[hiker74]

12 best in class car values, 2013 - Yahoo! Autos

Oddly they used a non North American Outback for the photo model though

 

[upflying]

If you click the photo, a proper American OB appears.
Caption mentions the OB has "plenty of power"... that might be debatable.

 

[mcbrew]

Plenty... Not "an excess."

 

[Looby]

Plenty of power, for its purpose. (The latter phrase may be elided if
the readership is presumed to have a modicum of common sense.)

FWIW, the 2.5i OB has about the same power-to-weight ratio as
the $45,000 Volvo XC90 AWD. Mysteriously, neither is a frequent
contender at local drag strips or autocross events.

Looby

 

[John E Davies]

I don't consider the Gen 4 OB to be a wagon any more - it is too bloated and tall. I'll never buy one..... This is a wagon. I just hope it makes it to the USA:

LOL, did I make anybody upset?

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[OBnube]

ILOL, did I make anybody upset?

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Nah, Somtimes there's just no accounting for bad taste..

 

[fatabbot]

I don't consider the Gen 4 OB to be a wagon any more - it is too bloated and tall. I'll never buy one..... This is a wagon. I just hope it makes it to the USA:

That's hot.

Love the new MZ6's. Too bad they bombed so badly at the Rolex 24.

 

[AO River]

I don't consider the Gen 4 OB to be a wagon any more - it is too bloated and tall. I'll never buy one..... This is a wagon. I just hope it makes it to the USA:

I agree John, but I bought the Gen 4 OB because it doesn't look like a wagon. Nothing against those that drive them and love them, but a wagon isn't what I wanted.

 

[Looby]

This is a wagon. I just hope it makes it to the USA:

Don't hold your breath waitin'. The original US Mazda6 was offered in
three body styles -- sedan, hatchback, wagon -- but 'Muricans weren't
buying, so the hatchback and wagon were dropped from the line after
only a year or two. (Same story with the 6's predecessor, the 626.)

I love Mazdas. But I traded-in my high-mileage Mazda6s V6 hatchback
for the OB -- because Mazda stopped offering manual transmissions
in anything except the lowest trim level (meaning no moonroof, etc.).

For 2014, they've also dropped the V6 engine option from the Mazda6
line -- and still no manual tranny, except in the base trim stripper.

...the "Zoom Zoom" has zoomed away,

Looby

 

[John E Davies]

...the "Zoom Zoom" has zoomed away,Looby

Maybe, maybe not. There is talk of a MazdaSpeed 6 AWD, and the rev happy diesel is coming here for sure, maybe with a six speed stick. The Wagon is in limbo (for us) for now.

I owned a 2005 6S Sport Wagon with manual tranny and loved it, but I vowed to never ever buy another vehicle that didn't power all four wheels.....

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[AltaBrig]

Its all about the value and the all time AWD. If you don't need that, you got the FWD acura, the upmarket euro sportwagen with or without the AWD, the TDIs, and several other wagon shaped econoboxes.

What type of AWD is that curvy Mazda station wagon running? All time or the rear wheel assist?

A diesel OB would be nice stateside and the only thing that would make me consider dumping my 3.6. With the height and volume it really is a great American crap hauler as long as you don't need handling. The 3.6 is far more power than necessary, it just was jump up from a buzzy 1.5L I had been in and I wanted my freeway entrances and exits to be effortless - which they are.

2.5 is a great value and efficient for it bloated bulk that we Americans still buy. Heck mom's are driving around socal all day long in their Escalades with no one else in them. Dinosaurs in Jurassic park. Only reason to have a vehicle that size is if your in a trade or an Idaho rancher in a super duty at work.

 

[John E Davies]

What type of AWD is that curvy Mazda station wagon running? All time or the rear wheel assist?

It is none of the above, since Mazda hasn't offered AWD in a 6 since the Speed6 sedan of a few years ago..... and that one was "FWD most of the time, add RWD as needed during slippage". They have NEVER offered AWD in a wagon of any size, only in their crossovers.

