Mazda 6 MPS AWD Turbo, a review of sorts...........

[Mondie]

My local Mazda dealer has the Roadshow in town at present so l took the opportunity to dive the new Mazda 6 MPS. More info here;

http://www.mazda.com.au/mazda6mps/

This is one car l have been curious about for a while, l have always liked the Mazda 6 and my best ever ownership experience was with a Mazda MX-6 in my younger years. Beautiful well built car and the mazda service made the ownership that much more pleasureable. The car l took for a spin was a Black Mica MPS with 4000km on the clock. It was very bloody nice, l was impressed :thebirds:

The car is classy but muscular, love the rear end, very subtle. The twin pipes are a bit pox if you look closely though hiding the smaller outlets with a larger ring was a cost cutting corner that should not have been cut. The alloys are nice but would be pr!cks to clean. Front again is muscular but subtle with the bulging bonnet. Overall it looks the goods.

Interior is very schmick, this particular car had the luxury pack so had very nice high quality leather seats, a glass sunroof that made the interior feel open and airy and a Bose stereo that sounded great (even though l think Bose is crap) Controls had a nice feel, dash very nice and done in the style of the WRX Sti ie. red instruments that illuminate on power up. Steering wheel had good feel and with controls for stereo and CC, nicely done and again the quality was there. Loved the titanium finsih over the centre stack and console, better than the sprayed silver we get on the local cars.

On the road l was really suprised at how powerful the car was. Heaps of grunt down low and much easier to drive than the Sti. Pulls from 2500rpm effortlessly and would leave the Sti for dead up until 4500rpm. In fact you wouldnt know the MPS was a turbo unless you were told, it feels like a strong NA six. No wheezes, BOV noises or any other hint of whats under the bonnet. In a straight line there is no doubt the Sti would eat it but in everyday driving the MPS is very torquey and easy to drive. l found the clutch to be very light and the gearbox a bit vague and notchy compared to the superb 6sp Sti box but you would expect that, the Sti box is exceptional. Brakes had nice feel and worked well, no problems there.

Overall a big thumbs up, a genuine alternative for those who dont need a big car and can settle for something a little smaller, but value quality and fit/finsh. l keep looking at the horny BF GT-P on my desktop and thinking how tough it looks. But its a bit like the blonde teenager you went to school with, tasty babe but not much between the ears. :

Will definitley give this one a big consideration along with the 2.5lt Sti, Evo 9, Liberty Sti and the FPV's when update time comes.

l have some pics but they are at home on the camera, will post up later. :thebirds: