Should I trade the 2006 MS6 for a 2010 MS3

[_MSprotegy]

OK, sophisticated may be a bad word for this thread. Maybe the word should be refined. Because in every description of sophisticated that has been given, refined would fit much better.

you like what you like.

Each vehicle has its up-side, and down-side.

^^^THIS^^^ /thread.

 

[Mi-TMS3]

me fasha is 54 and drives a ms6

"what's a farger?" haha goldmember kicks ass

 

[Mi-TMS3]

btw...keep the 6. the '10 has a goofy smile/moustache and the interior is dizzying

 

[MS3inDC]

to OP

keep the 6. Just think about how nice not having a car note would be! My MS3 is the first car I've ever owned that I actually had to pay a monthly on, and even though my note is only $170/mo, I would love to be back to not paying one at all. All of my other cars were paid for in cash. Just finish paying off the 6, enjoy it as long as you can, save up the cash for something else (nicer) later on...

 

[JamesCH]

Take this for what it's worth: I have a subscription to ConsumerReports.org and I just wanted to share what I learned from it when I was car shopping (ratings are 1-5, 5 being good, 1 being bad).

The 2006 MazdaSpeed6 is on the list of "used cars to avoid" because of below-average reliability overall.

The 2007 MS3 had "average" reliability with bad problems in "Engine Major" and "Fuel System" which were both rated 1

The 2008 MS3 was much improved with every category being 5 except for "Transmission Minor" which rated 4 and "Fuel" which rated 3.

There is no information on the 2009+ MS3 yet, but it seems reasonable to assume that reliability has continually improved.

 

[Sergius64]

- 450 fewer pounds
- 7-10% more power being applied to the ground where it belongs
- A smaller more agile vehicle
- A vehicle with far superior passing power / at speed acceleration
- A vehicle with better accommodations for gear, personal items, etc.
- Maybe AWD is more of a burden where you live

This has nothing to do with being "God's gifts to cars" just simple facts that can potentially serve as very valid reasons for possibly making a change.

I dunno.... if I was going to make a change for the hell of it I would actually get something that's different. 7-10% power to ground difference (unclear if it's actually on the ground as opposed to spinning away on those 2 wheels anyway) isn't enough to be jumping the wagon. I've jumped a wagon once when I sold my Mazda 3 and bought a Mazdaspeed 3. That purchase gave me about 65% more power, while keeping the traits I liked in Mazda3, it's agility and practicality. If the OP wants to gain agility (is MS6 really that much worse?) and practicality (the hatch isn't THAT much more space) he might consider an Sti or something, as at least he'll get significantly more power with that one, making it an actual upgrade.

But hey, it's the OPs money.

 

[batou079]

Financially it makes no real difference. My MS6 was a Mazda VP car with 2000 mileso n it when I bought it so I got a HUGE discount. I paid 18k or a Black Cherry Sport. I just like the look of the new MS3 where as the MS6 blends in with the base 6 more. I drove the two and the MS6 has much higher handling limits in my humble opinion, mostly due to AWD.

Basically, yes. lol sounds like you you realized the handling differences.
lots of opinions in this thread to give you more to think about.

The subtle differences that make the MS6 stand out from the MZ6 crowd is part of what i luve bout this car! The small aspects i think is what help accent the car to make it that much more aggressive but still sleek looking. The higher hood profile, deck spoiler, larger wheels, slight body kit differences.
Power wise, it fits my bill perfectly. Large daily driver i can be comfortable in, but with great handling power, and slight modding enough to track/canyon run with every so often. Plus, i have always been keen on sedans over hatches, of which i also really like, but sedan wins for me 75% of the time.

i wont argue MS3 versus MS6, the dead horse has been beaten too much! cause it all comes down to what your priorities are. gotta weigh many factors like practicality, performance, looks, etc... and determine which are the most important to you. Both are great cars, but obviously different in many ways.

(cheers2)

EDIT:

I dunno.... if I was going to make a change for the hell of it I would actually get something that's different. 7-10% power to ground difference (unclear if it's actually on the ground as opposed to spinning away on those 2 wheels anyway) isn't enough to be jumping the wagon. I've jumped a wagon once when I sold my Mazda 3 and bought a Mazdaspeed 3. That purchase gave me about 65% more power, while keeping the traits I liked in Mazda3, it's agility and practicality. If the OP wants to gain agility (is MS6 really that much worse?) and practicality (the hatch isn't THAT much more space) he might consider an Sti or something, as at least he'll get significantly more power with that one, making it an actual upgrade.

