2006 Mazda MazdaSpeed6 consumer reviews

compared to the other popular four wheel drive vehicles (subaru STI, and evolution)this would come in last. read some articles from mazda that they actually made the turbo kick in smoother so you wouldn't feel that jolt of power which actually made the acceleration slower than its potential. which means you can feel that turbo lag. on its handling, a noticeable understeer is felt when going into turns, which is usually felt in all four wheel drive vehicles, so yo cant blame mazda for that. don't be fool by my rating of just 1 star on the reliability because parts on cars usually break after 50,000 miles and i haven't reached that mark yet, but have not broken anything yet or has the car left me stranded anywhere. the interior is a little dull to my eyes, they could of also had gone with better seats, like racing seats since this is considered a racing rally car ("speed6). i would recommend this car to toher friends if they want a four wheel drive car and dont have enough money to buy the more better four wheel drive cars.

I traded in my Mazdaspeed Protege for the Speed 6 about two weeks ago. The Speed Protege was basically a race car in street clothing, only lacking more horse power. It was nimble, edgy and rode rough. The Speed 6 has it beat on every count but nimbleness and it isn't far behind considering it weighs 800 pounds more. When I test drove the Speed 6, I had it up to 100 MPH almost before I realized it. This car has a serious kick in the back when you put your foot down. At the same time, it's much more user friendly for those of us who drive in stop and go traffic regularly. The cabin is quieter, the clutch is more gentle and the ride, while not mushy by any stretch, is more gentle. This car is well suited for long trips as well as big city commuting for those of you who like to zoom-zoom at times. It's also very attractive (I got the the Black Cherry Mica which makes it look more classy), and it gets people's attention. Even so, the attention isn't because of the super big spoiler or other such unnecessary stuff which the Speed Protege had. The Speed 6 has a very reserved lip spoiler and the look qualifies it for Stealth status. Overall, I'd have to say this is about as much bang for your buck as you can get at the moment. The Subaru Legacy GT Spec B is supposed to be faster but its price tag is about $5K richer for the minimal improvement. A 325i couldn't touch it performance wise and is also $5K more. One more interesting note: Despite being a turbo 4 cylinder, the car feels like it running a V-8. Not just in the absolute power output but in the way the engine feels at low rpm when you're lugging it a little. Not sure how they did that but it feels good to know your four can put it out like a V-8. My only complaint with Mazda would be having to buy the GT model to get the sunroof as an option. That adds up to paying about $3000 for a sunroof. This is not good business smarts and Mazda shoud know it. Other than that complaint though, it's a lot of fun to drive and very practical as well since it has plenty of space. If you're in the market for a car in this category, I strongly recommend that you test drive it (warning: you'll be hooked).

Absolutely love this car. Actually was looking for a BMW 3-series before falling in love with the MAZDASPEED6 on the first test drive. Great performance, feels faster and handles better than the BMWs test driven. Interior is hands down more appealing.