Motortrend 10' MS3 review

fwiw...i subscribe to & religiously read the main 4 car mags [C&D, R&T, MT, and Automobile] and while most of them have good things to say about the MS3, in comparos they never give the MS3 the title, except once in C&D. all the others ones write something like "pretty good car, but...."

i know how to work the hands on the steering wheel- i'll take MORE power rather than less power any ole day of the week, thankyouverymuch.

my dos centavos (drive2)
 
As a GTI owner, it's always nice to see the GTI win these comparos but nobody can deny the MS3 is faster out of the box and handles better. Looks are subjective on the both interior and exterior. I think the 1st gen MS3 aged a bit better than the GTI. In 06-07 I thought the GTI looked great but nowadays when I see a true red speed, I always think it looks great.
The next gen GTI doesn't get a power bump (wtf VW?!?) but it does get a pseudo LSD (something not available in the MKV). You'll see the car mags continue to pick the GTI in these hot hatch comparos for the most part but these mag editors always pick german cars. Any comparo with a bimmer? forget about it-although MT did pick the CTS-V over the M5. probably to do GM a favor in these troubling times.

DSG-a steaming pile of crap? c'mon now you're gonna tell someone in an R8 V10 or a bugatti that DSG is just a normal auto slush box?

GTI should just be in class with an Si? You can spend 6 grand on an Si and it still won't beat a GTI.

The GTI just needs a $500 chip to be as fast as the MS3. But I still hand the MS3 props cuz the brakes and suspension are still better.

oh and no MKV GTI's have beige interior. it's all dark grey and black.
 
I tested GTI MKV with both stick and DSG when was shopping for a hatch.
MS3 wins over underpowered golf hands down. What is better customer wise: interior quality and DSG. Thats about it. Those are great cars but there is no way it beats MS3 especially being prices for at least 2k more lol
 
TO HELL WITH MT!!!!(argh) read Consumer Reports.... every year since 07 the MS3 has been the Top CR Recomended car every year.... the VW GTI doesnt get that cause the reliability is crap and it has less power, less than desireable handling, and its only 2 DOORS!!!! ... and as far as the interior goes, ive driven a GTI and i thought it was a bit mundane. I feel that the interior was far greater in the MS3. not to mention that its priced the same as a NON GT MS3 ... that article doesnt make any sense(deadhorse
 
jaxmazda5 said:
As a GTI owner, it's always nice to see the GTI win these comparos but nobody can deny the MS3 is faster out of the box and handles better. Looks are subjective on the both interior and exterior. I think the 1st gen MS3 aged a bit better than the GTI. In 06-07 I thought the GTI looked great but nowadays when I see a true red speed, I always think it looks great.
The next gen GTI doesn't get a power bump (wtf VW?!?) but it does get a pseudo LSD (something not available in the MKV). You'll see the car mags continue to pick the GTI in these hot hatch comparos for the most part but these mag editors always pick german cars. Any comparo with a bimmer? forget about it-although MT did pick the CTS-V over the M5. probably to do GM a favor in these troubling times.

DSG-a steaming pile of crap? c'mon now you're gonna tell someone in an R8 V10 or a bugatti that DSG is just a normal auto slush box?

[B]GTI should just be in class with an Si? You can spend 6 grand on an Si and it still won't beat a GTI.[/B]

The GTI just needs a $500 chip to be as fast as the MS3. But I still hand the MS3 props cuz the brakes and suspension are still better.

oh and no MKV GTI's have beige interior. it's all dark grey and black.
Click to expand...


I beg to differ.... i had a 02 Acura Type-S ( same thing as a Civic SI EP3 ) and my friend had 08 GTI and there was no speed difference at all.... in fact in the 1/4 mile time he beat me by .05 seconds nearly every race... and my car was BONE STOCK. im pretty sure a simple CAI would have resolved that problem for less than 200.00...


also your statment about a GTI needing a 500.00 chip to be as fast as a stock MS3....
'ur telling me that a car with 200 HP and 207 TQ + a Chip can be as fast as a car with 255 HP and 273 TQ at the wheels ..(braindead

im sorry but id have to see that to belive it....

i need to see that to belive it
 
yes-chip a GTI (stage 1)and HP goes from 200 to around 245 and torque goes to like 290. Intakes do absolutely nothing in the GTI which I think you guys actually get decent gains with an intake right? Most GTI stock dynos I've seen actually come close to the advertised crank HP. WHP around 190.

