Traded the 8 for a Speed 3
 

Overall great car and very happy with the new purchase. I did enjoy the 8 but the lack of torque and the other little things finally got to me. The one area where the 8 trumps the Mazdaspeed 3 for sure is the clutch/shifter, and of course RWD, but man besides 1st gear every gear in the MS3 is effortless speed, its amazing to get thrown back i your seat in 5th gear!!!! The car handles much better than I thought and am very happy with the first 35 miles I drove back from the dealership. I am loving this car and hopefully after 2 years I will still feel the same. No forum yet though!! So long!!!

protege5.com should be your home

congrats

there was a guy at the track with a 3 when i ran my 8. he was in the 17s....my best was 15.4

That wasn't a Mazdaspeed 3 unless he was the worlds worst driver.

www.mazdas247.com

which is the same as protege5.com :o:

Ahh.. don't say so long. Please come back once a month a give us a factual update on the MS3. Many of us would like to hear it.

Me for one since I'm thinking about replacing my daily driver.

alrighty plenty of mazdaspeed accessories for it, cold air intake, exhaust, pretty good coilovers too.

Thanks wasn't aware of the forums. I'll be back to give a review after a couple of weeks.

http://www.mazda3forums.com/

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=142

good luck!

I saw one the other day in the dealership. Nice looking car; seats were embroidered with mazdaspeed logo and nice little details. Turbo is nice to have too. All under the cost of an 8. It'd be perfect replacement for my Accord.

:( But the 3 isnt nearly as beautiful as the 8's! :icon_tdow

I drove a Mazdaspeed 3 a couple of weeks ago and it was much faster than I anticipated... it even had torque steer in 2nd gear! Mazda really did their homework on this one! :ylsuper:

FYI- I heard that HKS is making several parts for this car too! :)

cool! time to give up my 8 then! who wants some hks parts!!!





















































j/k....NEVER!!!!

Nice car but I didn't quite like the seat position relative to the pedals. It felt like there was too much of a leg drop from the seat to pedals. I was also quiet disappointed in the lack of adequate separation between the gas and break pedals and the gas pedal and the center section/console. I do have big feet but I don't get the way they designed the pedal set up.

Don't forget http://www.mazda3club.com/ .

Enjoy! I'd love to drive one too. Keep us updated.

saw my firts a couple of days ago, very good looking car and fast too, oh and yes the FD is faster :cool:

Doesn't looks matter?

Those MS3's are really nice! Lots of tuning potential as well. The biggest challenge with any high hp/tq FWD is learning how to control the power especially off the line. I had a 337 Gti 1.8T with a Milltek TBE with metal substrate highflow cat and oberscheider stage 2 tuning. It was damn near impossible to get a decent launch consistently off the line, but was great fun once you got going. It sounds like the MS3 is similar and obviously more powerful than my modded 337 was.

Availability and inflexibility in MS3 pricing kept it off my recent car choice list, otherwise it would have been one of my main options.

Have fun, its a cool car for sure!!

Jeff :)

looks matter a lot less when you can blow the doors off your competition with relative ease, just ask any STi/Evo guys :Eyecrazy:

How do you post a thread and talk about your new car .... AND NEVER SHOW US A PIC!

You're saying the MS3 looks better than the FD?

could you get your computer flashed with the Mazdaspeed 6 program to gain an additonal 30 or so hp from that tune? I might go look at one of these 3's since the 8's aftermarket is terrible.

I took a test drive in the MS3. From what I read in the media and from the numbers, I expected the powerband to be quite narrow, but in reality, it felt fine. The spool up was quick and it felt beefy in any gear through a broad range. In the RX-8, downshifting is key. In this car, downshifting is not really necessary. The power is almost always on tap. The power makes it easier to forgive the less than optimal transmission. It's fine but a bit on the rough side.

