Dual personalities
Nice. I am also considering trading in my MS3 for either a S40, 6 or RX8. I know both of those are 3 different cars, but like yourself the family is growing and would like something a little bit more "mature". How is the overall highway acceleration? Does it feel heavy when you get on it?
It a funny dichotomy. The GT V6, Mz6 is a deceptive ride with two distinct personalities. The first personality is comfortable highway cruiser, i.e. it will just lumber along happily at highway speeds forever. It's this aspect of it's personality that I believe tricks people who take it for a spin/short test drive into thinking it lacks any zoom-zoom. I originally felt this way when I drove it a year back. Nice car but a bit soft. I now realize that I wasn't really DRIVING it.
The second aspect of it's split personality comes in when you start using the manu-matic shift and wring the V6 engine's neck a bit. This V6 pulls like a train when it starts to really breath up around 3-4K and then a huge rush of power comes in at over 4K with the sound of a turbine. Admittedly I haven't really beat it up too much since I still have less than 1K on it, but on the highway it's deceptively fast. When you want to pass this thing passes and does it with smooth and confident authority. Unlike the MS3, the 6th gear is a true, gas-saving overdrive gear, so I does require a manual downshift (manumatic), or a stiff stab of the accelerator (non-manumatic) to wake it up. But it's in no way annoying (especially when using the manumatic), in fact I'm finding the faster shifts afforded by the manumatic, much more involivng than the 6speed/clutch in the MS3. Call me crazy. I've since switched out the stadard alloys and tires with steelies and winter tires so I've been keeping the speed down, but it doesn't take much for the car to start poking 90 to 100mph.
I've also found that it's been limbering up a bit over the last few hundred miles. When I first picked it up it seemed to resist sccelerating and didn't like cruising at 80, rather it felt more comfortable at 65. But over the past 4-500 miles the drivetrain appears to be loosening up to the point where 80 is easy to attain and feels incredibly comfortable. For instance, today I was driving on the Mass Pike and without much effort found myself cruising at 80 on my Firestone winterforce snows. I don't like driving much above 70 with snows since they aren't high speed rated, but the car's composure and stability made it feel like I was driving 65.
Then there's how it takes on the twisties. Again coming from a MS3, the 6 isn't as flat a handler or as go-cartish as the MS3. But it's very composed and refined. It does have more body roll, but no less willingness to carve up the curves as my MS3 did. Make no mistake the 6 does have zoom-zoom, it's just a more mature zoom-zoom, the in vein of a well composed German car.
I hate to say it, but I think I like the 6 more than I liked the MS3. While the MS3 was a very fun car, the 6 is in another league with respect to refinement and drivability. I think people have jumped on the "it's larger and not like the last 6 and therfore can't be good" bandwagon without really giving this car the chance.
I really think people have to adjust their perspective with respect to the new 6. Based on my near-Month of ownership I really think the 6 is beyond the Camry and Accord. It's more German than Japanese in it's behavior. It's suspension soaks up bumps, but is also extremely controlled and perfectly damped. The body is also solid and rattle free. Oh and the Bose system in this car is excellent. A huge improvement from the Bose system in my MS3. Bluetooth Audio is fantastic and sounds better than CD.
My kids love it and I no longer have to ask them to stop pushing on my seat. Even with 6'2" 205lb's of me in the front, they have plenty of room in the back. The MS3 was more punishment for them. Maybe if Dad was 5'10" maybe the MS3 would have been more comfortable for them.
It's a very enjoyable drive and a car that I feel proud to own. It's voluptuous shape really draws my attention. At times I feel like I'm driving something exotic. Give it a look from teh rear 3/4's and it reminds me of a Jaguar, another angle a Maserati, and from another angle something unlike any other car out there. I can't wait for the spring so I can throw back on the OE tires/alloys and give it's black ebony paint job a wash, a wax and then take it for a long drive and wring that V6's neck a lot more around some twisties.
BTW, the paint job on this car appears to be excellent. Not sure if Mazda beefed up the clear coat but it even shines up through the salt that currently coats it's skin.
Annoyances:
Seats do need better bolstering for those thinner people among us
Tranny is slow to downshift when not being directed manumatically.
Not a ton of cubbies.
No easily accessible internal release for the rear fold down seats- main release is in trunk.
At my preferred driving position the top of the steering wheel cuts off the upper edge of the speedo. Still playing with driving position to see if I can improve this.
Small glovebox (MS3 as you know is HUGE)
Arguably awkward phone book interface for phone and Bluetooth. There are actually two different phone books, one that can downloaded form your phone and accessed via the head unit and the second whihc needs ot be loaded via voice prompts for BT access. Not sur eif this is due to my iPhone's annoying BT architecture. BTW the iPhone does not support AVRCP protocol for track control, only play pause.
These are relatively minor annoyances in teh grand scheme or things. Overall I'm very happy. And have to do a double-take to realize that the 6 is as inexpensive as it is.
Hope this gives you some insight into the 6. Like I said, I really believe people haven't given it a fair shake. FWIW.
