Mazda 3 (Not Speed)
06-24-2007, 01:30 AM
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Mazda 3 (Not Speed)
Well my car is in the body shop as someone rammed the backbumper of my car, and then somehow my car moved in the wrong direction and the rear wheels turned to an angle that pretty much bent the wheels. Thus the insurance company gave me a Mazda 3 to drive in for 2 weeks, and this being the end of the first week, I want to shoot myself in the head. Sure the car is still sportier than a corolla but man I do miss the higher revs and the agility and ease of the 8 
Anyone either drove/own a Mazda 3? I mean I think Im having some sort of intense urge to hear the beep telling me to shift! OMG IM GOING CRAZY HELP ME
I keep telling myself its not as bad as I think it is, until I drive around and see people in their 350z and such and I just think about my 8, sitting in the bodyshop .. I miss the double takes people used to give to my car, and the thumbs up! AHHH help me! How do I control myself!!
Anyone either drove/own a Mazda 3? I mean I think Im having some sort of intense urge to hear the beep telling me to shift! OMG IM GOING CRAZY HELP ME
I keep telling myself its not as bad as I think it is, until I drive around and see people in their 350z and such and I just think about my 8, sitting in the bodyshop .. I miss the double takes people used to give to my car, and the thumbs up! AHHH help me! How do I control myself!!
06-24-2007, 01:54 AM
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at least you got a mazda 3 as a rental. i took my 8 for emissions recall, reflash and center console replacement and i ended up getting stuck with a chevy cobalt ls. the dealership went through enterprise, which i did not anticipate. i was hoping i would get a cx7, a 6 or even a 3. the cobalt i had for 2 days didn't even have power windows or mirrors. the a/c kicked *** though. the 3 you have isn't that bad, but then again, you're stuck with it for 2 weeks. gl with your 8 though.
06-24-2007, 05:18 PM
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My daughter has the top end 3 (not speed unfortunately) but I hate the clutch. It seems like you have the clutch out way too far before it engages. Is yours a stick or auto?
06-25-2007, 01:55 PM
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The 3 is not meant to be a sports car. It is meant to be a sportier look on the entry level sedan. I think it is a tremendous bargain considering how inexpensive it is. If you are driving the “I” model with the 2.0L engine then I pity your situation. However, the 2.3 “S” model has a lot more pep and handles surprisingly well for a fwd runabout.
Either way, thank the lucky stars you are not in a Corolla or Kia.
06-25-2007, 02:10 PM
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It is a rental, so I am sure it is an auto.
The 3 is not meant to be a sports car. It is meant to be a sportier look on the entry level sedan. I think it is a tremendous bargain considering how inexpensive it is. If you are driving the “I” model with the 2.0L engine then I pity your situation. However, the 2.3 “S” model has a lot more pep and handles surprisingly well for a fwd runabout.
Either way, thank the lucky stars you are not in a Corolla or Kia.
The 3 is not meant to be a sports car. It is meant to be a sportier look on the entry level sedan. I think it is a tremendous bargain considering how inexpensive it is. If you are driving the “I” model with the 2.0L engine then I pity your situation. However, the 2.3 “S” model has a lot more pep and handles surprisingly well for a fwd runabout.
Either way, thank the lucky stars you are not in a Corolla or Kia.
06-25-2007, 06:57 PM
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I'll help you ease the pain a bit. Wait for it to rain, turn and slam on the brakes (just the regular brakes), that thing will get more sideways than a wannabe wine connoisseur. Ahhh rental cars...
To answer your question though, I think 3s are probably the best cars in their class. They've got decent power and decent handling compared to your other options, plus lots of standard equipment. The normal ones don't stack up to the 8, but they're still quite nice for what they are. Also, <3 my Speed 3.
To answer your question though, I think 3s are probably the best cars in their class. They've got decent power and decent handling compared to your other options, plus lots of standard equipment. The normal ones don't stack up to the 8, but they're still quite nice for what they are. Also, <3 my Speed 3.
