How are Mazda's new automatics?

Question

If you own a 626 or MX-6 from 2002 backward, you probably know that automatic transmissions were never Mazda's strong suit. They never know when, how, or why to shift, and their downshift-happy antics are a pain in the ass during city driving. My only question is: has this changed? How are the automatics on the new 6 and RX-8? And are all of the units on the 6 actually made by MAZDA now? I remember

94-97 (or is it 94-02?) 626 4-cylinders having Ford automatics that shifted just as badly as Mazda's, except broke a LOT (guess who took the blame?). I drove a 4-cylinder 6 for five minutes and noticed only smooth shifting, but this might be too short a stint. Do they still downshift at the slightest provocation? Etc? Or has Mazda's Achilles Heel at long last been cured?

Jeffrey Kaplan · Accepted Answer

; My only question is: has this changed? How are the automatics on the new 6 and ; RX-8? And are all of the units on the 6 actually made by MAZDA now? I remember ; 94-97 (or is it 94-02?) 626 4-cylinders having Ford automatics that shifted just ; as badly as Mazda's, except broke a LOT (guess who took the blame?).

In the summer of '02, while my manual tranny Protege was in the shop for a large scheduled maintenance thing, they gave me a current model

626 automatic for the day. I thought it was underpowered, but that's the engine, not the tranny. I did not notice, or at this time remember, any problems with the transmission. I've driven cars with worse, and cars with better.

I currently own a Mazda6 with the SportAT. Having owned/driven this car for about 15 months, I have no complaints about it in auto mode. In manual mode, I find that it doesn't self-downshift soon enough in city driving. In auto mode, no problem.

So far as I know, the 6 only has two transmission choices, manual and SportAT. And the SportAT is different from a "normal" automatic. Also so far as I know, Ford does not use a dual mode tranny in any of their own cars.

How are Mazda's new automatics?

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