But hey, it's the OPs money.

Wise words, id have to agree since its basically the same power train. Just differnt application via drivetrain.
not really THAT much of a leap.

 

[coyfish]

OK, sophisticated may be a bad word for this thread. Maybe the word should be refined. Because in every description of sophisticated that has been given, refined would fit much better.

And to say that the MS3 it is targeted towards young people is unfair. Maybe in FL you see a younger crowd, but up here, there is no "crowd" at all. Young, old, and everything in between drives speed 3s and regular 3s. Same thing with the 6s around here, there is no target demographic. I could say the same thing that you said about other meets. I went to a Nissan meet last year where there wasn't anyone over 30 in attendance, that doesn't mean that Nissan makes its car for "boy racers". Ok, to me, boy racer is that ugly TRD Celica that came out a while back. The wing on the back of EVOs and STIs is "boy racer". Especially the STIs, that thing isn't even functional. Cobalt SSs are "boy racer". SRT-4s are "boy racer". Sitting next to any of those cars, the MS3 looks like a grocery getter. I still don't see the Speed 3 being "boy racer", but, to each his own. You see your car as "boy racer", I see mine as "sleeper".

I've not been privileged to see the inside of a MS6, I have seen a regular 6. Eh, it being sooo much nicer than the interior of the 3 might be an overstatement. Its nicer, but not like honda to lexus nicer. Besides, I think the interior of my GT is pretty nice. Again, neither of these cars are luxury cars so how much refinement are you really looking for in your interior? Its not an Audi, or Bimmer, or Benz. Its a Mazda.

Like I said though, you like what you like. I drive my MS3 not because I'm some kid who just got his license and wants to race everyone everywhere, but because I got a whole lot of car for my money and liked the styling. Period. If the OP feels that he gets more bang for his buck with the 3, so be it. If the choice were so obvious, I don't think that the OP would have even started the thread. Each vehicle has its up-side, and down-side.

You are taking things too literally and out of context. There are exceptions of course. But you can't argue against the speed 3 being geared towards a younger crowd. Aggressive styling, louder exhaust tone, red toned interior, hood scoop . . . What "hot hatch wild child" isn't. . . especially with a manual gearbox which is a big deterrent for many.

As for the interior. You are right it's no lexus . . . but its quite nice for its price range. Just as I think the speed 3 has a nice interior for its price. You assumed that we are saying the speed 3 interior blows. Not at all. But the speed 6 is superior which is a benefit.

I think refined is a better word than sophisticated as well.

 

[MS3inDC]

But you can't argue against the speed 3 being geared towards a younger crowd.

No, I can argue that its not geared toward a younger crowd. In the same line of thought, does that mean that Vettes are geared toward retirees just because thats who I see driving them? Manual gear boxes and exhaust tone's don't automatically say "young people". Thats not the point. The car is made for auto enthusiasts. Period. I know just as many 30 and 40 somethings that auto-cross on the weekends where cars like the MS3 are the cars that they seek out because of cost of entry and overall ability of the vehicle.

But...

Maybe I'm blurring the lines here. When discussing the MS3, I have been picturing the 1st gen. The 2nd gen does have a lot more aggressive styling and I can see how it would fit right in with the cars I mentioned in a previous post. But at the same time, I think the 2nd gen MS3 looks more like a Toyota Matrix than a Mazda 3. But, thats my opinion

 

[coyfish]

No, I can argue that its not geared toward a younger crowd. In the same line of thought, does that mean that Vettes are geared toward retirees just because thats who I see driving them? Manual gear boxes and exhaust tone's don't automatically say "young people". Thats not the point. The car is made for auto enthusiasts. Period. I know just as many 30 and 40 somethings that auto-cross on the weekends where cars like the MS3 are the cars that they seek out because of cost of entry and overall ability of the vehicle.

But...

Maybe I'm blurring the lines here. When discussing the MS3, I have been picturing the 1st gen. The 2nd gen does have a lot more aggressive styling and I can see how it would fit right in with the cars I mentioned in a previous post. But at the same time, I think the 2nd gen MS3 looks more like a Toyota Matrix than a Mazda 3. But, thats my opinion

That wasn't my line of thought. Cheap, fwd, manual, sporty hatches with flare simply aren't the typical characteristics older folks look for. The statistics only solidify my point. That doesn't change the fact that its a great car.

