Edmunds review:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=121942

Basically they rated the MS3 as the better car. Didn't slam the subie or anything just rated the Mazda better. This has spawned 15 pages of debate on NAISOC:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1320039

 

yeah those subie guys are prettttty pissed.

 

Not surprised. Having owned 4 Subies in the past and present, I feel that the essence of what makes the WRX a WRX has been lost with each iteration. I will always treasure the moments I had with my GC8 and still regretted selling it.
They have great engineering which is superior to Mazda's. But unfortunately they just can't seem to revive that GC8 aggresiveness anymore. Or perhaps they want to avoid by Corollafying the Impreza thus alienating diehard fans.

 

the wrx got pwned

 

 

I still think I'm going to try to buy one next year. Don't worry... not selling my RX-8.

 

I bet that review would change if Subaru had raised the HP from the previous 07 model. For whatever reason, they chose to keep it detuned. The WRX is kept lower because there's an STI coming out, and there's no need to compete with the Speed 3 really, because it will be gone before long. I don't really understand Subaru on this regardless of that. Why keep the car detuned? I suppose it's about durability and reliability. It is a mass produced car, not a limited top of the line trim, and it is their middle grade model, whereas the Speed 3 is the mac daddy for Mazda, so I guess it shoudn't matter. Also, this is an AWD car, not FWD, so they really aren't direct competitors. I love Mazda and all, but as a daily driver, I'd go with the WRX any day. It's gonna end up more reliable and durable long term, no doubt in my mind.

 

"2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve horizontally opposed four is an updated version of the same engine that's been powering Subarus since Wisconsin was admitted to the union."

 

Wow. I didn't realize exactly how watered down the new WRX was until I read the specs. 0.81G's on the skidpad?? 121 feet 60-0 braking?? That's about on par with the '86 Mecury Grand Marquis I used to own. WTF??

 

The skidpad numbers are just the tires though. They are all-seasons and not summers. The Bridgestone RE92 are shitty, terrible all-season tires.

 

not being a technical guy the MS3 looks much better, the WRX looks more like a sabb or squashed and rounded mitsu outlander. hopefully mazda can keep it up.

 

dang my grandpa drives those and he is in his 90's


back on topic

 

The rex will have some competition once the Lancer Ralliart is released. I was very surprised that they didn't up the hp and tune it a bit stiffer. Also it really needs a good pair of all-season performance rubber or at least offer the option of summer tires.

I don't care for hatches but the MS3 looks a good bit better than the new WRX.

 

I don't know much about the WRX except that I hated its looks. But I think this new one looks better. Did they always compare the WRX to compact cars in the past? I thought the WRX was a full fledge sedan/wagon? Or is this new one just a lot smaller?

 

AWD>FWD

I'd take the WRX over the MS3 easily. A few suspension mods and better tires will make a world of difference.

Oh and BTW RWD>AWD

 

lol, typical car forum - their car didn't win, so they pick out any flaws in the victor (or simply make some up) to make the comparison seem wrong or disproportionate.

I literally laughed and stopped reading when the guy said the MS3 was tuned within an inch of its life and wasn't easily modded. Apparently being 3 very simple mods away from a 37hp gain means the car is really fighting against blowing up. By that kind of logic, all STis are ticking time bombs! Oh noes!

Jesus, Subaru pinched off a turd this time around. Deal with it and move on. They'll have a new/better one and lots of apologies soon enough.

 

the impreza line has always been subaru's compact car offering.

 

Subaru has been in the turbocharging and AWD business for a long long time. If you do enough research, you will marvel at the engineering thought that Subaru put on their cars. That's why they have virtually 0 recalls and are known to be disgustingly reliable.
It was stated by Subaru head-honcho that the WRX will no longer be a performance model. Those who crave that will pony up for the STi trim. Hence you even the 4-pot discs were ditched and I believe no more rear LSD too.

When the typical WRX nets easy 60hp gains with an ECU-tune and downpipe/exhaust upgrade, the MSP3's power gains are a joke comparatively. And that was with the old 2.0l turbo. Subaru deliberately underquote the WRX 2.5T numbers as not to upstage the Legacy GT. It is a turbo-switch and ecu-tune away from STi power levels.

 

This about sums up the whole argument...

 

Hahahaha. I wonder what nationality the source of that quote is from.

 

"As the cow going on ice."

 

ok here we go with the AWD>FWD and WRX gets more HP from bolts ons etc etc blah blah blah. The MS3 is a monster with very few modifications

MS CAI - $300, +22-25 fwhp
MS Exhaust - $600, +15-20 fwhp
XEDE piggyback - ~$500, anywhere from +30-40 fwhp

still want to say the MS3 can't hold up to a WRX? I sure think so

 

so why wouldn't you just buy the STi in the first place then?

 

Any dyno proof on those numbers? 20+ fwhp for a CAI on a turbo car is a lot. Most turbo cars don't see much increase from CAIs since the turbo adds substantial heat to the air anyways. I did a quick search on the Mazda3 forums and couldn't find any dyno numbers to back it up.

Aftermarket support for the WRX has been around for much longer so the body of knowledge out there for modifying them is substantially greater. I'm not saying that it has more ultimate potential than a MS3 but right now it does.

The RX-8 is my second Mazda (previously had a Protege 5 for my wifey) and my '03 WRX was the first Suby I've owned. Based on my experience the Suby was more reliable and had zero problems compared to my Mazdas.

 

UMM perhaps because it's $9000+ more? MAYBE? The STI has more upgrades then many people would need, especially in a daily driver, so you could make a WRX as fast as an STI very affordably. I would definitely take one over the Speed 3, just because you know it's going to be more reliable and durable. Like them or not, Subaru's engineering is superior. They've been the AWD turbo business for a long time, and know how to make reliable high HP cars.

As another person stated. There aren't reflashes, TSBS, ect ect. I love my Speed 6, but there must be 20 TSB's on it, there were 2 recalls, and sure enough those TSB's are showing their ugly face, and I'm having to take my car in now for them. The Speed 3 is having the same problems. As long as you are willing to accept that fact (like I am), and don't want AWD, then why not the Speed 3. However, in a daily driver and those who drive a lot of miles, and want to play the odds that car will last a long time, Subaru is always the way to go over Mazda, each and every time.