So earlier this year I bought an '06 3 S Hatchback. Or so I thought. The options didn't add up so I looked into it and found out it has the same options as an S Grand Touring. Bonus! Or so I thought. Yesterday I had the back breaks done but after getting it back there was a rubbing sound. I took it back down today for them to check it out and as it turns out it is an '05 (by one month), not an '06 ('05 back break pads are slightly smaller than '06). That also means, according to the option on it, that it's technically an SP23 Special Edition. Odd thing is, it's titled as an '06 S.

How often does this sortta thing happen? How does this even happen? It seems like a pretty big mistake for a car dealer to make.

 

Assuming the pictures in your signature is correct then you don't have a sp23. The sp23 was a special edition for 2005, and in addition to many of the features you've found was available only in carbon gray mica paint and with sp23 badges on the front doors.

Many of those features (leather, heated seats, HID, TPMS, etc.) were available as optional packages in '04 and '05. In '06 Mazda did away with the option packages and created a greater number of more restrictive models. That's when the touring, touring value, GT, etc. were born.

So it sounds like you have a '05 model with most of the bells and whistles.

 

Now it's starting to make sense. I still have no idea how my '05 is titled as an '06 but according to the door sticker it is.

Thanks a lot!

 

Maybe it was a late build '05 and they thought it was an early build '06. There were some pretty minor changes between the two years so no real biggee.