Would you buy a Mazdaspeed6 again?

[buttons]

If i could go back in time, no i would not buy my speed 6 again. However if my wife were to crash it (i dont get in accidents) I would buy another speed 6 or maybe a speed 3 so i could swap my aftermarket parts into it

I think id go for a speed 3 this time because the wagon is more useful, weighs a lot less and less drive train loss. i would miss the AWD and I find the speed6 to be sexier then the 3. but at the end of the day i hate the speed 6 curb weight more.

I wish mazda would make a mazdaspeed protege with MZR 2.3 disi turbo engine and rear wheel drive. that would be perfect car for me. Light, rear drive, powerful.

 

[batou079]

*meh* to each their own... it is very user specific opinion like many things.

you find the hatch more useful, i did not. I found seat space more useful.
you find less weight of 3153 (ms3) compared to 3589 (ms6) a big deal... i find it negligable due to making it up via AWD.
you find the drive train power loss a bid deal... again i find it negligable for what AWD gives me (additionally i dont drag, tracking i dont need insane amounts more of raw power, lol).

I find the blend of creature comforts, performance and looks damn near well balanced in the MS6.
In my opinion, the MS3 is truelly not far behind...but i extensively researched both pre-decision and all the plus/negs ended up making me sway towards the MS6.

that idea about an updated MSP, with 2.3L turbo RWD would be SICK!!

 

[BoostedSpd6]

I wish mazda would make a mazdaspeed protege with MZR 2.3 disi turbo engine and rear wheel drive. that would be perfect car for me. Light, rear drive, powerful.

sounds like this could be your project for the next 3 years.. Buy a MSP and do it up!!!!!

 

[buttons]

sounds like this could be your project for the next 3 years.. Buy a MSP and do it up!!!!!

Yeah right, it would never work if i was doing the work If i seriously wanted a rear wheel drive mazda with MZR engine id start with an RX8 at least then it would already be setup for RWD. Im just saying the protege is the perfect size for me - - small, agile, light and practical.

Coming from a small light car it drives me nuts to add tons of power to the speed 6 and see little results. I mean I have cobb stage 2, test pipe, 3" exhaust, intake and im just now getting to 274hp that mazda claims stock! (thats what my seat of the pants dyno tells me)

My 03 nissan sentra spec-v ran 13.7@104mph with 230whp. where as my speed 6 ran 14.8@93.48mph (see how much this weight drags us down) its not just in drag racing either, it affects our braking distance, our handling, and puts a lot more strain on the drivetrain and tires. I might be the first person to gut a mazdaspeed 6, rip the dash out, the carpet, rear seats, etc. put on lexan glass not soon, but two-three years from now i might make it my "weekend track car" i figure a GT3071, 20psi, all the supporting boltons and 300lb reduction in weight should make an interesting combo.

 

[Evolved]

My 03 nissan sentra spec-v ran 13.7@104mph with 230whp. where as my speed 6 ran 14.8@93.48mph (see how much this weight drags us down) its not just in drag racing either, it affects our braking distance, our handling, and puts a lot more strain on the drivetrain and tires. I might be the first person to gut a mazdaspeed 6, rip the dash out, the carpet, rear seats, etc. put on lexan glass not soon, but two-three years from now i might make it my "weekend track car" i figure a GT3071, 20psi, all the supporting boltons and 300lb reduction in weight should make an interesting combo.

You ran a 14.8 with the aforementioned mods????

 

[amillman2]

yea... 14.8??? thats pretty slow.. most people run low 14's stock. and you have a few decent power mods.. id say you should be in the mid to high 13's...

 

[buttons]

I realize some people run high 13's with a stock mazdaspeed 6 but i didnt launch the car. I made three passes with a light launch and 2.21 60' was best i could do.

I will confess my speed6 always felt extremely weak in 1st gear until i flashed it with a cobb ap. from a roll i beat 99+ mustang gts with bolt ons and a 350z so its healthy once its moving, first gear always sucked -- like it wouldnt make boost or something to that effect.

Secondly the track i ran the 14.8 at is a "slow track" (Martin us131) everyone complains about running crappy times there. I ran a 14.1@101 in an LS1 trans am with cam + boltons + tuned on a cool night. then went to another track and ran a 12.8@111mph at mid michigan motorplex on a hot day.

The sentra se-r currently has my best time at martin 131, i got a perfect launch spraying right through first gear with no wheel spin. usually on the street it would spin through 3rd and part of 4th.

 

[that_guy2]

Only if I could lease from new again. I just returned mine @ 48k miles & it was falling apart. I would never buy a used MS6.

 

[buttons]

Only if I could lease from new again. I just returned mine @ 48k miles & it was falling apart. I would never buy a used MS6.

Hmm, mine is about at 61,000 miles and runs excellent. I do feel nervous about the MZR motor popping. it happens to a lot of people that are just casually driving but so far i havent heard of anyone destroying the transmission and that makes me feel a bit safer.

 

[batou079]

Only if I could lease from new again. I just returned mine @ 48k miles & it was falling apart. I would never buy a used MS6.

user care is about 90% of that reason, sorry to point fingers.
but its that way for most cars, except maybe old school pintos.

Hmm, mine is about at 61,000 miles and runs excellent. I do feel nervous about the MZR motor popping. it happens to a lot of people that are just casually driving but so far i havent heard of anyone destroying the transmission and that makes me feel a bit safer.

honestly? you should have nothing to worry about until one of two situations arise.
- You either start HAEVY modding and start tweaking boost = time to worry with stock internals.
- OR, you stomp on the throttle in low RPM (under 3k) in high gear = extra wear & tear on engine and more risk of zoom zoom boom.

avoid those, and you are golden.
basic bolt on modding will usually keep you relatively reliable.

