would still be the TSX, but if the interior on the 6 were upgraded, it would be a close call. (note: reliability not a factor here, as I only drove it for 2 weeks)

Edit: oh yeah, it was also only 4-speed auto...I kept wanting to sport-shift into 5th.

calgary2800

No way. I have a 6 in V6 manual. The motor is butter smooth and loves to rev. Go to any reviews online and they pretty much say the same thing. Rev it up cause the 6 wont complain.

ianS

totally Even Mazda dun want that V6 to put on their Mazdaspeed M6.

Bill Hook

Projector beam halogens have sharp cutoffs too.

peter_bigblock

I've never driven a Mazdaspeed 6, but with 274 hp and 280 lb-ft from a turbo I4, and AWD, it's going to give a lot of TSX shoppers something to look at. For refinement, quality, balance, and longevity, Acura can't be beat. Still, my feeling is that the TSX will suffer as more and more sports sedans put up 250-275 hp and those manufacturers gunning at Acura's quality and pricepoint value get closer and closer to the mark.

Don't get me wrong, there's much much more to a car than it's numbers. 200 hp is "plenty" but 274 is 40% more than plenty. The TSX needs to accelerate faster and stop faster to keep it's top spot among the C&D types.