any opinions on this car?

 

i read the review of car and driver and they really like the car. I think its a 2.3 turbo. putting down 273 hp. And its all wheel drive.

 

its alright, I've kinda been anti-Mazda ever since the whole RX-8 thing

 

Great car but comes along with that bland MAZDA image, which happens to not be very, I dunno, Sporty? I think you get a lot of car for the price you pay though: aero package, interior, etc, etc, very nice packaging... but comes at the expense of performance... For its amount of horsepower and torque (274/280) a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds and a 1/4 mile time of 14.7 are disappointing and bordering embaressing. The WRX posts quicker numbers than that, however, at the expense of a lower rent interior... its all about what matters most to you... The Mazdaspeed is about 30k though...

 

well, i just test drove one this weekend. the #'s are right, the engine puts out good low-end, lag is non existant, the 6 speed is smooth. handles well, but it is a 3500 pound car.

better comparison would probably be the LGT spec B.

 

The slow 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are probably due to a more cautious and street-friendly gearset ratio. I know that many of my friends who ride in or drive my WRX find the gear ratios (especially the SHORT 1st and 2nd gear, and the giant gap between 3 and 4) to be obnoxious and require a lot more shifting than in their own cars (Accords, Lexus, etc.) The extra speed comes at a price, in this case around-town driveability.

 

Never thought of it in that respect, although it makes perfect sense... Youre probably right regarding 0-60 times... However, 1/4 mile should generally represent its paces pretty accurately, at least I think so...

Regardless, thanks for the enlightening viewpoint...

 

also remember that people who love the RX8 will find love for this vehicle too, due to the fact that the interior is almost 100% of that in the RX8 (Which translates to comfort/convenience) + the fact that it is a TURBO + AWD . a bit more power. which for a while there Mazda was either refunding the money or giving a better package deal because everyone was under the impression the (RX8) car was going to have the HP (Mazda) they originally advertised.. Again people who buy/own the Mazdaspeed "6" arent looking for blistering numbers like what the "so called" competition puts out(ie.. evo & sti)
Ultemately this is an all out great buy for people looking for a ballance between comfort, styling sportiness, for a fraction of the cost of a BMW "XI" , a Mercedes "4-Matic", or a Jaguar "x-type"

 

The RX8 is undoubtedly the ugliest car on the planet. I flush things that look better than the RX8. What an ugly pile of sh*t.....

As for the MS6, I like the performance, but I'll take the wheels and spoiler from the other models.

 

~~**UPDATE**~~

Alright, I was just @ mazda, helped my mom purchase a new "6"... Got it for 18k OTD.. w/ autotranny, foglights, etc... Awesome salesperson, quick deal, I essentially paid under invoice, great deal...

Out of curiousity, I told him about my wanting to purchase a 06 WRX, he said, well, try this out... You may be impressed.

INTERIOR:
I'll be dead honest... Initially sitting inside, its a bit hard not to feel a little more UPSCALE than an STI or WRX (not the reasons we want them anyway) but its QUALITY... Aside from just being leather appointed... Everything else was also impressively solid, soft to the touch, but solid... Radio controls, etc, etc so beautifully operated and nice to the touch... Everything just positively clicks into place...

THE DRIVE:
The E-brake was unusually snug to the drivers seat... but eh... Shifter feel was clicky, but a little sloppy (perhaps could use some bearings) Throws were moderate, but not LONG... The clutch... this thing was SHORT.... Depresses low, and engages low, VERY little travel... not forgiving... It's firm, but not Porsche firm... It just has SUCH little travel, and such little room for error... I bogged a couple times...

The pickup is better than the numbers read... This engine is smooth... power delivery is almost linear and it just gets stronger and stronger toward redline... I felt the strongest point was its midrange power... really pushes you back.... I'd place the feeling between an 02-04 wrx and an STI (havent had the pleasure to feel an 06 wrx drivetrain yet) More grunt than the WRX, but not as RAW feeling as the STI... Probably due to its solid feel, quality materials and noise dampening, etc, etc.. You can tell though, power was not an issue for this car... Gears were long, but not boring.... I had trouble finding use for the 5th or 6th gears during my spirited drive....

I did a headcounting 0-50 mph time... Heres my verdict... 2nd gear is near expiration by 50 mph... Probably why the professional 0-60 times reflect a slower number (shifting point)... makes sense, no? First to Second to about 50 took a solid 5 seconds... this is speed shifting (quick releases of throttle between the shift) from a 1800RPM launch... didnt even break the wheels... to about 80mph it took me about another 3 (unofficial) seconds... This car FLIES, and DOES NOT feel like its flying... Hardly any road noise... so comfortable, gives you such a positive feeling while blazing past other drivers without any extra effort...
Oh and on the negative side: you cant hear the turbo too well

HANDLING:
Didnt really get a chance to test it out, given the roads we drove on... So I wont report anything without honesty.... But U-turns and general steering feel was responsing... Almost felt speed-controlled? they probably are...

My Verdict?
I LOVED IT... Be nice to the dealer and get S-Plan... which will land you at about 28OTD with this machine... I'm probably going to still go with the 06 WRX due to my budget being more in the 25 OTD area... I honestly cant afford this car... And not to take away from the STI, but if you dont care about the mechanical advances the STI has (IC waterspray/DCCD) and its flashiness and raw RACECAR feel... the Mazdaspeed in my opinion is the better choice for all-out quality/refinement at a slightly less level of performance

I love subaru, but hey! Let the flaming begin!

Oh, and try and make yourself go and try one out... You wont be disappointed...

 

they won't let me test drive one.

 

You serious???? Go to tustin auto mall, tustin mazda... most incredible dealership ive ever experienced... the words that come to mind with this dealership is: loyalty, respect, curteous, and teamwork

These guys are incredible, and they WILL let you try one out, just tell them you are comparing vehicles... if you need more leverage, just talk to "Nick"

 

If you want something more refined in between the WRX and STI in power, in the $25k price range and you love subaru so much then why don't you get the Legacy GT. I have an O5 manual and it flies!

Mazda is having lots of issues with heat soak, limp mode, etc. Plus the Legacy is a faster car out of the box with more potential. The mazda is pretty much maxed out performance wise where the Legacy is not.

Yes the Mazdaspeed is close to the performance of the legacy but the legacies power is consistent unlike the Mazda's which is spotty depending on the issue that is present.

Just my thoughts.

 

That would be correct for the standard '05 models, but the '06 LGT only comes in limited trim with MSRP's in the 27-28K range.

With that said, the Legacy GT is the better car. The MazdaSpeed 6 has a TMIC that heatsoaks at an alarming rate, a curb weight of 3,600+lbs and an awd system that doesn't kick in until the front wheels slip.

 

The MS6 is a very nice car, but as was mentioned, the LGT 2.5 is better. For $28,000 you will get Subaru reliability, which is better than that of Mazda, as well as more aftermarket support.

The only thing about the LGT 2.5 is that there's no more rear room in it than in an Impreza. This could be concern for someone with a family.