Need your advice on an 08 Mazda 3 hatchback and an 08 Impreza 2.5i hatchback

Hey guys, 2002 Protg 5 owner here!

My gf is looking for a car.
We narrowed down the search to 2 cars, 2008 Impreza 2.5 Sport Hatchback and the 2008 Mazda 3 hatchback
Its gone back and forth over the past month or 2 between those 2 cars.
First she absolutely wanted the Mazda 3, then winter hit and she was hooked on the new impreza cause of the AWD.

This week I saw in the paper that ALL 2008 Mazdas were at 0% financing for up to 60 months, so were back to the Mazda 3.
Quite honestly, 0% financing over 60 months is a great deal and im not sure we can refuse that offer.

I know Ill probably get a biased response, but what do you guys think of the Impreza compared to the 3? Theyre about in the same price range here in Canada.

Back to the 3. Theres 2 engine options, the 2.0 and the sport 2.3. Is the 2.3 that much more powerful than the 2.0? How about the fuel economy between the two?

Hows the Automatic and the Manual performance on the Mazda 3?

I know this is quite a mouthful from me, especially for my first post in the 3 forum, but Id really like to get some inside information and make an informed decision when it comes to buying either the 3 or the Impreza.

Thanks guys, totally appreciate it!
Joey

Did you test drive both?

that will be this weekend.

the Impreza is about as bland as could possibly be - the styling alone would kill that one for me

Ya a lot of people aren't huge fans of the new look!!

can anyone tell me how the 2.0 and the 2.3 stack up to one another?

and the transmissions?

thank you!

delguini said:

can anyone tell me how the 2.0 and the 2.3 stack up to one another?

and the transmissions?

thank you!

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Both are very nice, but having driven them both I prefer the 2.3 to the 2.0 It just seemed a little stronger and less corolla like... a little more zoom zoom.

I drove the manual transmission in both which was pretty smooth.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can only get the 2.3 in the 5-door?

im not sure about that, but i know we're going to be getting a 5 door

Having lived in the frozen north for nearly half my life, I'm afraid I'd have to opt for pretty much anything that offered AWD over something that only offered FWD. Getting around with just FWD is possible, but life is so much nicer when you don't find yourself spinning your front wheels in a futile attempt to navigate streets buried under 6+ inches of powder. All my FWD and RWD cars paled in comparison to what my Talon TSi was capable of when the Wyoming weather turned ugly. I'd give the Impreza a serious look considering where you live.

it's hard to compare apples to apples between both cars... subaru has tried hard with the new impreza to make it competitive with the other compacts out there but this is where they will fail:
the complexity of their powertrain system adds a LOT more to the cost of the car... the complex AWD system, the complex all aluminum boxer engine... all expensive s***... aluminum prices have gone up in recent years and this is reflected upon engine parts

so in order to advertise that the car costs 17k (US) MSRP, they had to cheap out the car completely and cut all sorts of features out in order to make this a base model.... you now have black mirrors and door handles, steelies with hub caps, hard plastic playskool door panels and other interior trim, crappy radio, crappy speakers, rear drum brakes, and no side turn signals

that's just the highlights of what you get when you buy a 2.5i impreza... you add the premium packages and other s*** to get comparable features to the of the base model mazda3, civic, corolla, sentra, lancer, etc... once you add those, your car is closer to 25k and it no longer is such a competitive/good deal anymore... worse yet, there are quite a few other big things you still don't get until you get the wrx or sti, both of which are making things way out of budget for most people

I don't want to sound biased or negative against the impreza, it's a good car, but they won't get the sales figures they hope to get because of the lack of features people expect on the base model... the only reason to get it is if you really DO need the AWD and you have to drive through snow drifts and s*** most of the time... otherwise, FWD will do you just fine

for 20k you spend on a compact car, you'll get a nice car if you spent it on a civic, corolla, and of course the mazda3

this is an objective standpoint of the car... really, if you live in the city, there's not a big need for AWD... not that I'm saying it doesn't do anything, it's just not as necessary as those living out in the sticks... the mazda3 Sport GX with the 2.0 engine is definately a bang for the buck... it'll have good gas mileage and have decent list of features especially after you add the comfort package which gives you power windows, locks, and mirrors, allow wheels, spoiler, keyless entry, steering wheel audio controls, and other things... granted, it's optional and the impreza comes with half of those things stock, it'll cost about the same out the door plus you still have more things than the impreza

now, despite the good fuel economy of the 2.0 engine on the 3, bare in mind it IS a slug... you can rev the piss out of it and it just won't go like the P5 did... I just don't know why despite the fact that it has more rated power... it's probably because of the much heavier car... if you want to scoot around, the 2.3 is the way to go despite the crappy gas mileage it gives you... the Sport GS and GT gives you a lot more features too for not too much more price and it'll be a better buy than the impreza... even an ms3 is a better buy than the WRX despite the lack of AWD

to some other posters. The top price for an impreza is 22k (4 door with sat/nav package, which includes the preimum package as well) with an auto trans. The 5 door is about 500 more.

