New Mazda6 MPS in doubt?
November 29, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
It appears that Mazda’s MPS series is about to be cut in half with the struggling Mazda6 MPS rumoured to have not made the cut for the second-generation line-up.
One of the biggest problems for the 6MPS has been its lack of differentiation from its smaller brother, the Mazda3 MPS. Both share the same engine but the 3MPS is actually a tad quicker and cheaper. It also seems the all-wheel-drive system in the 6MPS has not attracted the intended AWD turbo fans.
Lack of an automatic transmission has also hurt sales (but not so for the 3MPS which shares the same gearbox). Sources inside Mazda have told GoAuto the company fails to see demand for the model in the future.
As it stands now, the 190kW 2.3-litre all-wheel-drive turbocharged MPS will be discontinued upon the arrival of the new Mazda6 in March next year. The Mazda6 MPS currently retails from $48,645.
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Understandable really, there arent many getting around – not exactly a volume seller for mazda. And that might be able to be justified if it were the hero car of the range but the 3 stole that.
New 6 looks beautiful though, it would be good to see an MPS version, they need a full time awd system like the Liberty though. Liberty is beautiful to drive, the mazda would benefit from the same sort of system.
New range looks awesome though!
I agree Scott the liberty is a better car with BOXER 2.5
engine and a full time symmetrical AWD.. As it is a small niche market I think subaru already has it sewn up because they already have a big previous customer base and a big following! but its a shame because competion is always good..But the mainstream new mazda 6 will be a big success i think..
After having driven an MPS6 a while ago, the lasting thought I had was that it was too soft to really compete in the turbo-AWD sports sedan market. And it was extremely hard to spot a MPS6 in traffic compared to a plain Jane 6 with alloys.
If they are going to make a 2nd Gen MPS6 give it big wheels, small spoiler (keep it on the down low), firmer suspension and give it a signature item that stands out from the rest of the 6 range. The current slightly larger power bulge doesn’t cut it beside the bonnet scoop on the Liberty GT.
Yeah supercujo your right some nice subtle touches would of helped, like liberty”s bonnet scoop, wheels and bilstein sports shocks make all the diffrence to the looks and handling not to mention the sti man box and the sporty sound of the BOXER engine rather than boring 4cyl sound of MPS..
Problem here is that the 6 MPS is grippy but soft and anonymous, but the 3 MPS is much quicker (once it’s off the mark), a whole lot more fun, and much more affordable.
mainwarin have you actually driven a 3 MPS?? because as ive said before it is the worst modern car I have driven in a long time!! way to much power for a front wheel drive!! it torque steers like crazy is dangerous round corners and absoulutely deadly in the wet!! scary unsafe/unrefined car..at least 6 mps could get power to the ground and was refined if a little soft..
Yes Chris I have driven both 6 and 3 MPS. I know where you’re coming from and you certainly need to be aware of when you can use full throttle in the 3 but if you get it wrong the electronics will step in (unless you’re stupid enough to turn them off). The trick is to keep it just short of the point where you’re trying to be silly.
Yes, I’ve also driven stuff like old Falcon GTs in the days before traction control and they were way more dangerous than the 3 MPS, wet or dry.
If you’re into torque steer, try an early eighties Austin Montego Turbo or an Alfa Romeo 164. Then you’ll find out what the phrase really means.
I drove the 6 MPS against a Golf R32, and in comparison it was like a sponge pudding.
The present generation MPS 6 was plagued with a clutch problem (heavy / grabby) when it first came out and this drove away some potential drivers until the issue was sorted out by Mazda. Even now, 2005 owners are having a hard time getting some dealers to replace the clutch under warranty (some people have resorted to a DIY kit).
It should also be noted that the MPS 6’s exhaust note sounds like a vaccum cleaner. In fact, the twin exhaust outlets are just like the ones on the TRD Aurion – they are there for cosmetic reasons – not for performance. Hence the reason why I purchased a MKV Golf R32 instead of the MPS.
At the end of the day, Mazda should carry out what Supercujo suggested because a lot of people would be interested in a premium version of the 2nd gen Mazda 6 with a bigger engine and a more sporty demeanor.
I do agree but a performance car should be fun and have
accessible power all the time, it should feel like your part of the car thats why WRX for same money is much better,ok not the same in straight line but is a much more compleet package and much more enjoyable round corners and
has 100% of available power all the time..Also I did say modern car!!
No Chris, most of the fun (and skill) is involved in teetering on the edge of the grip level. Being able to put all the power down all of the time is like driving a go kart on a railway track. And none of us should be cornering on public roads at the sort of speeds that would challenge either the electronics of the 3 MPS or the grip levels of the WRX.
