Decisions? Decisions? MSP or Speed3?

[merckx racer]

I've always owned Vdubs('84 GTI..'02 GTI..'07 GTI..and lets throw in
an '01 Celica).....

but went through bankruptcy a while back and as forced to get rid of the '07
GTI and do wth a '02 Protege DX.

I tell what...I was really impressed with that car...all it did was handle...stop...handle..go...and handle!!

Now after regaining my financial balance...I'm looking to uprgrade
my ride and test drove an RX-8 the other day.
The salesman could sense I wasn't thrilled..he suggested the '07 MS3 they
had...wow!..great car..handles..speed to spare!

But..I spotted the rear end of another MS3..it was a 2010..so test drove that
and was completely blown-away!
To me?...it felt lighter...handles wayyyy better...and was much stronger
than the '07 MS3!

Well...I put down a deposit..but have now changed my mind and want to first
see the silver and red in person before making a decision.
My question...I was so impressed by my Protege...I could only imagine how great my car would be with racing suspension and a turbo..in other words?
a MSP!
Should I drive a MSP before plunking down the cash on a 2010 MS3??

Would a MSP handle better than the MS3?
I know it cant come anywhere near the power...and I guess it's easy to
see that I've completely put VW in my past after driving so many Mazdas!

[kpacker51]

Well, I think they stopped making them when? A while ago. Plus, they are RARE as hell, and hard to find. Just a thought.

[el_Don]

Yea it's going to be hard to find an unabused one. However a number of members have recently started to sell their cars. maybe you can find one on here.

[NCZ13]

if your not going to build the motor than its not worth the headaches.

just get the 2010.

i would say get the rx8, but thats the rotard in me speaking.

[Newf]

personally I wouldn't touch a rotary. And the MSP was probably the best handling of the bunch, but had issues with the suspension that was so bad I'd avoid it. Plus the MSP is no match for the MS3 in terms of power. You sure your not getting your car models confused because the msp was like back in 2003.

Go for the 2010 ms3 and smile

[BadDogZ]

Go for the 2010 MS3. I just traded my 07 GTI in on a 3s. I was going to wait for the diesel Golfs to drop this Fall, but they will cost too much IMHO... the 3 has a very willing powertrain that loves to rev, and the car is very tossable, with razor-sharp steering, yet is very comfortable to drive. The bonus? I'm averaging 30.3 MPG on 87 octane, and I averaged 27 tops with 93 in the GTI. The Speed might get about the same mileage as the GTI, I don't know. Some of the trim isn't quite up to VW levels (hard plastics) but all the touch-points are nice, and the seatsare quite comfortable despite lacking adjustable lumbar support.

PM me if you have any questions...

[Newf]

please please put in at least 91 octane. 93 recomended. The car is a dog on anything lower. This car really needs higher octane or your asking for engine troubles in the future

editL you said 3s. Did you mean you own a speed or sport?

[BadDogZ]

Don't worry about the octane, its a Sport. Its got plenty of power for my purposes. If I need a more rip-snorting ride, I'll take my 240Z out for a spin :-)

please please put in at least 91 octane. 93 recomended. The car is a dog on anything lower. This car really needs higher octane or your asking for engine troubles in the future

editL you said 3s. Did you mean you own a speed or sport?

[merckx racer]

Thanks for all the feedback!
Yes...I did mean the '03 MSP....there are a few on Autotrader.com..but I'm leaning
heavily on going with the '10 MS3..and after thinking I would choose the silver...after
30 minutes of comparing the blue and the silver that were side-by-side...I really like
the blue!!
Just have to check out a red one in person to make a final decision!

[NathanR]

Just do what I did: buy one of each.

problem solved. (2thumbs)

[nastynogales]

this is a no brainer - the MS3 has been designed to handle like CRAZY

i'm sure it'll smoke the MSP in the twisties

[altspace]

I love my rotary! Haha.

[Vater]

I might be a little biased here, but I'd recommend the 2010 MS3 as well. :)

[Wagonbacker9]

this is a no brainer - the MS3 has been designed to handle like CRAZY

i'm sure it'll smoke the MSP in the twisties

the MSP has higher skidpad numbers, and faster slalom speed. bang for your buck, MSP hands down. if you want something newer however, MS3 has the obvious edge there. MSP is more mod friendly, and depending on how much money you want to throw at it, more potential.

[blkspdfreak]

the msp was great at the time it came out, and is still an amaizing car, for half the price of a new ms3.....which with the money you save you could put into the msp to make it that much more interesting to drive and own.

.........but the ms3 is a great NEW car that already has great handeling AND power, stock. it also has many aftermarket parts already and im sure more to come. but are you ready for the payments?

i would try to find some one close to your area and see if you can take a spin in there msp and compare. the msp comes in silver and blue too;)

[black_ninja23]

the MSP has higher skidpad numbers, and faster slalom speed. bang for your buck, MSP hands down. if you want something newer however, MS3 has the obvious edge there. MSP is more mod friendly, and depending on how much money you want to throw at it, more potential.