06-25-2007, 07:06 PM
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It was laughably bad - it handled like a bus, I was ALWAYS (literally) flooring it just to avoid holding up traffic, and - mind you, I never notice these things - the interior materials were probably the lowest quality I have ever seen. In short, it was a pathetic performing, fisher-price quality box created to uncomfortably haul probably about 300 lbs of cargo, at best. I really doubt that car would move if I put in more than one passenger.
For the $9000 that car probably cost, I can think of hundreds of used cars I'd rather purchase.
06-25-2007, 07:46 PM
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I had a 3 5dS with the 2.3 and thought it was an awesome sport compact for it's price range... Then I upgraded to the Speed3, now I just giggle like a school girl at every light and every corner ^_^
06-25-2007, 07:53 PM
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first rental i received from the delership was a base model beat up lancer then i got the 3 the next time and just loved it. sure it is not an 8 but is was a great rental car. we also drive a p5 so i was ready for it.
06-26-2007, 02:39 AM
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Thanks for the replys.. Yea its auto as it is rental and I still hate it haha Man I wanted to drive a CX7 soo bad ! I went back today because the tire was balding o_O and they had a CX7 on the lot but someone already rented it out.. They offered to trade for a lincoln but.. uh no haha My baby 8 is left outside the bodyshop! They didnt even put it inside!
06-26-2007, 07:04 AM
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My Mazda dealership gave me a new Altima . Nice car ..... if i was 65
Tremendous body roll, rides smooth like a american car now, push button is nifty, but the novelty wears off after the second time you get into it. Nissan needs to trim the fat on there cars, first the 350Z,then the Maxima & awkward looking Sentra, now the Altima.
Somebody on the design team at Nissan is obsessed with the obese and bloated look.
Tremendous body roll, rides smooth like a american car now, push button is nifty, but the novelty wears off after the second time you get into it. Nissan needs to trim the fat on there cars, first the 350Z,then the Maxima & awkward looking Sentra, now the Altima.
Somebody on the design team at Nissan is obsessed with the obese and bloated look.
06-26-2007, 08:05 AM
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Regarding performance, I have to say, the 3s manual is snappy, I was very impressed with the pickup. It doesn't bog down and bitch when pressing 80 and higher, like most compact cars do...
06-26-2007, 10:32 AM
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We have 3i sedan, great commuter car gets good gas mileage and handles very well. It's very sporty compared to the civic and corolla.
Now we have three cars, the 3, the 8, and a minivan, the minivan is paid for but we still owe on the 3 and 8. I would kind of like to own just two cars to cut down on cost (insurance, gas, maintainence) and also to avoid the driveway car shuffle and have two cars in the garage not one outside all the time.
I love the 8 but I don't drive it that often, it sits in the garage most of the week.
I was thinking about selling it and the 3 and getting a MS3. This way I would have a good performing car with more practicality then the 8 and better gas mileage. I know I would miss the handling and sharp looks of the 8, but I hear the MS3 is a fun car to drive. Any thoughts on this?
Now we have three cars, the 3, the 8, and a minivan, the minivan is paid for but we still owe on the 3 and 8. I would kind of like to own just two cars to cut down on cost (insurance, gas, maintainence) and also to avoid the driveway car shuffle and have two cars in the garage not one outside all the time.
I love the 8 but I don't drive it that often, it sits in the garage most of the week.
I was thinking about selling it and the 3 and getting a MS3. This way I would have a good performing car with more practicality then the 8 and better gas mileage. I know I would miss the handling and sharp looks of the 8, but I hear the MS3 is a fun car to drive. Any thoughts on this?
06-26-2007, 10:45 AM
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As far as a decent, practical, cheaper replacement for the 8, the MS3 is probably the best you could ever hope for. I really can honestly say I only miss the 8 when I'm driving at or near the limit. Otherwise, it handles well enough that you'll forget it's FWD, it goes well enough that you'll probably find yourself mashing the go pedal more than you should, it sounds nice, and it's comfy (aside from the lack of a substantial armrest). Add to that decent interior/storage space (not like I ever haul stuff around, but whatever) and you've got quite a great deal. If you absolutely must get rid of the 8, the MS3 isn't a bad tradeoff.
