Hi - first time poster here. Have owned several Mazdas - 74 RX4, 81 RX7, 83 626, 95 Millenia S, and 90 Miata.

I'm considering a used 6 for a teenage driver. Driven both the 3.0 and the 2.3 and the 2.3 seems adequate. Drove a 2005 i model today. The car had 21,000 miles on it. When driven hard, the AC seems to drop off momentarily, then returns. The AC also seems to fluctuate a bit when idling. It is very hot here today (~99 deg. F). Is this normal or unique to this car?

 

The compressor cycles on/off. It's normal. I've driven plenty of the 4-cyl 5-speed Mazda 6i cars. It's performance is more than adequate for a teenage driver.

 

Your teenager probably like a 3 Sport more. But I think the insurance will be more for a youngster with a hot hatchback.

 

Can't wait till MazdaSpeed 3 comes out. That's a hot hatchback will all the performance you need. I had seen one yesterday at the dealer which made me wonder if it's already out. Hmmm...

 

That's the last thing a teenager needs.

You should also look at the Mazda3i...You can probably find one used fairly easy. They come with a 2.0L engine that moves the car just fine. Styling/size of the 3 is more geared toward a younger driver as well.

 

I actually prefer to buy a 2003 Protege or Mazda3 but my wife wants a larger vehicle. Hence the 6. I found the 4 cyl 6 more than adequate for my teenage son. I also drove a 2004 S wagon and it was very nice. Because AC is so important in Texas - I need to understand the behavior I experienced driving the 6 yesterday. The car I drove had a dead battery - so the dealer boosted it to start. We drove about 15 minutes. At first under hard acceleration the car almost died. But I think the alternator was fully taxed to charge the battery, plus it was 97 deg and the AC was on full blast. After about 5 minutes the charging was OK but I was concerned a bit about the AC cycling. I haven't driven a 4 cyl vehicle in a while so maybe the cycling at idle is just more noticable.

 

I own both a Mazda3i and a Mazda6 Sport Wagon.....I love them both I find the interior room in the front of the vehicle (headroom) to be better in my 3. The width in the 6 is a little better. Not much difference between them in the front seats. A few inches different in the rear seats though.

 

If your gonna buy a Mazda3, there is no use in buying it used when your gonna pay almost the same for a brand new one.

 

Good deals turn up on just about every type of car if you look long enough.

My Mazda3 brand new, out the door was $14,900. Base price on a Mazda6i is around $18, without tax/delivery/etc included.

Find one with 20-30K on it and I bet you'd get a great deal.

 

Sh*t, Then you got a good deal. Everytime i see a used Mazda 3 for sale, i'd see it advertised for about the same price as a new one.