Need opinion...Trade Mazda6 S for MazdaSpeed6?

[Elite130]

I know this sounds like an obvious answer, but I am wondering if it would be worth it.

I currently have a 2007 Mazda6 S, 5-speed manual with the 3.0L V6. I bought it new on May 7th 2008. It currently has 60,800 miles on it. It has never been wrecked, oil is changed every 7k with Mobile 1 5W-20, waxed 2x a year, and has new summer tires on it, etc, etc...Needless to say, it still looks brand new and drives awesome. I love the car and I get a lot of compliments on it.

That said, (I think) I really want a MazdaSpeed6. I love the fact is is AWD and has more HP, and the different hood and bumpers make it look badass. I deal with the FWD on the M6S, but I would prefer AWD (I prefer RWD). The items I am getting hung up on is: 1)will the the 4cyl engine and turbo will hold up as long or longer than the V6. 2)Is it worth adding on another 5k to my current auto loan 3) I'm always leery of buying a used car because you never know how the previous owner took care of the car. All may look good on the outside, but you never know what has been done to it.

So...what are your thoughts?

 

[oaklandopen]

Answers:

1) generally, no. Turbo, supercharger, procharger, nitrous, anything that puts cylinder efficiency over 100% (which is tough to do with NA) is equal to more internal wear and tear. On the flipside, you can have a really good engine with turbo, or a bad NA v6

2)your income and budget is YOUR income and budget. I don't know if $5k to you is like a million dollars or chump change

3)probably just answered your own question. But personally, if I'm looking at used cars, the last type I would ever look at would be a leased vehicle, especially a company car. The ms6 is not, so get a carfax, or find a private party and get to know the person before getting to know the car, if you're a good judge of character

If I were you, I wouldn't do it. Even the latest model ms6 is going on 5 years old, which is no spring chicken in my book. And if you're looking for awd on top of used, and the same dimensions roughly as your 6, and you don't want something molested, look at a used legacy

 

[zinger002]

haha. the only legacy worth looking at is the gt spec b.

 

[dquarasr]

been there, done that

I can relate exactly to this. (Sorry I'm a little late to this thread.)

I had a 2003 6 v6 5-speed. I bought it in November 2002, the first week the 6 was available in the US.

I drove that car for 105,000 miles. Aside from consumables and maintenance (brakes, tires, oil, etc.), the only repairs the car needed was to replace some of those mini-bulbs in the center console (a/c controls) and a motor mount. The car was dead reliable.

When I sold it, it needed to have the hood and front bumper repainted (in-garage accident, stuff fell on it, had it done but needed to be re-done four years later), and the headliner was starting to come down on the front and rear edges. But the car was long paid for.

My son had installed a short-throw Mazdaspeed shifter for me, a nice birthday present.

But my son bought a 2006 Speed6 and I loved it. I looked for one and found a decent used one.

I traded my '03 for the '06 Speed6.

I love the Speed6. But there are times I miss the '03. The v6 has a different character. Of course the Speed6 is a bit faster, might handle a bit better, but in hindsight I think should have I'd sunk a few $hundred on the headliner, repainted the hood and bumper, and kept it.

Now, you have to take this with a grain of salt: I get attached to my cars.

Hard to say. I love the speed6 but I miss my '03. Other than the hood and bumper (again, not the car's fault), it looked and drove brand-new. Some days I wish I still had it, other days I'm happy with the Speed6.

Didn't really answer your question, did I? (jerkit)

My gut feeling is that the Speed6 may not age as well as did my v6 but I have no basis in fact, just a gut feeling. I know only that my '03 v6 MT was uber-reliable.

(BTW, my Speed6 has needed a ton of work on the front suspension. It didn't know where straight ahead was. I've done new TSB-upper control arms, my cost. I also replaced really worn out lower control arm bushings, and tie rods. All on the left side, which leads me to believe the previous owner curbed it pretty badly. It also had two turbos installed, bad seals, done under warranty by the previous owner.)

Considering your 6 has 60k miles and is a 2007, I'd say keep it.

 

[monsoon725]

Find a low mileage MS6 and you will not look back. Trust me, they are out there, on some dealers lot that hasn't a clue what he has.

 

[MATX]

I did the same thing v6 2 speed6 hard to find a speed6 that was taken care of and not beat..... (I Beat mine lol) I would say go test drive one for the day or weekend see how you like it, If your in a snow state you will love the AWD drove mine to NY last winter and dident get stuck at all. You will have to add afew things tho. Rear Diff mounts is a must stock ones are weak, if you baby it you could just make sure it has the updated bolts that should get ya by. when your looking at one @ the dealer have them put it on a lift and look the the seals on the rear diff and the Xfercase too.

But over all I love my speed6 way better then the 04 v6 I had. AND make sure you know it takes 93 Octane so gas will cost more, I put 1/4 e85 in mine and its been fine for 10k miles but its tuned :/

 

[Aralliius]

Find a low mileage MS6 and you will not look back. Trust me, they are out there, on some dealers lot that hasn't a clue what he has.