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2006 Mazda Speed6 Road Test
![]() ![]() 'Holy Shamolley!' This car moves!
By Kevin 'Crash' Corrigan
![]() This is where I usually say that “they handed me the keys” but they didn't; what they gave me was my very own Mazda credit card -- or at least that's what it looked like. After realizing that it didn't have a magnetic strip or any numbers printed on it, I pushed everything on the card that resembled a button, expecting to see a key flick out from it, but nothing. I walked off in the direction of the car park thinking “are we really becoming a keyless society”?
Approaching the vehicle, I was suitably impressed. Mazda has a unique way of giving all its products a certain sporty look; even this sensible four-door model carried 18-inch alloy wheels and a cute little trunk lid spoiler. Now it's probably not going to give the young tuner guys heart palpitations, but for a guy like me sporting a slight middle age spread, it couldn't hurt my street cred.
The interior followed along similar lines, black leather bucket seats; leather-bound three-spoke steering wheel and a dashboard that wouldn't have looked out of place in a two-seat roadster. I turned the key and started it up -- well actually not -- I turned a little knob where the key should have been.
![]() Holy Shamolley! What have I got here, a Speed6, not just a Mazda6? It's more like a speed fix! I hadn't noticed the sporty nameplate when I picked up this Mazda.
To call this car a wolf in sheep's clothing just doesn't do justice to the vehicle! Imagine that the wolf has just shoved a kilo of white powder up his nose and now you're starting to get the idea.
As I live in the countryside north of the city, I started to search out the twisty back roads where I could put the car through its paces. The vehicle was totally in its element on them and let me quickly run through the reasons why.
![]() The Speed6 just loves winding roads; it is also rather partial to a bit of gravel now and then, so on country roads it's a blast! I have tried to put a handle on what the Speed6 is truly like but I think that the best way that I could describe it would be a Subaru WRX without all the boy-racer bits.
Of course, the vehicle also has its civilized side with plenty of room for the family, reasonable trunk space and a whole host of the usual safety features. It also carries a six-disc in-dash CD changer with Bose audio system and seven speakers. This I tried for a few minutes and found extremely pleasant, but not quite as pleasing to the ears as the vehicle's exhaust growl.
All in all, I truly enjoyed my week in the Speed6. I've tried the so called “hot hatchbacks” before and they're nice, but I tend to like a car with a real trunk and a door for everyone. If I were in the market for a new car, I think that I'd forget the “hot hatch” and go for the “flaming four door”!
Quick Facts
Base Price: $35,995
Price as tested: $38,795 (includes $2,800 leather package, keyless entry and moon roof)
Fuel economy: City 12.5L/100km, Highway 8.5L/100km.
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 6.6 seconds.
What's new for 2007 models?
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