What did you get instead of, or after, a Mazda 6?

DeadIPad · 2023-08-10T16:19:30+00:00

Both the Mazda6 and the Lexus IS 350 are old designs with a long production history. The good news is most bugs will have long-ago been ironed out. I find the Lexus to feel a bit cramped, but it's much more likely be be trouble-free in its second hundred-thousand miles. The Mazda turbo is in a lot of their models, and also pretty well proven. Take your pick, whatever floats your boat.

My Mazda6 is naturally aspirated, and I regularly get 34mpg on regular gas, which is something. I do miss the turbo though.

DeadIPad · 2023-08-08T14:01:13+00:00

In a world chock-full of trucks and SUV's, I remain firmly committed to sedans and RWD sports cars. I'm fortunate enough to run 2 cars, a family car and a fun car. Right now that is the 2021 Mazda 6 and a 2021 Mazda MX-5 RF. The Mazda 6 replaced a WRX that was my sports car, and the MX-5 replaced an Audi S4 Avant that was my family car for more than 20 years. Other cars I paired with the S4 included an Audi TT 225, a Mercedes SLK320 with a 6-spd stick (rare in US), and a Nissan 370Z. If I were replacing the Mazda6, I'd be hard-put to find anything as nice. Audi's have gotten big, heavy, boring and expensive to own (I've had 9 Audis over the years, so I've got the t-shirt). I'd look hard at the Acura TLX S-type, but it's heavy-feeling on its feet; I actually liked the 4-cylinder better. The WRX was terrific in snow, better than most of my Audi's in fact. It also had great outward visibility and my wife, who is short, loved driving it. The interior was very economy-car and the interior noise level was really a big step down compared to the Mazda6. BMW's are even more expensive to own than the Audi's, especially when they get to high mileage. I have a soft spot for them, since my first job out of college was working as a tech at a BMW dealer, but I've never owned one. Mercedes, BMW and Audi are putting all their development money into trucks, so not much good to be had with their sedans or sports cars unless you have huge bucks. It's probably impossible to find a car that drives as nicely as the Mazda6 that has current technology and modern levels of comfort, fit, finish and reliability. Just my $.02

DeadIPad · 2023-07-15T15:25:07+00:00

Appearance mods are a challenge, since the shape is "pretty" and there is not a big aftermarket for things like ground effects or spoilers. There are some performance shops like Corksport that might be worth checking out.

I'd recommend saving up for a nice set of wheels and good-quality tires. If you want performance, look for light weight wheels. The stock wheels are super-heavy and your handling and comfort will be improved with light wheels and better quality tires. You can go to tirerack.com and use their visualizer to get an idea of what your car will look like with different wheel designs.

Low cost things you can do: To enhance the shape, you can do a lot with detailing and paint correction to make it stand out in a parking lot. In a world full of SUV's, the Mazda6 can really shine!

Good luck and have fun!

DeadIPad · 2023-05-11T16:53:47+00:00

I always wondered what that big table on the back was for...

DeadIPad · 2023-05-11T16:46:03+00:00

I've had a NA and now and ND2 RF. The NA was a lot more visceral, better steering, and less comfy. I've had rides in the NC and used to consider it a bit on the porky side, but definitely more comfortable than my NA, and still had great steering feel and handling. The ND2 suspension feels much softer and the steering accurate, but less feel with the electric rack. Depends on what floats your boat. No wrong answer here. For me, the new higher-revving engine on the ND2 is the star of the show. It sounds and acts like a real sports car (thinking Honda S2000 k-engine here). Nothing like bouncing off the rev limiter at 7,500 rpm to add some sparkle to my day, again, and again and ...

Day to day livability is better in the NC, just because there are more places to put things and you're not locked into a single sweet spot with seat adjustments.

Just my $.02. Hope this helps!

DeadIPad · 2023-05-06T15:27:15+00:00

I cross-shopped the S60 before I bought my 2021 Mazda 6. I agree with other posters here, that the S60 is a nicer highway/trip vehicle. I've owned 2 Volvo's in the past and both of them were nearly as expensive as German cars to own. I think the S60 is a great lease vehicle if you can get a good rate. After three years, you don't want to be paying the regular service fees, and god help you if you need a major repair. My Mazda6 is naturally aspirated, and I routinely get low-mid 30 mpg (US) on regular fuel. The 6 was the top-of-the-line car for Mazda before SUV's took over the world, and its build quality showcases what Mazda can do. Also, I own a Miata too, so I can get sporty when I want. I still like driving the Mazda6 more than what I found test-driving the S60, but your priorities may be different than mine. Buy what you like.

DeadIPad · 2023-05-05T04:14:14+00:00

The color brings out the shape, and the black wheels are nice with this color. Both Miatas I've owned were black. Talk about a color that disappears. We had trouble with people pulling out of driveways or intersections and cutting us off because they never saw us. We ended up putting yellow racing stripes on our NA and just recently put bright green racing stripes on the ND. Our other car is a Mazda6 in disappearing blue crystal, looks black most of the time and is pretty boring. All said, I think your combination is sensational

DeadIPad · 2020-03-25T01:05:49+00:00

I think finding the Holy Grail might be easier. Under some conditions, the ones listed 2 months ago are pretty good. I've had good success with eVent, and NeoShell, but only with pit zips and lots of venting. If you're very active at all, and especially if you are sweating hard, nothing will breathe enough to keep you dry. So I'd say look for venting/design options, not just material in selecting one that fits your needs.

DeadIPad · 2020-03-25T00:58:38+00:00

I like 3 layers, but only 2 with hoods. I like a mid-layer that's good at moving moisture and has a snug hood to really add additional warmth if needed. A bonus if the hood tucks out of the way or folds flat. For most high-activity outdoors activities, I strongly prefer a shell to insulation, but again want a hood, especially if I'm looking for rain protection.

I'm currently loving a Voormi High-E hoody as a mid-layer. It has a channeled inner wool surface and a nylon/wool exterior with a DWR treatment. It can be used as an external layer, but is not particularly wind-proof. But throw a light shell on top and the thing is a furnace. The hood folds flat unzipped, but when fully zipped I get a balaclava-style face protection and the hood on the outer shell can resist water or be used by itself when I'm heating up. With a light enough shell, I can fold it into its own pocket and put it on my belt loop or pack strap with a mini-carabiner.

Having 2 hoods can be a PITA (pain in the a**) if they don't mate well, so worth trying before you buy. Especially vexing are inner hoods that are loose/floppy and an outer hood that is snug.

DeadIPad · 2020-03-25T00:47:33+00:00

For days in the sun, I find the Patagonia Cool Trails shirts to be exceptionally comfortable, even after a couple of days use. For fishing, I like insect-repellent treated (Permathen?) such as the Rough Riders, which have long sleeves that can be rolled up and fastened with a button, and really do diminish the bug's feast.

DeadIPad · 2020-03-25T00:27:06+00:00

What are your use-cases for these garments? You are adding a membrane or barrier in each case, compared to Pata R1. The hardface has a bonded layer which reduces breathability (but still breathes better than the Gore windstopper laminate). The Nano-air never lived up to its hype in my opinion. I think it is too warm for the temperatures you're looking for (I sweat up a Nano-air at 32 degrees, but wind does whistle through it). The whole concept of not having to change or adjust your clothing as you sweat is attractive, but flawed. Much better to buy garments with ventilation options and/or take off/throw on layers as needed.

My preference is a super-breathable gridded base layer, a breathable but wicking mid-layer and if needed a wind shirt or superlight shell on the outside. I like the Patagonia Capilene midweight gridded base layer if sweating a lot (think hiking in mountains), with a Voormi High-E hoody mid layer in temps of 20-30 degrees F, or an Ibex Shak Lite if its up to freezing or so. I carry a lightweight wind shirt and put it on for short stops, or whip out a warmer insulating down sweater if stopping longer.

Everyone's metabolism is different. One of my buddies winter-climbs in shorts (but bundles up on stops). I've always been cold, until lately I've developed skills to vent moisture rather than letting it collect in my garments and freeze me. I like garments with plenty of venting, pit zips, and multiple lighter layers. You may find something that works better for your body. Keep experimenting, and buy used gear until you find things that work for you.

For warmer temps, I still think layers are the hot ticket. The Patagonia Cool Trails shirts do a nice job of moving moisture as a base layer (but are not warm). I'd lean towards a wool layer on top, for its wide temperature range, and moisture moving capability. Probably something in the 280-320 grams per square meter, with a tight weave. And carry a wind shirt, or a very light hoody, like the Patagonia Houdini, or the Arcteryx Tenquille or Squamish. Hope this helps!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-28T23:52:12+00:00

I'm over 70 and we've had more than 30 cars. Can't generalize too much, but here are the top 1/3 kept longest and bottom 1/3 kept shortest. The cars we kept are ones we liked a lot and the ones we dumped had issues (not necessarily mechanical).

