Should I buy MS6???

[4GIVEN]

Heres the deal, I am currently looking to replace my 94' Volvo 850 turbo and dont know what to buy. I have it narrowed down to 4 choices.

1. Audi S4
2. Mazdaspeed 6
3. Volvo S60R
4. Jaguar S-Type R

I used to own a MS Protege and it was a great car and I would really like to buy a MS6 but I'm scared of all the problems I have read about. The cars listed above are about the same price so how does the MS6 hold up against the competiton? The S4 is a great car but hard to work on; the Volvo S60R is a great car but it has AWD problems that cost a boat load and it really isn't very sporty; the Jaguar is a great car but there really not supported by the aftermarket alnd they are expensive to fix. So that leaves the Mazdaspeed6. I really want to buy the MS6 but I need more input. Help me out guys!!

 

[ringolake]

I think a lot of the problems you hear about often times have to due with abuse or a few mods that probably should be avoided. I've only had mine for a few months but it has been great.

 

[kendon]

i put a good bit of thought into getting a volvo too. parts are a lil' more costly, but damn that's a sick ride and very few people have them and even fewer modify them.

just get the 6. you'll love it. cheap to modify too.

jags are ass. u should be ashamed for even considering one unless your british.

 

[4GIVEN]

Thats what I'm thinking too but I'm pretty hard on my cars also, but I take care of them. I dont do burnouts and rev the car to 10k but I dont drive like my grandma either. I just want something thats going to hold up. My Volvo has 206k on it and has never broke down. It even has the original turbo! I hope the next car I have is half as good as my good ole' Volvo.

 

[4GIVEN]

The Jag is 400hp supercharged V8 that gets high 20's mpg, whats not to like! I could care less where its from.

 

[kendon]

jag = crap. i've met people who owned jag's and they all said they were complete ass, figuatively speaking. now, if you're thinking about one of the new jags, THEN u might be good to go. i'd still be a little leery.

 

[4GIVEN]

I think after 02' jag stopped letting ford run everything. But yeah before 02' they were junk especially the x-type.

 

[sephiroth]

which year S4?
B5(99-02)
B6(03-05)
B7(06-08)
The b5 has the most aftermarket support, but is the easiest to modify, the b6 and b7 use the 40v v8 which has been around forever so there's really nothing to go wrong with it.

 

[4GIVEN]

I was thinking of the 00'-02's.

 

[sephiroth]

I was thinking of the 00'-02's.

Well.. being an ower for 8months I could litertally bore you with page after page of information, but to keep it simple I'm just going to list some pro's/cons and let you ask questions later
pros
1) good aftermarket support, none of the 'tinkering' stuff the proteges have (like trunk cage bars and little bitty s***) but there's lots of stuff where it counts, exhausts, intercoolers, forged internals, turbo options, and some newer companies are trying to change that
2)The drivetrain is rock solid, people use stock axles and transmissions on 900+HP cars with 0 problems(except wear and tear from peoples absuse, the 2nd gear syncro will go on absued cars with the 6spd trans)
3) the engine is pretty beast as well, stock internal capabilities are in the 450-500HP range
4) the car is 10years old, so the community is there, and pretty much everything has been done to the car so much of the information is a search away or a quick response to a thread.

Cons
1) s*** will break.. not big s***.. but tiny s*** that will be annoying. Just recently I've replaced: pop-out cupholder, both upstream O2 sensors, spider(breather)hose, valve cover seals, oil pan seal, and my RMS is leaking, all the seals on my trans and rear axel are leaking a tiny bit.. ect ect. Needless to say usualy there will always be some $1-200 part that should or needs to be replaced
2)timming belt is a big thing on these cars, strict rule of waterpump and timming belt every 80K.. being an interference engine it's espically important, but it's also difficult since there are no timming marks on the cam shafts.
3) stock turbos- The Borg warner POS K03's are ticking time-bombs, at some point in your ownership chances are they will blow, and unless you know how to remove the powertrain it's expensive, as in 2-3K for labor expensive.. Currently my driver side one is leaking oil @ 110K. There are some exceptions where people are still running strong @ 170K, but those are far and few between
4)No room to work. Besides spark plugs and oil.. basicly anything to do with the turbos or trans requires a powertrain removal.. The only reason mines out right now is because of a clutch replacement.

 

[4GIVEN]

I've heard the b5 S4 are pretty solid. How does the MS6 hold up? It seems easy enough to work on but how much can the drivetrain handle? I'm not looking to go crazy but hoping to make it faster and handle better.

 

[Super Shredder]

99-02 S4, two k04s are better than one. and they are cheap. 400hp easy as pie with a DV replacement and turbo upgrade, +1 on the borgs going bad for those who drive fast 60k and they can go. roll cage and two k04s, and a turbosmart dual diverter and you will be very happy. make sure its black and has the black/graphite interior package hottest interior in a 4 series

 

[Knox Joe]

Thats what I'm thinking too but I'm pretty hard on my cars also, but I take care of them. I dont do burnouts and rev the car to 10k but I dont drive like my grandma either. I just want something thats going to hold up. My Volvo has 206k on it and has never broke down. It even has the original turbo! I hope the next car I have is half as good as my good ole' Volvo.

I drive my MS6 pretty damn hard, and I have had no problems at 43k miles. Mine is completely stock though.

 

[4GIVEN]

I guess I will just have to drive each one and see which one I like better. I'm just trying to talk myself into the MS6. But keep telling me the good stories about the MS6 because you don't hear the good things, on forums all you hear are the problems. Thanks guys for all the help.

 

[sephiroth]

I guess I will just have to drive each one and see which one I like better. I'm just trying to talk myself into the MS6. But keep telling me the good stories about the MS6 because you don't hear the good things, on forums all you hear are the problems. Thanks guys for all the help.

the important parts on a B5 are solid, if that makes sense. Only problem with the B5 is that once you decide to spend $500 on a chip the mod bug gets you, so testing it stock becomes useless. Ohh yeah, good news... umm.. the MS6 is newer, and it's a smige bit sexier, and I'm going to hell for that one.

Funny thing is I saw a S60R today..

make sure its black and has the black/graphite interior package hottest interior in a 4 series

QFT, have the black interior and silver exterior, works well with the sport package which adds the silver alacantara inserts.

 

[mckernan]

aren't the parts more or less cheaper for the ms6?

*based on no experience*

from what i've heard mazda have lower expense parts than most manufacturs.

 

[zinger002]

lol so your telling me on a mazdaspeed6 forum your hearing about mazdaspeed 6 problems? have you been around the s4 forums alot? just wondering and not trying to be an ass. almost no perfoemance car is perfect. but when you find the car you want to drive day in and day out your just going to need to make the decision for yourself. i think if your looking for a performance car, repair costs and the ODDS (and i say odds becasue you could find a turd or a gem) should not make you stray from the car you really want.

 

[4GIVEN]

Great point zinger!

 

[zinger002]

THANKS!, But if your even thinking of another car to get besides a speed6, make the right choice and get a 335i BMW. yum!

 

[freekwonder]

I love the looks and idea (of course) of the Volvo, but don't trust high mileage volvos. Hear of to many little problems that start adding up.

Same thing with the Jag.

Of the four I would say the S4 or the MS6, As for the B5 S4s, I would still kill to own one, to me still one of the best looking cars on the market. But I wouldn't buy one if I didn't have the 5,000+ to upgrade the stock turbos, or the stock turbos had already been replaced.