Could you enlighten me with the numbers of the MSP, skidpad and slalom?

I was very impressed by the numbers Insideline came up with on their test, .92 g and 74, and I always thought Insideline was conservative with their numbers compared to other testers.

Personally I would get the RX8 but only 2009 and above. I used to have an 06, but traded for a MS3. The 06 didn't have any mechanical problems, there were a lot of recalls with the 1st gen RX8, so I think for the most part the 09's should have a lot of the kinks from 1st gen fixed.

I say get the 2010 MS3 is you want brute force with good handling, this next gen Speed3 is more refined the previous model.

If you get the RX8, you're getting a slow, sports car built from the ground up, that guzzles a lot of gas. The RX8 is a very unique car, I'm not sure if you test drove it already, but you will definitely fall in love with a rotary. The gas thing was the only thing that was a big negative in my books.

Regardless, glad to see that you're staying with Mazda. (rockon)

[Wagonbacker9]

Could you enlighten me with the numbers of the MSP, skidpad and slalom?

I was very impressed by the numbers Insideline came up with on their test, .92 g and 74, and I always thought Insideline was conservative with their numbers compared to other testers.

Personally I would get the RX8 but only 2009 and above. I used to have an 06, but traded for a MS3. The 06 didn't have any mechanical problems, there were a lot of recalls with the 1st gen RX8, so I think for the most part the 09's should have a lot of the kinks from 1st gen fixed.

I say get the 2010 MS3 is you want brute force with good handling, this next gen Speed3 is more refined the previous model.

If you get the RX8, you're getting a slow, sports car built from the ground up, that guzzles a lot of gas. The RX8 is a very unique car, I'm not sure if you test drove it already, but you will definitely fall in love with a rotary. The gas thing was the only thing that was a big negative in my books.

Regardless, glad to see that you're staying with Mazda. (rockon)

sources always come up with different numbers, but in the MSP vs. MS3 thread I posted up numbers from the same source. the MS3 was .88, MSP was .91, and I believe the MSP was 73.X and the MS3 was 72.X slalom. these are the numbers I'm recalling, so may be off. everything I found gave the empiracle handling edge to the MSP.

[Mazdaspeed2oo35]

Well the MSP's are great cars, you just need to put a descent amount of cash on it to fix the weak spots and you are ready to kick ass. I mean for how much you could buy a used in good condition MSP ? 8k ? 10k? how much is the 2010 MS3 ? 25k? 28K fully loaded ? I'll tell you something get a MSP in good condition, pay little a month if you don't have the cash to pay it off at once, and add around 4k to it, then come back to this thread and tell me which one is faster and handles better and the most important thing these days which one is cheaper per month on payments if you have !!!!

I rather to buy something cheaper in price, fix it from ground up and Its still be better and cheaper than any fast sport car out there you could buy. Of Course my comments are based on my personal experience not necesary things have to be what and how i say..

[Wagonbacker9]

Well the MSP's are great cars, you just need to put a descent amount of cash on it to fix the weak spots and you are ready to kick ass. I mean for how much you could buy a used in good condition MSP ? 8k ? 10k? how much is the 2010 MS3 ? 25k? 28K fully loaded ? I'll tell you something get a MSP in good condition, pay little a month if you don't have the cash to pay it off at once, and add around 4k to it, then come back to this thread and tell me which one is faster and handles better and the most important thing these days which one is cheaper per month on payments if you have !!!!

I rather to buy something cheaper in price, fix it from ground up and Its still be better and cheaper than any fast sport car out there you could buy. Of Course my comments are based on my personal experience not necesary things have to be what and how i say..

like I said, bang for the buck, the MSP is a better deal. that said its not for everyone.

personal experience? you could probably have a similar year porsche for what you have into your protege. lol

[Mazdaspeed2oo35]

like I said, bang for the buck, the MSP is a better deal. that said its not for everyone.

personal experience? you could probably have a similar year porsche for what you have into your protege. lol


The fun part is when you beat them, and the best part of all is that you got spanked by a Protege better known as Mazdaspeed Protege Priceless if you ask me. lol lol

[BoostisLove]

Is that a serious question? You'd be a fool not to get the Mazdaspeed3. Best handling fwd car.

[Mazdaspeed2oo35]

Is that a serious question? You'd be a fool not to get the Mazdaspeed3. Best handling fwd car.




MS3 best handling fwd car ? i ask you the same, are you serious ? the ms3´s are nice cars but sure not the best in handling, the MSP its better on that department sir and there is no doubt about it..

[Bad Juju]

I probably have no business posting here, but I just wanted to add my .02 cents.

I have been following Mazda since the MP3. At one point I even owned an MP3. I've seen the specs of these cars and I know what they can do.

With that being said the best cars I have ever owned, with one exception, I purchased either from a dealer or new. As it stands right now, I've purchased 3 cars with the intent of finding something older that had potential. The first one I dumped 6ks in just maintenance. The next one I bought was further along in the performance area. I dumped 15-17ks on that car and when I sold it, the motor was blown. That one I only drove for about 3 months of the year I owned it. This was partially due to my deployment schedule, but mostly due to the fact that the car had been driven hard and I was trying to pick up the pieces.

As if I didn't learn from those two, I bought another car with potential and am now having to dump money into it, just to keep it running.

And the one's I purchased new or from a dealer, only standard maintenance. Now none of these cars were Mazda, but I think you get my point.

IMO, the monthly payments are worth it. But you could always take the chance that the 'nice' older car you are looking at wasn't driven the way the seller says it was...

[daonly1around]

lets not get in a arguement about skdpad numbers, the msp has better numbers. if you want something new and witha warrenty and UGLY ass grin, get the 10 speed three. if you want cheaper and something to build and play on. msp.. if you want the best of both worlds get the 07 ms3...

[Alejo_NIN]

Well the MSP's are great cars, you just need to put a descent amount of cash on it to fix the weak spots and you are ready to kick ass. I mean for how much you could buy a used in good condition MSP ? 8k ? 10k? how much is the 2010 MS3 ? 25k? 28K fully loaded ? I'll tell you something get a MSP in good condition, pay little a month if you don't have the cash to pay it off at once, and add around 4k to it, then come back to this thread and tell me which one is faster and handles better and the most important thing these days which one is cheaper per month on payments if you have !!!!

I rather to buy something cheaper in price, fix it from ground up and Its still be better and cheaper than any fast sport car out there you could buy. Of Course my comments are based on my personal experience not necesary things have to be what and how i say..


miguel, how much has it cost you to make the MSP better?
30k?
i mean, your car is sick! but.....

[Mazdaspeed2oo35]

miguel, how much has it cost you to make the MSP better?
30k?
i mean, your car is sick! but.....

C'mon Daniel, you don't need to do or spend the amount of money i have to really have a killer MSP, there's plenty of them in here including yours that will kick mayor ass on the streets and on the tracks. i went that far because i was able to and i wanted to go that route but i no sense you need to go all crazy like i have. There nothing better for the price we've paid for the MSPs theres none today for the price they run for.

[Wagonbacker9]

C'mon Daniel, you don't need to do or spend the amount of money i have to really have a killer MSP, there's plenty of them in here including yours that will kick mayor ass on the streets and on the tracks. i went that far because i was able to and i wanted to go that route but i no sense you need to go all crazy like i have. There nothing better for the price we've paid for the MSPs theres none today for the price they run for.

while true, the point raised about maintenance/repair is valid. luckily the only repair I had to do in the 20K+ i've put on my car in a year is replacing the diff... aside from that shes never given me trouble.

[Knox Joe]

the MSP has higher skidpad numbers, and faster slalom speed.

That's what I was thinking, just didn't want to turn it into a pissing match. Silly MS3 guys. (encourage

Oh, and buy a Vette. Used Z06s are cheap right now.

[Ricktalife]

if i had the money i would def buy a 2010 ms3. after watching a track video of the first gen ms3 launching i think i wanted to scratch my eyes out. 1st to 2nd looked BRUTAL. i thought the dude f'ing stalled it. but from what i read in a magazine the other day comparing the gti, ms3, wrx, and cobalt ss (i know right?) the new ms3 is pretty sweet. i'm told they changed the gear ratios because of this horrible 1st to 2nd deal i'm talking about.

despite how many problems i've had with my poor msp...most of which were caused by the previous owner and his obvious disregard for me (the future owner) when he put his car back to stock with a giant pile of SHIT stock parts....

but i still love my msp.

[Alejo_NIN]

C'mon Daniel, you don't need to do or spend the amount of money i have to really have a killer MSP, there's plenty of them in here including yours that will kick mayor ass on the streets and on the tracks. i went that far because i was able to and i wanted to go that route but i no sense you need to go all crazy like i have. There nothing better for the price we've paid for the MSPs theres none today for the price they run for.

ok ok, so long as you accept you went too far it's all good.
but you are right. our cars might not have a stock bottom end that withstands 500HP but if built right it can be lots of fun!
it has the best looks of it's time....we might not be as fast as SRT-4's but when has a SR-4 been confused with an evo? *WINK* *WINK*

[merckx racer]

Thanks for opinions...obviously a divided camp!

Honestly.....the only problem I have with the '10 MS3 is the
weight!
The MSP weighs what?...2700lbs.?

It's a huge advantage there...with the MS3 coming in at 3250...if they
could have just kept the weight below 2900lbs. the car would be even more
of a "beast"!

And I'm seriously considering keeping my Protege..DX..auto trans and all
and just upgrading with Eibach Pro-kit...MS sways..front-upper strut tie..
light weight 17inchers...and to top it off a TSI turbo(6psi..FMIC..supposed
to improve power by 56%)...while it wouldn't be a "world-beater" it would
still be a very capable..very cost effective($5K upgrades)car that would
handle great!

We'll see...will prolly just get the MS3...just can't decide between the
silver...red..or blue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obviously...someone has decision/choice issues!!(argh)