MANDEL: This is a fringe car. Its a fun runner with a high-revving engine, thats for sure. The MazdaSpeed 6 is especially a blast slicing through corners. But you absolutely must ask whether $33,300 is worth the slicing.
Its engine revs freely while clutch uptake is abrupt. It is no svelte beast, either: At nearly 3600 pounds it needs every bit of its 274 hp.
I do wonder if the market is not getting to the top of the turbocharged four-cylinder price point with a car like this, regardless of how much fun it is to drive.
FLORADAY: This may be a fringe car, but it sure is fun to drive once you get a feel for the clutch. The MazdaSpeed 6 is a bit on the heavy side, but since its billed as a Grand Touring car I can look past its heft. I was even comfortable after a three-and-a-half-hour drive.
For about the same money as the Honda Accord I recently drove, I could happily live with a MazdaSpeed 6 packing a Bose sound system and all-wheel drive.
MORRISON: Talk about mixed feelings. The MazdaSpeed 6 has a lot going forand againstit. The direct-injection turbo is strong, the brakes are big-time, the shifter feels good and the steering is quick. Clutch takeup is abrupt, ride quality is on the harsh side, steering is vague, and this GT is relatively expensive.
Push this Mazda hard and it gives you a lot of satisfaction. Still, the whole package requires a delicate touch to drive smoothly while extracting maximum performance.
The suspension and body structure trans-mit bumps and vibrations into the cabin and through your body, whichby itselfdoes not turn me off. In this cars case, however, I feel it is due to a lack of refinement rather than a necessity to achieve high performance. I earnestly believe Mazda could improve its comfort without sacrificing any fun.
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