Mazdaspeed3

[Vic Vega]

...

 

[arcenite]

I was always told that if the car manufacturer's name starts with an 'M' to stay away :hmm:

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I looked into buying a MS3 a few years back. Decided not to because of the payments on it being higher than expected.

 

[yh125d]

I was always told that if the car manufacturer's name starts with an 'M' to stay away :hmm:

And this is why owls aren't permitted to drive



Also, garage <-------

 

[MotF Bane]

Go to the Garage.

At the very least, JCH13 and punjabiplaya both have MS3's, and there's probably more that I've forgotten.

 

[chin311]

Omg wrong form, lol.

Heard of some issues with the 07's and motor mounts but other than that they are respectable cars. Not a bad price for the mileage. And you get the last good body style before it became that goofy looking thing it is now.

 

[stag3]

no issues, loved mine, had 30k on it when i traded it in. if i didn't want awd i would have kept it. its fast and can haul almost anything you need

 

[Juddog]

<--- Garage forum

 

[Arkaign]

It's a boss car for the price. $18k has lots of options though, some of which I'd probably lean towards over even some of the best FWD cars.

WRX, WRX STI, C5 Z06, 350Z Nismo, G35 Coupe 6MT Sport, these are also all pretty solid options, though most of them harder or impossible to find as new/low miles for that price.

 

[Gibson486]

I have an 07 non speed version.

In terms of reliability, it ok. It starts up every morning, so yeah, it's reliable. However, there are the other issues that effect it. There is the piss poor motor mounts (I think the speed has a better one), the cleaning of throttle body, the PS pump (which their is finally a recall on, so that can be excused)...those are off the top of my head.

Do I like the car? Yes, but it has its headaches and it's not as maintenance free as say a Honda/Toyota or even a Nissan.

 

[JimKiler]

I had a 99 Protege that I drove until 150K miles on it and delivered pizza's with. The engine was still solid and the only issues it had was suspension and brakes due to wear and tear of my driving style + pizza delivery.

I now drive a 2003 Protege 5 with 120K miles and the only work on it is the spark plugs once, the brakes have been replaced and i changed the air filter was past the point of needing it, that filter was blacker than black but i never noticed an issue with performance. my current car does suffer from rusting at the read wheel wells.

Mazda is a solid car and they are fun to drive. We got my wife a CX-7 last fall and it too is a fun car to drive. If you wait the new 2012 3's will be able to get 28/40MPG but no word on a date and price as of yet.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Is that the one without the smiley face? I wish they kept making those =(. The speed3's are pretty beastly for what they are.

 

[Vic Vega]

Yeah, this should have been in ATG, oh well.

 

[Zap]

MOVED TO GARAGE

My wife had a 2005 Mazda 3s, purchased new and used until this past December. Had a battery fail after 3 years and didn't like the open differential, but otherwise zero problems and no rust (Wisconsin). It is now enjoying retirement in California - gave to her parents and they absolutely love it.

I currently drive a 2007 Mazdaspeed 6, purchased new. Only big issues are sometimes a hesitation during acceleration and check engine lights (which may be related, sometimes CEL comes on during the hesitation). I'm actually typing this message while using the WiFi at the dealer while they work on that issue. Otherwise, I like the car. I test drove two different 2007 MS3 before settling on the MS6, and the MS3 was a fine car. Might even out-handle the MS6 due to it being smaller/lighter, but I wanted AWD.

I think Mazda is firmly entrenched in the hot hatch market these days. Used to be that the Mazdaspeed models were limited editions and each only made for two model years, but the MS3 has been so popular that it is now a recurring model.

 

[punjabiplaya]

buy it

things to check for: smoking turbo, general abuse and modifications

if you don't need AWD, it's epic fun

 

[Vic Vega]

Good info, thanks for the owner responses.

Zap, I'm sort of in the same boat with wanting AWD. I haven't owned a FWD car since the late 90s and I'm not sure I want to go back. An AWD setup would be nice though. I guess the engines are basically the same between the two cars, save maybe different tuning.

 

[exar333]

Good info, thanks for the owner responses.

Zap, I'm sort of in the same boat with wanting AWD. I haven't owned a FWD car since the late 90s and I'm not sure I want to go back. An AWD setup would be nice though. I guess the engines are basically the same between the two cars, save maybe different tuning.

This is a very valid point. I felt the same way, otherwise I probably would have gotten this over my WRX. FWD just isn't what I want...

 

[JCH13]

It may be time to replace my daily driver. I have been looking at the Mazdaspeed3. A coworker is selling his 2009, 18k miles for $18k. This car has all the options, leather, touring package, etc.

Does anyone have long term owner experience with these cars? Any insight is appreciated.

I have a 2009 GT, many of the bugs were worked out by that year. I've got 25k on mine with no smoking turbo or puking shocks, and I've driven it hard. I've done a few power-adders which really wake up the car that I'd highly recommend as well as some custom shifter upgrades/tweaks that I can go over with you if you're interested.