Actually, maybe I'll write up that review I've been meaning to do.
Actually, maybe I'll write up that review I've been meaning to do.
06-26-2007, 11:05 AM
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As far as a decent, practical, cheaper replacement for the 8, the MS3 is probably the best you could ever hope for. I really can honestly say I only miss the 8 when I'm driving at or near the limit. Otherwise, it handles well enough that you'll forget it's FWD, it goes well enough that you'll probably find yourself mashing the go pedal more than you should, it sounds nice, and it's comfy (aside from the lack of a substantial armrest). Add to that decent interior/storage space (not like I ever haul stuff around, but whatever) and you've got quite a great deal. If you absolutely must get rid of the 8, the MS3 isn't a bad tradeoff.
Actually, maybe I'll write up that review I've been meaning to do.
Actually, maybe I'll write up that review I've been meaning to do.
Rhawb is right, it is an excellent compromise car if you want stay with the Mazda brand and keep your costs low. Unless you are tracking the car regularly, you won’t mind the FWD layout too much. The best part is the fully loaded GT MS3 with nav is still well under 30k.
Last edited by MazdaMonkey; 06-26-2007 at 11:11 AM.
06-26-2007, 11:09 AM
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I had a Spectra for a week. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "Oh my God, someone has actually gone to the Kia dealer and said, 'Hey, yeah, this is the car that I want to spend my hard earned money on!' How can that be possible!?"
It was laughably bad - it handled like a bus, I was ALWAYS (literally) flooring it just to avoid holding up traffic, and - mind you, I never notice these things - the interior materials were probably the lowest quality I have ever seen. In short, it was a pathetic performing, fisher-price quality box created to uncomfortably haul probably about 300 lbs of cargo, at best. I really doubt that car would move if I put in more than one passenger.
For the $9000 that car probably cost, I can think of hundreds of used cars I'd rather purchase.
It was laughably bad - it handled like a bus, I was ALWAYS (literally) flooring it just to avoid holding up traffic, and - mind you, I never notice these things - the interior materials were probably the lowest quality I have ever seen. In short, it was a pathetic performing, fisher-price quality box created to uncomfortably haul probably about 300 lbs of cargo, at best. I really doubt that car would move if I put in more than one passenger.
For the $9000 that car probably cost, I can think of hundreds of used cars I'd rather purchase.
I totally agree about the spectra. I was scared trying to merge into freeway traffic. It needed a rental to make the drive from Berkeley to Tahoe and was soo disappointed when they gave me the Kia. Those mountains roads cried in shame as I made the journey.
06-26-2007, 11:34 AM
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Okay, here's that Mazdaspeed 3 review I've been meaning to do for about a month now. It got way longer than I expected - I hope it makes sense, because I wrote it all in one shot. Here goes...
Initial Impressions
At first glance, I was moderately impressed. The car has a squat, wide stance, aggressive front end, and some pretty huge wheels for a car of this sort. It's a hatch, which isn't my favorite look for the 3, but the aggressive look really works with the shape of the car and it has grown on me quite a bit. After lifting the incredibly heavy, ducted hood, I found that the engine doesn't look like an engine so much as it looks like a mountain of plastic with a radiator on top (I know it's an intercooler). If you're into wrenching on your own engine, this thing looks like it would be a huge pain in the *** to work on. I also think that the intercooler, while the ducting is a great idea, probably doesn't get quite as much air as I would have hoped, but I'm no expert. Interior space is great, but it's still a small car, so don't expect this thing to be cavernous.
Interior
The interior is the same interior that everyone already knows and loves. Looks like a 3, smells like a 3, it is a 3. There are some small additions such as the standard automatic climate control, which is quite nice once you find a temperature range which pleases you. The iPod adapter in the center console is probably pretty sweet for someone with an iPod, but I don't have one, so I wouldn't know. Steering wheel volume/cruise controls are present here, just as they are in every other Mazda vehicle (iirc), and they're great.
