RX8 VS Mazdaspeed 3
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 2
From: everywherez...
Gonna go make some grub...so hurry up and give me something to work with of decent quality so I work better with it when I get back...
I'm all aboot quality...but as I am sure you havent learned yet...you cant just slap crap on something and expect it to be better when the original piece of crap began life as a hunk o crap...
Or
As I've seen on this thread...in other words...
You cant take bad crap and expect any magnificent crap to come outta it...when your working with pretty crappy crap...
I'm all aboot quality...but as I am sure you havent learned yet...you cant just slap crap on something and expect it to be better when the original piece of crap began life as a hunk o crap...
Or
As I've seen on this thread...in other words...
You cant take bad crap and expect any magnificent crap to come outta it...when your working with pretty crappy crap...
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Joined: Dec 2006
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I wish somebody said that to your parents. They slapped you with an education and still failed miserably.
Last edited by Betelgeuse; Jun 13, 2007 at 09:59 PM.
i pwn therefore i am
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 3
From: Delaware, USA
Question #1, wth is that?
Question #2, Why hasn't this thread been locked yet.
Question 3, why the hell is this thread still alive locked or not. Let it go people. After someone answers question 1. (Which will be the first and last constructive thing in this thread) Let it die.
Question #2, Why hasn't this thread been locked yet.
Question 3, why the hell is this thread still alive locked or not. Let it go people. After someone answers question 1. (Which will be the first and last constructive thing in this thread) Let it die.
Answer #2: The mods are out catching delicious bass for all of us -- they're going to be mightily pissed when they get back.
Answer #3: Applesauce and upside-down potato chips!
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,144
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From: Livermore, CA
You wouldn't know a constructive debate if it tickled your labia majora. Emo kid? I have kidney stones older than you. Like I said earlier...you'll eventually lose interest here. The only question is if you can keep yourself from getting banned between now and then. I doubt it. It's typically not difficult to bait a mental midget. Somebody will do it sooner than later. I'll post a funny kitty picture when it happens in your honor.
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 2
From: everywherez...
You wouldn't know a constructive debate if it tickled your labia majora. Emo kid? I have kidney stones older than you. Like I said earlier...you'll eventually lose interest here. The only question is if you can keep yourself from getting banned between now and then. I doubt it. It's typically not difficult to bait a mental midget. Somebody will do it sooner than later. I'll post a funny kitty picture when it happens in your honor.
Last edited by eviltwinkie; Jun 17, 2007 at 04:29 PM.
Registered
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 456
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From: Houston
You wouldn't know a constructive debate if it tickled your labia majora. Emo kid? I have kidney stones older than you. Like I said earlier...you'll eventually lose interest here. The only question is if you can keep yourself from getting banned between now and then. I doubt it. It's typically not difficult to bait a mental midget. Somebody will do it sooner than later. I'll post a funny kitty picture when it happens in your honor.
I think you're showing your age...
Has the whole shit.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,772
Likes: 0
From: Orlando, FL
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.
Has a headache.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
From: New York
this stupid thread went over a week without anyone touching it... why oh why did you bring it back to life 
shoulda just made a new thread that said, Mazdaspeed3 review. The trolls are going to pop back up now!
shoulda just made a new thread that said, Mazdaspeed3 review. The trolls are going to pop back up now!
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 2
From: everywherez...
Yeah I think considering its a review and the backlash this is probably the right spot...
However its only a matter of time before the fanboi crowd comes back and starts the whole insecure chest thumping shenanigans...
However its only a matter of time before the fanboi crowd comes back and starts the whole insecure chest thumping shenanigans...
RX8 HA HA
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,772
Likes: 5
From: Gardena Cali 310
nice review, i felt the same way, i almost traded mine in for the msp3 or an evo, but i didn't want to start all over with payments even though trading in for the msp3 my payments would be cut in half but the thought of having another 3-4 years really sucks. m y 8 will be paid for in 7 months btw.
Registered
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 307
Likes: 0
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.
I guess you pretty much wrote "my review" This is exactly how I feel when comparing both cars.Carlos
Rotards Unite!
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: Morris County, NJ
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.
Has the whole shit.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,772
Likes: 0
From: Orlando, FL
Pretty much, but I figured I'd go more in-depth for those who wanted to know. As I said in another thread, it's a great car, but it's by no means a world beater.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
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.