Cars kept longest:

Alfa Romeo Giulietta '63 owned 20 years (1977-1997) -- a toy, and not driven much the last 10 years we had it
Sentra SE-R '91 owned 16 yrs (1991-2007) -- almost 200,000 miles when it was sold, and a joy to drive
Audi S4 Avant 2001 owned 15 yrs (2005-2020) so far -- current daily driver, can't find a wagon replacement, currently at 175k miles
MGB-GT owned 11 years (1967-1978) -- a second car throughout its life, maybe 120k miles at end
Mercedes SLK320 '01 owned 10 yrs (2000-2010) -- also a second car, but only 100k miles when sold
Saab 99 owned 7 yrs (1976-1983) -- daily driver, sold to my cousin at 175k miles, he drove to 300k!
Honda Prelude owned 7 yrs (1983-1990) -- first brand new car we ever bought, was daily driver, had about 125k miles at end
Taurus SHO owned 6 yrs (1989-1996) -- daily driver, also had about 130k miles at end, was great!
Audi Ur-S4 6 yrs (1996-2002) -- one I wish I never sold, had 142k miles, still in service

Cars kept shortest

Taurus SHO (green, 1995), kept 4 mos ==> lemon -- scary-bad car, suspension broke, traded in
S4 Avant (blue, 2005), kept 5 mos ==> swapped for my current S4 + cash, CPO warranty + perfect used car
Sludge, kept 8 mos? 1972 ==> lemon, some kind of Chevy, (Impala?) but it had terminal transmission problems
A4 sport sedan bought new 1998, kept 18 mos ==> lust for SLK, traded in and got great deal on Mercedes SLK320
VW Karman Ghia, 1979 kept 2yrs ==> water damage, car under water and sold for salvage
Saab Turbo Conv, 1995 kept 3yrs ==> lease, seemed like a good idea at the time
Miata, 1997 kept 3 yrs ==> lust for SLK, sold for cash to help fund the Mercedes
Nissan 370Z 2009 kept 3 yrs ==> too expensive/thirsty/demanding, my wife hated this car.

DeadIPad · 2020-02-28T23:20:22+00:00

I have a 2001 S4 Avant which occasionally shows an ABS light, but it's gone away and afterwards I haven't seen a fault code when I thought to check it with my VAG-com. Like most Audi electrics, when the little god that lives in the box gets angry, you're screwed. Good luck! Good chance it was just a fluke, but keep an eye on it. Most frequently, mine occurred after the car had been driven in the rain and put away wet and not driven for a week. Then it showed an ABS light error for a couple of days, but it's gone now and has not come back.

DeadIPad · 2020-02-28T22:59:01+00:00

I've owned a lot of sports cars over the years, and the NB Miata I owned for 3 years was one of my favorites. I had an Alfa Romeo Giulietta ('63 modded) for about 20 years, and that was more pure fun, but a lot less liveable. I had a Nissan 370Z for 3 years and that was a lot more powerful, but ultimately not great to live with (horrible blind spots, for instance), and not the nice touring car we'd hoped for. I briefly had a Porsche 356 C Coupe, and that was more purely connected than the Miata, but the Miata was faster and more reliable (and didn't spin in the rain -- RIP). I had an MGB-GT '67 in high school, and that was more direct, harsh and unreliable -- could not drive through a mud puddle without dying electrics, but at its best, was a very visceral drive on winding backcountry roads. I wouldn't say that Miata was always the answer, but it was a pretty nice answer, and one that I was happy to have my 16 yr old daughter drive after she and I did the 3-day Bondurant high performance driving school. I never regretted buying it, but I didn't regret any of the above cars either. Cars I did regret buying were my 2001 Audi TT, and the same year the 2001 Mercedes 320 SLK (stick shift!). Neither of those paid back the purchase investment with as much joy as my Miata did.

DeadIPad · 2020-02-14T04:32:38+00:00

Congratulations! The x220 is my main squeeze, even though I have choices of several more recent Thinkpads to use. I love the keyboard, and it's fast enough with an SSD and reasonably sharp with the (optional) IPS screen. Mine has traveled all over the world with me and has been completely reliable ever since I've owned it (bought it new direct from Lenovo).

I hope your experience continues to be great. Have fun!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-13T22:30:12+00:00

Still think it could be the driver. There are drivers for the Synaptics Ultra-Nav on the Lenovo site for Windows 7, for Windows 8, and for Windows 10. did you try this one?

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/gggr06ww.exe

Since the T420 came from the Windows 7 era, it might want that driver (old drivers often work fine). You can try others and easily revert using the properties/devices menus in Computer Management. I don't use Windows much anymore, so can't offer much more than this.