But, enough about the petty stuff, the seats are where it's at! These seats are pretty awesome for standard seats. They're by no means the grippiest or the most ergonomic, but they're very well bolstered, comfortable, and they're made out of material that doesn't feel like it's woven from fishing line, (like in my roommate's 3s) which is nice. The only problem I've noticed is, since I'm short, jacking the seat up real high seems to make the bottom slope downward a bit, causing me to have to snug back up into the seat every half hour or so. Also, the arm rest is rather...er...lame. It's about a 4 inch box and about the best I can do is get the tip of my elbow to just touch the front edge. This causes me to use the shifter as an arm rest on long drives, which I absolutely hate doing. Oh, and the driver's side seatbelt won't do that locking thing after you pull it all the way out - I'm going to have to figure something out for my track days now.
The shifter is something I'll probably replace. It's great for an economy car shifter, but it's quite bad as a sports car shifter. It's squishy, vague, and generally forgettable. I'll probably grab a short shifter at some point here.
Handling
This car is front wheel drive, and I know most of you are thinking that means understeer and torque steer, and yes, those two beasts are present. I've always hated FWD for those very reasons, but this car's handling has absolutely made me believe that both of those issues can be entirely dialed out with the right suspension setup. This car has 263 hp, and you would probably never know it was driven by the front wheels unless you really pushed the car to the limit. I've experienced excessive understeer once in this car - during very heavy rain after popping my clutch too fast, otherwise it's impressively neutral.
Torque steer makes its presence known, but it still doesn't dominate the dynamics of this car. If you go around a corner with the wheel turned and stomp on the gas, the car is going to RIP you in the direction your front wheels are pointed. But, really, stupid maneuvers aside, the torque steer is very well controlled. Flooring it from a standstill produces some mild pull on the wheel, but it's nothing unmanageable, and it surprisingly doesn't even get in the way when you're bounding down your favorite curvy road. Color me impressed.
Now, keep in mind, this car handles very (very) well for what it is, but it WILL NOT stack up to how the 8 handles. Do not go in expecting a blissful, near mind-reading handling experience; go in expecting this car to handle like the last FWD car you drove and I think you'll come out quite impressed.
Power
Power is what this car does. That's it's forte, if you will, and it sure does deliver. Don't judge this car by first gear - it's running low boost and sputters out pretty quickly. Hit second, though, and you'll initially be underwhelmed, but as soon as that thought enters your head, the boost will hit and the car will go leaping down the road until it hits 6000 rpm and the power completely dies out. If you keep this car churning between 3000 and 6000 rpms, you'll be afflicted with a bad case of perma-grin. I really don't know what else to say about the power, I can't complain about it, and I'll sound crazy if I just keep raving about it. All you need to know is that it's awesome.
Overall
Really, this is probably one of the few cars on the market that I could have chosen that wouldn't make me miss my 8 terribly. I drove a Civic SI and that thing was BORING - well built, comfy ride, but TONS of body roll and really unimpressive power (and power delivery). It just didn't feel sporty at all - I can really see why those things get modded all to hell and back. Now the MS3 is no 8, mind you, but the added power and still fantastic handling make this a stellar choice for people coming out of the 8. Add to all that some extra practicality and comfort, and you've got yourself a winner. If the offer came up, I'd take my 8 back in a heartbeat, but I haven't had the desire to look back ever since I got my Speed 3. If you want performance, practicality, and a relatively modest price, I can't imagine making any other choice. This car is fantastic.
Initial Impressions
At first glance, I was moderately impressed. The car has a squat, wide stance, aggressive front end, and some pretty huge wheels for a car of this sort. It's a hatch, which isn't my favorite look for the 3, but the aggressive look really works with the shape of the car and it has grown on me quite a bit. After lifting the incredibly heavy, ducted hood, I found that the engine doesn't look like an engine so much as it looks like a mountain of plastic with a radiator on top (I know it's an intercooler). If you're into wrenching on your own engine, this thing looks like it would be a huge pain in the *** to work on. I also think that the intercooler, while the ducting is a great idea, probably doesn't get quite as much air as I would have hoped, but I'm no expert. Interior space is great, but it's still a small car, so don't expect this thing to be cavernous.
