Though it often put performance before plebian, Mazda arrived at the mod party a little late. Long after BMW added M to its alphabet and Mercedes tagged everything with AMG, the Japanese automaker created a unique MAZDASPEED racing division to spice up its family haulers. The MAZDASPEED 6 is your everyday-pretty-darn-good Mazda 6 sedan turned into a race car for the road with 274 turbocharged hp, 6-speed manual, and upgraded suspension. $27,995 base; $29,925 for our Grand Touring tester.
First Glance: Raising hell in retirement town
How, I ask you, can I gain respectability in Sidney, BC, when the automakers keep forcing me to take home cars like the MAZDASPEED 6? This is a retirement town, for goodness sake, not a place for lead-footed old race drivers to hammer the pedal to the metal. Even Paul Newman, who is (ha!) four years older than me and still competes in endurance events, would get wagged fingers instead of requests for autographs if he drove a MAZDASPEED 6 here. You've heard of "arrest-me-red?" The test vehicle was so red that the RCMP threatened to give me a ticket in the parking lot of the Victoria Flying Club. And I was sitting in the car with the engine off.
If you're getting the impression that the MAZDASPEED 6, a Q-Ship play on the Mazda6 sedan, is one very quick automobile you'd be right. The only way to drive it respectably is to shift up before the tach reaches 3000 rpm, which is not easy to do because once the engine hits launch mode you'll become a backseat driver. Well, not really, but the acceleration makes it feel that way. So how should I review it for your benefit? A flat-out performance car or a competent family sedan with added muscle? That question plagued me throughout my entire two weeks with this car.
Continued below...
In the Driver's Seat: A sublime spot for motoring
Settled into the leather-trimmed heated seats I'm at ease. Sightlines are much better than most high-waisted competitors, controls are kept to the essentials with none of the computer-game nonsense that plagues many modern cars. I admire the subdued brightwork, appreciate the aluminum-faced pedals, love the red-on-black instruments. All four windows have automatic up-down controls. The console has been designed so that the twin-level armrest compartment doesn't conflict with handbrake operation. The optional BOSE sound system copes well with the powerful brass section of my favorite contemporary jazz band.
Not unlike the recently-tested Mazda 5, I appreciated the onboard safety of dual front side-impact airbags and side air curtains plus whiplash-reducing front seat headrests. And enjoyed the buffet-free sunroof. Though to be honest, I'd give extra marks to any car with a sunroof; it's the next best thing to a convertible. The seats are multi-adjustable and designed for support when cornering yet there were times when a little more grip would have been appreciated. Mazda has long had the best air vents in the business so it was no surprise that the center array was a joy to operate.
On the Road: Performance beyond expectations... want it or not
Everything I've written would be irrelevant if the MAZDASPEED 6 did not perform as expected. Believe me, it does. But don't believe Mazda's assertion that the 2.3 liter turbo engine is free of turbo lag. Though it accelerates briskly in the lower rev range, when 3400 rpm appears on the tach your arms feel three inches longer. After driving the car for two weeks I was still stunned by the acceleration. And therein lies a dichotomy. Using the revs to the fullest is irresistible, especially with the 6-speed close-ratio gearbox. The only way to maintain your dignity is to short-shift, convincing yourself that you're saving fuel. Which is no bad thing as those EPA mileage numbers (20 MPG city, 26 highway) disappear down the Erie canal when the car's driven hard.
Of course, with that kind of performance you'll be grateful for the firm, responsive steering and powerful disc brakes, features you'll need if you can't learn to back off (not easy in a car that wants you to drive hard and fast). Above all, you'll demand superb cornering because straight-line performance is useless if you can't hustle through the next set of S-bends. With traction control, dynamic stability control and all-wheel-drive, Mazda's got the roadholding nailed.
Journey's End: Great -- but it needs to remember its still a family sedan
I'm happy to report that egress to front and back won't ruffle hairs on the heads of tall folk and totally disagree with those journalist whiners who say the Mazda 6 is short on rear-seat legroom. Comfort, safety and convenience are the equal of anything in its class though the car is compact on the outside, dimensionally a touch more European. The MAZDASPEED 6 certainly attracts attention in a power-mad world but comes at a time when ever-more-crowded roads combine with fuel costs to make high-speed sedans redundant. Still, as I said to my Sidney neighbours while heading for the ferry that returned us to Mazda: Zoom, Z-o-o-m, Z-o-o-o-o-m... Bye, bye, Baby!
