Mazda MX-6 any good?

Toryglen-boy · 27 Nov 2006 at 23:16

howdy!

i posted a thread on here last week, looking for a motor at around 1500 notes, and i had some very good answers, thank you

i wanted something a bit classic, a bit sporty, and a good cruiser with some nice features .... asking a lot for 1.5k !!

anyway ... i think i am gonna get an MX-6 i quite like the odd styling, and the 2.5L V.6 must be quite nice to ....

so has anyone had one? driven one? got any opinions?

constructive and serious please, no trashing the thread ...

ta

[TW]Fox · 27 Nov 2006 at 23:32

Ford Probe with Mazda badge. All the bad bits about a a Probe with few of the good bits of a Mazda.

Toryglen-boy · 27 Nov 2006 at 23:40

[TW]Fox said:
Ford Probe with Mazda badge. All the bad bits about a a Probe with few of the good bits of a Mazda.

I know its almost the same as a probe fox, but have you ever driven one? is the handling good? is the engine quite pokey?

Wolfchild · 28 Nov 2006 at 01:38

[TW]Fox said:
Ford Probe with Mazda badge. All the bad bits about a a Probe with few of the good bits of a Mazda.

tsk tsk, not nice

had one for few years and was a great car, mine was an import so had the full cimate and 4 wheel steer and 200bhp engine.

gorgeous still to look at i think and mine certainly handled very well as standard on the roads where i live.

inside typical old jap car but well made and never had a single bit of bother with it...... until the cambelt lost its teeth... but that as the belt not the engine

much better than the probe ever could hope to be. still like them

ramirez · 28 Nov 2006 at 07:08

the uk ones are pretty pap and outclassed in pretty much every way by celicas / preludes etc.

The_Dark_Side · 28 Nov 2006 at 07:25

the engine is inferior to the 2.5L V6 Ford lump and noticeably so IMHO.

wassap · 28 Nov 2006 at 07:38

You can pick up preludes for 1.5k now, nuff said tbh

The mx3 were alright imo, bit of a laugh, but i wouldnt look to spend a lot on one.

Richdog · 28 Nov 2006 at 07:42

wohoo said:
The mx3 were alright imo, bit of a laugh, but i wouldnt look to spend a lot on one.

Picked up an MX-3 for my ex last weekend... it's lovely... looks are hit'n miss (and she got it in red) but the interior is surprisingly nice for the year (1997), it's comfortable, and that "little" 1.8l V6 engine is fantastic, pulls nice in each gear and makes a lovely sound. Handling is sharp and responsive... very nice car.

Dogbreath · 28 Nov 2006 at 09:40

The MX6 is not that bad tbh, but as a cheap car it's quite thirsty and parts are expensive. A friend's car had recurring problems with sticking rear calipers which is quite common apparently.

Unless you can pick one up for peanuts, I would personaly look elsewhere.

Rilot · 28 Nov 2006 at 09:53

The_Dark_Side said:
the engine is inferior to the 2.5L V6 Ford lump and noticeably so IMHO.

The Probe V6 is identical to the MX6 lump. It is a earlier version of the Mondeo 2.5 V6 but makes a bit more power (195bhp IIRC).

My missus has one and I think it's a great car. Plenty of kit (electric windows, air-con, cruise, leather), a nice gearbox and plenty of power. Torque steer is a bit heavy but the car handles well considering it's weight.
The V6 sounds sweet and will go on forever. The one in my missus' car has done 108,000 miles now and still feels strong.

Maintenance is easy as most parts are cheap and plentiful. Plenty of space to work on the car too. The only problems we've had are around a badly ticking top end (which turned out to be us using oil that was too thick and low temperatures to squeeze through the tappet adjusters) and a loss of power above 5,000RPM which was related to a faulty lambda sensor. Everything else has been fine.

For the price they can be had for I think they are a great buy.

pinkaardvark · 28 Nov 2006 at 10:04

I actually thought the probe engine in V6 guise only output around 150bhp and i'm not sure it is related to the porsche designed mondeo lump. I'm sure it's more agricultural in it's origins.