Happy if you beg to differ, but I’ve got to go and feed the dog now.
I agree totally about fun/skill is doing that but thats my point you cant drive a 3 mps on limit because it has to much power going to the front wheels its not controllable
where as the wrx can be driven to its limits and it is fun but safe at same time.. same as GT-B liberty but its even
more fun because its 62% rear drive 38% front so can be thrown into oversteer into the corner and maximum power down out of the corner where its awd pulls it back out of the corner,PERFECT FUN and SAFE!!!! as a good performance car should be….
Can’t disagree with your logic, but these are the facts:
Most fun-filled AWD car – Audi RS4
Most affordable car with supercar mid-range grunt – 3 MPS
Well fellas as someone who owns a Mazda 6 MPS this is really bad news. I’ll agree the car needed a little more differentiation, but not necessarily in a way that makes it look a Subaru clone. The sleeper philosophy of the 6 MPS was fine with me.
Do agree the exhaust needed some kind of note and a nice finish on the backend, instead of the very Japanese way the rear end exhaust was done. The car also needed more standard equipment for the money too. For all that this car really grows on you. If you own one you really begin to appreciate the blend of performance, handling and practicality Mazda managed to get in this car. I own one of the 2005 models with the clutch everyone complains about and I can’t say it really is that bad – I’m certainly not looking to replace it.
As someone who came to the MPS 6 from a BA Falcon GT, I can say I miss the V8 of the Falcon, but thats about it. The Mazda is a much better made car and a more balanced family car too. I’ll be holding on to mine for while to be sure.
RIP MPS 6.
Dan
Chris Parr says ” Torque Steers like crazy, and is dangerous around corners” lol. My answer to you is go to the Gym, and learn how to drive. Last week, i consistently lapped Oran Parks south circuit 0.5- 1 second a lap quicker than a MY08 WRX in my MPS3. The only time a WRX will be quicker, is in the wet, and living in Australia, in the midst of a drought, this is not very often. The MPS3 at 40K is a performance bargain, that is taken for granted.
Oops I posted a comment before that is probably better in this thread:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/43...../#comments
Rumour is that while there is probably not going to be a “all new mazda 6 mps”, the current shape will continue for another 12 months – my guess is with a cosmetic upgrade.
Despite above comments, my hope is that they dont move away from the understatedness. Sorry but I just dont see the appeal in stick-on bits a la subaru. Saw a list of the 10 most beautiful cars the other day and guess what – only 1 had a spoiler and even then it was pretty low profile compared to WRX/XR6 and the like.
NICK who was driving the WRX??your grandma lol..Any good driver would be quicker in new wrx anyday,,besides why should you have to have strong arms to fight with a car where is the fun in that!!
Go to the gym? What sort of answer is that for overcoming an inherent flaw in a cars dynamics? Ive driven the MPS3 and was considering buying one, I really like mazda but the MPS is certainly a straight line car. The torque steer in a straight line may be fun for the first few attempts but after that it will become tiresome! Drive it hard on a mountain and it would just be annoying. And i genuinely wanted to love this car! I like its subtle muscular looks and its spec sheet but it truly needs a proper AWD system to make the most of all that power. Yes you can drive around some of its flaws. It is a bargain yes, but its a straight-line performance bargain, all your gym work wont help you on a tight mountain road when trying to keep up with a more accomplished car..
Chris Parr, if you are in NSW, and would like a challenge, please get your hands on a 2008 WRX, and head out to Oran Park, and lap it quicker than a stock 3 MPS. Im happy to meet you out there anytime, as i am a regular there. If you cant, please dont blow in and make uneducted remarks, based on heresay. A collegue who competes in Rallies, and and many other forms of motorsports, as well as being an Advaced driver training instructor had a go, and the closest he got was 0.5 of a second behind. If any of the car advice crew would like to take the challenge, please let me know. Should be fun. Besides, if any of the caradvice boys drive their times would be credible, as they are decent drivers, unlike my nanna lol.
Nick, just out of interest, with the 3 MPS is it easy to tip the nose in around corners with a lift?
Does the rear end gets twitchy under heavy braking? I don’t mind a hot FWD as long as it fun to drive.
no MOMO they do not that is why I have a problem with 3 mps
because it just goes into terminal understeer because too much power/torque through front wheels! not fun at all..
Chris Parr, exactly where did you take it to a test drive? And what speed/lap times were you doing?
I work for a subaru dealer and we had one as a trade in
so i took it for a drive around local area and up local mountain tight road going flat out and a wrx would kill it up a windy road because you dont have to keep backing off round corners or be scared its going to run off the road like in the 3mps..