 

[mrcardio79]

I dunno.... if I was going to make a change for the hell of it I would actually get something that's different. 7-10% power to ground difference (unclear if it's actually on the ground as opposed to spinning away on those 2 wheels anyway) isn't enough to be jumping the wagon. I've jumped a wagon once when I sold my Mazda 3 and bought a Mazdaspeed 3. That purchase gave me about 65% more power, while keeping the traits I liked in Mazda3, it's agility and practicality. If the OP wants to gain agility (is MS6 really that much worse?) and practicality (the hatch isn't THAT much more space) he might consider an Sti or something, as at least he'll get significantly more power with that one, making it an actual upgrade.

But hey, it's the OPs money.

Yes the MS3 puts down significantly more power to the wheels. It's fairly common knowledge that FWD is A LOT more efficient at actually getting the power to the ground. An MS3 will put down around 225-230whp on average where as the MS6 will put down around ~ 205- 210whp.

So what we have here is a vehicle (MS3) that puts down about +20WHP more to the wheels and is ~ 450lbs lighter than the other vehicle (MS6). Another way to look at this is that for every 100lbs loss there is a gain of roughly 10hp! When you do the math it’s pretty easy to understand why the MS3 is significantly quicker at speed (when it matters most).

If you’re into drag racing more so than daily driving of course front wheel drive is horrendous. But in any case you could always put on a pair of slicks / drag radials for that occasion. And really, the only times 2nd gear isn’t useful out on the street is when you’re launching from a stop, have worn crappy tires, don't understand the concept of "throttle modulation", it’s raining (in which case why you’d be trying to race anyway?).

When starting a race in gear from 2nd gear up traction isn’t that huge of an issue taken you have good tires and understand the concept of “throttle modulation”. 1st Gear is pretty much useless regardless; it’s really just there to help ease into 2nd better at around 10-15mph. Oh and as far as the “STI” being significantly more powerful; it’s only quicker than an MS3 in a “drag race”.

I don’t “drag race” my way around town so that type of speed is of no relevance to me.

 

[coyfish]

Yes the MS3 puts down significantly more power to the wheels. It's fairly common knowledge that FWD is A LOT more efficient at actually getting the power to the ground. An MS3 will put down around 225-230whp on average where as the MS6 will put down around ~ 205- 210whp.

So what we have here is a vehicle (MS3) that puts down about +20WHP more to the wheels and is ~ 450lbs lighter than the other vehicle (MS6). Another way to look at this is that for every 100lbs loss there is a gain of roughly 10hp! When you do the math its pretty easy to understand why the MS3 is significantly quicker at speed (when it matters most).

If youre into drag racing more so than daily driving of course front wheel drive is horrendous. But in any case you could always put on a pair of slicks / drag radials for that occasion. And really, the only times 2nd gear isnt useful out on the street is when youre launching from a stop, have worn crappy tires, don't understand the concept of "throttle modulation", its raining (in which case why youd be trying to race anyway?).

When starting a race in gear from 2nd gear up traction isnt that huge of an issue taken you have good tires and understand the concept of throttle modulation. 1st Gear is pretty much useless regardless; its really just there to help ease into 2nd better at around 10-15mph. Oh and as far as the STI being significantly more powerful; its only quicker than an MS3 in a drag race.

I dont drag race my way around town so that type of speed is of no relevance to me.

Where are you getting this info? Dyno results give all sorts of #'s. But in general similar mods on both msp6 / 3's are the same. Especially since the speed 6 has 10 more hp to begin with. Stock for stock #'s if anything are in the 6's favor. Just look at youtube videos of stock cars.

 

[AlwaysDriven]

You all are making such a big deal out of this. Good grief. If it makes sense for you from a financial standpoint, I would say go for it. I don't like the hood scoop myself, but if that does it for you then why not?

I've never driven a speed6, but I love my speed3.

 

[mrcardio79]

Where are you getting this info? Dyno results give all sorts of #'s. But in general similar mods on both msp6 / 3's are the same. Especially since the speed 6 has 10 more hp to begin with. Stock for stock #'s if anything are in the 6's favor. Just look at youtube videos of stock cars.

