To buy or Not to buy?

[JAPANESEboi]

Hey, my name is Kenji, im 16 and i live in hamilton ontario, My family is looking for a new car. Me and my dad have test drove plenty of cars... but, we went to Mountain Mazda, our local mazda dealer and they won't let us testdrive.:confused: :wtf: :bs: Now i know right now me and my dad have chopped it down to 3 cars, The Celica, Subaru WRX and Mazdaspeed. I know i would love to have WRX over speed, but my dad would love to save anymoney that he can.

Now the only thing they lets us do with speed is listen too the soundsystem... which kills the competitions sound systems nedays, especially WRX :D.

We are looking for a very reliable car with not many problems, but I have been reading this forum and there seems to be plenty of speed problems.. and that worries me.

I just wanted to know from all you people that own a speed... are the problems that huge? or can you just live with them. And is hesitation a REAL big problem? i would like any help i can get from peeps on here, because it could add another Speed owner into your community.

Newayz, w/e car we get i want to make it a show car..:D :D :cool:

Thnx, hope i get some replys. ttyl
-Kenji

[Matthew]

well as much as i love my mazda, get the WRX if your dad will buy it, if not go for the MSP

[unwrittenLaw]

get the MSP..everyone and their mom has a WRX and with a few mods you can run w/ the Scoobies

[jonnydoe48]

i doubt he will be modding if his family's car.

[JAPANESEboi]

My dad wants me to mod it, he wants to help me mod it too, since it ill manual, my sis nor my mom will be able to drive it since they cannot drive the stick, so its pretty much our car.

[unwrittenLaw]

Originally posted by jonnydoe48
i doubt he will be modding if his family's car.

spoke too soon..

[Matthew]

must be nice, i wish my dad could buy me a WRX STi

[JAPANESEboi]

Yeah WRX Sti is my dad's dream car, but too expensive..

[jonnydoe48]

RAH! =)

[SuperSpud]

get wrx.. I was, but it didnt work out :(

[unwrittenLaw]

if u get a wrx, get rid of the stock rims..they're crap

[Dr.Sound]

i say get MSP

i love it, even over WRX (not the STi though)

plus it would be a much better show car

if u get 2003, get Orange..........if 2003.5, get Titanium.

even with stock paint you will avershadow any WRX.

[JAPANESEboi]

My dealer said they are sold out of Orange and Titanium Greys and they won't be getting any more in... they only had yellow. But, i live like 1 and a half hours from Toronto, or Buffalo, USA, so if we decide to buy MSP we could always pick one up from Toronto, or Lazer Blu from USA d^_^b.

[Dr.Sound]

there u go :)
still i think orange and titanium are the best colors ON THE MARKET right now

[YuYuRena]

WRX has their share of problems too. But in canada the awd is an awesome choice. Go to a different dealer to get a test drive. I think it's messed up that they didn't let you test drive a msp. I wouldn't buy a car from that dealership. About modding, wrx has plenty of parts, so you'll have plenty of choices. msp doesn't have that many parts, so that opens the door for more "custom" creation. personally that appeals 2 me. plus i got a titanium color so i'm not complaining about that either.

As far as stereo is concern, you can always upgrade a stock wrx stereo if you want, but i just like the stock msp stereo.

[Matthew]

im partial to the laser bluish color of the wrx

[JAPANESEboi]

thnx yuyu very good response ^_^
and yes i dont like having same car as other peeps.

Oh and yes i luv the Subaru Rally Blue, Very nice colour, which i think alot of car companies have been copying, because i tend to see alot of cars that colour nowadays on the roads.

[jonnydoe48]

i think black is 10x better than any of the other colors..

but then again im sure it will look like crap if it isnt washed etc, so yeah. but its not my choice for your car.

its all about opinion, what YOU want, not what the people on this thread want.

[nmaino]

Buy a 1980's VW Rabbit, that way you will not kill yourself. Buy a nice car when you can think and act for yourself (after you turn eighteen).

[t3ase]

Originally posted by nmaino
Buy a 1980's VW Rabbit, that way you will not kill yourself. Buy a nice car when you can think and act for yourself (after you turn eighteen).
Dude, what is with you??? Everytime you post now, it has something negative in it. "It's your money, buy a Greddy gauge if you want" and now "Buy a nice car when you can thin kand act for youself"... Jesus.

[oliver2000]

Burlington Mazda has all 3 colours available. Yellow, Orange and Titanium...

Go there very fast

[Matthew]

edited: forget it i said something rude here

[INGREXCO]

EVO 8

[unwrittenLaw]

i test drove the evo, it is a beast..but a lot more money..

[snowman4us]

GET THE WRX!!!! ull need alot more money to make a MSP fast compared to the WRX... put 2 grand into a WRX and ull have a SAFE & Reliable mid to low 13 sec car....

[spoolboy]

I wouldn't deal with mountain mazda in Hamilton. Their service department has been very good so far, but some of the salespeople I dealt with there are idiots, full of wrong information, and not helpful at all. I bought mine from mazda in Acton, they are excellent there, and I almost bought a Mazda6 in Burlington and they seemed pretty good as well. If I had more money I would have bought the WRX, but I have no regrets with the MSP, it's an awsome little car.

[unwrittenLaw]

Originally posted by snowman4us
GET THE WRX!!!! ull need alot more money to make a MSP fast compared to the WRX... put 2 grand into a WRX and ull have a SAFE & Reliable mid to low 13 sec car....


Joe P has under a 1k in mods on his MSP and he has won against modded wrx's if I remember correctly.

[JAPANESEboi]

Thnx for replies, imma get my dad down to burlington Mazda, maybe tommarrow to check out Titanium and maybe get a testdrive in.
Spool boy, i think i may have seen ur speed at eastgate parking lot and by Paramount road in Stoney Creek.

[JAPANESEboi]

oh and does burlington allow testdrives for the speed?

[Kenetix]

OMG, how can you guys say that the HIDEOUS orange nuclear explosion color is good? Its looks like crap and draws TOO much attention. Its bad enough just saying MAZDASPEED on the back, its like a damn beacon for car jackers and punks to steal your radio. A car always looks better in black, nothing looks better under the street lights than a deep black car with a nice wax job. Yes, dents show up easier and you have to clean more often, but who really hates washing their speed anyway? I know I don't.

The WRX is a great car, but for the money the MAZDASPEED is better IMHO. Mods are generally easy and you don't have to worry about the notorious tranny problems. I have YET to have more than 2 probs with my Speed. The sub blew, GAIN was set to high on the amp from the factory = distortion, which is what kills subs; and the hesitaion. The hesitation isn't even a factor anymore once you up the boost. No clunk, no shitty headunit ... I don't know what you guys are doing to these cars. Mine has been nothing but reliable. Personally, I like the WRX, but its too much money for such an ugly car. Unless you end up throwing a aero kit on it and some rims, it looks like shit.

[unwrittenLaw]

I agree, the WRX isn't the best looking car..

[Kenetix]

Just so I don't piss anyone off, I don't mean you guys drive the car like shit, but alot of these problems come from people driving fast over shitty roads, and not knowing how to operate the headunit,

[nmaino]

Its not negative, that is how I feel. A 16 year old kid should not be have a MSP, EVO8, WRX for a new car. Most likely he is going to total the car out within a few months of owning it. So why pay a lot of money for a nice car that could possibly be destroyed within a few months?

That is why he should get something that is older. First to hone his driving skills, second to learn how to work on cars and third to save his father some money. When he has completed these three subjects, then he can buy what ever car he wants to. It is not negative thinking, it is logical thinking.

[Matthew]

with all due respect unwritten law, a msp isnt going to beat a WRX unless the driver of the WRX doesnt know how to drive or doesnt really care...:bs:

MSP - 170hp, 160 ft/lb torque, 0-60 in 6.9 sec, 15.56s 1/4 mile, FWD, 2.0l :(

WRX - 227hp, 217 ft/lb torque, 0-60 5.6 sec, 14.3s 1/4 mile, AWD, 2.0l

so i really hate to disappoint all you mazdaspeed owners that think your car that has 57 horsepower less than another car and 57 ft/lbs of torque less is gonna beat it...ok so you can mod the vehicles but i will put my next paycheck that says the WRX has 50 times the aftermarket parts and upgrades available, and is also the number one modded car in all import magazines along with the 240SX...the car is so fast and so easy to mod that it makes articles when people build cars that can beat modded wrxs...yes the MSP is a very nice ride, but NO it is not as fast, easy to mod, or anywhere close to coming near the performance of a WRX...for every mod you do to a MSP the same or similar mod in the WRX is likely to make more HP gains...frankly, the only thing Mazda did to really beef up the HP of the MSP is add a whimpy turbo...im sorry, just sick off all the posts about how the MSP can beat this and that...i love mazda, i love my car, and i would have loved to have been able to afford a MSP at the time, but it will not beat a WRX!!!!!!!

[JAPANESEboi]

Amen.

[unwrittenLaw]

umm I know the specs on the msp and wrx and I know the wrx is faster stock v stock, I'm not saying the wrx isn't a great car, I'm just saying the MSP can be made to be fairly fast with not too much money.

[unwrittenLaw]

and the quarter mile time u quoted for the MSP is a bit high..people were running high 14's stock...not a big difference, but you can't always base everything off of magazine articles..

[Matthew]

im just saying your friend would not normally beat a wrx...as for being ugly, so is the fucking SRT-4 - ITS A DAMN NEON FOR CHRISTS SAKE!!! but its a big deal because its fast as hell! lol

[Kenetix]

Well, if you want to be just like everyone else ..... go ahead and get the WRX. Just be sure and put your wing and altezza's on.

[unwrittenLaw]

What do u mean normally..obviously a stock MSP could not outrun a WRX...unless there were some twisties, then maybe it could keep up...

anyway i know the msp isn't on the same level as a wrx as far as power and speed, but it makes up for it in other areas...

basically, to the japaneseboi dude..if your dad wants to spend more for a wrx, go for it..its a great car. but either car is a good choice...

[Kenetix]

Yeah, the scoobie isn't a bad car, just not what I would spend 25k on. I'm still trying to get that 1st Gen RX-7 with the 3-rotor.

[JAPANESEboi]

No offense but who the f* puts altezzas on a wrx?!?!

[Matthew]

a retard

[Kenetix]

Bump

[Kenetix]

Exactly ..... the majority of WRX owners. No really, its just the WRX USED to be like an exclusive car, but now that my grandma bought the wagon it's fallen out of favor. Oh wait, Grandpa Greg has a MAZDASPEED, damnit, old people everywhere. :rolleyes:

[jonnydoe48]

mnaio, i am 16. but i am not fresh 16, pretty close to 17. drove a 84 bmw 3 series for 9 months, on and off with a c230 mercedes coupe.

guess what? its not totalled


not a scratch. just because you crashed when you were fresh, doesnt mean anyone smart will.

kthxbye

[Matthew]

yea i had a RX7 turbo when i was that age - guess what, no damage

[Micah]

Anyone check the skidpad for the WRX vs. the MSP???

Personally, I think you would be better off buying a P5 or an ES sedan. For the difference in the price, you could buy a turbo kit and have a much faster car than a stock mazdaspeed. Then spend some of that "show car money" on a real audio system, something way better than the stock MSP setup. If you really want a show car, you'll be replacing the body kit, rims, tires - suspension - basically everything that makes it a Mazdaspeed.

Or, you could do what I did. I picked up my 2002.5 ES sedan for $15,300. I already had all the audio equipment and alarm from my last car, that was simply a matter of installing. Picked up the DVD/in dash 7 inch LCD from www.mp3playerstore.com for $250 - because they gave me a discount when it took 8 weeks to ship for "overnight delivery". Now I'm adding Perfworks Stage 1 kit for $3700.

so to summarize:

2002.5 Protege ES - $15,300
DVD/ in dash LCD - $250
Decent Audio System - $1000 (estimate)
Stage 1 Turbo - $3700

$20,250 spent, faster than a Mazdaspeed, better audio system, and I don't have to worry about every cop and little Johnny Ricer everywhere I go.

Not to mention the joy of sitting in traffic on the way to work watching "A Clockwork Orage".

I'm one happy geek!

Hope to see everyone at Spools.

[Matthew]

hey micah i thought you were doing the NA creation

[Micah]

yeah, I was going to go that route, but changed my mind. I've been at the shop with Perfworks (Nick) almost everyday after work and most of my days off too. Hell, I'm at the shop right now. My car will be done this week. Dyno Tuning starts on Wednesday.

Are you going to the Spool meet?

By the way, that MP5 doesn't look right, I fired an HK MP5 about a year ago, looked differint, hell - that thing almost looks like Han Solo's Blaster in a suitcase. Tell your wife that her smile is scaring me. Oh, and those rims look great.

[girth]

Originally posted by Micah
Anyone check the skidpad for the WRX vs. the MSP???

Personally, I think you would be better off buying a P5 or an ES sedan. For the difference in the price, you could buy a turbo kit and have a much faster car than a stock mazdaspeed. Then spend some of that "show car money" on a real audio system, something way better than the stock MSP setup. If you really want a show car, you'll be replacing the body kit, rims, tires - suspension - basically everything that makes it a Mazdaspeed.

Or, you could do what I did. I picked up my 2002.5 ES sedan for $15,300. I already had all the audio equipment and alarm from my last car, that was simply a matter of installing. Picked up the DVD/in dash 7 inch LCD from www.mp3playerstore.com for $250 - because they gave me a discount when it took 8 weeks to ship for "overnight delivery". Now I'm adding Perfworks Stage 1 kit for $3700.

so to summarize:

2002.5 Protege ES - $15,300
DVD/ in dash LCD - $250
Decent Audio System - $1000 (estimate)
Stage 1 Turbo - $3700

$20,250 spent, faster than a Mazdaspeed, better audio system, and I don't have to worry about every cop and little Johnny Ricer everywhere I go.

Not to mention the joy of sitting in traffic on the way to work watching "A Clockwork Orage".

I'm one happy geek!

Hope to see everyone at Spools.

True enough, but for that price you still don't have the awesome rims, the superb tires, the kick-ass suspension setup, the short-throw shifter, the custom pedals, the decent exhaust, or any warranty! Not to mention you had to spend time installing all of that stuff and time is money.

If you're happy that's all that matters though. For me, it's all about the MSP being a nice total package instead of just a drag car.

[Matthew]

no cant go to the spool meet...i would if i was in pittsburgh, but of course im not anymore...so who is perfs guiena pig for the NA setup?

thats a HK MP5K, the compact model as seen in the matrix during the hotel scene at the end...its in a briefcase, you pull the trigger on the handle and a little mechanism pulls the trigger inside the briefcase and shoots out the side of the briefcase while its closed.

dont rip on my wife now, i just got home she hadnt seen me in 3 months think of what was goin thru her mind, especially since im so good looking :)

thanks youre the first person to say something good about those rims...not that people are saying bad shit, just nothing at all when i posted my pics in the photosection and cardomain lol

do you have MSN messenger? if not, you should get it, a lot of us have been conversating as of late

[Micah]

True enough, but for that price you still don't have the awesome rims, the superb tires, the kick-ass suspension setup, the short-throw shifter, the custom pedals, the decent exhaust, or any warranty! Not to mention you had to spend time installing all of that stuff and time is money.

If you're happy that's all that matters though. For me, it's all about the MSP being a nice total package instead of just a drag car.


Well, I'm ordering a progress spring kit tommorrow, I'll see what that does to the handling. I have the Racing Beat exhaust, so that's not a worry, plus I'll be changing to either a full 3 inch or 2.5 inch exhaust this fall. The stock 1 7/8th's is a bit tight. I've got the automatic, so I'm not worried about a short shifter.

As far as the warranty, I'm not worried, one, we aren't doing anything to my car that I can't switch back - two, I have had my car since October, and I have 21,210 Miles on it already. I road trip alot. I have friends up in Canada, and down in Georgia. Also thinking of taking a road trip out to Las Vegas too.

The best part has been installing all this stuff. I love my car. How someone can love their car and never get under it and start taking it apart, I'll never understand. Don't get me wrong, my dream car is a Porsche 911. But park a restored 68 Camaro next to the 911, and I'll have my eyes all over the Camaro. Anyone can just buy and drive a car. I like being one of the people that actually spends time working on their car.

Just my $0.02

[Micah]

so who is perfs guiena pig for the NA setup?

He's looking for someone who is interested.


do you have MSN messenger? if not, you should get it, a lot of us have been conversating as of late

Nah, I do have AIM though. I don't like all the overhead that MSN Messenger takes up. Plus, I don't have it on my linux box.

yeah, so - I'm turning my car into a sleeper. Keeping the stock look - but it's got 35% tint all around, the mp3 exhaust, and the lowered suspension coming. But the drop is only like 1.5 - 2.0 inches. I don't think it will be that noticable. I'm doing it to improve handling and eliminate the wheel gap.

It's going to be really fun messing with all the MSP's in NJ. After the turbo is installed this week, and we dyno tune it - I'll see what kind of power I am making. I'm pretty sure I'll be replacing the full exhaust system. Looking into the Ntercooler kit from NEX also. CO2 is pretty cheap, and if it nets me a few more ponies - I'll probably end up doing it.

My goal this week is 200WHP. (I'll probably come up a bit shy - damn stock exhaust pipe is pretty restrictive)

[girth]

Good points Micah. As shitty as the stealerships are these days, the warrenty means almost nothing to me personally. It's really just a small "piece of mind" type of comfort in case something huge goes wrong IMO.

And I also understand regarding the tinkering vs stock issue -- for me the MSP was a good choice because I'm plain and simple not smart enough to turn the car into what I really want, so I have to settle for the factory getting it "close enough."

I'd say the MSP is a GREAT value for somebody who doesn't really want to/doesn't enjoy tinkering with their ride. For those that DO like to mess with the car, then it really doesn't matter what you get -- you can always just turn it into what you want. I just want to say that the price-to-performance ratio of the MSP is pretty hard to beat.

[Micah]

Yeah, I definitely agree with you there. Dollar for Dollar, I think the MSP is the car I would have bought had it been available, and had I been able to get it 3000 under MSRP just like I did my ES.

Hey, at least you readily admit that you just don't have the urge to get under a car. Some people come up with some really funny ways to skirt around that issue. Oh, and I wouldn't call you "not smart enough" - I can assure you - it doesn't take a genius. Just need to take the time to do some reading, and then start trying stuff.

By the way, my next car - after I'm done paying off this one; will likely be a used Miata - which will then be turned into a Monster Miata. But that's about 5 years off. So far, I've done a fairly good job of entertaining myself with this car.

[nmaino]

Really. So just because I mention that you might crash the vehicle, I have crashed mine and I'm stupid. Well, you have a lot to learn my 16 1/2 year old friend.