So to say a impreza tops out at 25k is just nuts. A mazda 3 can can top that price is you optition it out. And a 4door s gt will cost roughly as much as the 22k imperza. You get some other features (5spd auto vs 4sp auto), leather seating surfaces etc. But overall the interior quality will be the same. Since both are budget cars.

drive both and see which one you like. I dont own ethier, but will cross shop both soon. Though this week I really wished I had a 4wd car with 12+ inches of snow and ice under it, my fwd car w/snow tires had more then it could handle, maybe an lsd would have helped, but thats msp3 not a mazda 3.

I'm just trying to ad balance to some of the posters here. Since nethier car is head and shoulders above the other.

thank you so much for all your opinions, i really do appeciate them.

The fact i can get the Mazda 3 financed at 0% for 60 months, might very well be the deciding factor.

does the 2.3 really waste that much more gas than the 2.0?

The 2.3 seems to be hit and miss with MPG. When I was a member of the Mazda 3 Forum, there was a smattering of posts, bitching about really poor city MPG. Unless you require the 5-door, I think the 2.0 is so closely matched to the 2.3 in power that the mpg penalty wouldn't be worth it to me. It's 148 hp vs 160 hp, both having VVT. Drive a 2.0 and 2.3 sedan back-to-back and see what you think.

0% at 60 months is a good deal.

This is all based on US models, I dunno how different Canada models are:

We cross shopped a Mazda3 5door and a 5door Impreza for my wife.
In terms of snow driving, the TCS helps a lot with the Mazda3. You will still spin your tires, etc. But the base Impreza doesn't have TCS and will spin its tires as well. The only difference is you will actually get moving with the Impreza.

Snow handling is a whole other world though with the Impreza. The 3 will understeer/slide a good bit if pushed in the snow. You can control the Impreza very easily while drifting/sliding through snow.

The Mazda3 handles much more sportier than the base Impreza, it has much stiffer suspension in my opinion. The auto tranny in the Impreza really sucks for sporty driving, it needs an extra gear. The 2.5i has enough torque though, that it will still move the car. My wife can't drive a manual, so an auto was the only option. I think the auto in the Mazda3 was pretty good.

The Mazda3 had more amenities for the price and she really liked the stereo, but we actually ended up getting a 2008 Legacy 2.5i. They had good financing + cash back on them, which made it less than the Impreza we wanted. AWD/they didn't have the 5door Mazda3 we wanted on the lot was the deciding factor for us.

FYI: Don't take the Impreza drifting in snow covered parking lots... its so fun you'll never want to own a non-awd car again

BlackCherry06 said:

Having lived in the frozen north for nearly half my life, I'm afraid I'd have to opt for pretty much anything that offered AWD over something that only offered FWD. Getting around with just FWD is possible, but life is so much nicer when you don't find yourself spinning your front wheels in a futile attempt to navigate streets buried under 6+ inches of powder. All my FWD and RWD cars paled in comparison to what my Talon TSi was capable of when the Wyoming weather turned ugly. I'd give the Impreza a serious look considering where you live.

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I don't disagree with your position on the impreza, but my MS3 with Dunlop Wintersport 3D tires just hooks up like crazy. I could start up in 10 inches of snow we got recently (heavy snow; powder is easier). No spinning. I think, if you're "spinning like crazy" that your driving skills or tires need changing.

Preach all you want about other peoples' driving skills and tires. AWD>FWD in snow and ice. And if you think I believe you have NO spinning in snow, think again. I lived and drove in it too long....I know better.

BlackCherry06 said:

The 2.3 seems to be hit and miss with MPG. When I was a member of the Mazda 3 Forum, there was a smattering of posts, bitching about really poor city MPG. Unless you require the 5-door, I think the 2.0 is so closely matched to the 2.3 in power that the mpg penalty wouldn't be worth it to me. It's 148 hp vs 160 hp, both having VVT. Drive a 2.0 and 2.3 sedan back-to-back and see what you think.

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he's in canada, the hatch is now available with the 2.0

12hp seems like "no difference", but since it's clear you haven't driven either the 2.0 and 2.3, I'll tell you again that the 2.0 is a slug... it just will not go anywhere no matter what you do.... it doesn't have the pep that the FS-DE in the P5 had... the 2.3 has some grunt that makes it even more drivable than the P5

I owned a 2.0 and have driven a 2.3. How clear is it again?

Don't get the 2.slow. Just don't.