Don't get me wrong-put me on a car lot right now with a GTI and an MS3- I'd take the speed without much hesitation. Especially, considering the price difference. I like the DSG but I miss driving manual. Servicing the DSG at 40k miles costs close to $400 and my oil changes alone if I don't do it myself costs around $90 at the dealer.

A chipped GTI for me is really enough performance. I don't street race or go to the track. I usually have a kid in tow. My local VW dealer techs and service manager all know my car's chipped and they're totally cool with it. I've had warranty work done and they don't say anything like "gotta take that intake out before we can touch it".

my next car? GTI? no. I don't regret having it though. VW's reliability reputation has improved a lot over the last 2-3 years but I'd still be nervous out of warranty...LOL I've read the horror stories from older VW crowds.

Basically these hot hatches have to start with a good base. The Mazda 3 is a fantastic car so of course the speed is gonna be. Caliber? well it's a POS, so the sure the SRT might be ok but it's still a caliber right? same with a cobalt. I think the base golf/rabbit has always had props for being nice on the inside, solid door thunk when it shuts, ride well on the highway etc so..sorry to ramble. I should get back to work...LOL
 
My 07 speed3 has left me with no regrets. I test drove the GTI, WRX, Si, S40 T5, and even a Scion TC ( don't ask - it's a neat car for the $$, but out of this league ). For what I wanted in a car, the MS3 is still the champ of my personal comparo. Performance, utility ( 4dr hatch ), value, styling, gas mileage ( 24 combined ), reliability ( VW friends not doing so well ). There are minor things I would change like add a sunroof, different wheels, mp3 on factory radio, more color options - these are all things I could address myself, but then the price gets blown out to an amount that I can't do ( 3 other peolple at home to support ).

So, to end my rambling, no other car I looked at addressed all my criteria better than the MS3 - no regrets.
 
I used to work at a VW dealership, I wouldn't even say the interior is better than the MS3 but one thing VW has never gotten away from all these years is.. the electrical issues. They always seem to manage to have some kind of weird recurring electrical issues like your dome light wont turn off or your power windows just stop functioning, etc. I thought the problem would've been fixed when the new A5 Jettas were released but I sold one & not even a week later, some electrical issues brought it back to service for a month. My customer wasn't happy. Hands down I'd have to say the MS3 is nicer, faster, handles better, and a way batter bargain as far as a "sport" compact. Mazda is the new hot Import brand now, Hondas & Toyotas are going way too eco-friendly to compete anymore. :) The last part is IMO.
 
maybe they think "german = quality"
i know i somewhat have the same thought process with hyundai = crap ROFL
i dont care how fast the genesis is, it is and always will be a hyundai to me.

im sure they make fine cars for everyone that's gonna bash me, i just cant see
myself in a hyundai.
 
jaxmazda5 said:
DSG-a steaming pile of crap? c'mon now you're gonna tell someone in an R8 V10 or a bugatti that DSG is just a normal auto slush box?
Click to expand...

Volkswagen of America said it is recalling 13,500 2009-'10 Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GTI and Eos vehicles because a faulty temperature sensor in the DSG transmission may result in the transmission shifting into neutral...Volkswagen's statement said the vehicles involved in the recall "may be affected by a faulty temperature sensor in the DSG transmission. Failure of the temperature sensor could result in illuminated warning lamps in the dashboard, and in rare instances, the transmission may shift into neutral."
Click to expand...

Man, what a coincidence. I know that every car has its issues...ours included.
 
ElGaspo said:
fwiw...i subscribe to & religiously read the main 4 car mags [C&D, R&T, MT, and Automobile] and while most of them have good things to say about the MS3, in comparos they never give the MS3 the title, except once in C&D. all the others ones write something like "pretty good car, but...."

i know how to work the hands on the steering wheel- i'll take MORE power rather than less power any ole day of the week, thankyouverymuch.

my dos centavos (drive2)
Click to expand...

I can never figure out the tester's inability to control torque steer through the throttle. Experts. Ha!
 
LOL, God what a joke MotorTrend is!!

I thought these were some of the funniest things that were on that stupid article:

"...hope to see the addition of all-wheel drive in the future -- or a slight power reduction." (braindead. Then they'll be bitching about how heavy and slow it is!