Yeah, it's FWD, but it's stupid amounts of fun on the street and very competitive at the track if you know how to drive it. Boost starts coming on strong at 2krpm, and peaks at 3krpm, a really nice spool for street and auto-x driving. Everyone gets a shit-eating grin on their face when they drive it, even JLee with his 300AWHP FXT and 300+hp MR2.

 

[imagoon]

It may be time to replace my daily driver. I have been looking at the Mazdaspeed3. A coworker is selling his 2009, 18k miles for $18k. This car has all the options, leather, touring package, etc.

Does anyone have long term owner experience with these cars? Any insight is appreciated.

70k on a speed6 here. Same engine and transmission. Computer tune also pushes more horsepower on the speed6. No issues that were not warranty (nothing engine.)

 

[jlee]

70k on a speed6 here. Same engine and transmission. Computer tune also pushes more horsepower on the speed6. No issues that were not warranty (nothing engine.)

AWD vs FWD - same transmission, just with a driveshaft coming out of the back?

I thought the Speed6's had drivetrain issues, but I'm not familiar with them at all.

 

[Arkaign]

AWD vs FWD - same transmission, just with a driveshaft coming out of the back?
I thought the Speed6's had drivetrain issues, but I'm not familiar with them at all.

If I had to guess, it'd be that people used to driving NA i4 FWD cards (Civic / Integra / etc) that get into something like that probably try to treat it like it's a good idea to dump the clutch at 5k rpm, which puts one holy hell of a lot of stress through the transmission and differential. With a puny ~100hp 90s Civic all you do is spin the tires for a second, with a 300+hp modded MazdaSpeed turbo, you're putting just a magnitude of extra stress on the system.

That's just my guess though. If they are breaking even with feathering off the line, etc, then that's definitely a weak design. I'm just constantly amazed at how people will abuse their cars.

 

[imagoon]

AWD vs FWD - same transmission, just with a driveshaft coming out of the back?

I thought the Speed6's had drivetrain issues, but I'm not familiar with them at all.

Same trans with a blocker plate over the PTO shaft "hole" and the PTO shaft removed.

Edit:

Also the "issues" seem to stem from abuse as mentioned above. The shock the DT sees from side stepping a clutch at 5k is far different than the shock from a proper launch. Guess which one most idiots know how to do better?

 

[jlee]

If I had to guess, it'd be that people used to driving NA i4 FWD cards (Civic / Integra / etc) that get into something like that probably try to treat it like it's a good idea to dump the clutch at 5k rpm, which puts one holy hell of a lot of stress through the transmission and differential. With a puny ~100hp 90s Civic all you do is spin the tires for a second, with a 300+hp modded MazdaSpeed turbo, you're putting just a magnitude of extra stress on the system.

That's just my guess though. If they are breaking even with feathering off the line, etc, then that's definitely a weak design. I'm just constantly amazed at how people will abuse their cars.

That is possible...people say WRX transmissions are weak, but if you don't clutch dump them they're usually good for a long, long time.

 

[Arkaign]

That is possible...people say WRX transmissions are weak, but if you don't clutch dump them they're usually good for a long, long time.

True that. I think a number of WRX tranny problems with the 5-speed also happened with modified cars in the 2nd gear, with people riding 1st all the way to the red and hard shifting to 2nd while at full boost. Like you say, abuse. Maybe it'll give you .1 second better 0-60, but it'll also chew up the tranny. Seems like 2nd is the gear that goes in those things. Too bad the STI 6-speed is $$$$.

 

[JCH13]

FWIW the MS6s had drivetrain issues from hard launches like that, yes.

MS3s absorb that abuse as tire smoke for the most part :awe: One of the auto-rags had something silly like 30 1/4mile runs, some with flat-foot shifting and all with hard launches.

Cobb's MS3, with stock engine guts and transmission, was spanking multiple Time Attack classes a few years ago. This article convinced me that an MS3 would hold up exceptionally well to abuse. They won Steet and Modified Class with the same car, only switching to different wheels/tires to qualify for Modified.

"This car continues to amaze. No surprise many of our staff regularly comment how impressed they are with it, and how they may soon consider purchasing one. Keep in mind folks, these same people have daily access to STIs, EVOs, and even a GT-R!! That’s no small compliment."

"Car configuration:
COBB AccessPORT
COBB Turbo-back Exhaust
COBB SF Intake
COBB FMIC
COBB Springs
COBB Sway Bars
COBB Double Adjustable Shifter
Stock Struts
Stock Turbo
Volk RE30 18”x8.5”, +52mm offset Wheels (Street Class)
Toyo R1R 255/35-18 Tires (Street Class)
Prodrive GC05 18”x 8”, +46 mm offset (Mod Class)
Toyo R888 245/40-18 Tires (Mod Class)"