Opinions on Mazda6 S 5 speed manual

Hey,
I really want a GTI, but I think this will be a long drawn out process before my wife gives in. She has always thought GTI's are just dumb. I think because she sees it as a young kids' car. Obviously a woman's pov. We own and are very happy with our Mazda6 wagon 5M. The 06 Mazda6s v6 5 speed just came out with a 2500 rebate, which puts it at the same price as the GTI package 0. The 6 gives a feeling of a larger car but drives much more sporty IMO than any Accord, Camry, or Altima could even try. Her 6 wagon really blew me away when we first got it, and still is quite fun to drive. It still feels as solid as when we bought it in Nov 04. However, the GTI is more fun, faster, and seems to absorb rough roads even better. No doubt, the modificability (my word!) factor on the GTI is 10 times better.
Honestly, I messed myself up when I saw the 07 Civic Si sedan and told her that's the car I want when it comes out this fall. That was because I thought the new GTI's were like $26-28,000. She may insist I wait til then anywho.

Have you tried a GLI (Jetta) yet?
It's more or less a FAST in 'sheeps' clothing lol

*To answer your question..yes, I like the 6, they seem to be a pretty decent vehicle.
And there is a bit of stuff available (JDM) for the 6 (Atenza).

The GLI is a little too much money for me. I'm pretty much staying at the $21500 max. I know the 6 has some stuff for it, but there is much more for the GTI, not to mention the new Si sedan. I much prefer the styling of the Si sedan than the coupe. It doesn't have that crazy dash either.
By the time I get to where I can do something, hopefully there won't be any 6's and I'm sure the Si sedan will be just as hard to get as the coupe.
Hmmm, the GLI is $22500 at invoice. I didn't realize they weigh the same?? 3308 lbs. I'm sure the longer wheel base takes some of the fun away that the GTI has.

The Mazda is a really Fun car! I own an 04 6s mines an auto though.

Im at the point in my loan where i am going to start to lose money on it. and the warranty is almost up, although i havent had even a hint of a problem. The only thing that bugs me about it is there are some rattles in the dash/windshield area that i cant seem to get rid of, and a couple in that hatch area..but ive had hatches in the past and they have ALL rattled.

My cousin has an 04 Mazda6S and loves it. He lives cross country so I've only ridden (maybe a word) in it 10 or so times. It has a nice heavy, in a good way, feel to it. It also feels nice and low to the ground, with a stiff yet not punishing suspension. Although I wouldn't compare it to my GTI, I could surely see myself in something like that a few years down the road(still in college). The engine is peppy enough for a V6 especially at its price. I personally like the styling as well. I think it definetly has a "Euro" look to it.

Maybe try and talk the wife into a 5 door GTI. I think the youngest driver on here is 16 and the oldest is in his 50's, so age shouldn't really be a factor. Do what feels right for you and I know you'll be happy whatever you decide to do.

We have a 6 wagon 5 speed V6 that I do really like. I don't get quite the "fast" intangible feeling I got driving the GTI, but it's still one of my top 3 favorite cars we've had. I actually took it to the track but couldn't get a decent launch, even so, I ran 93 mph.

Wantagti, I saw this post and just had to add to it. Before I picked up the GTI I owned a Mazda 6 and was a huge mazda guy. before that I owned a protege and then a Mazdaspeed protege. However, I would never recommend the 6 to anyone! Especially in the 6s trim. I owned a 2004 6s manual and had nothing but problems, to make a long story short Mazda ended up buying the car back from me. Till this day I still know people who have 3000 miles logged and have had blown head gaskets and master brake cylinders replaced. I am not flogging Mazda I am just warning you of my misfortune. read the forums and see what others are experiencing. http://www.mazda6club.com
The 6 is a great car as long as you get the 4 cylinder fully Japanese built version. The 6s uses a ford duratec engine and some sort of tranny sourced from another ford.

JFYI, when I was at Ford, this duratec engine never had any problems. I have had no head gasket issue or brake cylinder issue and I'm at 22,000 miles. I think my wife may be trading it in on an automatic something. Kind of the deal I gotta do to get my GTI!!! We'll be looking at the Civic EX, Honda Fit sport, and probably the Mazda5.

Seems like you are one of the lucky ones, however when looking at the forums you will see that most issues stem from the transmission, Ford is notorious for tranny problems. Once again I am not bashing the car because while I had mine it was a blast, but I just wanted to give you some first hand experience. By the way the Honda FIT was a great value, but really underpowered. If your wife did not mind a few mods it could be a really fun car to drive.