Interior
The interior is the same interior that everyone already knows and loves. Looks like a 3, smells like a 3, it is a 3. There are some small additions such as the standard automatic climate control, which is quite nice once you find a temperature range which pleases you. The iPod adapter in the center console is probably pretty sweet for someone with an iPod, but I don't have one, so I wouldn't know. Steering wheel volume/cruise controls are present here, just as they are in every other Mazda vehicle (iirc), and they're great.
But, enough about the petty stuff, the seats are where it's at! These seats are pretty awesome for standard seats. They're by no means the grippiest or the most ergonomic, but they're very well bolstered, comfortable, and they're made out of material that doesn't feel like it's woven from fishing line, (like in my roommate's 3s) which is nice. The only problem I've noticed is, since I'm short, jacking the seat up real high seems to make the bottom slope downward a bit, causing me to have to snug back up into the seat every half hour or so. Also, the arm rest is rather...er...lame. It's about a 4 inch box and about the best I can do is get the tip of my elbow to just touch the front edge. This causes me to use the shifter as an arm rest on long drives, which I absolutely hate doing. Oh, and the driver's side seatbelt won't do that locking thing after you pull it all the way out - I'm going to have to figure something out for my track days now.
The shifter is something I'll probably replace. It's great for an economy car shifter, but it's quite bad as a sports car shifter. It's squishy, vague, and generally forgettable. I'll probably grab a short shifter at some point here.
Handling
This car is front wheel drive, and I know most of you are thinking that means understeer and torque steer, and yes, those two beasts are present. I've always hated FWD for those very reasons, but this car's handling has absolutely made me believe that both of those issues can be entirely dialed out with the right suspension setup. This car has 263 hp, and you would probably never know it was driven by the front wheels unless you really pushed the car to the limit. I've experienced excessive understeer once in this car - during very heavy rain after popping my clutch too fast, otherwise it's impressively neutral.
Torque steer makes its presence known, but it still doesn't dominate the dynamics of this car. If you go around a corner with the wheel turned and stomp on the gas, the car is going to RIP you in the direction your front wheels are pointed. But, really, stupid maneuvers aside, the torque steer is very well controlled. Flooring it from a standstill produces some mild pull on the wheel, but it's nothing unmanageable, and it surprisingly doesn't even get in the way when you're bounding down your favorite curvy road. Color me impressed.
Now, keep in mind, this car handles very (very) well for what it is, but it WILL NOT stack up to how the 8 handles. Do not go in expecting a blissful, near mind-reading handling experience; go in expecting this car to handle like the last FWD car you drove and I think you'll come out quite impressed.
Power
Power is what this car does. That's it's forte, if you will, and it sure does deliver. Don't judge this car by first gear - it's running low boost and sputters out pretty quickly. Hit second, though, and you'll initially be underwhelmed, but as soon as that thought enters your head, the boost will hit and the car will go leaping down the road until it hits 6000 rpm and the power completely dies out. If you keep this car churning between 3000 and 6000 rpms, you'll be afflicted with a bad case of perma-grin. I really don't know what else to say about the power, I can't complain about it, and I'll sound crazy if I just keep raving about it. All you need to know is that it's awesome.
Overall
Really, this is probably one of the few cars on the market that I could have chosen that wouldn't make me miss my 8 terribly. I drove a Civic SI and that thing was BORING - well built, comfy ride, but TONS of body roll and really unimpressive power (and power delivery). It just didn't feel sporty at all - I can really see why those things get modded all to hell and back. Now the MS3 is no 8, mind you, but the added power and still fantastic handling make this a stellar choice for people coming out of the 8. Add to all that some extra practicality and comfort, and you've got yourself a winner. If the offer came up, I'd take my 8 back in a heartbeat, but I haven't had the desire to look back ever since I got my Speed 3. If you want performance, practicality, and a relatively modest price, I can't imagine making any other choice. This car is fantastic.
