Most dissapointing...the MS6! (Long)

[Rainman]

The MS6 is not quite the pig that many of you make her out to be. Consider for example this:

2006 Audi A4 Quattro
3748 lbs curb weight
3.2L V6 6 spd auto
HP 255@6500
TQ 243@3250
14.7 lbs/HP

2006 BMW 330xi
3L V6 6 spd manual
3627 lbs curb weight
HP 255@6600
TQ 220@2750
14.2 lbs/HP

2006 Subaru Legacy GT
2.5L TH4 5 spd manual
3365 lbs curb weight manual/3565 lbs curb weight auto
HP 250@6000
TQ 250@3600
13.5 lbs/HP

2006 Volvo S40 T5 AWD
2.4L I5 6 spd manual
3447 lbs curb weight
HP 218@5000
TQ 236@1500
15.8 lbs/HP

2006 Acura TSX
2.4L I4 6 spd manual
3318 lbs curb weight
HP 200@6000
TQ 166@4500
16.59 lbs/HP

2006 MS6
2.3L TI4 6 spd manual
3589 lbs curb weight
HP 274@5500
TQ 280@3000
13.1 lbs/HP

These figures are freely available on the net. So, you see, for such a porker the smallest dispacement engine of the bunch doesn't really have it all that bad when it comes down to it.

In comparison:

2006 WRX STi
3262 lbs curb weight
2.5L TH4 6 spd manual
HP 300@6000
TQ 300@4000
10.9 lbs/HP

2006 Evo IX (not MR)
2L TI4 5 spd manual (MR = 6 spd)
3285 lbs curb weight
HP 286@6500
TQ 289@3500
11.5 lbs/HP

So NO, the MS6 is NOT a street-legal race car. However, of all the cars against which it is compared (all AWD except for the FWD TSX) it carries its portly ass just fine, so much so that it carries less weight per HP than do any of its competitors.

R

 

[genericuser]

nice research and comparison R

 

[Replica]

Good god, the MS6 weighs 3,600 pounds. That Audi is a fat pig though.

 

[J dragon]

Damn!! the WRX is King ^_^!!!

 

[Antoine]

Good god, the MS6 weighs 3,600 pounds. That Audi is a fat pig though.

Yeah but you could always shed weight...That's always a fun challenge

 

[Da 6]

You could but that means getting rid of the plush you paid for. If you wanted to build a race car for cheap...6 in general isn't what you want. the original intent wasn't to kill WRX and STi. It was to be compedative with the Legacy. Comparing the speed 6 with the STi and EVO is like pairing a 6s against the civic Si. As for the mustang comment...Once you leave 5.0 and go 4.6 the mods tend to cost alot.

as for the original poster...have you driven one yet? Also after asking around nobody recalls seeing an accord there.

 

[Newf]

The MS6 is not quite the pig that many of you make her out to be. Consider for example this:

2006 Audi A4 Quattro
3748 lbs curb weight
3.2L V6 6 spd auto
HP 255@6500
TQ 243@3250
14.7 lbs/HP

2006 BMW 330xi
3L V6 6 spd manual
3627 lbs curb weight
HP 255@6600
TQ 220@2750
14.2 lbs/HP

2006 Subaru Legacy GT
2.5L TH4 5 spd manual
3365 lbs curb weight manual/3565 lbs curb weight auto
HP 250@6000
TQ 250@3600
13.5 lbs/HP

2006 Volvo S40 T5 AWD
2.4L I5 6 spd manual
3447 lbs curb weight
HP 218@5000
TQ 236@1500
15.8 lbs/HP

2006 Acura TSX
2.4L I4 6 spd manual
3318 lbs curb weight
HP 200@6000
TQ 166@4500
16.59 lbs/HP

2006 MS6
2.3L TI4 6 spd manual
3589 lbs curb weight
HP 274@5500
TQ 280@3000
13.1 lbs/HP

These figures are freely available on the net. So, you see, for such a porker the smallest dispacement engine of the bunch doesn't really have it all that bad when it comes down to it.