"...when it comes to day-to-day driving, you will feel bumps and dips..." It's a f*cken Speed 3, it's suppose to have more aggressive suspension set-up.

"..the gates seemed so close together that engaging second gear was sometimes difficult when downshifting." Learn how to drive!

"The Mazda is definitely catching up to the GTI, but unless the next generation of the VW has gotten worse than the ones that came before, the MazdaSpeed3 isn't quite there yet. Refinements and other improvements have absolutely made the car better than it was, but until Mazda does something to alleviate the torque steer, it seems the Volkswagen would still be king. However, we won't know for sure until we can get behind the wheel of both. Looks like we just came up with an excuse for another hot-hatch comparison..." How biased can you get?!? The torque steer actually feels less with this new model than the old. Does this guy have girly arms or something????(squinty)
 
Stotrupp said:
Yeah apparently they don't understand the concept of "throttle modulation" or keeping both hands on the steering wheel @wot between shifting. Theres no other way around it, theyre on VW payroll and or getting some kind of reimbursement for their outlandish total bulls*** reviews. The GTI and Mazdaspeed3 fall into the Sport compact category with Sport being the main idea here, not luxury or refinement. They are so full of s***. The Mazdaspeed3 doesn't need to catch up to the GTI, its the other way around. The GTI needs to catch up to the Mazdaspeed3! I wish I had what they're smoking over here.
Click to expand...

+1 on the smoking part, they must have the refined stuff from German.

This is VW behind MT(idhitit)
 
jaxmazda5 said:
yes-chip a GTI (stage 1)and HP goes from 200 to around 245 and torque goes to like 290. Intakes do absolutely nothing in the GTI which I think you guys actually get decent gains with an intake right? Most GTI stock dynos I've seen actually come close to the advertised crank HP. WHP around 190.

Don't get me wrong-put me on a car lot right now with a GTI and an MS3- I'd take the speed without much hesitation. Especially, considering the price difference. I like the DSG but I miss driving manual. Servicing the DSG at 40k miles costs close to $400 and my oil changes alone if I don't do it myself costs around $90 at the dealer.

A chipped GTI for me is really enough performance. I don't street race or go to the track. I usually have a kid in tow. My local VW dealer techs and service manager all know my car's chipped and they're totally cool with it. I've had warranty work done and they don't say anything like "gotta take that intake out before we can touch it".

my next car? GTI? no. I don't regret having it though. VW's reliability reputation has improved a lot over the last 2-3 years but I'd still be nervous out of warranty...LOL I've read the horror stories from older VW crowds.

Basically these hot hatches have to start with a good base. The Mazda 3 is a fantastic car so of course the speed is gonna be. Caliber? well it's a POS, so the sure the SRT might be ok but it's still a caliber right? same with a cobalt. I think the base golf/rabbit has always had props for being nice on the inside, solid door thunk when it shuts, ride well on the highway etc so..sorry to ramble. I should get back to work...LOL
Click to expand...

290tq???

doesn't feel like 290 tq

my bro has a stage1 GTI MKV i driven it enough to tell that it does not feel like the same amount of power as in the ms3. I would say a stage 1 GTI would give a stock MS3 a good run. Since there is no driver error on DSG and it has launch control it will have slight advantage over stock MS3. From a roll, the outcome will probably be different.

overall GTI is a great car with a solid feel and tight chassis, but MS3 performance wise is better.

But, in the end i am on the losing end of this argument, while my bros car is in the driveway mine is at the dealer w/ a blown block. (drunk)
 
Last edited:
jaxmazda5 said:
DSG-a steaming pile of crap? c'mon now you're gonna tell someone in an R8 V10 or a bugatti that DSG is just a normal auto slush box?

GTI should just be in class with an Si? You can spend 6 grand on an Si and it still won't beat a GTI.

The GTI just needs a $500 chip to be as fast as the MS3. But I still hand the MS3 props cuz the brakes and suspension are still better.

oh and no MKV GTI's have beige interior. it's all dark grey and black.
Click to expand...

DSG is a great invention, but it's not a real manual. On a side note, do DSG systems rev match?

Spend $6g on an Si by slapping a Supercharger or turbo and I can guarantee you it will beat the Si in terms of power.

Style is subjective, so I'm not even going to comment on the plaid seats.
 
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