kickniteasy
Member
that's no fun.....when I'm at 75 my RPMs are above 3.5k, I always thought if I had another gear to shift into it'd cruise at 2.75-3K, so you're saying even with the 6th gear it'd still be at 3.5K at 75?
Maz 3 or Mazdaspeed 3
- Thread starter iluvstrats
- Start date
that's no fun.....when I'm at 75 my RPMs are above 3.5k, I always thought if I had another gear to shift into it'd cruise at 2.75-3K, so you're saying even with the 6th gear it'd still be at 3.5K at 75?
He said specifically that they were at 3k.
wolverine_man
Member
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- 2008 Mazda3 S GT Sedan
My insurance company (state farm) quoted me the same rate for the Speed3 as any of the 2.3 liter mazda3 (mazda3s and above). They all have the same IRG (insurance rating group) unless you get a 2.slow.
I am paying about $20-30 more each month on my S GT over the 2-door 2007 Jeep Wrangler I replaced. That had a soft top so was obviously easier to steal/break into. Parts are not that much different in price either (replaced glass in both). And the mazda3 was even a little bit cheaper. Plus I have 8 air bags now, compared to 2 in the Jeep. Go figure.
Also, my dad is my insurance agent and has been selling insurance for over 30 years so he definitely knows what he is doing. Personally, I have always found domestic cars to be cheaper to insure. I think there's some kind of built-in bias or something.
By the way, I would have loved the Speed3 or even Speed6 but I put too many miles on a car in a year to pay the extra in gas and I gripe enough when having to pay $4.03 per gallon for regular. Plus, there's no way I could drive a turbo-charged vehicle lightly. I say buy what you want. I used my brain convince my heart to make the right decision for me. Eventually, I'll get an V8 M3 (rockon) (and a prius).
I am paying about $20-30 more each month on my S GT over the 2-door 2007 Jeep Wrangler I replaced. That had a soft top so was obviously easier to steal/break into. Parts are not that much different in price either (replaced glass in both). And the mazda3 was even a little bit cheaper. Plus I have 8 air bags now, compared to 2 in the Jeep. Go figure.
Also, my dad is my insurance agent and has been selling insurance for over 30 years so he definitely knows what he is doing. Personally, I have always found domestic cars to be cheaper to insure. I think there's some kind of built-in bias or something.
By the way, I would have loved the Speed3 or even Speed6 but I put too many miles on a car in a year to pay the extra in gas and I gripe enough when having to pay $4.03 per gallon for regular. Plus, there's no way I could drive a turbo-charged vehicle lightly. I say buy what you want. I used my brain convince my heart to make the right decision for me. Eventually, I'll get an V8 M3 (rockon) (and a prius).
Young Roids
Member
- :
- The pennies have been saved the MS3 is mine!
I would just stick to the regular3 if you are worried about gas prices(who isn't).
wolverine_man
Member
- :
- 2008 Mazda3 S GT Sedan
If you want a decent idea of the added cost, look to fueleconomy.org. Comparing a 5 speed MZ3 2.3 and a Speed 3, you would be looking at about an added $780 a year in gas, based upon average miles and a split between hwy and city driving.
I happen to drive quite a bit more city but you can adjust based upon your driving habits. Essentially, you'd be looking at an extra $65 a month in gas. That may or may not be much to you.
I happen to drive quite a bit more city but you can adjust based upon your driving habits. Essentially, you'd be looking at an extra $65 a month in gas. That may or may not be much to you.
haberdashery
Member
i just traded in a regular 3 for a speed3. gtlaw nailed it on the head, it was torture seeing speed3's and driving my regular 3. i honestly probably got 50 more miles to the tank (both 14.5 gallons) on my mazda3 than my speed3, which is worth it, this thing is so fun. and it costs less than $3 more to fill it with premium.
my .02 as i have both cars. i needed a mpg car and would rather eat a s*** sandwich than drive a kia or hyundai. was out the door @ 14500 for a 3i touring 5spd. this means its got the alloys, sat, cruise, fogs, mats, wheel locks, steering wheel controls, pw, pl. invoice was 15.5k
this included a paint/interior protection plan that covers anything that gets on the paint from sap to bird crap that messes it up and anything that might stain the seats for the life of the car. im gonna spend a lot of time in that car since its for road trips so i got the "scotchguard" thing cause im sure to spill something. oh and a couple of oil changes.
