Would you buy a Mazdaspeed6 again?
- Thread starter Carraway
- Start date
OJ Bartley
Member
I would probably buy it again, because as is being discussed in the "what do I get after" thread, there really isn't anything closely comparable (except the Legacy GT which I don't like as much). AWD, 4 doors, turbo, good looks, great interior, and a reasonable price. I'd do it again.
Thanks. I'm just asking because I'm considering one. (Although I'd likely jump at the chance to work for Mazda).
I have been checking around this forum and some others to get an idea how living with the cars has been. After reading about the problems, I removed it from consideration but keep coming back to it, as it is so unique and seems to fit. So, I thought I'd simply ask, since just reading forum threads will highlight problems (very few people start a thread saying "continued awesomeness," after all).
Another interesting feature in viewing forums is seeing what kind of personalities seem attracted to certain brands (and brand-focus forums). I'll just say that this and another Mazda forum are one of the few places I'll likely come back to for good, useful knowledge weather or not I buy a Mazda. This is the only place I've asked this question.
I have been checking around this forum and some others to get an idea how living with the cars has been. After reading about the problems, I removed it from consideration but keep coming back to it, as it is so unique and seems to fit. So, I thought I'd simply ask, since just reading forum threads will highlight problems (very few people start a thread saying "continued awesomeness," after all).
Another interesting feature in viewing forums is seeing what kind of personalities seem attracted to certain brands (and brand-focus forums). I'll just say that this and another Mazda forum are one of the few places I'll likely come back to for good, useful knowledge weather or not I buy a Mazda. This is the only place I've asked this question.
OJ - I'm also looking at the Legacy GT. The 2010 models have gotten extremely large (as have the new Accords, Camrys and 6s), and the older models seem ok. A Spec B was listed locally not long ago, but it was sold before I had a chance to go try it out.
Evolved - Hmmm. I'm also considering a used 3-series, but I can't bring myself to for a few reasons. I'm almost tempted to get one just to hear feedback from the gossip after driving one down the dirt road in front of the house.
Knox Joe - Congrats. What are you switching to?
Evolved - Hmmm. I'm also considering a used 3-series, but I can't bring myself to for a few reasons. I'm almost tempted to get one just to hear feedback from the gossip after driving one down the dirt road in front of the house.
Knox Joe - Congrats. What are you switching to?
I certainly would, it is in the a class all of its own... Performance, mixed with luxery, mixed with sleek/elegant looks... at a very good price? Yes please!
The Legacy GT was beat in all catagories in its reviews, i believe with Car&Driver & Top Gear.
The only trim that came close was the older model Spec Bs. Even so another 2k in aftermarket parts was estimated to be needed to match the STOCK MS6.
As for Euro import comparisons. I was originally considering an Audi A4 or S4. Performance was slightly better, but upkeep costs were insanely higher! MS6 was more practical for my needs and ended up being one of my fav all time cars in this catagory. After how long i have owned it, i feel i can rate it in the Audio/BMW comparison catagory. lol
I forget which BMW it was, i think the 328i or some such comparable one. But Top Gear did a comparison episode of that bimmer to the MS6. Via hard numbers and driving performance. They favored the MS6 in nearly every single catagory... cant find the video for the life of me, i saw it again just recently on utube, subscribed but now it looks like it's been removed! Aarrrrgh
Top Gear - reviewing lower tuned EDM Mazda MPS.
http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-season-8-episode-6-originally-aired-on_179659.htm
EDIT: just found it! it was comparing to the 318i M Sport (@ 3:28). And the Ford Mondeo & Vectra... lolz which he think LOOKS better than the MS6... although loves how it handles much more.
http://www.streetfire.net/top-gear/top-gear-season-8-episode-6-mondeo-vs-mazda-6_742750.htm
The Legacy GT was beat in all catagories in its reviews, i believe with Car&Driver & Top Gear.
The only trim that came close was the older model Spec Bs. Even so another 2k in aftermarket parts was estimated to be needed to match the STOCK MS6.
As for Euro import comparisons. I was originally considering an Audi A4 or S4. Performance was slightly better, but upkeep costs were insanely higher! MS6 was more practical for my needs and ended up being one of my fav all time cars in this catagory. After how long i have owned it, i feel i can rate it in the Audio/BMW comparison catagory. lol
I forget which BMW it was, i think the 328i or some such comparable one. But Top Gear did a comparison episode of that bimmer to the MS6. Via hard numbers and driving performance. They favored the MS6 in nearly every single catagory... cant find the video for the life of me, i saw it again just recently on utube, subscribed but now it looks like it's been removed! Aarrrrgh
Top Gear - reviewing lower tuned EDM Mazda MPS.
http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-season-8-episode-6-originally-aired-on_179659.htm
EDIT: just found it! it was comparing to the 318i M Sport (@ 3:28). And the Ford Mondeo & Vectra... lolz which he think LOOKS better than the MS6... although loves how it handles much more.
http://www.streetfire.net/top-gear/top-gear-season-8-episode-6-mondeo-vs-mazda-6_742750.htm
Last edited:
Nothin. We'll just have to make it work. Once the kids get older, and start going to school, and sports and stuff, I'll buy another car for my wifey. Probably a Mazda5.
