The Mazdaspeed 6 Was An Awd 274-horsepower Subaru Fighter. It's Also Horribly Unreliable.

If you're reasoning of shopping astir for a Japanese sports sedan from nan early 2000s (maybe your favourite two-door car from nan era is excessively expensive), location are a fewer evident choices that are astir apt precocious up connected your want list. STI-badged Subarus are possibly nan go-to action here, pinch a immense guidelines of enthusiast support, modular all-wheel drive, and powerful boxer engines pinch their instantly recognizable soundtracks. Other choices see Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution models and nan comparatively uncommon R34 sedan.

These are each highly sought-after models, though, and arsenic such, they pull higher prices. Long ago, they crossed nan span from accessible regular sports sedans to desirable collector models. For a much affordable choice, you could ever see Mazda's effort from nan era: The turbocharged, all-wheel drive, and all-too-often slept-on Mazdaspeed6.

As nan sanction suggests, it hails from Mazda's now-defunct Mazdaspeed department, which handled immoderate of nan brand's hottest offerings. While nan arsenic basking Mazdaspeed3 still gets overmuch attraction and plentifulness of enthusiast support, nan 6 often flies nether nan radar. And reviewing nan car's specs and qualities, it's really not easy to understand why.

Mazda's hotted-up 6 was measurement much than conscionable a regular sedan pinch deeper bumpers and a fancy badge connected nan back. It had capacity oozing retired of each area and crevice, and it was a real replacement to spicy sedans for illustration nan Subaru WRX. Starting nether nan hood, nan Mazdaspeed exemplary was powered by a boosted 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which churned retired 274 horsepower alongside 280 lb-ft of torque. Compare that to nan 230 horses and 235 lb-ft connected connection from nan non-STI type of Subaru's WRX, and it's constituent 1 for nan Mazda. The 6 boasted a six-speed manual transmission too, compared to nan Subaru's five-speed, but powerfulness was sent to each 4 corners successful some cars.

It was overmuch nan aforesaid communicative inside, too, wherever Mazda near nary chromatic unturned. Sports seats pinch protruding bolsters would support nan driver firmly successful place. There was carbon-look trim scattered passim nan cabin, aluminum pedals, and amenities for illustration a Bose sound system. Manufacturer estimates had nan Mazda going a small slower from zero to 60 mph than nan WRX, but roadworthy tests revealed it was quicker: The Mazda took 5.4 seconds for nan sprint to 60 while nan WRX took 5.6 seconds. 

Sounds perfect, right? Well, it might've been a beardown action erstwhile it launched, but nan Mazdaspeed 6's hidden gremlins began emerging soon after, and sadly, they detracted from nan ownership acquisition somewhat. While it was surely capable, it was besides unreliable, which took immoderate of nan radiance disconnected this WRX rival.

Remember those aged Mazda adverts with "Zoom Zoom Zoom" arsenic nan tagline? While that mightiness beryllium due for nan 6's sporting nature, enthusiasts successful Mazda 6 forums person tweaked nan original tagline to "Zoom Zoom Boom." For them, that move of building much accurately depicts nan mean Mazdaspeed owner's experience. 

According to those who person acquisition pinch nan souped-up 6, nan motor has a inclination to springiness up nan shade if attraction has been thing awkward of immaculate. Timing chains — while usually bully for 100,000 miles positive successful different engines — request renewing each 50,000 miles here, owed to weaknesses successful nan VVT system. A lumpy idle and accompanying rattle are nan giveaways present of impending failure, truthful perceive up cautiously if you're inspecting a imaginable purchase. Elsewhere nether nan hood, nan turbo tin beryllium peculiarly troublesome also. These engines are being pushed moreover astatine mill output, truthful modified examples tin easy munch done turbochargers — expect to salary northbound of $500 for a rebuild kit, and double-that for a caller portion entirely. Then there's nan labour to instal a caller turbo, positive nan further costs of addressing nan leaks and different hidden surprises you travel across.

Problems don't extremity there, either. The mill suspension and brake packages are reasonably sturdy, but tin deterioration done quickly if abused. The existent headache comes successful nan shape of rust, though, arsenic these aged 6's emotion to corrode — they were ne'er galvanized from nan factory, unfortunately. Buying garage-kept examples successful barren climates is nan dream, but really galore owners of 20-year-old $5,000 sports sedans really support them successful specified a manner? Rust tin easy constitute disconnected your dream Mazda, truthful inspect cautiously and hole to locomotion distant if nan undercarriage looks for illustration Swiss cheese.