Ok, here's the deal. I'm looking for a newer car, probably a 2004. My choices so far are mazda6s 5-door, pontiac grand prix gtp comp g, and nissan altima 3.5se. I am having a really hard time deciding! I know there's a ton of upgrades for the grand prix, performance and styling. I've also heard that there isn't really a bunch of performance mods for the 6. The nissan, of course, has Nismo stuff you can buy. I'm sure you guys know what the 6 has for specs, but here's what the others are:

Grand Prix: 260hp, 280ft/lb(supercharged)3.8L

Altima: 250hp, ??ft/lb 3.5L

I've driven both of the above cars and they are both really nice. I drove a 6i the other day and it didn't have nearly enough power for me, but i've heard the 6s is much better. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

 

Ok I'm going to try to be cool about this. The Grand Prix is a raging piece of crap. If you haven't heard all of the headlines or read a single car mag, you are probably missing the fact that GM is producing nothing but utter trash. Fast it may be at first, but it'll also be fast to blow just about every piece off of it within about 20k miles. Not to mention that yeah there are upgrades of it and if you feel like shelling out insane $ for it since it has a POS supercharger on it already which is real close to maxing out the power as the block can't handle much more.

Onto the Nissan Altima, this is a solid car, with decent relibility ratings, but definatly not great. Also if you are going to deck something out and tune it up, why not do it on something everyone including your great great uncle has. That way distinguishing your car from every other in a parking lot is next to impossible. At least say you were going for the Altima SE-R, then you'd get some mildly better styling in the same mundane package.

Onto the winner clear and true. The Mazda6s will give you a decent amount of power 220hp, and much better agility and handling than either the prix or the Altima. It will also give you the cashe of not looking like every other car on the road, and being able to drive it for 50k without having to replace half the stuff on the engine (:::cough::: GM blows ::::cough:::. Not to mention if it's power you crave then why not hit up a MazdaSpeed6. While the styling isn't as good as my 05 6s it is still excellently designed and the engine produces power just short of an Evo with all wheel drive.

I think the choices you listed aren't accurate here let me revise your list....

Mazda6s 5-door or
MazdaSpeed6 or
A bolt of lightening ontop of which you can sit and look almost as awesome as if you were in a Mazda6.

 

hmmm, interesting response, i must say. I admit, i've heard of some problems with the GM's, but i'm also an avid user of the clubgp forum(since i actually already own a grand prix, 2001) and i haven't heard of anyone blowing up their engines lately. It IS possible, but if you upgrade right, buying a scanner and keep track of knock retard and whatnot, then they are usually fine. As far as handling, you can buy a strut tower brace for front and rear and some trailing arms, maybe totally ing 200 bucks and upgrade it significantly.

Also, the reason i'm not looking at a MS6 or an altima SE-R is price. I can't afford them(I wouldn've loved the AWD, too). I'm looking in a bit lower price range.

So, back to the task at hand. . . I'm torn. I like the utility of the 6 5-door, but im leary, since i haven't been able to drive an S. I suppose it would probably be a good thing in a way if i DIDN'T get the grand prix, though, since i've already picked out like 2k worth of appearance and performance mods for it.

I'd love some more input.

 

I wasn't sure if I wanted the Mazda 6, I drove it and right there that convinced me to get it. I went with the 6i because I wanted a 4-cylinder because of gas prices...The GTP just cant handle as well, and I like the altimas but everyone does own them and again the 6 out handles it significantly as well...do yourself a favor and get a M6

 

my 2005 mazda6s zips pretty good (injen intake on it, meshed lower grille for better airflow/performance) and it has taken grand ams with a 3.4 6cyl eng. it is a great car, takes turns pretty good (the mazdaspeed6 outhandles the mazda rx8). i highly recommend the mazda6s for the powerful engine/speed/acceleration compared over the mazda6i.

 

Thanks for the responses so far guys, i appreciate it. Any more will also be really helpful. Another question, too . . I love the way the headlights look on the 6, do they work really well, ya know, project well and make things really clear and lighted? I've always wondered about that.

 

For your headlight question lets just say ive been blinded by stock low-beams on those cars, so yeah there bright alright, as for picking your car here is my suggestion *ahem*

Grand Prix-i was actually about to get one of those (it was 2002) it was extremely roomy, alot of space in the front and back and the trunk (think i could hide a few bodies in there and have space for grocies, and ok body style. Now for the bad part the motor is said to be very unrealible and slow for it being a V6, also the car is very heavy, and driving it was like driving a boat on land with no power streeing, the back end was easeily brakable, and for upgrading it you should even bother building it up you might as well drop a new motor in there.

Altima-says sopistication, fun to drive roomy in the front but so much in the back, steering radius could use some work and the sound system was [:'(], as much a love Nissan, mid range trunk thats very deep and spacious, nice clean interface with console, not alot of confusion, very quick and nimble (but as said before, will have some trouble turning all the way around). Very fun to upgrade performence wise, but visual upgrade will look like every other Maxima, Altima, and 350Z And great gas milage

Mazda6-P.O.S stay far away...j/k, new car a lot of possiblities (just found a Hiboost turbo for it), roomy in the front not so roomy in the back but a little more than the Altima, nice sleek style beautiful console dispay, gets hot very quick (the heater you dummy) and cold not cool, the few parts that are out there are easy to apply (they say the hatchback has more stuff availble then the Sedan, i know the bodykits look awesome on the hactch). Handles like a dream pratically a auto-x car stock. Only one major problem (same with the 3) the ECU is a pain the ***, and the tiptronic is fun to play with...but not to eat.

Verdict: If you wanna get severe whiplash if somebody hits you from behind get the Grand Prix, if you dont mind having to back up and turn the wheel a s**t load of times but love the Japs prized company get the Altima, but if you wanna be able to take corners so easy that you feel like you could do em in your sleep get the Mazda6. Happy car hunting

 

The 6 handles like a dream...every magazine you read the 6 handles the best...hands down go with the 6. drive a 6s and you will be a lover not a hata!

 

yes, they are very bright stock. and the high beams, lets just say that if you forget to turn them off, oncoming cars will be verrrrry mad. haha. and you can always go brighter too (the projectors are amazing!). you can get a DDE kit that converts them to Angel Eye headlights like BMWs as well for a little style.

and yes, if you get a v6 3.0L... you get alot of power and zip!

 

ya, they are pretty bright, and thats only runnin off of halogen bulbs.

if only there were some HID kits available[sm=smiley14.gif]