If you had the oppertunity to go back...

[mglavina]

Everyday I check local mazda dealers and private advertisements for MS6's and from what I can see, they're all just way too expensive :(. I live in Canada and the selection for the MS6 is very low, and the prices on these pre-owned vehicles are a little bit more then I wanted to spend.

I was thinking of just going for the MS3. Same engine, still a higher performance mazdaspeed tuned car, just it's the 3 and not the 6. Of cource I lose the AWD but the speed 3 from what I hear is still a kick ass car to own and drive. There are many more MS3's then MS6's and they are a LOT cheaper around my area.

So my question to you, is if you had the oppertunity to go back would you change your mind and go for the speed 6 or are you happy you got the speed3? Was anyone at one point sitting on the fence like me? Do some people prefer the speed 3 over the 6 or vice versa?

Just wanted some input before I drop $20,000.00 on a car, that's all(yes).

[danagirl]

ive had my speed 3 since early 07. I always wondered what a speed 6 would be like, and as i mature i yearn even more for the speed 6. It is a much mature car then the 3.

Just my 2 cents,,,, but i am new to the fourm so what do i know,,

[Darth Vader]

Much as I think the MS6 was a nice looking saloon in its way, I wanted the hatch versatility, lighter weight, less complexity and more direct connection with the road.

Plus, the MS3 is a great looking car in its own right.

I actually never considered the MS6 as it was WAY too much money for what it was. I live in Canada , too so, I understand our pricing regimes.

[Darth Vader]

...I'll never need a "mature" car, lol, despite being well into my 40s. My last performance car (just sold) was a supercharged 5.0 I had for 13 years. I particularly like the "immature" nature of the 3. It's a hooligan car and, I love that.

[8.5MS3]

I wanted the speed6 when it came out. was debating between that and a subie legacy gt....the speed 6 interior wasnt that great, nor was its hefty weight. legacy was much nicer but a bit more expensive. Speed3 came out while i was shopping, wasnt a big fan of the grey interior of the 07's but it was still an improvement over the speed6, then the 08s came out and i bought that. but thats just me.

also the awd of the speed 6 is a plus but 90% of the time your driving around its FWD just like the 3. Herd the rear diff likes to break if you get too frisky. Also the rear seats dont fold down, so the 3 is more versitile....

[kvndoom]

I had a regular 6 that I bought in 2006 and kept for 3 years before I sold it to my boss. It felt too big for me, and that was a "small" sedan. I can't imagine how people who drive big cars can stand it. I'm no shortie, I'm 6'2 and have a broad frame. I had gone from a 2004 VW Golf TDI to the first Mazda, and I was a tried and true hatchback lover after owning that car for 2 years. I never, ever, should have sold it.

I'm biased towards hatchbacks, and for me this is why: they look tiny on the outside but have tons of room inside, so I get to make TARDIS jokes that no one gets; they are so narrow that they are easy to park and less likely to get parking lot dings, and when I'm driving I feel more confident because I am more safely between the lines and thus farther from other drivers; the turning radius is fantastic (a U-turn in the 6 was like driving a lap around Saturn's rings); rear wipers are cool as shit; there's enough room with the rear seats folded down to comfortably fuck fat chicks (don't ask...); and many other little things that just keep smiles on my face when I'm driving.

So no, I would not get a Speed6. If I could do it all over again and go back a month, I'd have checked all the dealers in my area and seen that there was a new CWP Speed3 sitting on the lot just 15 miles away. (sad1) Beyond that, I couldn't be more happy.

[eg6motion]

I looked at both but was never interested in the speed6. Price (when new) was too much for what it was and how it performed...there was better cars to be had. There are some good deals on used ones however but despite the "ms6 vs ms3" performance arguments, the ms6 just doesn't feel like the ms3 stock for stock. The MS3 feels like it pulls harder and handles tighter. The speed 6 felt more like a Subaru to me...more body roll, slower take off and start and I had to really work the clutch to start in 2nd gear (easy in the ms3). It does have more room for passengers inside though but the lack of (proper) folding seat was also a deal breaker. If I did it all over again, and felt the need for AWD, I would probably get a an EVO or STi instead, but not the MS6.

[Silver Ecstasy]

If they were to come out with a new Mazdaspeed6, i'd want it. I love my buddy's MS6 and think it's a perfect compromise of power and practicality.

My MS3 is practical as well, but the backseat is useless without having to adjust the front seats foward, more uncomfortably forward than I'd like.

[SPEED3TYPE2]

Im at almost 60,000 trouble free miles and love my speed3, I will say though with my mods im makiing alot of torque for the font wheels and knowing what I know now I may have gone with the 6 for awd. The 3 is couple hundred lbs less than the 6 but if you cant put the power down... Still love my speed3 and dont know for sure I would have done that just sayen awd would be cool.

[oaklandopen]

i do kinda wish i had gotten an ms6 back when i test drove one in 2005, but we ended up getting a tacoma instead because we knew we'd eventually be moving after my active duty was over. and trucks>cars during a move

i actually think that the ms6 looks better than the ms3. and as much as i like the versitility of a hatch i still like the sedan look better. at the time i wasn't even looking at the regular 3's, i was checking out the sti and evo as options alongside the ms6. i think i would have rather had the ms6 instead of the other 2 becuase i was getting pretty sick of seeing ppl spend their deployment money on those cars and all of jacksonville nc would be lousy with them. the ms6 to me was more rare and special, whilst still having performance

[Kain]

If the MS6 was offered as the wagon, I probably woulld've bought one instead.