Another thing I noticed was the handling. I always thought the BJ chassis Protege felt much nimbler than the stock Maz3. So it was a pleasant surprise to find agility and a lot of it in the MS3. It didn't feel as heavy as the numbers suggest. I think the handling feels nimbler than an STi (but not nearly as nimble as an EVO).

I still think the RX-8 is more of a driver's car. This is a fantastic daily driver supplement however!

Better for heal and toe.

From a former RX8 owner...
 

So I was just browsing the RX8 forum just to see what's going on here and what do I find? This topic.. :)

My previous baby (WB RX8) got totalled 10/05/06 and while I was tempted to get me another one I decided to get me the MS3, mainly because I wanted the best compromise: OK looking, fast, SAFE (have 2 little kids), nimble, track worthy and still good enouhg for driving around town. :)

So fast forward to today... and about 1K miles later, I think I have a pretty good idea of how these 2 cars compare:

While the MS3 is a nice car, the fact that it's FWD takes ALL the fun away from the driver's point of view. Call me "old school" but the whole reason to have the cars I have had in the past (Alfa GTV, Fiat 124, Miata, RX8) was because they were RWD :)

The RX8 is a DRIVERS CAR plain and simple! I miss the 8 due to it's looks, the great smooth engine, the transmission (perfect gear shift) and how you can feel when the road "talks" to you. Of course the RWD was the BEST!

What I don't miss so much is the mileage (yes some of us need to drive the car daily) and when pushed I could barely get 13 MPG! The performance was not as expected and the many recalls (in average I visited the dealer once every 3 months for issues) and the noisy and confined cabin that made long trips just uneventful :(

The MS3 lacks the refinement both exterior and interior of the RX8 but makes up with that GREAT engine that BTW runs way rich (it's been measured to run 9:1 AFR!!!) still even when pushed very hard gets me about 18 MPG. In average it gets me about 22.

The steering and shift DON'T communicate with the driver at the same level it does with the 8. Period. The steering is a bit vague, the shifter (although it uses pretty much the same transmission as the 8) is pretty sloppy so a short shifter is required! :)

The aftermarket is embracing this car so fast it's not even funny: BEGI already has a XEDE ECU out there making ~ 300WHP! and over ~330 lbft of torque!!! This even w/o the aid of an intake nor an exhaust! Just tuning. I know Shiv Pathak was tuning the "test mule" at BEGI last month and the results were impressive. Also, COBB is developing an Accessport that combined with CAI/Exhaust will make easy > 300 WHP!! HKS, Mazdaspeed already have kits outhere and all of them making shy of 300 WHP!

I think aside from the C6, this car is the best performance car for the money, no doubt.

Bottom line,
I DO MISS the RX8 but the compromise that I "have to live with" where I can get nearly every tuner outthere developing kits for this "station wagon" is well worth the price of admission. Of course it helps when your children can also jump in the back and still can go grocery shopping :)

Within 10 miles of ownership, I took it to the nearest mountain road where I run the "hell out of it" for the first 100 miles :) Now it still amazes me how in fourth gear your neck gets stuck against your headrest and this is with a STOCK car!

BTW, I got the Sport Edition Cosmic Blue (the ONLY unique color in mazda for Mazdaspeeds)

Enjoy your ZOOM-ZOOM :)
Carlos

good comparo carlos, thanks

I did not know the after market was so intrested in the ms3, thats great news!

Thanks Carlos.

Yeah, I read in some magazine, can't remember the name, that the Mazdaspeed 3 was the fastest car under 23k or something. Sounds like a great car. Congrats.

Cant recall where I saw it but it is said to have a top speed of 155 mph.

Automobile magazine tested this car on the Autobahn :) It hit 162MPH!!

Yes I like this car but TOP speed is not everything! It's the way how you connect with the car what counts for me :)

It's fast VERY fast!! but not as FUN as the RX8 and nowhere close to the Miata

But as I said, it's the BEST compromise and I am happy I made this decision :)

Carlos

If my car get's stolen or wrecked God forbid ,Ill definitely check this little Monster,I love my 8 however the recalls,mpg etc,get me thinking!

