2006 Mazda MAZDASPEED6

One by one, over the last couple of years, Mazda has brought out a line of niche vehicles that are good enough for the masses and great enough for real enthusiasts. One such car is the MAZDASPEED6, a derivative of the necessarily plebian Mazda6 midsize sedan which, as demanded by the midsize segment, must appeal to everyone from a New Orleans church mouse to a Seattle coffee executive. However, like Good Neighbor Sam on a crystal meth howler, the MAZDASPEED6 has been factory-hot-rodded with a 274-hp, 2.3-liter turbocharged DOHC inline-four engine (the same basic mill that's powering Formula Atlantic racecars this year), a full-time all-wheel-drive system, some nice body add-ons and big 215/45R18 Bridgestone Potenza tires. For those hungry for acceptable rebellion in the guise of a responsible midsize sedan, and for an attractive price, come get your dinner.

Main Course

The MAZDASPEED6 is available in Sport ($27,995) and Grand Touring ($29,925) editions, the principal differences being pushbutton start, leather upholstery, sport front seats with power adjustments on the driver's side, and heated outside mirrors on the Grand Touring. By definition, the MAZDASPEED6 goes up against some pretty burly Asian competitors, notably the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ($28,679 to $35,189) and the 300-hp Subaru Impreza WRX STI ($32,995). In overall driving characteristics, it feels less animalistic (or more civilized, if you prefer) than the 286-horsepower Evo, and more similar in refinement to the 300-hp Impreza.


In addition to its crisp, tasteful exterior lines, the MAZDASPEED6 has an equally well-executed interior with no boy-racer gewgaws or cheesy plastics in sight. The black leather seats are beautifully made, and the black grain "skin" covering the instrument panel and upper door panels is particularly nice—essentially in the league with the Volkswagen Jetta, whose interior is one of the darlings of the segment. The MAZDASPEED6 also has satin metal-finish accents, and bright red gauges with red needles. The meters are not as refined looking as the electroluminescent units found on sport sedans like the Lexus IS 250 AWD, but then again the MAZDASPEED6 costs four to six grand less. And if it comes down to pretty gauges or perky horsepower, we'll take the power.

Big Tipper

To get a feel for the Mazdaspeed6, we drove a "Whitewater" (yep, Mazda apparently has an official presidential color) example on a real-live racetrack at Willow Springs in California. No one we've ever met has seen a willow tree or a spring there, but there are 2.5 miles of really nasty pavement on the main track—just right for analyzing sport sedans. Stepping into the power-up pit lane, the engine's burly 280 lb.-ft. of torque pull hard from the midrange right up to and beyond the horsepower peak, before a rev limiter steps in at 7,000 to save your reputation with a large and suspicious warranty claims advisor. With six gears, you're never going to run out of revs for long.


The gearbox action is somewhat notchy while you're slinging through the shifter gates, but this may subside as the months and miles accumulate. One of the de rigeur items for sport sedans these days is aluminum foot pedals, and the MAZDASPEED6 has 'em. The pedals are well placed for performance driving, even the classic heel-and-toe management of the brakes and throttle. Fortunately, there's no paddle-shifting automatic available for the MAZDASPEED6—just the God-fearing manual.