Mazda 6 Problems

E10 FUEL usually has a higher octane rating than fuel without ethanol, and the E10 on the market has a minimum octane rating of 94 RON, which is suitable for your car. You can use regular unleaded, which has an octane rating of 91, but you will lose performance and your fuel consumption will increase. There is no affect on warranty.

USE 91 octane when you need to, the Mazda won't suffer any damage, but you might notice a difference in performance and fuel economy.

FIRST you should read your insurance policy to see exactly what you are entitled to. The insurance company must return the car to the condition it was in before the crash, and that was virtually new condition. You can't second-guess the quality of the work that will be done, so you either have to let the repairs go ahead, then address anything that isn't up to your standard. Perhaps you could negotiate to buy the damaged car and have it repaired by a repairer of your choosing.

ANY new model will be more expensive than the last. That's the way it works. As for reliability and maintenance, I think they are very similar. The Mazda is a well-built car, as is the Camry, and both drive well. I would go for the Mazda6 over the Camry for a better driving experience.

IT DOESN'T make sense for the oil level to fluctuate if you haven't started the engine or moved the car. Perhaps you are somehow pushing the dipstick further down when you recheck the level. If you're worried about it I would have the oil drained from the engine and replaced by the correct amount of new oil as specified by Mazda, then see what level is shown on the dipstick. Remember to account for the oil in the filter when you do it.

I WOULDN'T buy the BA Falcon with the dedicated LPG system. It's old LPG technology and suffers stalling, stumbling, surging and lack of performance unless it's well maintained. A better alternative is to buy a regular BA wagon and have it converted to dual fuel using one of the latest gas-injection systems that have no drive-ability problems. I get too many complaints about the Falcon to recommend it. The VZ wagon was available with a dual-fuel LPG system developed by IMPCO and using a gas-injection system. That is a good way to go, but I wouldn't recommend buying a VZ wagon and having it converted, because there are said to be problems with the regular Alloytec engine when running on LPG. The Mazda6 is a good car with a good reputation for reliability, as is the Corolla, and I'd be happy to buy either.

ALL wind noise is aerodynamic and can come from many sources. It's the result of air being disturbed as it flows over the car. Wing mirrors are a common cause and nothing can be done about it, unless they are damaged and the damage is causing the problem.

BUY the RX8. Rotary engines are typically heavier on fuel than a four-cylinder engine, and your V8 comparison is probably correct. They have also been a little heavier on oil than a piston engine, but that's not a problem. The RX8 is a high-performance sports car and needs oils that protect it against hard driving.

IT MAY be that there was a batch of problem discs fitted in production because the problem does seem to be widespread. And fitting new discs at such low mileage is unacceptable, if that is the norm with the Mazda 6.