Passat vs Mazda 6 vs Octavia

[ninjag]

ZX10R NIN said:

My pick would not be any of the above it would be the Mondeo Titanium 180 they're hard to find amongst the sea of 150's but they're worth seeking out.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

That's a nice car, suits that colour as well. Surprisingly good tech specs, I'd be adding this to your list if you haven't already done so.

[ZX10R NIN]

Flumpo said:

ha Ha. I’m looking for pretty much the exact same as you.

I’ve decided to stick with my current car for another year as I’m hoping for a Vignale to dip into this price bracket.

I would check the service requirements of the Mazda. From memory it had a much shorter service interval than the others. Not sure if that makes any differences to you.

I have a Mondeo Vignale & really can't fault it, I test drove all of the above & found the Mondeo the better car & out of the three the OP's looking at the Mazda is the best of those the intervals are slightly shorter but not enough to dissuade me from considering it.

[Dan_1981]

Looks like I need some test drives.

Economy, spec etc all seems very similar.

Passat has a slight win with the ACC which doesn't seem to be readily available on the others.

On looks alone I prefer the Mazda, I think, interior wise the Passat possibly or again maybe the Mazda

[flatso]

Dan_1981 said:

I did consider the 508 SW which I understand is the same car as the C5 - however the interior looked a little low rent in 90% of the pictures I saw. The one big selling point the 508 has is they all have a pan roof.

I think the passat can be got with pan roof but doesn't seem to be a common addition.

Not sure it's even an options on the Mazda.

The C5 in top trim has the most refined version of the legendary hydropneumatic suspension (refined over 60 years) , double glased windos, massage seats etc.
It is a a completly different animal to the 508.
If you are on a testdrive binge, go try one for a longer test drive, if you value comfort and refinement you (and/or your spinal chord) will thank me for the suggestion.

[halo34]

I have had the vrs - loved it but in the end the seats and suspension meant I got rid. Best car I have had but my back couldn’t take it any longer.

I now have a 2013 passat. Boring but refined, not sure it’s better made tbh (but different generation). The newer passat has better toys.

I also had the last gen Mazda 6 2.2 diesel which self destructed after 3 months at 60k. Injector seals, oil pick up and timing chain stretch. I am not sure if the new gen has dialled this out.

[mikal83]

flatso said:

Consider a late model Citroen C5 with top level exclusive trim. It is head and shoulders above the other mentioned cars in terms of comfort and refinement...no comparison when it comes to mile munching.

Autos are awful and the front doors as so low you'll bang your head everytime

[Dan_1981]

Is the new Mazda engine belt or chain?

Passat and Octavia are both belts I believe?

[Alucidnation]

You need to look for at least led or xenon headlights on the Passat as the standard halogens are terrible, bordering on dangerous.

Although, a halogen lamp change would improve them a bit.

[The Voice]

Dan_1981 said:

Is the new Mazda engine belt or chain?

Passat and Octavia are both belts I believe?

Chain.

The Mazda 2.2 is a great engine. The very first generation of the engine had issues with injector seals and dpfs causing engine oil levels to rise due to fuel contamination (we’re talking about early engines from around 2009-2011), but anything from then was sorted and very reliable. I’m sure you’ll find issues with any engine If you look hard enough, vag included.

[Faramir]

P700DEE said:

I went for the Mazda. Good things, it goes well , comfy, cheaper than the others. No Ad Blue on Euro6 diesel. LED adaptive lights are awesome, Bad, the standard 19" wheels are poorly made, at 2 years and 20K miles the lacquer is flaking! The Sat-Nav is poor , not easy to use and difficult to look at where you are going as the system auto adjusts to map size. Don't pay a premium for it, a friend added Nav to hers by buying a genuine memory card upgrade and plugging it in , £60 on the bay. Fuel consumption, it's OK. If you drive like Miss daisy and follow the sort of driving you expect on the official tests you should get good figures. I spend a lot of time on motorways and notice that as soon as you go over 70 the fuel consumption greatly increases. I think the top gear is too low, my 520 gets much better consumption figues than the 6 on motorway runs. The Mazda is much better on A roads, the 40-50mph speeds

I agree with every point made and have the same issue with the wheel lacquer (getting sorted by dealership). I do like the car and, as I think it’ll be a keeper, I may get the £350 upgrade for Apple CarPlay so won’t need the frustrating sat nav anymore. Average 53 MPG on narrow, twisty roads.

[underphil]

One advantage the Mazda has over the other two is that it runs a sequential twin turbo set up, so has much better throttle response

[underphil]

What about a Volvo V60 or V70 with the nice 2.4 5 cylinder twin turbo?

[Djtemeka]

We’ve not had any issues with our Mazda and the dfp saga.
We do around 6-8knper year in it. Mixture of short and long regular trips. I use the whole rev range all the time. Wifey doesn’t hang about either.

[CaptainSlow]

The Voice said:

The Mazda 2.2 is a great engine. The very first generation of the engine had issues with injector seals and dpfs causing engine oil levels to rise due to fuel contamination (we’re talking about early engines from around 2009-2011), but anything from then was sorted and very reliable. I’m sure you’ll find issues with any engine If you look hard enough, vag included.

Nope, the 2.2 from 2012 onwards suffers more than the earlier model.

[amstrange1]

Can you get a Skoda Superb in budget? They're a huge step-up from an Octavia.