Mazda6 v Subaru Liberty v Honda Accord Euro 2006 comparison
'Near-luxury' was a segment that didn't exist Down Under just a few short years ago. Now it's mid-sized 'near-luxury' cars are the default choice of user-choosers and canny second-hand car buyers across the nation. But which models are the best buysThe Australian new car market has grown more sophisticated in the early years of this century and many buyers have chosen one of the new breed of medium four-cylinder, semi-luxury models rather than a traditional Aussie six.
This trend had gathered momentum even before our recent petrol pricing woes.
When the Mazda6 replaced the dowdy old 626 in 2002, we described it as "a dynamic ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak mid-size market". Within a year it had some competitive new company in the guise of a revised Subaru Liberty, the Honda Accord VTi and its carefully, if confusingly, named sibling, the Accord Euro.
Sales of all four have remained strong ever since and it is difficult to see this market sector returning to the bad old days of the 1990s. Indeed, as petrol prices rise we can expect to see midsize sophisticates accounting for even more sales, mainly at the expense of larger-engined local products.
Some of those original 2003 and 2004 models are now appearing in the used car market, where they offer an outstanding alternative to either a smaller and less luxurious new car (a Corolla or Tiida, say) or an Aussie six of similar age or slightly newer (especially if we're talking Magna, which has been slammed on resale).
Perhaps even more to the point, none of these midsize sophisticates is shamed by the latest versions. So effectively you can buy a three-year old vehicle with perhaps 60,000km on the odometer and enjoy a similar driving and ownership experience to the person who plumps for a brand-new equivalent.
MAZDA6: for more Mazda6 reviews click
No doubt, the Mazda6 helped to change buyer perceptions and was perfectly summed up by the 'Zoom Zoom' advertising theme which the company adopted for the new century. In the search for discerning and often younger buyers, the designers had gone for swoopy looks and great dynamics to accompany the traditional Mazda virtues of economy, refinement and smoothness.
Indeed, a test drive around the block might have surprised a few of Mazda's more conservative customers because the ride was certainly firmer than that of the 626 and the engine perhaps just a touch more audible. The car demanded more driver involvement.
Few though were turned off by the experience. With its quick steering and lively performance, the 6 was clearly superior to its predecessor.
As for the styling, in 2002 it was about the most contemporary looking sedan (or hatchback or wagon) on the road. The interior offered more comfort with a sporty flavour, while the hatch and wagon models included the unique, double-jointed Karakuri folding mechanism to provide a huge, flat load space, with no need even to remove the rear headrests.
And the jewel effect of the tail lights was a visual highlight.
SUBARU LIBERTY: for more Subaru Liberty reviews click
For 2004, the Liberty came with sleek new exterior styling, refined interior and extra performance from its unique 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed 'Boxer' engine (the pistons punching outwards horizontally within a 'flat' cylinder block). The throb of the Subaru's engine was also a joyous reminder of the marque's rally heritage -- quite a feel-good factor for enthusiast owners.
Despite the visual upgrade, to many eyes the Subey still lacked the sleekness of the Mazda and the tailored elegance of the Accord Euro, but it was neat and clean and, especially from the front, distinctively a Subaru product with the prominent six stars grille badge.
Some earlier Subarus, and notably the smaller Impreza, used cheap-looking plastic in the interior, but the 2004 Liberty excelled in this area, with arguably the most attractive cabin in the class. But the real point of distinction was out of sight, under the car, where constant all-wheel drive gave it a dynamic and safety advantage over all rivals. Of course, the Liberty also provided the platform for the popular Outback.
HONDA ACCORD EURO: for more Honda Accord reviews click
This was the Japanese car designed for European tastes -- not just visually but also in driving dynamics. Despite arriving the following year, the Euro did not look quite as rakishly modern as the Mazda6, being slightly narrower and taller, and riding on smaller diameter 16-inch wheels (at least compared with upmarket 6 variants which set the pace with 17s). But the Honda also had a subtlety and formality that its Hiroshima rival could not quite match -- a case of different styling strokes for different folks.
The interior was not the Euro's best feature, being somewhat narrow and, on the Luxury model, let down by heavy-handed faux woodgrain -- blue-grey (presumably in imitation of piano black) with dark leather, brown (ditto walnut) with light leather.
If the Subaru's great advantage was its drivetrain, then the Euro's was its fabulously eager 2.3-litre VTEC engine which delivered 140kW of power to eclipse all immediate rivals. When teamed with the group's only six-speed manual gearbox (standard), this unit gave the Euro a marked performance lead. (Lower overall gearing for the manual car helped here.)
The automatic was a five-speeder (compared with rivals' four-speed units) with sequential mode.
Handling was crisp and the steering feel good (if fractionally slower than the Mazda's), but some found the low-speed ride just a little too firm for this class. On the highway, however, the Euro excelled.
HONDA ACCORD VTi: for more Honda Accord reviews click
Yes, it is confusing. The Accord VTi was launched in Australia just months after its Euro sibling and bore less relation to that car than the name suggested. Both were Accords, but they were as different as, say, a the new Toyota Camry is from an Aurion.
Physically larger, the VTi is built in Thailand and was actually the successor to the previous Accord, while the Japanese-built Euro was an all-new vehicle from Honda, in search of a new market niche.
The VTi used a less highly-tuned version of the Euro's engine to deliver quite strong performance but without the sporting edge. That went for the handling, too. Driven hard through tight corners, the VTi was less willing to turn in and less responsive than the Euro, but the overwhelming majority of customers had no complaint. And the Accord VTi did have a much more comfortable low speed ride. (Note: Honda also offered a V6-engined variant of this car, the Accord V6)
Where the Thai-built Accord outperformed its accomplished sibling was on interior dimensions and boot space. It was getting towards Aussie six size, albeit a little narrower. This was the only car in the group to comfortably seat three adults, or make that three teenagers, in the rear, as long as they were not especially tall or broad.
It was also the least expensive to buy when new and clearly offered the most car and the plushest overall experience for the money.
VERDICT
The driver's choice:
These midsize sophisticates are so much better than the typical four-cylinder car of the mid to late 1990s (Mazda 626, Holden Vectra, Toyota Camry) that the competition between them to be the driver’s choice is close. But the Liberty begins with a huge advantage with its all-wheel drive, a feature of great advantage when the going gets rough or wet, or both.
Steering, suspension and engine are also appealing enough to carry this advantage through, although the gap to the Mazda and the Accord Euro is narrow. When new, the Premium model cost around $4000 more than the Luxury but this gap has now come back to less than $1000. In general, the same applies to the Luxury versions of the Mazda6 and Accord Euro.
The case of the Accord VTi is slightly different because the most luxurious model comes with a V6 engine and here we are only talking fours. Generally speaking, the upmarket variants are the ones to choose.
The sensible choice:
Few people ever begin by saying that money is no object. And most believe size matters… With its combination of a room and a fuel-efficient yet lively four-cylinder engine, along with easily the lowest pricetag when compared with up-spec versions of its rivals, the Accord VTi is the pragmatist’s used car pick.
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