06-26-2007, 07:13 PM
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Great review man, the speed3 is definitely on the top of my all time favorite car list, not bad in price and powerful! How does the speed3 stack up against, say, the WRX. I mean looking at aftermarket, would you still side with the speed3 than the wrx? I looked through couple magazines and found that the Speed3 gains incredible hp/torque through minor mods..or maybe im only thinking that because of me being so used to low hp gains from the 8 haha.
How does the Speed3 (modded to a minimum, like i/h/e or something) stack up against a bone stock STi? My friend drives the STi and man, that thing is such a beast it makes me sometimes get that "car buyers regret" getting the 8 hehe
How does the Speed3 (modded to a minimum, like i/h/e or something) stack up against a bone stock STi? My friend drives the STi and man, that thing is such a beast it makes me sometimes get that "car buyers regret" getting the 8 hehe
06-27-2007, 12:08 AM
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Against a WRX, I'd say it's a bit quicker, but I've never really tossed around a WRX on a track, so that's just boring drag-only speculation.
The aftermarket is limited, but you can still see huge gains even from the currently limited selection. One rumor I heard was that with 3 mods (ecu, exhaust, and intake iirc), you can achieve close to 300whp.
As far as going against a stock STi, they should stomp an MS3 if they're any kind of a decent driver. The way FWD cars inherently take traction away from their drive wheels upon acceleration really hurts this car off the line, plus on real tracks, this car would get outhandled due to the STi's relatively uncompromising setup (for a stock road car). From a street legal rally car costing 10k more than the Speed 3, I expect such performance.
The Speed 3 can easily hold its own for what it is, but it's by no means a world beater.
The aftermarket is limited, but you can still see huge gains even from the currently limited selection. One rumor I heard was that with 3 mods (ecu, exhaust, and intake iirc), you can achieve close to 300whp.
As far as going against a stock STi, they should stomp an MS3 if they're any kind of a decent driver. The way FWD cars inherently take traction away from their drive wheels upon acceleration really hurts this car off the line, plus on real tracks, this car would get outhandled due to the STi's relatively uncompromising setup (for a stock road car). From a street legal rally car costing 10k more than the Speed 3, I expect such performance.
The Speed 3 can easily hold its own for what it is, but it's by no means a world beater.
06-27-2007, 12:38 PM
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06-27-2007, 12:45 PM
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Okay, here's that Mazdaspeed 3 review I've been meaning to do for about a month now. It got way longer than I expected - I hope it makes sense, because I wrote it all in one shot. Here goes...
Initial Impressions
At first glance, I was moderately impressed. The car has a squat, wide stance, aggressive front end, and some pretty huge wheels for a car of this sort. It's a hatch, which isn't my favorite look for the 3, but the aggressive look really works with the shape of the car and it has grown on me quite a bit. After lifting the incredibly heavy, ducted hood, I found that the engine doesn't look like an engine so much as it looks like a mountain of plastic with a radiator on top (I know it's an intercooler). If you're into wrenching on your own engine, this thing looks like it would be a huge pain in the *** to work on. I also think that the intercooler, while the ducting is a great idea, probably doesn't get quite as much air as I would have hoped, but I'm no expert. Interior space is great, but it's still a small car, so don't expect this thing to be cavernous.
Interior
The interior is the same interior that everyone already knows and loves. Looks like a 3, smells like a 3, it is a 3. There are some small additions such as the standard automatic climate control, which is quite nice once you find a temperature range which pleases you. The iPod adapter in the center console is probably pretty sweet for someone with an iPod, but I don't have one, so I wouldn't know. Steering wheel volume/cruise controls are present here, just as they are in every other Mazda vehicle (iirc), and they're great.
But, enough about the petty stuff, the seats are where it's at! These seats are pretty awesome for standard seats. They're by no means the grippiest or the most ergonomic, but they're very well bolstered, comfortable, and they're made out of material that doesn't feel like it's woven from fishing line, (like in my roommate's 3s) which is nice. The only problem I've noticed is, since I'm short, jacking the seat up real high seems to make the bottom slope downward a bit, causing me to have to snug back up into the seat every half hour or so. Also, the arm rest is rather...er...lame. It's about a 4 inch box and about the best I can do is get the tip of my elbow to just touch the front edge. This causes me to use the shifter as an arm rest on long drives, which I absolutely hate doing. Oh, and the driver's side seatbelt won't do that locking thing after you pull it all the way out - I'm going to have to figure something out for my track days now.
The shifter is something I'll probably replace. It's great for an economy car shifter, but it's quite bad as a sports car shifter. It's squishy, vague, and generally forgettable. I'll probably grab a short shifter at some point here.
Handling
This car is front wheel drive, and I know most of you are thinking that means understeer and torque steer, and yes, those two beasts are present. I've always hated FWD for those very reasons, but this car's handling has absolutely made me believe that both of those issues can be entirely dialed out with the right suspension setup. This car has 263 hp, and you would probably never know it was driven by the front wheels unless you really pushed the car to the limit. I've experienced excessive understeer once in this car - during very heavy rain after popping my clutch too fast, otherwise it's impressively neutral.
Torque steer makes its presence known, but it still doesn't dominate the dynamics of this car. If you go around a corner with the wheel turned and stomp on the gas, the car is going to RIP you in the direction your front wheels are pointed. But, really, stupid maneuvers aside, the torque steer is very well controlled. Flooring it from a standstill produces some mild pull on the wheel, but it's nothing unmanageable, and it surprisingly doesn't even get in the way when you're bounding down your favorite curvy road. Color me impressed.
Now, keep in mind, this car handles very (very) well for what it is, but it WILL NOT stack up to how the 8 handles. Do not go in expecting a blissful, near mind-reading handling experience; go in expecting this car to handle like the last FWD car you drove and I think you'll come out quite impressed.
Power
Power is what this car does. That's it's forte, if you will, and it sure does deliver. Don't judge this car by first gear - it's running low boost and sputters out pretty quickly. Hit second, though, and you'll initially be underwhelmed, but as soon as that thought enters your head, the boost will hit and the car will go leaping down the road until it hits 6000 rpm and the power completely dies out. If you keep this car churning between 3000 and 6000 rpms, you'll be afflicted with a bad case of perma-grin. I really don't know what else to say about the power, I can't complain about it, and I'll sound crazy if I just keep raving about it. All you need to know is that it's awesome.
Overall
Really, this is probably one of the few cars on the market that I could have chosen that wouldn't make me miss my 8 terribly. I drove a Civic SI and that thing was BORING - well built, comfy ride, but TONS of body roll and really unimpressive power (and power delivery). It just didn't feel sporty at all - I can really see why those things get modded all to hell and back. Now the MS3 is no 8, mind you, but the added power and still fantastic handling make this a stellar choice for people coming out of the 8. Add to all that some extra practicality and comfort, and you've got yourself a winner. If the offer came up, I'd take my 8 back in a heartbeat, but I haven't had the desire to look back ever since I got my Speed 3. If you want performance, practicality, and a relatively modest price, I can't imagine making any other choice. This car is fantastic.
Initial Impressions
At first glance, I was moderately impressed. The car has a squat, wide stance, aggressive front end, and some pretty huge wheels for a car of this sort. It's a hatch, which isn't my favorite look for the 3, but the aggressive look really works with the shape of the car and it has grown on me quite a bit. After lifting the incredibly heavy, ducted hood, I found that the engine doesn't look like an engine so much as it looks like a mountain of plastic with a radiator on top (I know it's an intercooler). If you're into wrenching on your own engine, this thing looks like it would be a huge pain in the *** to work on. I also think that the intercooler, while the ducting is a great idea, probably doesn't get quite as much air as I would have hoped, but I'm no expert. Interior space is great, but it's still a small car, so don't expect this thing to be cavernous.
Interior
The interior is the same interior that everyone already knows and loves. Looks like a 3, smells like a 3, it is a 3. There are some small additions such as the standard automatic climate control, which is quite nice once you find a temperature range which pleases you. The iPod adapter in the center console is probably pretty sweet for someone with an iPod, but I don't have one, so I wouldn't know. Steering wheel volume/cruise controls are present here, just as they are in every other Mazda vehicle (iirc), and they're great.
