My 2008 Mazdaspeed3 Review

[Chrono]

Stage 2 2006 STI here. It's fun alright. I also got suspension mods. Ever drive the EVO/STI? Well, you should check it out before juding cuz they rock. EVO X sticks like glue!!!!!

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Chrono
Stage 2 2006 STI here. It's fun alright. I also got suspension mods. Ever drive the EVO/STI? Well, you should check it out before juding cuz they rock. EVO X sticks like glue!!!!!

A car like the Evo X isn't for me. I test drove one with a buddy but too much electronics for me. I like my cars simple.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

starting at $23,410? no way am i paying about $30k for fwd torque steer.

 

[bananapeel42]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
starting at $23,410? no way am i paying about $30k for fwd torque steer.

If you're referring to a Mazdaspeed 3 costing 30k you're a fucking idiot.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

MAZDASPEED3 Grand Touring Model

$24,455

Destination Fee
$670

263-hp 2.3L DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder


Front-Wheel Drive

6-Spd Manual


CARGO NET
$40
COMPASS/AUTO-DIM MIRROR
$200
WHEEL LOCKS
$50
Total MSRP:
$25,415*

add another $1950 for sat nav and radio = $27365. sales tax makes it $28733.25. so, yeah, only an idiot would pay that.

Originally posted by: bananapeel42

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
starting at $23,410? no way am i paying about $30k for fwd torque steer.

If you're referring to a Mazdaspeed 3 costing 30k you're a fucking idiot.

now who's the the fucking idiot, you fucking idiot?

 

[ggnl]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
MAZDASPEED3 Grand Touring Model

$24,455

Destination Fee
$670

263-hp 2.3L DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder


Front-Wheel Drive

6-Spd Manual


CARGO NET
$40
COMPASS/AUTO-DIM MIRROR
$200
WHEEL LOCKS
$50
Total MSRP:
$25,415*

add another $1950 for sat nav and radio = $27365. sales tax makes it $28733.25. so, yeah, only an idiot would pay that.

So it's almost 29k after TT&L for the most expensive trim level with every single option?

You can make any car sound overpriced by that logic.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
MAZDASPEED3 Grand Touring Model

$24,455

Destination Fee
$670

263-hp 2.3L DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder


Front-Wheel Drive

6-Spd Manual


CARGO NET
$40
COMPASS/AUTO-DIM MIRROR
$200
WHEEL LOCKS
$50
Total MSRP:
$25,415*

add another $1950 for sat nav and radio = $27365. sales tax makes it $28733.25. so, yeah, only an idiot would pay that.

Originally posted by: bananapeel42

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
starting at $23,410? no way am i paying about $30k for fwd torque steer.

If you're referring to a Mazdaspeed 3 costing 30k you're a fucking idiot.

now who's the the fucking idiot, you fucking idiot?

This exchange is lulz.

Anyway, the Dangler has a point. Grand Prairie Ford here in Dallas has a bunch of new '08 Mustang GTs for sale for under $25k, and this seems to happen every year when the model year changes over.

I'm not a Mustang guy really, but can definitely see preferring to get a 300hp RWD machine that is easy to mod, as opposed to a ~265hp FWD setup that is also easy to mod, but quickly becomes undriveable if you add too much power. ~600hp Mustang with tightened suspension is still a trackable car. ~600hp FWD is pretty much only good for drag runs with giant ass slicks, and you have to watch out for king kong torque steer and super wheel hop, along with half-axles popping on ya.

 

[sindows]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite

Originally posted by: sindows
Its not that powerful, a similarly priced V6 Camry can keep up with it no problem....trust me I know having surprised a MS3 driver when I took one out for a drive. However regarding your comment about the car feeling cheap. Keep in mind that price was the real consideration when they built the car, not speed. The same goes for the WRX and Evolution. It doesn't matter how fast you make, at heart they are just economy cars on steroids.

i'm sorry, what?

