Topic: Comparison Test: 2015 Mazda6 vs. 2014 Ford Fusion

[Jaeger]

You guys cracking me the hell up. 

[rrocket]

Don't mention the Regal.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Don't mention the Regal.

 

 

[Snowman]

 

[Rupert]

   Around 1990 you could buy a Ford/Mercury Taurus/Sable, wagon or sedan for about $22,000  and in about 1997 you could buy a Dodge Intrepid Sport for a similar amount. All nicely equipped with equivalent seating and trim...maybe nicer. Ok, no blue stuff or USBs...but are these things not just pennies at tech. stores. The Ford stable had very nice wagons also...with good IRS. They were aimed at middle America/Canada.
   The Taurus has moved up a notch (size and many $) and the Fusion is the comparison now. If these are aimed at middle America...it is often quoted that the wages for middle America/Canada have hardly risen for 20 years...private sector anyway. So I was wondering where the volume sector is for this class/size...they are 30% more expensive than 20 years ago and not even a wagon version.

[OliverD]

   Around 1990 you could buy a Ford/Mercury Taurus/Sable, wagon or sedan for about $22,000  and in about 1997 you could buy a Dodge Intrepid Sport for a similar amount. All nicely equipped with equivalent seating and trim...maybe nicer. Ok, no blue stuff or USBs...but are these things not just pennies at tech. stores. The Ford stable had very nice wagons also...with good IRS. They were aimed at middle America/Canada.
   The Taurus has moved up a notch (size and many $) and the Fusion is the comparison now. If these are aimed at middle America...it is often quoted that the wages for middle America/Canada have hardly risen for 20 years...private sector anyway. So I was wondering where the volume sector is for this class/size...they are 30% more expensive than 20 years ago and not even a wagon version.

The 1994 Taurus wagon my dad used to drive had a sticker price of around $24,000. It was a fairly basic model with a bench seat, steel wheels, etc (but at least had the 3.8 V6). After inflation, that is about $35,000 today. $35k buys you a very, very nicely equipped midsize sedan.

[Kris78]

Don't mention the Regal.

 

 

Awesome!

[Rupert]

   In 89 I bought a Sable wagon for around $22000...maybe $23000, 3 L. V6. Yeah bench seat...that's the way they came then. But a very nice bench seat though with individual adjusting seat halves and excellent fabric and centre arm rest. Pretty much buckets without being separate...an either or actually; upscale possibly from todays offerings. Again...the 97 Intrepid/sport was a similar price with a 3.5 V6 and 220hp.
   Now maybe we are not comparing apples here pricewise ie. sticker and incentives, but at 50% more (inflation) now...well it does not matter does it...the middle class, middle income private sector have not had any 50% increase, if what we hear and read is correct; so who buys these now and what else suffers by a middle class affording the 'inflation' here. Maybe this market is gone except for low interest rates.

[sacrat]

Canadian sales to the end of September:

Mazda 6 - 255; YTD - 2,428
Ford Fusion - 1,455; YTD - 14,508

As someone mentioned earlier, I would suspect the Mazda 6 is loosing out to the Mazda 3 when customers go into the dealership.

Which is why I almost burst out laughing at the first sentence.

"The current Mazda6 and Ford Fusion are two power players in the hotly contested mid-size family sedan segment."

More like one power player and one also ran. The Mazda is only a power player in the Auto journalists minds.

[rrocket]

The Mazda is only a power player in the Auto journalists minds.

This.  X100.

[jyarkony]

The Mazda is only a power player in the Auto journalists minds.

This.  X100.

so, "power player" can only refer to sales? 

not quality, appeal and based on previous experiences....

noted. we will now only ever write literal, sales-number based phrases in any review.

Please also note that the Highlander is not actually giant log, nor is the Outback an Australian aboriginal throwing weapon, in case you get confused by that analogy in that comparison.

and from now on, no opinions in the forum, please.

[Jaeger]

^^^ What he said.

[Oldsguy]

Well, "power player" is open to interpretation, but most people would likely take it to mean something along the lines of:

- a market leader in sales
- influential to other competitors
- a product to be emulated by others
- having the ability to largely dictate what other vehicles are like in terms of design, equipment, price, etc
- the dominant brand in the minds of consumers

Of course, the 6 is none of these.