 

[buttons]

I am not so worried about me then my wife. we are polar opposites when it comes to driving. i shift at 4000-4500. she shifts like 2500. i told her be cautious of low rpm high load situations such as hills and what not but she doesnt listen to me that much or really understand why thats important.

 

[freekwonder]

Hmmm would I buy another MS6. Don't see why not, maybe change color to white this time. I would loved my MS6 just wish I had more money to throw mods on her.

 

[tunersteve]

Coming from someone who's on their way out of the Mazda community ('03 Protege & MS6) I can tell you I'd seriously consider this car if buying used down the road.

I bought mine new, after they discontinued them, and have 45k miles on it now. The car has been great, and aside from minor problems (which were taken care of by the dealer) I've been pain-free with my car. Do I think Mazda handled the smoking turbos poorly? You bet. Would that stop me from buying the car? I don't think so.

A friend recently picked up a CPO 335i sedan with all options except iDrive. As nice as his car is to drive, he bought it used for more than I paid new for the MS6. That's with 20k miles on it to boot. I've yet to find a reasonable replacement for the MS6 in terms of price and features.

Regarding the Leg GT, Back in '06-07, the MS6 and LGT went toe to toe in a lot of reviews. It came out a wash. Some blogs said the Mazda was noisy and wasn't as refined as the LGT, but others disagreed. Since then, both the USDM Mazda6 and the Legacy have grown in size and (IMO) departed from their roots from only a few years ago. Having driven the '09 Mz6, I can see that they're going after the masses, instead of the enthusiasts.

So, based on what you've said you're looking for, I would recommend giving the MS6 a serious look. I'll definitely miss the car once it's gone.

 

[Carraway]

Thanks.

Tunersteve - That helps quite a bit. I'm also looking at used Legacy GTs, mainly the 04-09 models. The new one, the Mazda 6 and the Honda Accord have all become much larger and more sedate in their current versions. I think Nissan did the same thing with the Maxima. It does look like the Mustang is getting more interesting, however.

Overall, it seems that enthusiast cars are becoming extremely rare, especially with the disappearance of manual transmissions. I'd think the success of the 3 and MS3 would indicate that there are still a lot of enthusiasts around that don't want to spend over $40K on a car. At least the 3 still exists.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that a lot of the used MS6s and especially Legacy GTs on dealer lots have very cheap tires? I know of one case that the dealer did this, which seems wrong for these cars, but I think some owners are doing it, too. I may be oversimplifying, but when I see that I suspect that the owner has probably also stopped keeping up maintenance and feeding it premium gas.

 

[tunersteve]

Thanks.

Tunersteve - That helps quite a bit. I'm also looking at used Legacy GTs, mainly the 04-09 models. The new one, the Mazda 6 and the Honda Accord have all become much larger and more sedate in their current versions. I think Nissan did the same thing with the Maxima. It does look like the Mustang is getting more interesting, however.

Overall, it seems that enthusiast cars are becoming extremely rare, especially with the disappearance of manual transmissions. I'd think the success of the 3 and MS3 would indicate that there are still a lot of enthusiasts around that don't want to spend over $40K on a car. At least the 3 still exists.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that a lot of the used MS6s and especially Legacy GTs on dealer lots have very cheap tires? I know of one case that the dealer did this, which seems wrong for these cars, but I think some owners are doing it, too. I may be oversimplifying, but when I see that I suspect that the owner has probably also stopped keeping up maintenance and feeding it premium gas.

Well regarding the tires, when you consider they came stock with Potenza RE050As in 215/45/18 size, going with a cheaper tire, or an all-season, is a reasonable option.

I don't think enthusiast cars are becoming more rare, but changing the group to identify with. Sport compacts are going up in price, and "muscle" cars are going into the $35-40K range, while a true "sports" car will fetch $50K+.

If you're looking, I will have the MS6 on AutoTrader later this week.

 

[Carraway]

Tunersteve - Well, there are cheaper options, and then there are the Primewells and Linglongs I've seen on a couple of cars.

I'm not sure. Prices are going up, but I was looking for a well-handling car with a stick shift and, if possible, no drive by wire system, which is proving nearly impossible. The last car like that was probably the Acura RSX-S, but finding one that hasn't been riced is nearly impossible, and the insurance premiums are in genuine sports car territory. I'll watch for your listing.

 

[tunersteve]

Tunersteve - Well, there are cheaper options, and then there are the Primewells and Linglongs I've seen on a couple of cars.

I'm not sure. Prices are going up, but I was looking for a well-handling car with a stick shift and, if possible, no drive by wire system, which is proving nearly impossible. The last car like that was probably the Acura RSX-S, but finding one that hasn't been riced is nearly impossible, and the insurance premiums are in genuine sports car territory. I'll watch for your listing.

Looking just for an MS6 online locally, I can't find more than 5 in a 100 mile radius. They're not extremely easy to come by, and finding one in decent shape can be a challenge. Finding a wire throttle is really a rarity today. Good thing about a sedan like this is that the insurance is very manageable.

 

[Nachtsturm]

I would buy it again.

However, I was mainly looking for a Legacy GT or Spec B. Mostly because of the mod factor and this engine doesnt make any power after 5500. But there was nothing out there. And spec b's in same shape were 8k more or so, but states away. If i found a legacy gt 5mt for the same price, and same condition I would prolly have gone that route. But might as well start a search for a white elephant while im at it.

Overall for the price the MS6 can't be beat.