Mazdaspeed 6?

[Prab]

So I was thinking about trading my 08 A/C 3.5 6MT, for a Mazdaspeed 6. the Mazda has 40,000 less km on it aswell, I just wanted to get some opinions on this deal, is the speed6 a good car is it worth a straight trade off. I know this is might be a bad place to ask but because of biased opinions but I would love to get your 2 cents on this.

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Our other Altima moderator recently purchased one. I'm sure XenonSE-R will pop in shortly.

[J Russ]

Speed 6 is the midsize sedan, Speed 3, is the hatchback.

[RicerX]

I have a Speed 3. I believe the Speed 6 is the same engine, but with AWD. The engine itself is pretty reliable, but the motor mounts Mazda uses with that engine are complete garbage.

Another choke point is the OEM bypass valve is weak, along with the turbo inlet hoses. Easily fixed over at cobbtuning.com.

As far as trading the AC for one... I would only do it if you want a vehicle that is comparable in performance but want the extra two doors. How many miles (kms - sorry... force of habit does the Speed6 have?

As far as pricing goes, there is no such thing as a "straight trade" in the negotiating game. Negotiate the value of your car, and negotiate the price of the one you want. Do your homework online to get a ballpark for those numbers. Just want to make sure you don't get boned by a dealer.

[Prab]

Thanks for the replies folks, and the speed6 has about 50,00km on it and it is being sold for 12k, and my coupe has about 90,00km and can be sold for around 15-16k. How are you liking the speed3?

[RicerX]

The Speed3 is a highly underrated vehicle. Honestly, I should have bought one of these before my Altima Coupe, but I was attracted to the Altima and I love the V6 (I need the space in the Mazda, but also enjoy its "pep" if you will).

You're going to want to Cobb Tune the 6. Like my 3, while it makes gobs of power early and revs to nearly 7000 RPM, it falls on its face after 5400 RPM and doesn't make any power, so revving to 7k is completely pointless. The Cobb Stage 1 and Stage 2 tunes flatten out the power curve a good bit and help extend the power some, making better use of the available rev range.

I think you'd really enjoy the Speed 6, but it will come with more upkeep than the Altima. I highly recommend doing a good 3rd/4th gear pull in an area you can afford to do so on your test drive. This well help you get a feel for the health of the turbo system. If there is stuttering or feels like a loss of power, just stay away. I say 3rd or 4th gear because you're less likely to mistake a wheel-hop sensation for a stutter of the engine.

The driving time on the 6 doesn't sound too bad at all. Just be cautious and give the car a good look before you dive in head-first.

[Prab]

Alright, thanks for all the intel, im going to go test drive it in a couple days. And out of curiosity how good is the speed 3 on gas, how often do you fill up?

[RicerX]

I'm a much more conservative driver than most speed 3 drivers. This car is my commuter car and I go really easy on it. I average 29.5 MPGs (people say that is unheard of, but not impossible according to the EPA tag on the car). Highest I have ever gotten on a longer trip is 32.

Now - playing around with boost a bit, and we're talkin not much better than the Z. 24-25 MPGs "city" driving where I am.

The Speed6 is different though, so expect around 10% left under the following conditions: 1) You drive like I do. 2) the Speed6 is in great operating condition. 3) You live in a pseudo-city like I do where there isn't a crazy amount of traffic and there isn't as much start and stop.

[Prab]

Thanks for all the info man, really going to help with my final decision. Ill let you know what goes down on thursday.

[RicerX]

Excellent. Happy to help. Good luck!