That driver must have sucked, because an MS3 will run circles around an Accord. And the WRX and the Evo are NOT economy cars on steroids. The lancer and the impreza are economy cars, but the technologies in the (apples to apples) STI and the EVO are trickle downs from rally implementations, not evolutions of an economy car. Now the Cobalt SS IS and economy car on steroids, but executed very, very nicely. (i'm talking about the 2009 car, which is vastly different than the previous generation SS's)

Have you ever looked at trap speeds for Camrys? Magazines get ~100Mph which is roughly the same as your beloved MS3. However in day to day driving, I guarantee that the Camry will be the faster car due to its ample torque and non-existent turbo lag.

As far as technology is concerned, Audi has Quattro which is the granddaddy of AWD systems and I don't consider the A4/A6/A6/TT as sports cars just because the technology "trickled" down from racing development. However I do consider a R8 as a legitimate performance car because it was built ground up to be one despite that fact that it shares it AWD system from its more humble siblings.

 

[aphex]

As a Mazda3 owner, I can tell you one thing, they hold up pretty well to high miles.

My 2005 Mazda3 is just a hair under 100k miles now (98.5k at last check) and i've had one problem since I purchased the car, a fuel pump solenoid valve went around 65k miles. Other than that its been great (knock on wood). The interior has held up significantly better than the other cars i've owned as well. All the VW's I had suffered from serious rubber rot inside, the Mazda3, while plastic, still looks new inside.

 

[ayabe]

Lowest 0-60 I've seen for a V6 Camry is around 5.8 seconds or so, I think from C&D. So it's no slouch, but let's get real with what we're talking about.

It doesn't in any way compare to the MS3. That's just silly.

Also, the MS3 has the best interior by a wide margin over it's competitors. The Cobalt, despite being impressive on paper, is still a monumental piece of shit. How anyone can sit in that car and not become immediately angry and want to vomit is beyond me.

I'm not an MS3 fanboy and would never buy one for a lot of reasons, but it is a decent car for your money.

 

[bananapeel42]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
MAZDASPEED3 Grand Touring Model

$24,455

Destination Fee
$670

263-hp 2.3L DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder


Front-Wheel Drive

6-Spd Manual


CARGO NET
$40
COMPASS/AUTO-DIM MIRROR
$200
WHEEL LOCKS
$50
Total MSRP:
$25,415*

add another $1950 for sat nav and radio = $27365. sales tax makes it $28733.25. so, yeah, only an idiot would pay that.

Originally posted by: bananapeel42

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
starting at $23,410? no way am i paying about $30k for fwd torque steer.

If you're referring to a Mazdaspeed 3 costing 30k you're a fucking idiot.

now who's the the fucking idiot, you fucking idiot?

This exchange is lulz.

Anyway, the Dangler has a point. Grand Prairie Ford here in Dallas has a bunch of new '08 Mustang GTs for sale for under $25k, and this seems to happen every year when the model year changes over.

I'm not a Mustang guy really, but can definitely see preferring to get a 300hp RWD machine that is easy to mod, as opposed to a ~265hp FWD setup that is also easy to mod, but quickly becomes undriveable if you add too much power. ~600hp Mustang with tightened suspension is still a trackable car. ~600hp FWD is pretty much only good for drag runs with giant ass slicks, and you have to watch out for king kong torque steer and super wheel hop, along with half-axles popping on ya.

Now you're just making yourself look bad. Even after you put every single option imaginable and add sales tax + fees you don't get to 30k. Not to mention you don't pay MSRP for these either.

Poor guy. I don't even own a Mazda, I have no loyalty to them.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Xyclone

EDIT: Btw, a V6 Camry cannot keep up with the MS3, not in a straight line, and let's not get into cornering. My dad has a 2007 V6 Camry LE, and it does 0-60 in 6.5s, while the MS3 does 60 in 5.4s, according to C&D. The Camry's handling is surprisingly adequate for its power output, if not more than adequate, but it does not compare to a MS3 or other pocket rockets (ex: Mini Cooper S).