For one it's just 7hp (263 / 270) the 274 figure was a result of SAE correction so its totally moot and I did factor that in! Hell even if I add 5-10hp to the MS6 it would still be significantly behind the MS3.

YouTube videos? LMFAO!!!!!!!!! Yeah different DYNO’S don’t read differently and different types of conditions don’t have any effect, etc. GIVE ME A BREAK man!

I don't have to look at some random "YouTube" videos to know what I'm talking about.

You apparently DO NOT understand that AWD sucks away A LOT of power via the driver train. FWD is most efficent. We're talking about the SAME damn 2.3l DISI Turbo 4cyl here for crying out loud!

If you use common sense and do the simple math it's extremely easy to see that the MS3 puts down more power at ~ 20WHP (conservative) and weighs ~ 450lbs LESS.

Yes, that is in fact a SIGNIFICANT advantage which is realized when you line both (MS3/ MS6) up at say 20-30mph and go WOT and watch MS3 tail lights get smaller and smaller from a distance.

Yes rather are not you like to be quicker "at speed" is a personal preference but who the hell doesn't like to get from 30-80mph quick and so on? Speed from a standing stop is rarely used in every day driving or even in most types of racing for that matter!

 

[Tungsten6]

But the thing is why would you trade in a car with the same motor to get another car with the same motor. it would just be cheaper to mod the 6.

450lbs big deal he isnt building a damn race car just a DD.

 

[Sergius64]

You apparently DO NOT understand that AWD sucks away A LOT of power via the driver train. FWD is most efficent. We're talking about the SAME damn 2.3l DISI Turbo 4cyl here for crying out loud!

You must be the first poster I've seen who's promoting FWD over AWD this adamantly... Yes FWD is more efficient, but AWD has many handling advantages and no torque steer. It's traditionally viewed as a better racing drive-train. The faster acceleration while driving at 20/30 mph vs faster acceleration from a dig thing is more of a trade-off as opposed to an advantage. If people finally figure out how to get more power from these engines safely the MS6s are going to be able to use that power, while the MS3s will be wheel spinning and jerking everywhichway cause of the torque steer.

There are better cars out there if you care about power to wheels/lightness of the car so much. MS3's advantage is in its price/performance ratio, and that advantage is nullified if you're swapping a very similar car for it as you're not really gaining any performance advantage for all the money you're throwing at it.

Anyway, why are you so sure that the OP is into lining up cars and racing them at WOT on the streets? I don't see that going on in my everyday driving, so to me that's not something I would automatically assume the OP would care about.

 

[coyfish]

For one it's just 7hp (263 / 270) the 274 figure was a result of SAE correction so its totally moot and I did factor that in! Hell even if I add 5-10hp to the MS6 it would still be significantly behind the MS3.

YouTube videos? LMFAO!!!!!!!!! Yeah different DYNOS dont read differently and different types of conditions dont have any effect, etc. GIVE ME A BREAK man!

I don't have to look at some random "YouTube" videos to know what I'm talking about.

You apparently DO NOT understand that AWD sucks away A LOT of power via the driver train. FWD is most efficent. We're talking about the SAME damn 2.3l DISI Turbo 4cyl here for crying out loud!

If you use common sense and do the simple math it's extremely easy to see that the MS3 puts down more power at ~ 20WHP (conservative) and weighs ~ 450lbs LESS.

Yes, that is in fact a SIGNIFICANT advantage which is realized when you line both (MS3/ MS6) up at say 20-30mph and go WOT and watch MS3 tail lights get smaller and smaller from a distance.

Yes rather are not you like to be quicker "at speed" is a personal preference but who the hell doesn't like to get from 30-80mph quick and so on? Speed from a standing stop is rarely used in every day driving or even in most types of racing for that matter!

Dude I don't street race nor am I talking about which is faster from a roll. I don't drive fast when im commuting. There is no need. How old are you?? You have made clear what matters to you but let it go. Speed isn't that important to me and the 3/6 both offer all the power you need for DD conditions. I know the 3 is lighter, how many times are you going to say that? I also know about drivetrain loss. My point is you are greatly overestimating the impact that it has. When you are over 350whp then it might matter.

You say there is a 20whp advantage stock for stock . . . No way man. I know every dyno reads differently but compare similarly modded 3/6's and see how close the #'s are. If you were right than 3's would be consistantly higher which is not true at all. Have you been to a mazda dyno day? That will answer your doubts.