CD Article: 2007 MazdaSpeed6

[CD_Editor]

Today's Test Drive:

The Mazdaspeed6 is "low-key", says Assistant Editor Jil McIntosh, and that's a "plus and a minus." "It's comfortable, stylish and offers turbocharged, all-wheel drive power, but could use more seat-of-the-pants fun," she says.
   
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Read the article | View the photos | All The Test Drives

[Jaeger]

I so nearly bought this car over my Altima 3.5 SE.  In terms of bang for the buck in a sports sedan, it is pretty tought to beat.  Handling is terrific, with seemingly endless grip from the AWD system.  Acceleration in almost any gear at almost any speed is ferocious.  This is what happens when you have 6 well-spaced gears and a truck load of torque peaking at around 3k.  Very impressive.

Things that held me back:

1) I found the vehicle somewhat recalcitrant in city driving.  The clutch is on the finicky side, with abrupt engagement when you're just trying for smooth and  slow.  Lurch and lunge gets a bit tiresome. And that zero-body-roll suspension setup made for less than optimal ride compliance over lumpy downtown Toronto streets.

2) Exterior styling:  the visually raised hood (to accomodate the turbo plumbing) and lowered tail (smaller spoiler than the regular 6) gave it a bit of an awkward nose-in-the-air stance.

3) Interior styling: inoffensive, but somehwat boring Japan Inc.  The nav rising like some evil monolith from the top of the dash was not to my liking, either.

4) Extremely limited colour choice.  You like black, silver or red?  You better.

5) The whoop, whistle, splutter and gasp sounds from the turbo mill get old fast.  I much prefer the sweet snarl of a quality V6.

Still, if a sporting drive is the main priority, it is pretty tough to beat.

Jaeger

[Julie]

Interesting Jaegar, thanks for the review.

I recall Benhaze (who has a MS6) said something similar about the clutch.

I've always found this car very attractive. It's unfortunate it's run is ending.

[safristi]

Just for interest anyone Know Canadian sales of 6's Vs 3's.............somehow the 6's to ME are not UP_MARKET or differentiated enuf from the HOME RUN 3's    SPEED & Regular models.....

[initial_D]

Good deals to be had with the MSP6 then. Would love to own one of them, but somehow it just doesn't fit with all my wants in a sports sedan. The on-demand and computer controlled AWD, cannot control the spins of real wheels, insufficient cooling of the turbo if driving the car in an enthusiastic manner, and no potential for cost effective mods to the drivetrain ... Could look pass its interior and exterior appearance shorts, but not its limited (aftermarket) sporting potential. Awesome engine tho.

[jcon]

0% Financing, if I'm not mistaken. Good deal for a good car. However I think that Speed 3 stands out more in its class than the Speed 6.

I'm sure they'll replace this Speed 6 with a different Speed series vehicle. Maybe back to the Miata Speed 5?

[Jaeger]

I don't remember the exact numbers, but the Mazda dealers were SERIOUSLY motivated to move these things.  The "first offer" numbers were closer to what I thought best case scenario might be.  A lot of value here.

The Speed 3 is a compelling ride is the sport compact class, but it has an awful lot of one thing that the Speed 6 lacks entirely: torque steer.  And in hellacious quantity.  As I recall, power delivery is computer-limited in the first two gears just to avoid the FWD dirvetrain twisting itself into a pretzel.  An AWD Speed 3 would be damned near unbeatable.

Jaeger

[safristi]

Speed 3 is cleaning UP in the US mags COMPARO TESTS..always comes in #1 ..but 2/3rds of the wankers @ R&T picked the VW GTi as their PIK..........didn't we hear on this site that the  VW Bugger  ;)PIK up is POOR and the power lacking fer a HOT_ROD???

[Leviathan]

I like the subdued styling and glad Mazda didn't go all fast 'n furious on it. I was poking around some Mazda 6 forums and saw a few posts on how much better the clutch was after a TSB or some such thing - didn't reaaaally pay attention to the posts though.

[Giant Dwarf]

My (admittedly brief) drive of a MazdaSpeed6 was nearly 2 years ago when I got my MX-5, but I sure don't recall being put-off by a finicky clutch.  I remember thinking how deliciously contagious the power was, but the handling -- while I suppose stiff and stable by sport-sedan standards -- was a little heavy and floaty-feeling compared to the MX5 and RX8 I was deciding between at the time. 

Had the deals on the car been available then that are available now, I might well have considered going that route instead, and indeed, if I were swapping in my MX5 for a new car now, the MS6 would be among the very top few of my list (in consideration of future family growth in years to come).

I hope that the next generation Mazda6 also gets the Speed treatment... or that there'll still be a few leftover, unsold '07s with massive discounts late in '08. 

[The Fuzz]

If they made that thing in the hatch version I'd snap one up in a second. Yes, I understand why they didn't.

And the seats do fold down if you don't mind playing a bit.

http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=43583

[Snowman]

 
http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,41665.0.html

[JSCC]

The Mazda Speed3 and Speed6 seem to share the same trend as the GTI and GLI.
The smaller less expensive hatches are out selling the more expensive sedans.
Better finance/lease rates on the sedans.
Bigger discounts on the sedans too.

[Julie]

The Mazda Speed3 and Speed6 seem to share the same trend as the GTI and GLI.
The smaller less expensive hatches are out selling the more expensive sedans.
Better finance/lease rates on the sedans.
Bigger discounts on the sedans too.

I'm surprised too.

I wonder if it has something to do with Canadians' love for practical hatches. (I admit, sometimes I wish I had one.)

[TopGun]

Things that held me back:

The clutch is on the finicky side, with abrupt engagement when you're just trying for smooth and  slow. 

Your observations mimic mine Jaeger.  I could bang off shifts if moving quickly...but I found it difficult to drive slowly.

Still, I took out my Visa card and challenged the dealer(s) there that I'd buy one if they could get me one in the Red & White/Black combo that was at the Auto Show.  Of course, it was pre-production propone at the Toronto Auto show...and that combo doesn't exist.

[Jaeger]

TopGun - that panda interior really rocked!  I am not sure it would have been the best choice for me in terms of looking good years dowm the road, but I loved the look new.  No depressing black coal bin here. Too bad it was restricted to the black exterior model only.



Jaeger

[safristi]

Bet ya could get a few "Z" Bras off in that.... seems like the passenger is that way inclined........Snap On ..snap OFF....oy babe  did it (the steering wheel) MOVE fer U2!!!!

[Mitlov]

I love that two-tone interior.

[Benhaze]

...
5) The whoop, whistle, splutter and gasp sounds from the turbo mill get old fast.
...

The turbo of the Speed6 is the quietest turbo I have ever heard. If anything, it is too quiet.  I don't know how you can make such a statement...

[Jaeger]

...
5) The whoop, whistle, splutter and gasp sounds from the turbo mill get old fast.
...

The turbo of the Speed6 is the quietest turbo I have ever heard. If anything, it is too quiet.  I don't know how you can make such a statement...

My complaint was not so much with the volume of the noise as the quality of the noise.  And while it may well be the quietest turbo, but it's loud compared to a silky V6.  That's how I can make such a statement.

Jaeger

Come to think if it, it's not quiter than an Audi A4.  And I suspect it's not quiter than a BMW 335i (which I haven't driven).  It's probably more quite than a Subie, but that's not saying much.