In comparison:

2006 WRX STi
3262 lbs curb weight
2.5L TH4 6 spd manual
HP 300@6000
TQ 300@4000
10.9 lbs/HP

2006 Evo IX (not MR)
2L TI4 5 spd manual (MR = 6 spd)
3285 lbs curb weight
HP 286@6500
TQ 289@3500
11.5 lbs/HP

So NO, the MS6 is NOT a street-legal race car. However, of all the cars against which it is compared (all AWD except for the FWD TSX) it carries its portly ass just fine, so much so that it carries less weight per HP than do any of its competitors.

R

good job, I was waiting for someone to do this. I was too lazy. Everytime I heard someone say they weren't buying the car because it was a pig, I could help but say wtf? 0-60 in 5.4 seconds sounds like quite a fast pig to me. Sure it isn't going to be as nimble as a STI, MSP, EVO etc, but if your looking for that kind of car, then your looking at the WRONG ONE with the MS6 anyways.

 

[Killer]

Interesting to read a "less than favorable" opinion...I would suggest two things:

Test drive one and check out the thread below if you haven't already!

Mazdaspeed6 vs Acura TSX impressions

With all due respect why would you compare a naturally asperated fwd car to an AWD Turbo car? Seems like apples to oranges to me. (dunno)

 

[chuyler1]

I wish I was middleaged with two kids. Then this car might be more appealing. As it is, it feels too luxury to have the Mazdaspeed logo on it yet the interior is too plain to be luxury (the two-tone leather helps but that adds $2K to the price). I see how it is on-par with the competition but I don't know...it just needs more.

 

[Rainman]

good job, I was waiting for someone to do this. I was too lazy. Everytime I heard someone say they weren't buying the car because it was a pig, I could help but say wtf? 0-60 in 5.4 seconds sounds like quite a fast pig to me. Sure it isn't going to be as nimble as a STI, MSP, EVO etc, but if your looking for that kind of car, then your looking at the WRONG ONE with the MS6 anyways.

Amen brother. If the MS6 is a pig because it tips the scales at 3589 lbs I'll drive her prodigious portly ass (drive2) to a 5.4 sec 0-60 romp past the competition oinking loudly all the way.

R (hitit2)

 

[nvmsp]

You should find a stock Evo or STi to race Rainman. Best way to see what it's working with.

 

[Newf]

I wish I was middleaged with two kids. Then this car might be more appealing. As it is, it feels too luxury to have the Mazdaspeed logo on it yet the interior is too plain to be luxury (the two-tone leather helps but that adds $2K to the price). I see how it is on-par with the competition but I don't know...it just needs more.

In a way I do kind of agree with you. for 40k canadian I want more as well. I want better ground effects, two tone leather does nothing for me, and I'd rather see less shiney black plastic, and a touch of silver or color of something, and a more solid shifter, better wheels, and better looking fog lights ( the MPS was nice ) and an 1" drop, and REAL dual mufflers and a good stereo that doesn't have BOSE written on it.

Now, with that said, what other car are going for this price with awd/274hp?

 

[chuyler1]

With some work, most of those points can be taken care of.

But is that what you want to do after you pay $30K (40K ca) for a car? Do you want to drop $500 into the suspension, $1500 into the wheels, and another $200 in interior amenities and other accessories after you've paid $30K? Probably not.

People paying that kind of money want the complete package.

For me, it boils down to the zoom-zoom. Sure the numbers add up compared to its target competition and it is priced right comparitively...buuuuuut...the car just wasn't super fun to drive. The clutch was awkward, the shifter was choppy, and it rode like a stiff Camry. That, to me, is not mazdaspeed.

It deserves praise...but not the mazdaspeed namesake. Am I wrong for expecting something that handle and perform like the MSP or MSM?

 

[Kansei]

I think you're right. Don't get me wrong, it's a great car (and looks amazing in person) but it doesn't seem like a "mazdaspeed" to me. Yeah, the numbers don't add up on the MSP and plenty of people on here are very dissatisfied with theirs, but I'm sure it's a damn fun car to drive and handles like a dream (I say this from the standpoint of a P5 owner, I've never even been in a MSP). The MS6 better have suspension stiff enough to make old people complain, and then it gets my approval

I'd drive one

With some work, most of those points can be taken care of.