I can't wait to read the first post on here that says, "Dude! I got smoked by a Mazda 3 tonight! WTF?"

I guess we should start getting acquainted with this angle of the car:

http://www.mazda.ca/fre/Vehicles/Maz...aspeed3_03.jpg


:cwm27:

^ Well it sure beats reading threads about how I built my Mustang or Look here's my GTO!

i always love the 3 series looks but replacing your 8 with 3 is simply retard. I will buy a 3 as my work cark and 8 for picking up chicks.

The Speed 3 and the Speed 6 are pretty much the same tuning and all. Difference is you have FWD in the Speed 3, and a lot less weight. From a roll, the Speed 3 will take out the Speed 6, so there is no real difference in HP and torque. The Speed 6 is only rated at 7hp more anyway (270 vs 263), which essentially is for marketing purposes, because the top of the line 3 can't be rated equal to the top of line 6. That would kill the Speed 6 sales more then they already have been killed. I believe whatever modifications you can get for the Speed 6, you can get for the Speed 3. They have the same heart. The Speed 3 of course is much more for the enthusiast, even if it is FWD, because it's 400lbs lighter, which is HUGE. It likely handles better too because of that. :)

Edmunds.com rated the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 against the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged, 2006 Honda Civic Si, 2006 Mini Cooper S, 2006 Subaru WRX and 2006 Volkswagen GTI. It ranked the 3 first.
Link

Odd. I thought top speed was limited to 155 mph.

The SRT-4 was faster, and the Cobalt SS is pretty close. Though I haven't driven one I think the Cobalt also handles better.

Another RX-8/MS3 Owner
 

My RX-8 buddy just got his Cosmic Blue MS3 today, so now he has both the 05 White RX-8 and the MS3.... Jealous for sure.... I drove it home from the window tinter today, and although we are not allowing ourselves to rag on it yet, it is a great handling car, and just plain sweet so far.... He got it for barely anything above sticker (since we are such good customers ;) and these cars seem to be worth every penny....
We're gonna stick my Privat 19"s on one side and stock RX-8 wheels on the other side for photos, I will be sure to post when we do it... only 12000 cars world wide this year, 5000 for USA.... get em while you can!

-C

I don't buy that for one second. I'll never understand how or why people fall for this garbage. The STI in 2004 was only supposed to have 3000, and ended up with over 7200, then nearly 10000 in 05, and close to that ever since. The Speed 6 was set at 5000, and the numbers on the 06 alone are over 10000 total easily. That's also why they are insanely discounted. Perhaps they mean only 5000 2007 models this year (2006), then beginning in 2007, they start making and importing more all the way through early 2008. They'll have a mid year production run of another few thousand in 2007, or whatever they feel the demand is for this car, and keep on bringing them here. The only way there will be 5000 07 models is if people don't buy them, and they sit on the lots being discounted in the spring. DOUBTFUL.

This car will have more demand then the RX8 and the Speed 6 combined after the first 6 months, and Mazda is known for overproducing vehicles, and surpassing the demand, so I'll never understand why people continue to fall for this marketing trick. I'll bet you any amount of money that when I'm ready to unload my 06 Speed 6 in 2008, that I'll be able to get a Speed 3 for invoice or better. The rest of you just keep on paying near or at MSRP. :)

Wait till the pioneers work the bugs out of the MS3. I'm glad I waited until I got my 06 FE.

Please don't call it an FE :nono:

Will the RX-7 owners jump me if I do? If so, I retract. :sweatdrop

The MS 3 is a great car. But it just shows the disrespect that Mazda has shown RX-8 owners and its own flaship sports car.

An MS RX-8 would blow the doors of a MS 3 in terms of looks and handling. And a MS RX-8 should be a bit faster than an MS 3. But where is the MS RX-8? Nowhere to be found. The RX-8 is suppose to be Mazda's flagship car, but Mazda seems not to care.