And if you look at scotts comments it seems he has had a simalar expeience driving one aswell..and since it sounds like he is a mazda fan it is an unbiased opinion incase you accuse me of being subaru bias…
I love how heated these posts get. Ok its obvious Chris is passionate about his subarus and nick you obviously love your mps. Im not on here to stir shit, i just put my observations on here and if i get bashed thats fine. Mazda 3 is a nice car with nice styling good interior and well featured. It has big wheels with big tyres and that affords it big traction when not being provoked – read long sweepers. However under power in tight situation unfortunately they understeer/torque steer chronically! Oran Park happens to be a very open track with a large number of long straights joined by relatively slight corners. On this course i am sure you can beat WRXs because the Mps is definitely quicker in a straight line. The fact is though in the real world on a tight mountain or twisty road a wrx would best an mps 99% of the time for 99% of drivers. As i said, i wanted to love the mps and i still do have somewhat of a soft spot for them but i couldnt buy one having driven one hard..
Chris Parr, hope you don’t kill somebody but driving fast on the street or your favorite piece of road is not the same as driving ten-tenths on a track.
It takes time to really learn and get used to a car’s handling and braking at the limit, something that you really can’t and don’t want to experiment on public roads.
I don’t disagree with you or Scotts comment on torque steer and understeer. What I’m interested in, is if Nick has any useful insights that can improve the handling of the 3 MPS.
Things like stiffer rear anti-roll bars, lower front spring rates, varying tire pressures front and rear. Opinions that I consider more interesting than a feedback based on a quick test drive on the road.
well considering i drive this piece of mountain road
at least once a day!! i think i know the road better than most people get to know any race track on weekend once in a while….why should you have to modify a new car thats meant to be a performance model to make it handle properly or put power to the ground..
Scott, its a Friday evening, relax!
I am sure you are very capable on your favorite piece of mountain road, and I wouldn’t dream of racing you without practicing first.
You are right, there’s no need to modify the 3 MPS. I asked Nick the questions purely out of personal interest.
Thank you for your contribution.
Momo, the MPS 3 does not need modification to get it to handle. If you do track work, with the stock tyres, its best to run around 40-42PSI. This car will pull a higher lateral G than a WRX anyday. There are countless comparissons on youtube that demonstrate this. If you jump on the picks, tip the nose in, the rear end will actually come around, and if your not used to this car, most people are always in a gear lower than what they should be driving out of a corner. This is where weekend warriors like Chris Parr, AKA Cody Crocker experience torque steer. The challenge still stands, oran park or wakefield park. Also, just browsing through the UK car Magazine EVO. Their test track is Bedford, and here are a few times that might raise some eyebrows. MPS3 1:30.35, WRX 1:31.19, Astra VXR 1:33.55, BMW 130i Sports 1:31.7, VW Golf R32 1:32.55, Golf GTi V 1:33.75, FOCUS ST (XR5) 2:33.9, HONDA CIVIC TYPE R 1:41.45. Scary to think that this is caradvice’s prefered “hot hatch”.
yeah the problem with type R civic is weight unfortunately!! it is a great engine with a good gearbox and chassis but the car is just to heavy for the torque available out of that engine…I actually quite like the hsv vxr to drive it seems to handle the power/torque a lot better on the road than MPS even although not quite as quick in straght line, i find it a better all round package on the road..
Well Chris Parr, working for a Subaru dealer says it all. Obviously the Subaru blinkers are on firmly (nothing wrong with loving your fav brand, but don’t let it cloud your judgment so much that you can’t give credit where it is due). I would hazard a guess that the reason you experienced so much understeer in the 3 MPS is because you were driving it like an AWD Subaru. I would bet you that if you drove a WRX like a RWD it would show just as much, if not more chronic understeer. It is HOW you drive it as a Hi-po FWD needs a slightly different style to an AWD just like you can’t drive an AWD like a RWD etc. I have owned all 3 of these configurations in a high performance car and if driven like it should be, the 3 is one of the fastest cars I have driven point to point. As for the most dangerous car you have driven, obviously you haven’t driven cars like a Mazda MX-6 turbo, Cortina 6 cyl, insert pretty much all FWD turbos, RWD solid rear axle hi-po car from the 80s etc etc. Also Scott, yes, the Liberty has a much better chassis than the 6 with the full time symetrical all-wheel-drive etc, but I would say that, while it may not sound as nice with a modded exhaust, the 2.3 DISI in the 6 is a better engine with more accessible torque more of the time than the 2.5 boxer. IMHO it is a more drivable engine in real world conditions. Why else would it have made it to Ward’s top 10 engines in the world every year since it has been released?