It is only a power player in the minds of automotive writers, who continue to extol its virtues while oblivious to its design issues and general rejection in the marketplace. It truly would make for an interesting case study. Assuming Mazda does not have the resources to pay writers for their opinions like other makes allegedly do, it is remarkable how reviewers continue to ignore the market verdict when it comes to this vehicle.

With the 6  which can only be seen as a failure in the marketplace and now the beloved 3 falling behind its hatch competitors as per today's review of that car, Mazda is in tough. They do not have the resources to retool easily to keep up.

[OliverD]

It is only a power player in the minds of automotive writers, who continue to extol its virtues while oblivious to its design issues and general rejection in the marketplace. It truly would make for an interesting case study. Assuming Mazda does not have the resources to pay writers for their opinions like other makes allegedly do, it is remarkable how reviewers continue to ignore the market verdict when it comes to this vehicle.

Why do market acceptance and sales numbers matter in a review? Poor sales don't necessarily point to a poor product.

[johngenx]

 Poor sales don't necessarily point to a poor product.

Truth.

I think there's many reasons for the 6's slow sales and the quality of the car is far down the list.  (the interior could use jazzing up, maybe)

[dkaz]

People who wanted a good handling world-standard midsize car (as opposed to North American midsize) already bought theirs 6-12 years ago with the first gen Mazda 6? And most of them have moved upmarket by now?

Otherwise, typical midsize buyers wants something with a comfortable ride and stylish yet not over the top looks.

Look at the Legacy for example. Auto enthusiasts were crooning over the Legacy concept:


But Subaru ended up giving us a completely toned that version that might actually get some sales:


But, Mazda is the type of company who wants to appease the auto enthusiasts rather than go for the sales numbers. They're doing all right with the 3 and CX-5 so I don't think they're sweating yet.

[Oldsguy]

Poor sales don't necessarily point to a poor product.

They point to a product that misses the mark in some way for consumers. Here we have Mazda whose 3 series has been at or near the top in segment sales in Canada for many years now, and a 6 series that languishes near the bottom in its segment despite a new design and a continuing drumbeat of glowing reviews from writers. Something is missing here. And nobody seems able to ID what that is. It must be product related since the dealer network and marketing is the same otherwise for both the 3 and the 6.

[EV-Light]

Poor sales don't necessarily point to a poor product.

They point to a product that misses the mark in some way for consumers. Here we have Mazda whose 3 series has been at or near the top in segment sales in Canada for many years now, and a 6 series that languishes near the bottom in its segment despite a new design and a continuing drumbeat of glowing reviews from writers. Something is missing here. And nobody seems able to ID what that is. It must be product related since the dealer network and marketing is the same otherwise for both the 3 and the 6.

perhaps Mazda only has a strong presence in Canada because of Quebec and Ontario? and people buying these cars are only going after a hatchback or a crossover?
I wish we could have data to see the sales per automaker and province....it'd be an interesting breakdown.

[toolatecrew]

Poor sales don't necessarily point to a poor product.

They point to a product that misses the mark in some way for consumers. Here we have Mazda whose 3 series has been at or near the top in segment sales in Canada for many years now, and a 6 series that languishes near the bottom in its segment despite a new design and a continuing drumbeat of glowing reviews from writers. Something is missing here. And nobody seems able to ID what that is. It must be product related since the dealer network and marketing is the same otherwise for both the 3 and the 6.

The marketing is the same for 6 and 3? News to me.

The 6 was never intended to sell in the volumes that the 3 does. Two entirely different categories and price ranges of cars.  The 3 is much more heavily marketed and advertised than the 6 as far as I can tell.

[OliverD]

perhaps Mazda only has a strong presence in Canada because of Quebec and Ontario? and people buying these cars are only going after a hatchback or a crossover?
I wish we could have data to see the sales per automaker and province....it'd be an interesting breakdown.

That's a bit like saying BMW only has a strong presence in the U.S. because of the coasts.

The 6 competes in kind of an odd segment of the Canadian market. In the U.S., midsize sedans rule the sales charts, while in Canada they sell in relatively minuscule numbers in comparison to compacts.

Sales in the U.S. are actually up a good amount this year FWIW.