Overhaulin'

Buying NEW 2009 Mazda 6 in 2011. Comments, suggestions?

It's 2011, and my local Mazda dealership has a 2009 Mazda 6 V6 listed at 28,000 CAD and "new" not used. I have a couple of questions for somebody familiar with this Mazda Model 2009 Mazda 6 V6. 1) how good of a car is this? I like this car, but am concerned about fuel economy, reliability, and buying something that is 2 years old as "new" 2) Specifically, how could a dealership have a 2009 car as "new"? Can I trust this car? Is it going to be reliable? What if it stood outside for a long time? The disc brakes do show a bit of rust, but not wholly rusted out. I am yet to pop the hood, as the keys could not be found at the time (glitch in the system) 3) what questions should I ask he dealership? 4) How would the gas mileage compare with a 2000 Dodge Caravan V6 (not grand caravan) 5) Finally, can somebody who owns this car comment on this particular model? Should I go with any other year's V6 Also, I don't know what options it's got exactly, all I know is that it has a moon roof (open window on top). Any other feedback is welcome. I am in the market for a new car, just started looking. Any other recommendations, specifically maybe an Acura. I am open to used cars, and my budget is between 10,000 dollars and 30,000 dollars. I am looking for a fun to drive reliable car, that has a relatively large cargo space for photography gear, looks presentable, and has a good gas mileage. Since I do landscape photography, it has to withstand Canadian weather on rural roads. Thanks to everyone!

Public Comments

1. 1) The 2009 Mazda 6 V6 is a good car. Average reliability, overall, fuel economy about 23 mpg combined city/highway. Any vehicle that has never been titled is classified as 'new'. 2) For many reasons - It could have been a demo. It could have been that noone bought it during the manufacturer incentives, or a deal fell through back in 2009 when they were being sold new. By the time the 2010's came out, perhaps the incentives were no better for the 09's vs. the 10's, so everyone just took delivery on the newer model year. If doubt the brakes actually have rust on them. It may appear that way after they are wet, but take the vehicle for a test-drive and look at them again. 3) you want to make sure you are getting the full factory warranty from date of delivery. You are also buying a car that is 2+ years old, so they need to account for 2 years of depreciated value when selling you the car. If the MSRP of the vehicle is $28K CAD, then you should be getting this vehicle for well under $20K CAD, even if it is new. If they won't budge off the price, then you know why it's still sitting there. 4) You should average about 5-7mpg better than a V6 Caravan. 5) It's a good car, overall. Whether you should go for another year 6 depends on the deal you are getting. Although this is still a new car, it should be priced more like a used car because of model year depreciation. Other cars worth considering - Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Mazda 3