New to the Forum, looking for advice on an MS6

J

Jbrew33

Member
Hello I'm new to the forum and plan on buying a Mazdaspeed 6 in the very near future. I've done a lot of searching and checked the sticky threads and didn't really find what I was looking for.

As I said, I'm planning on buying an MS6. Can anyone give me advice on what problem areas I should look for? I've heard about some concern about the rear differential mount but not much else. Are there any other problem areas or areas I should pay particular attention to when looking at a car. Were there any real issues with the 2006 models and were the problems remedied on the 2007? I read about a power loss issue in the 2006's but it seemed to be taken care of by Mazda.

I currently own a last generation, heavily modified, Honda Prelude but I need a 4 door now and I'm getting to old to be driving my Lude to work etc!

Any advice would certainly be appreciated. Thanks
 
Welcome to M247!!! glad to see you will be getting an MS6!! its a well rounded car with a bit of all aspects rolled into one. some luxery, some performance, and looks sexy.

As for problems, the most common initially were smoking turbos and rear diff mounts.
Some were faulty turbos, but were factory replaced as soon as it was discovered.
A rare few get smoking turbos due to seals going bad, often accelerated by catless downpipes or simply lack of proper care (oil changes, hard driving everyday, etc).
The rear diff mount has had a few cases where the bolts sheared off due to people launching hard. This can be solved with either an upgraded diff mount and/or new "beefier" diff bolts.

There was a clutch TSB also, purely due to customer complaints about difficulty of use, not failure or malfunction, the clutch is admittedly pretty stiff... other such TSBs are minor, like seat clicking (very slightly loose on the brackets), interior squeaks/clicks, etc.

In total, it really doesnt have HUGE factory problems. The powerloss issue for the 2006 i am not sure about, never heard about that... however i am fairly sure the 2007 is actually de-tuned just a tiny bit, only like 5+ hp less than 2006 for some reason.

anyway GL, and i hope you get a great condition MS6!
 
batou079 said:
Welcome to M247!!! glad to see you will be getting an MS6!! its a well rounded car with a bit of all aspects rolled into one. some luxery, some performance, and looks sexy.

As for problems, the most common initially were smoking turbos and rear diff mounts.
Some were faulty turbos, but were factory replaced as soon as it was discovered.
A rare few get smoking turbos due to seals going bad, often accelerated by catless downpipes or simply lack of proper care (oil changes, hard driving everyday, etc).
The rear diff mount has had a few cases where the bolts sheared off due to people launching hard. This can be solved with either an upgraded diff mount and/or new "beefier" diff bolts.

There was a clutch TSB also, purely due to customer complaints about difficulty of use, not failure or malfunction, the clutch is admittedly pretty stiff... other such TSBs are minor, like seat clicking (very slightly loose on the brackets), interior squeaks/clicks, etc.

In total, it really doesnt have HUGE factory problems. The powerloss issue for the 2006 i am not sure about, never heard about that... however i am fairly sure the 2007 is actually de-tuned just a tiny bit, only like 5+ hp less than 2006 for some reason.

anyway GL, and i hope you get a great condition MS6!
Click to expand...

Great! Thanks for the reply. I'm really excited to get one, just doing my due diligence. I've driven a couple and I agree that the clutch was stiff but I don't mind that at all. I'm trying to find a Black or Black Cherry Mica Grand Touring. I have a couple of prospects but I'm being picky. Thanks for the welcome!
 
awesome! due dilligence and research is the way to go, as well as being picky with your purchase.

You are 100% on the right path, which about 75% of car buyers these days dont do!!
If you have any further questions ask away!
 
i love my 06, i have had no problems yet. my only gripe would be the clutch on the 06. i got used to it quickly and it is no longer an issue. i would highly suggest getting the mazdaspeed cai. it makes a big difference. i am not sure where you are located, but if you live in a snow climate you are in for a real treat! i ran blizzaks last year and i could not get stuck no matter how hard i tried.
 
Jbrew33 said:
Great! Thanks for the reply. I'm really excited to get one, just doing my due diligence. I've driven a couple and I agree that the clutch was stiff but I don't mind that at all. I'm trying to find a Black or Black Cherry Mica Grand Touring. I have a couple of prospects but I'm being picky. Thanks for the welcome!
Click to expand...

Black Cherry Mica FTW!
 
i was just in the same boat! i just got my speed6 a little over a month ago and i was doing the same thing you are. the rear diff thing is really only an issue if you're going to drive like an asshole 24/7. if you only drive like an asshole sometimes (like me) then you should be okay. i still plan on getting one later in case i go full asshole hahaha. hold out for the gt package man because the inside is gorgeous and having bose is a definite plus! welcome to the forums.


oh and i agree...VELOCITY "ARREST ME" RED MICA FTW!!!
 
The only difference in sport vs gt are

leather interior
and MAYBE stock HIDS (i think they both cam with them)

also for the sports, they didnt get a sunroof option
 
theres also a navigation option for either model too. i think the leather seats are heated too. i have a sport so i'm a little unsure.

mines is black mica and i love the color but the paint is just terrible. its chips sooooo easy, its ridiculous. maybe mine is the exception but i've seen others on here agree that the black mica paint sucks. my hood and bumper are just riddled with nicks and chips. i dont drive on peoples bumpers either and never had this problem with any of my previous cars.
 
Yes, leather has heater seats standard.

as for paint, haven't had any chipping issues with the Velocity Red.
 
You will most likely have an issue when trying to shift quickly... particularly with the 1-2 throw. I hated it and griped about it, and then someone on the forums told me to get a short throw shifter. I went w/ the stage 2 sts w/ aluminum base bushings, and changed my tranny fluid and gear oil to Redline fluids, and the car shifts like a dream. That was a few hundred bucks, but you can try the aluminum base bushings first by themselves for like $45 or something. I'd recommend the Redline fluids along with it, and I think it was like $80 for the fluids iirc. GL
 
GT differences were:
- dual heated front seats
- Leather Seats
- Leather Door Trim
- Advanced Keyless Entry and Start System
- 8-way Power Driver's Seat /w manual lumbar support

- Navigation (option to both)
- dimming rearview option (option to both)
- Power Moonroof option (option only MS6)
 
I have had my ups and downs with the speed 6 but overall i think its a great value. Its all wheel drive, its plenty big for a family, decent gas mileage, aftermarket is growing...

If I could recommend just one aftermarket piece it would be the Cobb AP. the throttle flash is a big deal to me. I love all the data logging, ATR, and i cannot stand the stock ECU closing the throttle at 5500rpms. i got mine for $540 off ebay brand new. (ebay bucks and bing cash back)
 
hate to say it but, NO, the market is NOT growing for our cars.
Sadly it is in fact slowly dying already. RPM discontinued a couple diff MS6 parts, Street Unit has also recently stopped production of several MS6 parts.

MS3 market is still relatively healthy, so we still ahve access to a descent amount of performance parts, but car specific parts? we will be losing those bit by bit from now on. :(
 
Update. I bought a 2006 Liquid Platinum Metallic Grand Touring MS6 w/Nav this weekend. So far I absolutely love it!

Planning on getting a shark fin antenna and window tint intially.

Thanks for the warm welcome and I look forward to spending some more time on Mazda247. JB
 
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