[ms6acton]

ive had both of them. first the speed 3 then got the ms6. i prefer the ms6 just cause i like the looks a lot more. the awd in our climate is great too. have you talked to achilles mazda to see if they can locate one for you? their super helpful there. my mom is friends with the owner if u want me to go in for you

[squidmotion]

...I'll never need a "mature" car, lol, despite being well into my 40s. My last performance car (just sold) was a supercharged 5.0 I had for 13 years. I particularly like the "immature" nature of the 3. It's a hooligan car and, I love that.


amen, brother!

[4-timer]

...I'll never need a "mature" car, lol, despite being well into my 40s. My last performance car (just sold) was a supercharged 5.0 I had for 13 years. I particularly like the "immature" nature of the 3. It's a hooligan car and, I love that.

and those of us well into our 50s with Mustang 5.0s (and SVT Cobras) also like the "sleeper" MS3GTs and the look of surprise on driver's faces as they pedal hard to try to catch up.....

[mglavina]

have you talked to achilles mazda to see if they can locate one for you? their super helpful there. my mom is friends with the owner if u want me to go in for you

Right now on AutoTrader theres three MS3's for around my price range that I was thinking of looking at. I have called them too and they said there prices were negotiable which is even better because they said they would be able to work out a deal as I was planning on giving a big down payment.

I called Achilles a few months ago (when I was wondering if they still had the VRMS6(lick)) and they said they sold it (I wonder to who?;)) lol but I asked them to look around for a MS6 for me or to let me know if they come across one. I was speaking with the sales rep. Dan, however they haven't called me back, it's been a few months.

If you could locate me one 06 or 07, with around 50,000 kms I would be willing to pay up to $21,000.00 before taxes, but of cource cheaper would be hell of a lot more helpfull. I know it seems hard with the ones posted for around $24,000.00 but if your mom is friends with the owner any help would be greatly apreciated.

[onelsono]

im def glad i got the 3 instead of the 6, theirs alot more mods and maps for the 3,they make more power, their interior is nicer, and plus the second week i had it i beat my freinds 6 by 4 cars stock vs. stock lol, speed3 all the way

[mglavina]

do the speed 3's come with leather? and the same bose sound package? and moonroofs?

[hugador]

No moonroofs but everything else yes. Only on the mazdaspeed3 "GT" though not Sport model.

[Saskatchewan17]

I think if I could go back I would get a MP3 or maybe an MSP and do a build with the extra money that I saved... It's really hard getting mods for this car because all my avaliable money was spent on purchasing it. It would be fun to do a turbo MP3 or even P5 build! Don't get me wrong though... I love this car. I just think "I've had my fun" with it, and want to do something a little more suiting to me... IDK, I love this car though and won't get rid of it until it explodes at 1,000,000 miles. Plus, I'll get that sort of novelty feeling that Protege owners have when everyone around me with new MS3s upgrade to some other mazda in the future.

[ms6acton]

we dont have gt models in canada. no leather and no nav for the ms3. leather for ms6 but no nav either

[ms6acton]

and ill go in tonight and talk to to them for you.

[SwampAss]

If the MS6 was offered as the wagon, I probably woulld've bought one instead.

Same here. I have a major woody for BMW's wagons. The MS6 wagon would have been enough to cure me of that.


The only thing I didn't like about the MS6 was the clutch actuation. When I bought my 3, it was more than a new speed6. Had I known there was a fix for the clutch on the MS6, my decision would have been more difficult.

[mglavina]

Thankyou all for the input. I think I'll stick around for a bit longer and see if ms3acton can find me MS6. If not then I think I might go for the 3 unless the 6's drop in price. Winstone, if anything comes up and you need more contact info from me then just pm me. Thanks all again.

[coololddude]

I'm glad to see everyone so teary eyed over the speed 6. Back when they were new you could't give them away!! Kinda like Michael Jackson!!

[SwampAss]

I drove the Speed6. $24k otd was very tempting. I was coming from a bolt on 1.8T GTI and the speed6 lacked the visceral feel the speed3 has. I thought the speed3 had more than enough room until my daughter was born last August. Between my 325i and my Speed3 we don't have the room for packing for vacations and we're at the limit when taking day trips to visit the relatives. I don't mean trunk room as much as I mean a facing backwards baby seat pushing the passenger seat almost all the way forward to have it fit. Now that my daughter is in an upright recaro! baby seat, it's less of an issue. I think the length of the speed6 would have helped because it seemed a bit more roomy than the 3.

[Oneurt]

I must say, my MS3 is my first hatch and I love the hatch! I also like 4 doors too :)

I don't see myself in a MS6 or any 6 any time soon. My next car will hopefully be something a bit more on the luxo side.

[oaklandopen]

I'm glad to see everyone so teary eyed over the speed 6. Back when they were new you could't give them away!! Kinda like Michael Jackson!!

dude weak...too soon














j/k

[ms6acton]

just went to achilles. they said they are getting a silver ms6 fully loaded in off a lease any day now. i told them to call me as soon as it comes in, and ill relay the msg to you! they didnt kno km or price.

[mglavina]

just went to achilles. they said they are getting a silver ms6 fully loaded in off a lease any day now. i told them to call me as soon as it comes in, and ill relay the msg to you! they didnt kno km or price.

Thanks a lot, I'll be checking forums now everyday for when it comes in :D. Let's hope this time someone doesn't buy it before me :p lol j/ks. If its got good km and a decent price I can actually go down and check it out. How much did you bring the price down? I'm pretty sure your VRMS6 was going for like $22,500.00 and you bought it for?

[ms6acton]

Thanks a lot, I'll be checking forums now everyday for when it comes in :D. Let's hope this time someone doesn't buy it before me :p lol j/ks. If its got good km and a decent price I can actually go down and check it out. How much did you bring the price down? I'm pretty sure your VRMS6 was going for like $22,500.00 and you bought it for?

i got it for 21000 with free tint thrown in. as soon as i hear anything ill pm you