The_Dark_Side · 28 Nov 2006 at 10:09

Rilot said:
The Probe V6 is identical to the MX6 lump. It is a earlier version of the Mondeo 2.5 V6 but makes a bit more power (195bhp IIRC)

I was referring to the duratec, which makes the Mazda lump look like it came out of a tractor.
obviously the probe/mx6 engines are the same as mechanically they're the same car.

Rilot · 28 Nov 2006 at 10:23

The_Dark_Side said:
I was referring to the duratec, which makes the Mazda lump look like it came out of a tractor.
obviously the probe/mx6 engines are the same as mechanically they're the same car.

I don't think I'd describe it as looking like it came out of a tractor. It isn't as advanced no, but it is still a good engine. It is much more revvy than the Duratec engine in my mates Mondeo which suits the car well.

The_Dark_Side · 28 Nov 2006 at 12:13

Rilot said:
I don't think I'd describe it as looking like it came out of a tractor. It isn't as advanced no, but it is still a good engine. It is much more revvy than the Duratec engine in my mates Mondeo which suits the car well.

in fairness the way I phrased that was more by the way of praise for the duratec than an insult to the Mazda lump.

probedb · 28 Nov 2006 at 13:09

Rilot said:
The Probe V6 is identical to the MX6 lump. It is a earlier version of the Mondeo 2.5 V6 but makes a bit more power (195bhp IIRC).

It's a Mazda engine and it was never used in any Mondeo. Standard UK engine makes 164bhp, Jap spec (KL-ZE) makes around 196bhp.

Also before just relying on a few people on this forum why not go visit some useful websites like:

www.mx6.com
www.fpoc.co.uk
www.probetalk.com

etc.

Before slagging them off, there are cars in the US running over 400hp @ the wheels and cars doing 11second quarters.

Just do a bit of research rather than relying on people here

pinkaardvark · 28 Nov 2006 at 14:06

probedb said:
Before slagging them off, there are cars in the US running over 400hp @ the wheels and cars doing 11second quarters.

That lada on topgear that lotus did over was pretty cool also, doesn't make yer common garden ladas anymore attractive though.

Rilot · 28 Nov 2006 at 14:23

pinkaardvark said:
That lada on topgear that lotus did over was pretty cool also, doesn't make yer common garden ladas anymore attractive though.

Indeed but the MX6 is hardly a bad car.

Toryglen-boy · 28 Nov 2006 at 17:36

probedb said:
Just do a bit of research rather than relying on people here

i did

i have all the fact and figures. i was more interested in what people on here thought of them to drive.

and no amount of research is gonna tell me that

probedb · 28 Nov 2006 at 20:15

Toryglen-boy said:
and no amount of research is gonna tell me that

So very true

Seriously, go register on any of the UK forums and see if anyone will take you for a test drive. I've had 2 24V Probes before the RX7 and the engine is silky smooth, I'd really love to know where the tractor comment came from. It'll go all the way to redline without a hitch...it has a feature called VRIS which is basically a set of two valves that open/close at different RPMs to alter the power curve so you get a little kick around 4250rpm. They're not bad to drive but would recommend you get it lowered and get some anti-roll and strut bars to stiffen it up, makes a huge difference. The MX6 is somewhat rarer than the Probe as well.

You're obviously going to get people that think that cars are crap but that's their opinion and they're entitled to it but don't let the words of a few here put you off.

You can't make a proper decision until you get in one and drive it. Don't buy a car on other people's opinions...such a bad and stupid idea for anything really.

Toryglen-boy · 28 Nov 2006 at 20:48

probedb said:
So very true

Seriously, go register on any of the UK forums and see if anyone will take you for a test drive. I've had 2 24V Probes before the RX7 and the engine is silky smooth, I'd really love to know where the tractor comment came from. It'll go all the way to redline without a hitch...it has a feature called VRIS which is basically a set of two valves that open/close at different RPMs to alter the power curve so you get a little kick around 4250rpm. They're not bad to drive but would recommend you get it lowered and get some anti-roll and strut bars to stiffen it up, makes a huge difference. The MX6 is somewhat rarer than the Probe as well.

You're obviously going to get people that think that cars are crap but that's their opinion and they're entitled to it but don't let the words of a few here put you off.

You can't make a proper decision until you get in one and drive it. Don't buy a car on other people's opinions...such a bad and stupid idea for anything really.

thanks for that fella

i will take it on board