Thanks. I'm surprised at how positive the responses are after seeing an extended random problems thread somewhere else. It's becoming more convincing. For the record, I mean the 2006-2007 one. (Are there plans for a new version?) Specifically if you could go back in time knowing what you know now, if you would still chose to buy the car.
batou079 - Thanks. I have seen that. I love Top Gear--it's about the only thing I'll watch on TV--but I'm not sure how much serious buying-decision weight I'd put into their reviews. Still, though, pure awesomeness.
Knox Joe - Yeah. Sometimes I remember that my parents managed being parents, mainly while driving coupes and/or pickups. Well, one of each, usually. At any rate, I noticed a CX-7 the other night and thought that it looked like a pretty nice car/suv compromise. But maybe a Mazdaspeed 3. Plenty of room for stuff, right?
---
Here's my situation if anyone's interested. I'm an enthusiastic driver and love well-handling cars. I'm over 40, so I'm a bit too old for a few cars (possibly even a Speed 3? I'm kind of hoping not on that one). I also commute over 80 miles a day round-trip, from a rural town complete with dirt roads to a downtown city parking garage. I also live in a place that gets a lot of snow and rain.
I injured my left leg pretty seriously a few years ago and had to switch to an automatic for a while, but I'm pretty well healed and really miss driving a manual. I also want something I can take to a track day or possibly autocross every so often.
I'm looking for something fairly special, as well, but I don't want a car that siphons off my savings to keep it going (which I suspect would be the case with, say, any Porsche and possibly any out-of-warranty BMW). All in all, the MS6 looks like it hits most things, although I'd definitely prefer a car without things like an electronic throttle and a selection of e-nannies.
batou079 - Thanks. I have seen that. I love Top Gear--it's about the only thing I'll watch on TV--but I'm not sure how much serious buying-decision weight I'd put into their reviews. Still, though, pure awesomeness.
Knox Joe - Yeah. Sometimes I remember that my parents managed being parents, mainly while driving coupes and/or pickups. Well, one of each, usually. At any rate, I noticed a CX-7 the other night and thought that it looked like a pretty nice car/suv compromise. But maybe a Mazdaspeed 3. Plenty of room for stuff, right?
---
Here's my situation if anyone's interested. I'm an enthusiastic driver and love well-handling cars. I'm over 40, so I'm a bit too old for a few cars (possibly even a Speed 3? I'm kind of hoping not on that one). I also commute over 80 miles a day round-trip, from a rural town complete with dirt roads to a downtown city parking garage. I also live in a place that gets a lot of snow and rain.
I injured my left leg pretty seriously a few years ago and had to switch to an automatic for a while, but I'm pretty well healed and really miss driving a manual. I also want something I can take to a track day or possibly autocross every so often.
I'm looking for something fairly special, as well, but I don't want a car that siphons off my savings to keep it going (which I suspect would be the case with, say, any Porsche and possibly any out-of-warranty BMW). All in all, the MS6 looks like it hits most things, although I'd definitely prefer a car without things like an electronic throttle and a selection of e-nannies.
Last edited:
I've pretty much favored the MS6 and wanted one since their release. I promised myself after my tour to Turkey I would sell/trade-in my Protege5 and get one.
Then marriage happened.
So last fall, I sold my P5 with the intentions of getting my wife a preowned Audi tt (its what she wanted). That fell through when I found out I was deploying. So here I am with a modified Miata & no "family" car.
So the plan is to get the MS6 as the family car (seems many of the known issues/problems have known/proven solutions). So I am not worried and will proceed to purchase my MS6 within the next 30 days (waiting on paper work in the mail so I can sign the sales agreement).
Car is sexy & has some performance to back it up...would recommend to a friend!
Then marriage happened.
So last fall, I sold my P5 with the intentions of getting my wife a preowned Audi tt (its what she wanted). That fell through when I found out I was deploying. So here I am with a modified Miata & no "family" car.
So the plan is to get the MS6 as the family car (seems many of the known issues/problems have known/proven solutions). So I am not worried and will proceed to purchase my MS6 within the next 30 days (waiting on paper work in the mail so I can sign the sales agreement).
Car is sexy & has some performance to back it up...would recommend to a friend!
Of cource the MS6 has problems but honestly, all cars do. It's all about the way you treat it. IMO, I think a lot of people buy the MS6 at first and abuse it, drive it like it's an evo or an sti which it really isn't... Theres a big chunk of where your problems come from.