Car and Driver's 5.4 second time in the MS3 was achieved by flat-shifting (keeping the throttle pinned to the floor nonstop, even when engaging and disengaging the clutch) so that the turbo wouldn't lose boost between shifts, and it was achieved on Mazda's recommended 93 octane gas, which is NOT available in all parts of the country. Although they did that at Mazda's request, you would never abuse your own car that way, and that time is not remotely representative of what would be achieved in the real world. The Camry, however, is an automatic and therefore its times are consistent, and it uses regular gas.

I'm not saying the cars are comparable in other ways, and I'd still prefer a MS3 over a Camry any day, but don't assume that it will be as fast as the magazine numbers suggest.

As for the 3's interior, I'm going to have to say that it is tacky, dated, and lacks the material quality of many of its rivals. Those flashing LEDs above the radio are an embarrassment. But as others have said, it your goal is nothing but horsepower, a manual, a LSD, and a fairly sporty suspension, you'd be had pressed to do it cheaper than the MS3.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: aphex
As a Mazda3 owner, I can tell you one thing, they hold up pretty well to high miles.

My 2005 Mazda3 is just a hair under 100k miles now (98.5k at last check)

While I do expect your 3 will continue to be reliable for a long time, 100K is not high miles. It's barely broken in! Coming from VW's, I think you'd be impressed by almost anything.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: Xyclone

EDIT: Btw, a V6 Camry cannot keep up with the MS3, not in a straight line, and let's not get into cornering. My dad has a 2007 V6 Camry LE, and it does 0-60 in 6.5s, while the MS3 does 60 in 5.4s, according to C&D. The Camry's handling is surprisingly adequate for its power output, if not more than adequate, but it does not compare to a MS3 or other pocket rockets (ex: Mini Cooper S).

Car and Driver's 5.4 second time in the MS3 was achieved by flat-shifting (keeping the throttle pinned to the floor nonstop, even when engaging and disengaging the clutch) so that the turbo wouldn't lose boost between shifts, and it was achieved on Mazda's recommended 93 octane gas, which is NOT available in all parts of the country. Although they did that at Mazda's request, you would never abuse your own car that way, and that time is not remotely representative of what would be achieved in the real world. The Camry, however, is an automatic and therefore its times are consistent, and it uses regular gas.

I'm not saying the cars are comparable in other ways, and I'd still prefer a MS3 over a Camry any day, but don't assume that it will be as fast as the magazine numbers suggest.

As for the 3's interior, I'm going to have to say that it is tacky, dated, and lacks the material quality of many of its rivals. Those flashing LEDs above the radio are an embarrassment. But as others have said, it your goal is nothing but horsepower, a manual, a LSD, and a fairly sporty suspension, you'd be had pressed to do it cheaper than the MS3.

If you throw styling/interior to the wind, the Cobalt SS now owns the MS3 at every level. That 'Ring time, along with the Hot Lap that C&D did, just underscore the strange truth that what amounts to a hopped-up current-gen Cavalier is kicking butt.

I doubt I could ever convince myself to own one, but I have to give credit where it's due.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

If you throw styling/interior to the wind, the Cobalt SS now owns the MS3 at every level. That 'Ring time, along with the Hot Lap that C&D did, just underscore the strange truth that what amounts to a hopped-up current-gen Cavalier is kicking butt.

I doubt I could ever convince myself to own one, but I have to give credit where it's due.

Very true. It defies all logic, but the times are there. The new Cobalt SS is a seriously quick car. GM has come a long way from the IROC-Z turdbuckets of yore.

 

[Gibson486]

Yeah, when I got my 3 hatch...the one thing that pissed me off was finding out that in order to open the trunk...you need to physically get out of the car. It's the only way. I eventually got over it, though....I mean think about it...even if you did automate the trunk opening, you still have to lift it up atleast halfway to get the hatch to lift on its own.


My key has a panic button though.....