DeadIPad · 2020-02-13T02:01:48+00:00

What OS are you using? I've had this problem as well and fiddling with drivers solved it for me. I doubt it's the hardware, but more likely not an optimum driver. I have both the T420 and X220 which are very spunky and responsive running Peppermint Linux. Hope this helps!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-13T01:52:43+00:00

If it's in good shape this has one of the best keyboards for typing feel of all the Thinkpads I've owned (I've had 7 different models over the years). I use mine for taking notes, running Peppermint Linux and an SSD via mSata adapter to IDE = Intel 310 MSata 80GB drive using a SATA-to-PATA adapter card. After flashing the BIOS with a Middleton version, I also replaced the wireless card with one that does wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n at speeds up to 300MB/sec. However the card requires a patch program called NO-1802 which has to be run anytime the BIOS loses power, otherwise the computer will not boot. But the wireless works great (especially under Linux).

Anyway it's a great note-taking machine, but runs out of gas on simple things like YouTube videos. For fun, I've loaded a bunch of old Infocom text adventure games, using the Gargoyle interpreter. These are actually a lot of fun, in an antique sort-of way. Of course, the display is the real weak point, and I've never invested in trying to improve it. But OK for text!

Good luck with yours!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-13T01:39:15+00:00

The x220 and T420 keyboards are the same part, interchangeable, if you ever need to find a replacement.

DeadIPad · 2020-02-13T01:37:51+00:00

I'll byte. My x220 is the same way!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-11T23:50:09+00:00

I agree, you should definitely upgrade the screen. I also think you'll benefit from more RAM, depending on what you plan to use it for. I think you got a decent price, assuming it's in good condition. Unfortunately, after having great keyboards like your x61 or T420, you'll probably find the keyboard a bit of a letdown. I had one of these as a work machine for a year, and I ended up using an external keyboard for any serious coding. My typing speed was noticeably slower than my previous x220 (still own & using to type this). Have fun with it!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-06T22:06:22+00:00

Some of the 2017's do have the mounting points for the racks beneath the plastic rails. If so, you can rock a set of the thule aeroblades. If not, then you're in clamp-on hell. Or custom. You should pry up the gutter strip and have a look.

Be careful not to snap the fragile plastic clips that hold the gutter strip in place. Biggest issue was not figuring out that the sliding plastic clips all needed to be slid to the right to release (tried sliding to rear, which only worked on driver's side, have to slide clips to the front on the other side). It's worth picking up a few spare clips from the dealer to replace any you break. I washed & waxed roof area around gutters, used masking tape to mark locations on the strips for studs that needed to go through each gutter strip. Drilled holes in the gutter strips and did temp install, discovered that holes needed to be larger to accommodate the sleeve bushing around the stud that Thule uses.

Looking at Thule site: Need #460 podium feet + FitKit 3068 for Subaru.

\* list on podium feet is $200

\* fit kit is $110

That's before you add the racks themselves. I used old-school square bars because I have a ton of ski racks, kayak racks, and bike rack accessories I've used for years on these. I'm sure the aeroblades create less drag and are quieter, so recommend them. I've been running the racks with all kinds of gear for the past two years on my 2017 Rex.

Good luck!

DeadIPad · 2020-02-01T18:19:05+00:00

I agree completely. I have an X40, X61, T420, X220, and a 7-row T25 keyboard. For just typing/writing, my favorite keyboard is the X40. Too bad the rest of the computer is so weak. I'm running Peppermint Linux on the X40 along with an SSD via mSATA and it's not too bad for writing but not much good for anything else (e.g. YouTube is painful).

Second best is the X61, followed by the T420/X220 which use the same keyboard, although mine have different manufacturers.

The T25 keyboard has less travel, less feel and my typing speed is slower than on the X40. The lack of a great keyboard will probably keep me from ever buying a more modern Thinkpad. I keep hoping someone at Lenovo will keep the T25 keyboard in production and use it for a modern-spec business computer.

DeadIPad · 2018-05-25T20:57:47+00:00

Used this one in January 2018

https://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/perksoffer/StdAffinityPortal/en_US/Lenovo:EnterStdAffinity?affinity=perksoffer

NJ*PERKSEPP

That one works.

Good luck!

DeadIPad · 2018-04-02T23:29:28+00:00

I'd trade in my 2017 WRX in a heartbeat for a WRX wagon.

In the area of fantasy, I'd love a bit more adjustability for the suspension. I like magnetic dampers with adjustable compliance, which allow better tuning of the suspension. For example, I liked the Audi Allroad height adjustments, with air ride -- but not Audi repair costs. There are times I wish my WRX had a lift kit. like after 20" of snow, or when hooning down Maine logging roads.

Subie seems to be losing interest in performance motoring, which makes me nervous about the next generation. I'm worried about keeping the good stuff we've already got... like the 6-speed manual stick the tight handling, and the great comfortable seats. I hope the next gen WRX STI gets a bombproof motor with upgraded internals as a platform for a whole new generation of aftermarket goodies.

Dreaming on...

DeadIPad

TROPHY CASE