At the grand daddy of all race tracks, the Nurburgring, a stock 3 MPS cut a lap time of 8min 39sec with a driver who had only ever driven the track that day. To put that in perspective it was only 1 second slower than the lap record for a stock Porsche 996 Carerra S and 13 seconds faster than a stock MkIV Golf R32. We all know that this track has a bit every kind of ‘my favorite road’ in it. You don’t have to love it, just respect it for what it is as I know a lot of people who love the way it give you a huge grin on your face when you get it right! Take care mate :-)
I forgot to mention, wrt VXR vs MPS about being able to handle the torque steer much better. Watch the Top Gear episode with Jeremy and the VXR when he plants it with his hands off the wheel. The wheel turns a ridiculous amount to the left. Now go on youtube and there is a vid of a local doing the same in a 3MPS, the wheel hardly moves at all in the first 3 gears. Pretty much every review you read on the net/in mags bags the VXR for having ridiculous amounts of torque steer and WAY more than a 3MPS. You would be one of the first people I have seen that says the opposite.
I am beginning to think that you are wee bit upset that it is faster than your beloved Subaru out of the box in the majority of situations. If that is the way you feel, I am sorry and hope the status quo returns soon! Horses for courses I guess. :-)
Chris
I bought a Mazda 6 MPS in Noveber 07, have done 25K since and have driven the 3 version as well.
There is little comparison because the 3, whilst having the more sporty feel at speed and acceleration, is short on the easy confidence that the 6 takes for granted at real acceleration and in high speed conering.
It’s like chalk and cheese, you get what you pay for and I’m sorry to hear that Mazda don’t have the ‘cahones’ to continue the 6’s development, perhaps it’s their own marketing in the new ‘green’ world?
The understated muscle and clean lines of my 07 6MPS are commented on all the time, classy. No ugly look at my butt in the air spoilers and it doesn’t sound like it has holes in the exhaust.
Before you jump to conclusions, I have a custom exhaust that while definitely not loud gives a hint of the power available. As for not being garish or standing out in the crowd I agree with Daniel Dacy, I like the sleeper philosophy, I am confidant in the power of my car and don’t need to be in your face with it.
Don’t get me wrong my husband and I like our toys we have a horse for nearly every course, a Harley softail custom 99, a Kawasaki ZX14 07(still the fastest production bike on the road,he he) a CORVETTE 89, his SS commodore 93, and my 6MPS 07. We know what we like to drive and the MPS is a winner.
I have only recently stumbled across this car and am completely blown away. I LOVE IT. Our family has both the Mazda SP23 and the RX8. I took this car for a test drive yesterday and am completely sold. As i am rather disappointed with the new 6 range i love the old look more. I am working on trying to purchase, as the dealership has 1 and only 1 left. Should be able to snag it at a good price to due to its un-popular time. In comparison to whats out there for the price this car is fantastic. It would compete well with the $56k TRD Aurion and is $15k less. I love the shape of the bonnet and the room the car has. I find Mazda have always been better than every one else when it comes to the little things. Such as comfort accessories like reading lamps positions of cup holders and even the shape of things inside the car. Mazda offers a different level of class you can’t find at a Ford or Holden dealership. Honestly can’t wait to own this car and i am upset they canned it. But supply in demand i guess.
I am not sure which one takes preference; Being disgusted with the Mazda 6 MPS clutch prob after 12 000 km or the principal dealer neagting liability and inferring I drive like a maniac.
To you guys that are Mazda MPS fanatics, after all this thrash, I dislike any Mazda….
U
Having travel nearly 200000km in my 06 mazda 6 mps, this car has some good n bad points. Firstly the part time AWD system is an absolute piece of shit, it should have been a constant awd or a rear wheel drive. Having done mainly hyway kms the car runs in front wheel drive only. this causes the rear wheels to drive the diff and drive shaft back to the gearbox, applying load to the wrong side of the diff gears, which im my case has resulted in 3 failed diffs, on no 4 at the moment. The clutch problem which we all experience is actually more related to the throttle, drive by wire works fine for autos, but not so well for manuals as you lose all feeling of whats going on. Ive had mine replaced with a cable and throttle body and it made it so much more drivable. I found the clutch/clutch pedal upgrade from mazda made no difference. The suspension could be slightly firmer, bit floaty when bouncing of the speed limiter at 250kmph. Other wise i reckon its a great car, its not a cop magnet , not like the evo or wrx and still is a good performer