I would take that type over plain FWD, but I sure would prefer a real performance version like Acura's SH-AWD. And with the high output SkyActive diesel, if you please. Though the lower powered version will provide "eye popping" economy (in the FWD platform).

"The 2.2L SKYACTIV-D Turbo Diesel separates the men from the boys

Here again there are two outputs listed? Which we will receive is put into question as there is a standard 148 HP at 4,500 rpm & 280 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm output variant and a 173 at 4,500 rpm & 310 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm high output variant being displayed in Paris right now.

The lower power output 2.2L mill is rated at an eye popping 60.3 mpgUS combined on the NEDC or as high as 47 mpgUS on our own EPA when mated to the SKYACTIV based 6-speed stick and when (or if?) equipped with the Auto Start/Stop system and regenerative braking based i-ELOOP."

CleanMPG Forums - Mazda’s 2014 Mazda6 And the 2.2L SKYACTIV-D

It will be interesting to see what Mazda brings to us over the next two years....

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[DonD]

Don't hold your breath waitin'. The original US Mazda6 was offered in
three body styles -- sedan, hatchback, wagon -- but 'Muricans weren't
buying, so the hatchback and wagon were dropped from the line after
only a year or two. (Same story with the 6's predecessor, the 626.)

I love Mazdas. But I traded-in my high-mileage Mazda6s V6 hatchback
for the OB -- because Mazda stopped offering manual transmissions
in anything except the lowest trim level (meaning no moonroof, etc.).

For 2014, they've also dropped the V6 engine option from the Mazda6
line -- and still no manual tranny, except in the base trim stripper.

...the "Zoom Zoom" has zoomed away,

Looby

I believe the American CAFE standards ( stupid government ) is the reason why we are going to see less and less choices as far as V6's go. Toyota is dropping the V6 in the RAV 4, Mazda dropped the v6 from the Mazda6 and we will see other V6s going bye bye. I think it will only be a matter of time before Subaru drops the 3.6H from the lineup. Heck even Honda is discontinuing the Element because they can't find a way to up the MPG. Kinda sad seeing what's going on.

 

[J Delman]

The rear roofline, rear pillar, and rear side window on that Mazda wagon above reminds me of that classic sporty Volvo wagon from the 1960s.

 

[hiker74]

I don't consider the Gen 4 OB to be a wagon any more - it is too bloated and tall. I'll never buy one..... This is a wagon. I just hope it makes it to the USA:

LOL, did I make anybody upset?

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Actually the Mazda 6 Wagon is in the recent commercial in the USA so it is coming here

 

[John E Davies]

Actually the Mazda 6 Wagon is in the recent commercial in the USA so it is coming here

The only commercial I know of is this one from last summer:

Every article I have read lately says it is unlikely we will ever see the wagon. I hope they are wrong.... The new model is up on Mazda's USA website, and they only show a sedan.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[hiker74]

Actually now that I think about it and after I ssaw it again its the new CX9. From a distance it looks the same! Im not a mazda fan, but I am looking at Miatas as a daily driver. Anything I should be cooncerned with the MX-5?

 

[vr4Legacy]

I believe the American CAFE standards ( stupid government ) is the reason why we are going to see less and less choices as far as V6's go. Toyota is dropping the V6 in the RAV 4, Mazda dropped the v6 from the Mazda6 and we will see other V6s going bye bye. I think it will only be a matter of time before Subaru drops the 3.6H from the lineup. Heck even Honda is discontinuing the Element because they can't find a way to up the MPG. Kinda sad seeing what's going on.

I think Subarus saving grace with the H6 is it's low sales volume and cross compatability. It doesn't take much for them to make it fit into an H4 car and the sales volume is so low compared to the higher MPG H4 that it truly isn't much of a hit on the CAFE.

I think they'll continue to offer it in the OB until they offer a true 7 passenger vehicle that has some actual towing capacity. The RAV 4 is more comparable to the Forester, which never needed an H6.

I do think, eventually, they'll throw a CVT into the H6, which should bring the MPG into the 30 range.