But, enough about the petty stuff, the seats are where it's at! These seats are pretty awesome for standard seats. They're by no means the grippiest or the most ergonomic, but they're very well bolstered, comfortable, and they're made out of material that doesn't feel like it's woven from fishing line, (like in my roommate's 3s) which is nice. The only problem I've noticed is, since I'm short, jacking the seat up real high seems to make the bottom slope downward a bit, causing me to have to snug back up into the seat every half hour or so. Also, the arm rest is rather...er...lame. It's about a 4 inch box and about the best I can do is get the tip of my elbow to just touch the front edge. This causes me to use the shifter as an arm rest on long drives, which I absolutely hate doing. Oh, and the driver's side seatbelt won't do that locking thing after you pull it all the way out - I'm going to have to figure something out for my track days now.
The shifter is something I'll probably replace. It's great for an economy car shifter, but it's quite bad as a sports car shifter. It's squishy, vague, and generally forgettable. I'll probably grab a short shifter at some point here.
Handling
This car is front wheel drive, and I know most of you are thinking that means understeer and torque steer, and yes, those two beasts are present. I've always hated FWD for those very reasons, but this car's handling has absolutely made me believe that both of those issues can be entirely dialed out with the right suspension setup. This car has 263 hp, and you would probably never know it was driven by the front wheels unless you really pushed the car to the limit. I've experienced excessive understeer once in this car - during very heavy rain after popping my clutch too fast, otherwise it's impressively neutral.
Torque steer makes its presence known, but it still doesn't dominate the dynamics of this car. If you go around a corner with the wheel turned and stomp on the gas, the car is going to RIP you in the direction your front wheels are pointed. But, really, stupid maneuvers aside, the torque steer is very well controlled. Flooring it from a standstill produces some mild pull on the wheel, but it's nothing unmanageable, and it surprisingly doesn't even get in the way when you're bounding down your favorite curvy road. Color me impressed.
Now, keep in mind, this car handles very (very) well for what it is, but it WILL NOT stack up to how the 8 handles. Do not go in expecting a blissful, near mind-reading handling experience; go in expecting this car to handle like the last FWD car you drove and I think you'll come out quite impressed.
Power
Power is what this car does. That's it's forte, if you will, and it sure does deliver. Don't judge this car by first gear - it's running low boost and sputters out pretty quickly. Hit second, though, and you'll initially be underwhelmed, but as soon as that thought enters your head, the boost will hit and the car will go leaping down the road until it hits 6000 rpm and the power completely dies out. If you keep this car churning between 3000 and 6000 rpms, you'll be afflicted with a bad case of perma-grin. I really don't know what else to say about the power, I can't complain about it, and I'll sound crazy if I just keep raving about it. All you need to know is that it's awesome.
Overall
Really, this is probably one of the few cars on the market that I could have chosen that wouldn't make me miss my 8 terribly. I drove a Civic SI and that thing was BORING - well built, comfy ride, but TONS of body roll and really unimpressive power (and power delivery). It just didn't feel sporty at all - I can really see why those things get modded all to hell and back. Now the MS3 is no 8, mind you, but the added power and still fantastic handling make this a stellar choice for people coming out of the 8. Add to all that some extra practicality and comfort, and you've got yourself a winner. If the offer came up, I'd take my 8 back in a heartbeat, but I haven't had the desire to look back ever since I got my Speed 3. If you want performance, practicality, and a relatively modest price, I can't imagine making any other choice. This car is fantastic.
In other words, unlike the 8, which takes about a decade to accelerate to any speed in 6th gear on the freeway, the MS3's 280 lb-ft make it a great highway cruiser.
07-22-2007, 03:09 PM
#25
Evolution Theory
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Well its been more than a month with the 3 and HOPEFULLY I will get the 8 back this following week. I forgot how it feels, whats it feel like? I remember the first time I got in my 8 I drove home going like 35 mph because I was unsure. OMG I MISS IT