Comparison Part 2

2013 MAZDA 6 VS 2005 TOYOTA CELICA

Brakes

It is no surprise when I notice the Mazda 6 have a single pot (piston) brake caliper in the front because this is the current spec of majority cars on the road from big cars to small compact cars. So, what differs from a big car's brake and compact car's is the size of the rotors. The larger the rotor the more likely the larger the piston is but I am surprised at the size of the rotors for the Mazda 6. Being a large sedan with high weight and quite high power, it has small brakes that sometimes I feel it is difficult to brake at high speed and the car might sway a bit. At low to medium speed it works just fine. In the Celica, the original brakes have larger rotors than the Mazda 6 however, it has what I call "for slowing down" brakes instead of a "for stopping brakes" that most car have. So, it takes a longer time to slow down to the extend that I usually could not stop well unless I down shift or hit the pedal to the metal. That was the reason why I upgraded the brakes to a 4 pot caliper with huge rotors. If compared with stock brakes the Mazda wins hands down but compare to the performance brakes, there is no surprise there. Still I would prefer larger brake rotors for the Mazda 6.

Interior

The interior design is definitely on the classy and luxurious side with leather seats, leather steering wheel and black not so cheap looking plastic. The seats and interior have red stitching that gives it a hint of sportiness to it. The 2013 model comes with GPS and many high tech buttons for its gadgets. The steering wheel come with buttons that comes in handy when your hand is on the wheel. There is even a rear aircond vent. Definitely something that I am not used to but can get accustomed to and after a while you could not help but wonder where are the buttons for other older cars. The Celica is part of a JDM concept of functional but low cost interior. You will only get all the basics. No GPS, no buttons on steering wheel and no gadgets. Just a steering wheel, a cluster meter, a gear knob, seats, aircond and huge amount of cheap plastic. Since I grew up in JDMs, I quite enjoy the plastics as long as it is black in color. Basically when you drive a JDM sports car, speed and performance is all ask for.

Luxurious VS Functional Dash

Comfort

A D-segment sedan must definitely be comfortable due to the target buyers. The Mazda 6 is very comfortable to the point that I could feel sleepy anytime I drive it. Car height is appropriate and suspensions is on the soft side. The rear seats are very comfortable and wheelbase is quite long making the car very acceptable by its passengers. The seats are leather, giving it a very luxurious feeling and very soft. The front seats have a premium design with full leather but also provide supports to minimize body roll with bigger side cushion to hug you all the way. Even with a sedan of similar size, the whole interior feels very large. However it seems with its side mirror design, the wind sound is very strong. Meanwhile, sports car always have a bad image where it have a harsh ride thanks to lower ride with stiffer suspensions. Take my father for instance will never ever imagine himself driving a sports car as a daily drive because he thinks the ride will be so bumpy that his spine will not be able to take it. In his case, his opinion have been influence by his friends about their ride and the fact that my Celica takes a lot to get used to. My Celica has stiff suspension and sits really low. It makes the car bumpy and the seat is quite small because of its support for sporty driving but still comfortable seats once you get used to it.

Fuel Efficiency

Mazda made it their selling point to have good fuel efficiency with its new Skyactiv engine series. The result is a 520 km from 53L of petrol and I achieved a highest mileage of 580 km. Many consumer are stuck with the idea where bigger displacement engine usually are more thirsty but Mazda's Skyactiv engines prove its worthiness. Most of the people's reaction when I told them the mileage I get is huge because with a 2.5L engine, they expect a lower mileage. However, there is a catch. It needs to be driven smoothly and a high mixture of highway driving to achieve such mileage. That happen to me in the first few weeks of getting the car but now from time to time my hard, fast driving side comes out and now I can only get 480 km. The gearbox driving mode that I use also affects the mileage. When engaging in manual tiptronic shift mode, the engine becomes more thirsty and the best compromise is the direct manual mode where is is drive mode but with paddle shift. Shifts as you like but still good mileage. Being a sports car, the Celica gets around 420 km from 50L of petrol and that is a quite decent figure given its performance. This is a mileage I usually get even with driving at great speed in manual mode as how a sports car should be driven. However, being a sports car low fuel efficiency is a norm. The Mazda 6 is definitely more fuel efficient against its rivals that are much heavier and uses a conventional engine.

Left - Celica with 50L petrol highest mileage
Right - Mazda 6 with 53L petrol highest mileage

Conclusion

I happen to watched a web episode of a local car review show that features the Mazda 6 and its rivals in the local scene. The Mazda 6 came in second after the local Honda Accord, losing in terms of less tech gadgets and smaller room space. I take it that besides those two features, the Mazda 6 is superior than of the Accord. I will have to say the Mazda 6 is really good looking on the outside. It is fierce and sporty with the giant grill and sharp headlights but still have the executive and elegant feel to it. On the inside, it might not have the same rear legroom as the Accord but for someone my age and friends from the same age group, the Mazda 6 is already like a king's chair in the rear. In addition, the only gadget that I find the Accord wins is its dual screens but is that necessary. Thus, my conclusion is the Mazda 6 is very spacious, comfortable with a hint of sportiness. Most importantly, giving it is a D-Segment sedan, it is the most driver oriented car in the segment. Just what someone that is after performance and spec rather than comfort like me would choose.