as of today with 900ish miles and 99% hwy miles im getting 33.4mpg now i wont touch the break in issue but to me its not broken in. with that said i figure if i see 33-35 out of it im golden. this is with no tint, avg about 75 and have the ac on med speed.
that day i was checking out the ms3's - found a gray ms3 for 23.5k (sticker) and they started the song and dance about last year for awhile, its an 08.5, its a newer color, etc. so i told them to eff it and id take my truck and go. an hour later i was out the door with my speed 3 and a years worth of oil changes for 21k with my 1k down. they gave me 1k more than payoff for my tundra and i took most of my mods, parted them out already for xtra cash for the ms3 and the 3i.
its a freakin buyers market. i drove the ms3 and they knew i liked it. when i told them i was just going to keep the truck its amazing the deals that came available. mazda na credit was competitive with rates but my credit union killed. paying 1.9% for both cars for 48 mos thru pentagon fed cu.
if your looking for some good mpg the 3 is a good car for it. good ride quality, styling, options to mod it, etc. if you want 45 mpg go get a 2dr accent, 50mpg wait 6 mos for a hybrid and hope to hell it doesnt break and your in a small town. you can ride home in the aaa truck cause no one there can work on your hybrid.
when i first joined this board i had an 02 protege. had great plans for it, covert it to a msp. moved and went for my post grad degree. car got left in the dust. that mazda had 120k on it when i let it go and i never had an issue. its the reason i went back to mazda and bought two of them. yeah the paint might be a little thin (clear bra/vinyl bra) or the radio might not be as clear as you want it but its a effn reliable car.
my .02
oh and insurance, about 15$ different a month from 3i to ms3. worth every penny and thats will full car replacement, oem parts, etc. multi car disc (duh) and being with the same company for 15 years and having a couple of claims for minor crap.
this included a paint/interior protection plan that covers anything that gets on the paint from sap to bird crap that messes it up and anything that might stain the seats for the life of the car. im gonna spend a lot of time in that car since its for road trips so i got the "scotchguard" thing cause im sure to spill something. oh and a couple of oil changes.
as of today with 900ish miles and 99% hwy miles im getting 33.4mpg now i wont touch the break in issue but to me its not broken in. with that said i figure if i see 33-35 out of it im golden. this is with no tint, avg about 75 and have the ac on med speed.
that day i was checking out the ms3's - found a gray ms3 for 23.5k (sticker) and they started the song and dance about last year for awhile, its an 08.5, its a newer color, etc. so i told them to eff it and id take my truck and go. an hour later i was out the door with my speed 3 and a years worth of oil changes for 21k with my 1k down. they gave me 1k more than payoff for my tundra and i took most of my mods, parted them out already for xtra cash for the ms3 and the 3i.
its a freakin buyers market. i drove the ms3 and they knew i liked it. when i told them i was just going to keep the truck its amazing the deals that came available. mazda na credit was competitive with rates but my credit union killed. paying 1.9% for both cars for 48 mos thru pentagon fed cu.
if your looking for some good mpg the 3 is a good car for it. good ride quality, styling, options to mod it, etc. if you want 45 mpg go get a 2dr accent, 50mpg wait 6 mos for a hybrid and hope to hell it doesnt break and your in a small town. you can ride home in the aaa truck cause no one there can work on your hybrid.
when i first joined this board i had an 02 protege. had great plans for it, covert it to a msp. moved and went for my post grad degree. car got left in the dust. that mazda had 120k on it when i let it go and i never had an issue. its the reason i went back to mazda and bought two of them. yeah the paint might be a little thin (clear bra/vinyl bra) or the radio might not be as clear as you want it but its a effn reliable car.
my .02
oh and insurance, about 15$ different a month from 3i to ms3. worth every penny and thats will full car replacement, oem parts, etc. multi car disc (duh) and being with the same company for 15 years and having a couple of claims for minor crap.
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Sorry mate its a lot more complicated than that...if it was only those 4 factors my company would be out of business (design, program, and maintain rating engines for major insurance companies)...
wolverine_man
Member
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- 2008 Mazda3 S GT Sedan
Yes, those are some of the bigger factors but there are PLENTY others. 1). where the owner lives; 2) vehicle safety; 3) age, 4) the extent of damage done on smaller impact crashes or hoe easy the vehicle gets totaled, etc.