As it is a Pro-Tuner FI RX-8 (like from Pettit, AxialFlow/RP, Mazsport, etc...) will allow FI RX-8s to have the short distance advantage over MS 3. There are looks and handling. I'm sorry for MS 3 owners, but the RX-8 just plain looks better. If all things are equal, most would go for the RX-8, just on looks alone.

Maybe this car will prove to everyone how much easier it is to get power out of a piston engine than a RENESIS. I mean, if this guy is amazed at how far back in the seats he gets pushed, I would hate to see him in something with a V8. The car is barely out and there are already kits for 300 hp/trq? How long did it take for RX-8 turbo kits and what kind of power are they at? Rotary support just plain sucks. A shame for such a well balanced car and attractive car.

Bah.... Plenty of power can be had out of a rotary engine. An FI rotary engine can do 400 HP and UP. 300 HP is not some amazing goal for rotoary engines, simply check out Mazsport and the new supercharger kits with higher stages should have no problem with that number. Its all in the WILL POWER of Mazda to do it. Mazda is so silly instead of coming out with an FI version of the rotary engine they were detuning 4 ports. Nobody was talking smack about the FI RX-7s, especially the later version and this is back in the 90s.

The rotary can be a kick-ass engine, its just some Mazda bean counters or whacked executives that get in the way. But, luckily for Mazda, there are pro-tuners and rotary enthusiasts.

I have a friend at work that has the Mazda 3 (not Mazdaspeed one). I was not impressed in comparison to my RX-8, that I would even think of trading. The RX-8 turns heads and people take notice. The RX-8 has somehow combined sportiness and class. You can park next to a Mercedes or BMW and feel good about your car. Thats not something you can do in a Mazda 3. Most people are indifferent to the Mazda 3. Its like rolling up in a Honda Civic or any other econo looking car. A few people might give a nod, if its new or suped up, but after that most don't care. The Mazdaspeed 3 is a decent car, but nothing unusual, when it comes to looks. With the Mazdaspeed, you mostly get extra HP and short distance speed. But, you can get the same thing by getting an FI kit for the RX-8.

300 HP in an RX-8 is more impressive than 300 HP in a Mazdaspeed 3. If you wanted blind speed in a box than just get an ugly EVO. Like it or not, but looks count. Many RX-8 people can afford an ugly EVO, but a car is more than its 0-60 number. A car is also a piece of art. A piece of art with low 0-60 numbers is impressive. An ugly fast car, is just another ugly fast car. The MS3 is not as ugly as an EVO and the MS3 has a great price, but I would not call it a work of art. Its more like a good value.

and the pics?

I agree with MOST of the comments and I don't think I have to defend why I got the MS3 :)

I have driven Vipers and M5s at the track with my club, as instructor, so I know about power/torque delivery :)

I LOVE the RX8 period and even the wife asked me "why are you getting such boring car?" My only answer, for now, was "PRACTICALITY" and I wanted to stay loyal to Mazda

Another MX5 or RX8 was out of the question as I need some room now for my kids :)

Who knows I might get another RX8 in the future when I am sure I could get one very cheap but for now this "300 WHP" monster($2K in mods) will have to do :)

Read my "review" carefully "the RX8 is a DRIVER'S CAR" and this car doesn't even come close to be as fun as the 8, especially being FWD, but for now in the Mazda line up, and across the sport compact scene, it's the best car money can buy :)

And a Cobalt handling better than the MS3? Yeah right!!

BTW: Don't compare a regular Mazda 3 with the MS3 NOT EVEN CLOSE!! it's like apples and oranges

Seriously if Mazda wouldn't have come out with the MS3 I would have switched brands as I was not ready to buy another RX8 (for now) and the other cars were either boring (regular Mazda 3, Mazda 6) or too impractical (MX5) and no way I am getting an SUV (CX7)

Good luck to you all :)

Carlos

When in doubt, call the car that performs better than yours ugly. :rolleyes: