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The 7000 size reels are much more versatile. You can use 20-30 pound mono on them, or heavier braids, like 50# Spec, 50# Power Pro, and up to 80# Whiplash. With the 6500 size, you can't use any mono heavier than 20#. You can fit a full spool of 65# Whiplash on it, but your spool will be overfilled and harder to control. 50# Whip does better, and you can't fit a full 300 yard spool of Power Pro on it. You also get a larger, more comfortable handle on the 7000.
On paper, the stock 6500 series have faster retrieves than the 7000 series, 5.3:1 as opposed to 4.1:1. However, the effective retrieve on the 7000 size reels might be faster, because the spool is larger in diameter and a cast doesn't empty as much of the spool as it does in the smaller reel.
Then, there's the drag issue. Unless you intend to upgrade to Smoothies, the 6500 Abus have one of the wimpiest drags in the entire reel world. They were designed to handle 12-15 pound lines, and you are hard pressed to hold more than 5# of drag pressure. While the 7000 series drags aren't the greatest, they are still an improvement over the 6500 series stock drags.
You can make a 6500 Mag into a capable reel by adding Smoothies and a power handle, but the 7000 is a better performer right out of the box for the kinds of lines I use and on bigger fish. Once you spend the money upgrading a 6500, you're in the same price league as the 7000.
As far as casting goes, I prefer the 7000 size reels due to the exposed spool bell. With the 6500, you have to rely entirely on the brakes and/or mag to control the cast, or thumb the line itself. The 7000 size allows you to thumb the bell of the spool. That's how I learned, and that's what I'm most comfortable doing. After learning how to cast conventional on a Squidder, my 7000 was a walk in the park.
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