That being said, there still was no difference in rates between a Speed3 and my S at the time I purchased mine in January 2008. Both had the same IRG, which was pretty high (not BMW M3 or Porsche high, but not far enough behind). Honestly, the insurance is pretty expensive on this "economy" or "budget" compact car. I keep thinking it has something to do with the door punch theft/vandalism that I thought was taken care of in the North American models by 2008.
I was in this dilemma a few weeks ago when I bought ym Speed3
I test drove the speed and loved it, then i went to the dealership and tried the regular 3 and it was a slow ass dog! Had no power to it whatsoever so I knew I had to get the speed3.
Problem is speed3 takes premium, lower mpg, and much higher ins premium.
For the guy who said there was NO difference between the 3 and Speed3 on his insurance has got to be joking! Same coverages for me on both cars was about $300 less per 6 months on the regular 3 than the Speed3 so a toal of $600 more a year for the speed3!
I test drove the speed and loved it, then i went to the dealership and tried the regular 3 and it was a slow ass dog! Had no power to it whatsoever so I knew I had to get the speed3.
Problem is speed3 takes premium, lower mpg, and much higher ins premium.
For the guy who said there was NO difference between the 3 and Speed3 on his insurance has got to be joking! Same coverages for me on both cars was about $300 less per 6 months on the regular 3 than the Speed3 so a toal of $600 more a year for the speed3!
If mileage and insurance make or break the deal, then you just might be shopping for a car that's out of your budget. While those factors do matter, they shouldn't matter a whole lot when considering a performance car.
I wanted a mustang gt for years but never even considered one because I knew I would be working just to keep it. So I made do with slow ass cars for a while until I was able to easily afford something faster. If owning an ms3 means you're gonna be sweating every time the insurance bill shows up or everytime you're at the pump, then it's not the car for you (yet).
I wanted a mustang gt for years but never even considered one because I knew I would be working just to keep it. So I made do with slow ass cars for a while until I was able to easily afford something faster. If owning an ms3 means you're gonna be sweating every time the insurance bill shows up or everytime you're at the pump, then it's not the car for you (yet).
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Super Unique
Member
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- 2008.5 Mazdaspeed 3 Black Mica
I think it's being financially responsible to look at the entire financial picture before buying the car. I can't fault anyone for that. As to how that figure changes the equation, sometimes a few dollars here and there makes the difference between something you love, and something you really shouldn't be thinking about 
just got my prem notice today. going from a loaded 07 tundra 4x4 5.7 to the speed 3 my ins went down 25$ a month. ive got three cars on the policy, home owners, separate coverage for other things, 31, one ticket in three years and a couple of claims over the past 14 or so years.
my monthly prem for an 06 jeep, 08 3i and speed 3 is 210 a month for full coverage and 250 deductibles across the board.
my monthly prem for an 06 jeep, 08 3i and speed 3 is 210 a month for full coverage and 250 deductibles across the board.
wolverine_man
Member
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- 2008 Mazda3 S GT Sedan
Maybe it depends on your insurance company or the companies have adjusted the rates since last December/January. I was completely shocked when I got both quotes as being the same back then. The only time the insurance was less is when I went down to a 2.0 Mazda3. I'm telling you the MS3 and the 3S had the same exact IRG. No lie. I went with the 3 based upon fuel requirements only.
That's kind of funny because the differences between the 2.0L (148hp) and 2.3L (156hp) are really minor (+ 8hp for the 2.3L) when compared to the N/A 2.3L (156hp) and the 2.3L Turbo (263hp) Speed3 - I'm thinking over 100hp in basically the same car is going to affect INS.
i got a quote 4 months ago just to see how much it would be if I got a MS3 it was $1400 with with my sentra on the policy using the vin from a black 07. now I actually went and got a white 08.5 and having the same sentra it went down to $1,180. I'm thinking the color might be a larger factor than most would think, because nothing on my driving record changed, I'm still the same age, and my credit is the same
I am about to buy a MS3 but before taking the plunge I asked my insurance company for a quote on a 3 Sport GT and a MS3 (same coverage on each with my record). The MS3 is $4.66 more per month ($56/year) to insure then the 3 Sport GT. And the agent didn't make a mistake since I saw that their system does distinguish between the two. The rate difference was only in the collision component (not liability or comprehensive).
