Comparison between Mazda 6, Nissan Altima and Honda Accord

This comparison is important because a large percentage of car buyers in the Middle East turn to mid-size sedans, especially the Japanese industry, which is known for its capabilities and good resale value, especially in the Gulf more than other countries. The
launch of the 2014 Mazda 6 gave us an opportunity to challenge it with two of The most popular mid-size sedans, which were recently launched in the last 12 months, are the 2013 Nissan Altima and the 2013 Honda Accord. We did not compare the Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion because it has been more than a year since their launch and their new models will be launched soon. And we did not compare the Chevrolet Malibu because it is American and the rest of the cars are Japanese. My friends, Zaran and Ahmed, took this challenge with me. Now let’s get started.
The exterior design
is no comparison.
The Mazda 6 is much nicer than its competitors.
The Mazda 6 won the Red Dot Design Award for a reason. She is amazing. And I’ve never used the word “amazing” for a mid-size 2.5-liter sedan before! To be fair, the Altima and Accord also look nice in this category, but the Mazda 6 is much higher than them. The dark red color was a great choice as well.
Forget everything else, its front bumper is the most sporty front bumper in its class. It has daytime running lights, which are the same as its competitors, but not quite as elegantly. Add to that the bumpers, door handles, mirrors, and most importantly the 19-inch wheels on the higher models and you’ll wonder where Mazda has been all these years. As for the rear-facing comparison, the Mazda6 is the only one with a dual-exocyt. If all that wasn’t enough, the Mazda6 has added an adaptive headlight system that adjusts the light as required when turning into corners. For fog conditions, there are front fog lights and a fog reducer at the rear.
Interior Features and Technology
To keep it simple, we’ll compare full-featured models in our review. Here are the six areas we will be comparing:
1. Audio system
2. Touch screen and connectivity
3. Quality of materials and finishes
4. Air conditioning system
5. Control and comfort features
6. Interior space
The
Nissan Altima audio system has the best features here, then the Accord Then the Mazda 6. The difference is not huge between them, but it is enough to determine the best. This proves that increasing the number of speakers does not mean that it is a better thing. The Altima has 6 speakers, the Accord 7 and the Mazda 6 11. Although the Altima has the fewest speakers, the sound is purer, the speakers are better than the rest and the radio is clearer.
Touch screen and dial
Honda Accord has the largest touch screen 8 inches, then Nissan Altima 7 inches and the loser is Mazda 6 5.8 inches. All models have a rear camera with Bluetooth, USB and AUX. Only the Nissan Altima has a remote engine start option, which allows you to cool down the car before getting into it. The Altima is the winner here.
Quality materials and finishes
Honda has better material quality, but Mazda 6 is close to it. Many of the materials are soft to the touch and the high quality of the leather seats is what distinguishes the Accord. But the Mazda 6 is very close to it, but try changing gears and you will hear the sound of cheap plastic in the process of shifting. The Mazda6’s seats are very comfortable, and hollow as well, but the beige color quickly shows signs of dirt. The Mazda6 has a lot of soft-touch materials, but it’s not quite as good as the Honda Accord. In short, choose the Mazda if you want a sporty look and the Accord if you want high quality. The Nissan Altima comes in third place because it does not have a choice of leather seats and the materials are not soft to the touch compared to the Accord.
air conditioning system
Who has the best air conditioning system? Once again it’s the Honda Accord, then the Nissan Altima, then the Mazda 6. Let’s be fair they all have good ACs and they all have AC vents in the back as well. But we had to choose the best and chose the Honda Accord for the strength of the snowy air, even after driving rough on the hot Ramadan days.
Convenience and control features
This is an area where the Mazda6 stands out. It has more convenience features than sardines inside the box. It has cruise control that we haven’t heard of in a 2.5 sedan before. It has shift knobs and they are completely unimportant given the size of the engine. It has some very practical features like rain sensor wipers, automatic headlights, map reader, and even seat heaters that are useless but are there! It has a handle similar to the one in a Jaguar car to control everything we mentioned. It has red leather on the steering wheel and center armrest similar to the one on the Volkswagen GTI. The two cup holders are too small.
In terms of the number of tech and features in a mid-size sedan, Mazda wins.
Interior space
All models have good head and legroom for five people, with acceptable trunk space. So, who has the most trunk space? Honda Accord has the most boot space, then the Altima then the Mazda 6. The Honda Accord also has the best two legroom, then the Altima and then the Mazda 6.
Overall cabin result
After examining the cabin from all sides, it is clear that the Honda Accord has an advantage over its competitors. But not much more than the Mazda 6, although its price is competitive.
Winner: Honda Accord 2.4 2013
Acceleration
Let’s be real, these are mid-size sedans with 2.5 liter engines and we wouldn’t expect much from them in terms of acceleration. As expected, the 2014 Mazda6 is the sportiest of them all, with an acceleration of 0-100 in 10.5 seconds, then the 2013 Nissan Altima in 10.8 seconds, and then the Honda Accord in 11.5 seconds.
control
With 19-inch alloy wheels on the full-featured model, do other cars stand a chance? Once again the Mazda6 wins this round with better handling, stability and cornering, then the Altima and the Accord are very close.
The End Result
With a lower price tag than a Honda Accord, better technology than a Nissan Altima, and a sleeker appearance, our pick is the Mazda 6. It will have strong competition from the 2014 Ford Fusion, the 2014 Malibu and the 2014 Camry when they hit the market.
Mazda has made a lot of improvements, and some say too much for useless additions like seat heating. It did not have the most beautiful cabin, but we were close and the performance was deservedly the best.
So, so far, we think it’s the first in the mid-size sedan segment