Honda Cars : Edmunds Comparison Test; Honda Accord VS New Mazda 6 VS Nissan Altima | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Comparison Test: 2009 Mazda 6 vs. 2008 Honda Accord vs. 2008 Nissan Altima
1st Place: 2009 Mazda 6 - For 2009 Mazda takes the styling up a notch, dials out some harshness and dethrones the benchmark Honda Accord.
2nd Place: 2008 Honda Accord - Providing exactly what's expected but nothing more, the Accord will still supply miles of performance.
3rd Place: 2008 Nissan Altima - Widely considered the sportiest front-drive family sedan, the slick Altima comes up short this time around.

Finding the Sweet Spot in Family Sedans
By Chris Walton, Chief Road Test EditorDate posted: 09-07-2008

Our recent test of the 2009 Mazda 6 s Grand Touring showed us that Mazda can still offer sporting dynamics in its all-new family sedan, even while providing more room, more features and more power. We were concerned that the sporting spirit of the last-generation, fun-but-snug Mazda 6 might have been lost in the search for commercial success, but we came away believing this new car still has that zoom-zoom thing.

Like Mazda, we believe a family sedan can be lively as well as practical. So to gauge the way in which the 2009 Mazda 6 fits into the new world of family sedans, we figured a comparison is in order. A 2009 Mazda 6 s Grand Touring would be our starting point.

Then we enlisted the 2008 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE with its continuously variable automatic transmission. It's the car that most people consider to be the sportiest in this category, matched with a transmission that shatters all expectations about CVTs. (We know this car is available with a manual transmission, but we also know the CVT is a better choice. Trust us.)

The all-new 2008 Honda Accord is the standard of the category, the winner of our last comparison test of family sedans. A 2008 Honda Accord EX-L Navi matched up nicely. Hailed for its value, refinement and excellent quality, the well-mannered Accord would challenge the Mazda's practical abilities.

And so we began our family sedan comparison test, and we're wondering how far the Mazda 6's fun-o-meter has swung away from "I could use a Red Bull" toward "My adrenal gland is sore and I need to grow up."

For the rest of the article;
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=131667?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*#2