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2007 Mazdaspeed6 Long Term Update No.3

Odometer 8,519 miles: In just over 8 months, my Mazdaspeed6 has accumulated a mere 8,519 miles,

Snow isn't anything to be afraid of, provided you've got the right gear. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

which works out to about 994 miles a month. That might not seem like a whole lot, but since I enjoy driving it so much I decided to purchase a pre-owned set of winter tires. There are a lot of people selling used winters in various types and grades for not a lot of money. Oftentimes when people change their cars, their current set of winter tires won't fit their new cars, or when leases end they want to get rid of their winter tires that are gathering dust in a corner of their garage. I set a budget of no more than $800 for the tires (not including the wheels). This, I thought, might be a challenge as the Mazdaspeed6's phenomenal braking is due in part to 12.6 inch front brake rotors that require minimum 17-inch snow tires to clear the front brakes.

The answer to my tire question came in the form of a set of 17-inch Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 tires that I found on Craigslist for $400. With at least 70-80-percent tread left, they'll get me through the winter without a problem, not to mention next winter, and possibly the winter after that. What's more is that for a little over the price of one tire, I got all four, a far cry from almost $300 per tire price tag most dealers want for these winter tires.

Normally, the Pilot Alpin PA2s are a very costly tire. Our man Steven found them at a huge discount by opting for them in pre-owned form. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

Made in Germany, the Pilot Alpin PA2s are designed for sports coupes and sedans where handling is just as important as traction, as such they are classified as a high performance winter tire. After using them in all kinds of conditions, cold dry pavement, slush, ice and heavy snow, I have found them to be an excellent companion to the Mazdaseed6's all-wheel drive. They are also very quiet on dry pavement and exhibit none of the tread squirm that can come from a winter with a softer sidewall.

Thanks to the amount of snow we've had in the last month, I've put Mazda's claim that there is an automatic snow program for the AWD system. In snow mode the MS6 behaves very much like a RWD sedan, allowing me to kick the tail out, steering with just a bit of throttle while taking corners at greater speeds than what a normal car would be able to. In a straight line the car launches with minimal to no wheelspin and just keeps on accelerating, that is until I remembered that all-wheel drive doesn't actually help a car stop faster. I've caught myself a couple of times driving too quickly for the weather conditions, as the Mazdaspeed6 feels so secure and sure-footed. I personally prefer an all wheel drive car to a truck or SUV in general, as cars have lower

The Mazdaspeed6 might be more of a sports car than a sport utility vehicle, but it excels in these conditions. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

centers of gravity and therefore much better handling. When you do need to stop, both the winter tires and brakes do an excellent job; there's surprisingly little cut-in by the ABS. Like the ABS, the DSC is not intrusive at all, but if there is a downside, pitching the car around corners with the tail hanging out like a rally car is great fun, but not always the most responsible behavior.

When it came time to decide on a set of wheels to mount my winter tires on, rather than go for the undercover cop car look that bolting on a set of black steelies brings to a given car, I found a used set of alloy wheels. Factory wheels from a similar model can be had cheaply as some owners choose to upgrade from the stock wheels. I found a set of 17x7 inch chrome wheels from a 2001 Mazda Millenia that I paid $300 for. So for $700 plus $30 mounting and balancing I had a set of winter tires and wheels. I installed the four winter tires myself as so many tire shops use an air gun to hammer tires on even though every automobile manufacturer recommends tires be hand torqued. Yes I am a little particular about my car, but I saved a bit of money plus I tend enjoy working on cars even if the job is something as simple as changing a set of wheels and tires. This also mean that at the same time I was able to wash, wax, inspect and tuck my stock wheels and summer

Switching fuels can have an effect on your mileage. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

tires away for the winter in my basement.

Since I have been making an effort to drive the car more and more I can now report that I've finally gotten used to the clutch, even driving in stop and go traffic with no issues whatsoever. As a bit of an experiment I have switched fuel brands to see if it has an effect on mileage. Since Sunoco's Ultra 94 high-performance fuel (my standard choice) contains ethanol, I wanted to figure out if there would be any deterioration versus a fuel with lower ethanol content. My primary concern was whether or not my car would run as well on a lower grade of fuel. The Mazdaspeed6 is tuned to run on 93 octane, whereas the Mazdaspeed3 is tuned to run on 91 octane (and has seven fewer horsepower). I decided to try running Shell's V-power 91 which contains no ethanol. The result is an additional 50-60 miles per tank with no discernible decrease in performance.

The parking brake might be sticking... (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

Thanks to some other Mazdaspeed6 owners on the Internet I have solved the mystery regarding the intelligent key. Sometimes, the car locks itself automatically when walking away from the vehicle, but sometimes it doesn't. Apparently, it has to do with how quickly you walk away from the car; if you walk away too fast the sensor will not lock the doors. The trick is to close the door, start to walk away and listen for a chirp from the car. Once it does, the car will lock automatically.

While I am glad this is no longer an issue to bring up at the dealership, I have a new issue to talk about, this time a mechanical one. When I park the car I always leave it in gear and apply the parking brake to prevent it from rolling back. Recently, when heading out, after releasing the parking brake and shifting it into gear, there's a loud clunking sound from the rear end. My guess is a sticking parking brake.

When the car is in for its next service stop, which will be in just over 1,200 miles, I will bring this up to my Service Advisor. In the meantime let it snow, winter is here and the Mazdaspeed6 is not afraid of it.

Long-Term Specifications (Mazdaspeed6):

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