Maybe I was just lucky but I haven't run into any serious issues with my car... I'm not even the first owner and everything is still going well. I'm just about at 63,000 kms.
Maybe I was just lucky but I haven't run into any serious issues with my car... I'm not even the first owner and everything is still going well. I'm just about at 63,000 kms.
JDM-P5. Good points. I had a Protege for a week, but it had a bad transmission, so the dealer bought it back. This was when I needed to find an automatic. You found the car you're buying, then?
mglavina - True, but they differ greatly in frequency and severity, even taken care of. I had a Nissan that wound up with about 250K miles, but it needed a lot of maintenance, parts and there were times I wasn't sure I could fully trust it. On the other hand, I have a decade-old Accord Coupe with 150K miles that's needed very little other than basic maintenance, and I'd have no problem setting off on a cross country trip. Of course, you're right in that many MS6s have been abused. I'm thinking that their stealthier appearance may have turned some of the worst abusers (and those who don't maintain them) away.
mglavina - True, but they differ greatly in frequency and severity, even taken care of. I had a Nissan that wound up with about 250K miles, but it needed a lot of maintenance, parts and there were times I wasn't sure I could fully trust it. On the other hand, I have a decade-old Accord Coupe with 150K miles that's needed very little other than basic maintenance, and I'd have no problem setting off on a cross country trip. Of course, you're right in that many MS6s have been abused. I'm thinking that their stealthier appearance may have turned some of the worst abusers (and those who don't maintain them) away.
welcome to the boards
i'd absolutely buy my speed6 again, and honestly thats part of the reason we bought the cx7 (AWD, same engine, similar features, etc, just bigger). i personally have had no *real* problems with mine, just the intermittant nuisance problems that were TSB repaired and have gone away (knocks on wood). but once again, theres not really anything else like it out there. i personally dont like buying used cars (i'm a control freak..) so there is very little out there new that would be a good replacement for a comparable price. if there was an MS6, i would jump on it again
i'd absolutely buy my speed6 again, and honestly thats part of the reason we bought the cx7 (AWD, same engine, similar features, etc, just bigger). i personally have had no *real* problems with mine, just the intermittant nuisance problems that were TSB repaired and have gone away (knocks on wood). but once again, theres not really anything else like it out there. i personally dont like buying used cars (i'm a control freak..) so there is very little out there new that would be a good replacement for a comparable price. if there was an MS6, i would jump on it again
Yes I have...the process is just going slooooooow because neither UPS nor FEDEX ship to my deployed location...so USPS here we go.
wannabe - Thanks. I'm just up the road from you, in Thompson, by the way. I've only bought one car new, a Nissan. I was looking at new cars initially, but other than the Mazda3/MS3, there's not much that appeals to me. I initially looked to Honda, but the cars being made now are much different than what they were building ten years ago, and no dealer within 75 miles even had a manual transmission Accord Coupe stocked. I am tempted by a new MS3, though.
JDM-P5. Cool and congrats. Even more to look forward to when you get home. Are you planning on autocrossing it or is that solely the MX-5?
JDM-P5. Cool and congrats. Even more to look forward to when you get home. Are you planning on autocrossing it or is that solely the MX-5?
well, you are asking in an MS6 enthusiast section. Most of us love the car.
i have only seen a lot of self loathing mazdaspeed haters on mazdaspeed forums, lol. As for buying in the future based on what i know now about the MS6 now? yup, nothings changed, i spent nearly 6 months researching/searching up to the point of purchase, pretty much new all problems & nuances by that time.
Carraway said:
True, only thing i took as practical is their direct number comparison to the bimmer.
Cost vs value vs performance... numbers dont lie.
Carraway said:
Fyi, most of the 2006 speed6's have pretty damn tough clutches. the standing TSB could take care of that, but just a word of warning.
you might be better off looking for a 2007 which had most of the TSBs taken care of from 2006. I believe they de-tuned it like 5 hp or something silly is all.
Here is my take: the MS6 can stay as reliable as a Honda if you keep it stock, drive it as a normal commuter, and rarely drive it hard. As soon as you modify it you have opened pandora's box and there is a high high probability that something will throw a CEL, break, wear out, etc. It's inevitable. Also, this car is highly tempting to regular drive hard in order to feel the boost pull as well as take crazy corners for the all-wheel fun... so the more that happens the more you will be putting high stress on it. So expect minor wear&tear before an everyday commuter/economy car. OFC, a lot of such regular wear&tear can be addressed via preventative upgrades, as well as regular maintenance like any other car.
Also, as far as known problems, most can be addressed. But are no more extensive than other cars really... All cars have their quirks, known problem areas and everyday nuances.
Recently on another forum someone was asking about those issues, here is my post response:
topherMS6 said:
