mazdaspeedster3
Member
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- Mazdaspeed3. 2008
RS4? A lightly modded MS6 will put the smack down on one... Guaranteed!
Talk me *out* of buying a MS3...
- Thread starter sperry
- Start date
An example of that is 30+ paint chips on the hood in less than 9 months. Mazda is not doing anything to fix it either.
mazdaspeedster3
Member
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- Mazdaspeed3. 2008
Who is saying Mazda wont warranty your car if you do your own oil changes? That is nonsense!
CAI, catback and oil changes will not void your warranty unless you suck up water in the intake.
CAI, catback and oil changes will not void your warranty unless you suck up water in the intake.
SuperStretch18
Member
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- '07 CX-7 Sport, Black on Black; '04 Mazda3s
I hope this was a joke...
The funniest thing here is that all the complaints I'm hearing are pretty much the same stuff all the Subaru owners complain about... chipping paint, squeaks and rattles. And of course complaining that it's ugly, and Subaru has Mazda beat in the that department hands down... I actually think the MS3 is pretty nice looking, and I'm plenty comfortable with my sexuality to drive a "chick" car if it's fun enough.
But in general, so far I'm not hearing anything I don't already hear from the Subaru camp... i.e. it sounds like the MS3 is still a much better car for the money than the STi.
And as far as my Subaru friends hating me... well they all drive Miatas, FJ Cruisers, Mini's, EVOs, etc now anyway. I'm one of the few that still has a Subaru! Plus, the lower cost of the MS3 is hopefully enough to be able to justify keeping the track car around. If I get an STi, it's only 'cause I'm selling the WRX, and I'd rather keep the racecar... it's kinda fun.
But in general, so far I'm not hearing anything I don't already hear from the Subaru camp... i.e. it sounds like the MS3 is still a much better car for the money than the STi.
And as far as my Subaru friends hating me... well they all drive Miatas, FJ Cruisers, Mini's, EVOs, etc now anyway. I'm one of the few that still has a Subaru! Plus, the lower cost of the MS3 is hopefully enough to be able to justify keeping the track car around. If I get an STi, it's only 'cause I'm selling the WRX, and I'd rather keep the racecar... it's kinda fun.
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I would say the car is very stiff and choppy. Makes it handle like a kart but doing 10 hour trips with it aren't as pleasant as they could be. That contributes a lot to the little rattle complaints too. If it were me, I think the car should have had 17" wheels and a bit more sidewall to fix that issue. I'm not sure that the paint is all that cheap .. mine's holding up pretty well. Plus, the chassis is very rigid too. I would say don't expect tuning to do much more for performance without swapping out a lot of hard parts. I like mine and I like that they are pretty rare too. Almost nobody knows it's a speed ,, very subtle.
happy and angry
Member
Driving Dynamics: It's front wheel drive, and you'll notice the difference during spirited driving. You'll break traction pretty easy in first and second, something you'd never do in an AWD STI. It'll pull rather than push you around a corner, and you won't be able to get the same drive out of a corner. It just won't drive the same as what you're used to when you're pushing it.
Agreed. I went from an AWD MS6 to an MS3, and noticed that you don't get that AWD grip around corners. The car is so fun to drive that it makes up for that though. Just don't accelerate too much when cornering and you'll be fine.
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- 02' Protege ES
I think everyone has missed this part of you 1st post.
Plain and simple get the MS3 and be done with it. Good bang for the buck out of
the box. There really isn't a reason not to.
My biggest worry about the FWD isn't all-out performance related. I've still got a very fast AWD track car... I can get my rocks off in that. I'm looking for a fun daily driver... something I'm not going to be throwing around too hard (at most the occasional autocross or two). So as long as the FWD doesn't suck under "normal spirited driving conditions" I think I can live with the transition from AWD to FWD.
What I'm really afraid of is winter/wet performance. We usually have a good 7-10 days per year of snow and packed ice on the street. A Subaru with snow tires just shrugs off the winter. How's the MS3? People complain about wheel hop and tire-spin as it is... granted in the snow, I'm going to be driving even more gently than in the dry, but I'd hate to have to drive my big dumb Ford diesel just 'cause I need the 4WD. How's the MS3 on a set of snows? What about on "summer" tires in the wet?
I've driven this car in some pretty bad weather, where the front bumper was plowing through snow. I have to say I was pretty impressed with it. As long as you're conservative with the throttle on takeoff it will get you where you have to go. Where it sucks is when it's parked in over a foot of snow and you have to get it out. Mazda put these flaps underneath for aerodynamics and snow would get caught up in that and stop the car.
ShadowSolution
Member
Im glad your looking into a MS3 dude.
especially when your coming from a AWD Subaru...
I myself also switch over from a Subaru to a MS3.
Is there a better/faster/funner car out there?.. Yes...
But when you factor in gas millage, (which for the performance this car puts out i think its the Hybrid of its class!) cost, and quality, especially if your using it as a daily driver you sure are looking at the right car!
For what its worth this car takes corners and pulls harder then any other FWD car ive driven before!
go take one out for a test drive, you wont be disappointed.
I got my 08 MS3 for 21,400 you cant beat the price
especially when your coming from a AWD Subaru...
I myself also switch over from a Subaru to a MS3.
Is there a better/faster/funner car out there?.. Yes...
But when you factor in gas millage, (which for the performance this car puts out i think its the Hybrid of its class!) cost, and quality, especially if your using it as a daily driver you sure are looking at the right car!
For what its worth this car takes corners and pulls harder then any other FWD car ive driven before!
go take one out for a test drive, you wont be disappointed.
I got my 08 MS3 for 21,400 you cant beat the price
The MS3 pulls more like an STI than a WRX. I used to have a WRX and I drive an MS3 now. There are actually plenty of former WRX owners here.
My main complaint about this car is the clutch. It is quite sudden and difficult to drive smoothly shifting from neutral to 1st and 2nd. Also, the ride is harsh. I feel like I want to soften the ride a bit to make it a more pleasant daily driver especially when I am driving my girlfriend around, who hates it.
My main complaint about this car is the clutch. It is quite sudden and difficult to drive smoothly shifting from neutral to 1st and 2nd. Also, the ride is harsh. I feel like I want to soften the ride a bit to make it a more pleasant daily driver especially when I am driving my girlfriend around, who hates it.
I've got a clutch like a lightswitch on my WRX... that won't bother me much. The stiff suspension might though... if it's stiffer than a stock STI, I'll be a little worried about getting sick of it, especially on long trips.
ShadowSolution said:
That's a good point... what sort of pricing is out there for these? Edmunds was putting what I wanted (2008.5 MS3 GT, white, +sat radio, +homelink) at about $25k. What are people getting these for?
Also, I wouldn't be opposed to finding a used one with <10k miles if they're out there with the options I want. Though, I doubt the '08.5's are available used these days.
Exactly, lol, for a minute there I thought he was an ms3 owner. Just buy it.