But is that what you want to do after you pay $30K (40K ca) for a car? Do you want to drop $500 into the suspension, $1500 into the wheels, and another $200 in interior amenities and other accessories after you've paid $30K? Probably not.

People paying that kind of money want the complete package.

For me, it boils down to the zoom-zoom. Sure the numbers add up compared to its target competition and it is priced right comparitively...buuuuuut...the car just wasn't super fun to drive. The clutch was awkward, the shifter was choppy, and it rode like a stiff Camry. That, to me, is not mazdaspeed.

It deserves praise...but not the mazdaspeed namesake. Am I wrong for expecting something that handle and perform like the MSP or MSM?

 

[Brian MP5T]

Mazda is good at ******* themselves over

 

[Rainman]

You should find a stock Evo or STi to race Rainman. Best way to see what it's working with.

Couple of STis around town, but NO Evos here in Canada. At least not street legal ones (one exception out west, but the other two in the country are for R&D only). I'm sure i'll have a few interested parties come summer cruise time...LOL!

R

 

[Rainman]

With some work, most of those points can be taken care of.

But is that what you want to do after you pay $30K (40K ca) for a car? Do you want to drop $500 into the suspension, $1500 into the wheels, and another $200 in interior amenities and other accessories after you've paid $30K? Probably not.

People paying that kind of money want the complete package.

For me, it boils down to the zoom-zoom. Sure the numbers add up compared to its target competition and it is priced right comparitively...buuuuuut...the car just wasn't super fun to drive. The clutch was awkward, the shifter was choppy, and it rode like a stiff Camry. That, to me, is not mazdaspeed.

It deserves praise...but not the mazdaspeed namesake. Am I wrong for expecting something that handle and perform like the MSP or MSM?

A well appointed Audi A4 starts at $45K here in Ottawa. For the $5K difference in price tag I can add on anything that people think may be lacking.

The reality of the situation is that most cars are being released with increased retail prices. $40K does not get you what it used to get you in previous years. That being said, of all the cars listed in my earlier post (most of which I test drove, exception = TSX and the Evo) I am very satisfied with my purchase. Yes there are a few quirks, but I will live with those knowing that I have a unique ride that I am going to have fun driving. People who know cars will recognize it for what it is, cops and those who don't won't.

For me the ultimate testament comes from the mouthes of drivers of the other marques. A colleague at work who recently totaled his 328 on ice took a ride in the MS6 when we went to lunch a few weeks ago. After one ride, he immediately went out and priced out a MS6 GT the following day. Another colleauge who drives a G35 with the Brembo Sport package is looking for a 2nd ride now that his wife is pregnant. He knew that I had ordered an MS6 a while ago. After talking with him about my new ride, he went out and test drove an MS6. He now has one on order as well.

This thing ain't everything to all people. But, the car is definitely a blast to drive and you certainly are not getting short-changed considering what you get for the money. Could it be better? Probably. But I could probably poke holes in any car in the same price range if I ooked hard enough. For a first salvo across the bow of the European performance marques I think Mazda did a pretty good job and I am sure that Audi or BMW are not just blowing off the MS6.

R

 

[Newf]

if I had the money right now, the damn thing would be mine.. But I got a $15, 000 theater and renovations to pay for first

I like it. It fits me perfect at this point in my life. I love the my speed although it's noises are driving me nuts. But I want something that is heavier, AWD, more room, and more power never hurt anyone.

Wait a minute, I said heavier. Why? Winter that is why. I've had the Mazdaspeed and the MP3 with two different sets of winters on them and I find the damn things to light in the winter. The back end can come around so easily, . While I personally enjoy this the woman does not, and the front isn't heavy enough to get the power to the pavement in slushy s***. The AWD would also help me with the winter....duh. And the fact that the car is higher then the speed makes it more driveable in the winter because I do get some deep snow sometimes. then again if we have another winter like this one, I won't need to worry because there ain't much snow at all gotta love global warming.

 

[Kansei]

gotta love global warming.

Agreed 100%!

*has summer wheels and tires on car right now*

 

[chuyler1]

Agreed 100%!

*has summer wheels and tires on car right now*

ditto. I'd rather it get cold and stay cold. Melting snow / slush / salty puddles makes my car look gross.