Talk me *out* of buying a MS3...

Well, my "talk me out of buying a MS3" comment wasn't totally a joke. I hadn't seen anything that scares me off before creating this thread... and the comments that are coming up so far aren't things that are setting of alarms for me.

I don't really see anything that would keep me from getting one, other than not having driven one since I test-drove an MP5 back in '01 (I ended up getting the WRX instead). If the car drives the way people say it does (the phrase "touched by god" comes up a lot :lol: ) I'll probably get one.

But I gotta find a buyer for my SVX... I don't have room to park 5 cars and a trailer at my house!
 
sperry said:
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?
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Having just gone through the same winter as OttawaP5, I can second the MS3 being pretty good in the winter.

You can drive it like a regular car if you stay out of boost, and with a decent set of winter tires and traction control on, you'll be fine for most driving. Hell, the winter we just went through had multiple snowfalls over 12 inches, on at least three occasions I can remember snow being plowed by my bumper and me still not getting bogged down. Got stuck once, rocked it back and forth and got it out in a few minutes. I was pretty shocked.

It's fun to drive - I still have a big grin on my face every time I get behind the wheel - and it's a pretty good daily driver. If you've got a toy on the side, you'll be more than happy with this car.
 
nazgul350r said:
why not keep the svx and invest that "payment" money. If it aint broke dont fix it.
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It "ain't broke" now, but it's an SVX... give it 6 months, and there'll be something to replace. I've already rebuilt the tranny twice, and replaced it once... and with 215k miles on the clock... the bullet-proof EG33 is only so bullet-proof. I'd like to sell it while it's still in good running condition. I honestly *love* the car to death, but with a racecar that's always broken, I don't want a DD that needs a lot of TLC as well.

Any SVXers out there will tell you... the car may be paid for, but you still pay for it in maintenance every year. I've got about $8000 into mine in the last 2 years. But you what do you expect... it's a $32,000 (in 1992 dollars) Italian penned Grand Tourer with 230hp and AWD made by a company that at the time didn't build a tranny that could handle more than about 150hp.

Plus the SVX is a sled... it's fast (100mph on the freeway feels like 50mph), but it's not quick, or peppy, or agile. It was never designed to be those things.

I will say though... my 14 year old SVX has less creaks and rattles than my WRX did at 2 years old. :lol: If I had the parking, I'd keep it as a project car for after I get tired of the WRX.
 
Buy a spare set of stock wheels and put a set of A/S tires on them for winter. That's what I am going to do with mine.

The MS3 exhaust is kind of boomy around 3k rpms. It gets a bit annoying sometimes. Ok, if it's too loud I must be old.

I was also torn between the '08 STI and a MS3. I like the STI's looks (I liked the old cars too) and of course it's a good backroad performance car. But I never even got around to test driving one. The $10k difference between a "stripped" STI and a 2008.5 MS3 GT just doesn't add that much. And then when I was getting serious, Subaru put a stop sale on the STIs. Yep, something to do with rod or crank bearings. MS3 guys think that the CAI stop sale is bad, try the entire car!

The MS3 isn't quite as raw as the modified Eclipse I was driving and there are a few parts of my backroad commute where it's not as good but generally it is faster and better riding. The car as plenty left, I am not driving it as close to its limits as I was the Eclipse. The fwd on the MS3 is far better than the old Eclipse under spirited road driving.
 
ericm said:
Buy a spare set of stock wheels and put a set of A/S tires on them for winter. That's what I am going to do with mine.
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I think I'd go for a set of 17x7's with some snow tires for the winter. Assuming 17's clear the brakes. Hell, if 16's clear the brakes, I'd do that for the winter.
 
i has a subie... just get the MS3 if you want it.... i suggest a LGT in all seriousness. but i own a WRX, and i hate the 3 because it's not a protege, but who am i to talk here...
 
MakeMeGoFast said:
but he said talk him out of buying an MS3
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Thats fine... but being "badass" is not a valid reason

controlo said:
haha. besides that, you didn't necessarily 'let him make his own choice either', idiot (zentrandi).
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Thats fine, i'm an idiot. I said for him to get it. i didn't say for him to do what i told him to. I can tell the OP knows a lot more about this, he just wants a reason to not buy it... it sounds like doubt to me.
 
zentrandi said:
hush you... what are you? 15?

It's not for everyone... let him make his own choice.
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Okay smart guy, you don't even own a MS3 yet you feel obligated to voice your opinion.

When I said its "badass" I meant exactly that. It's a great overall car for the price. I'm actually a little more qualified to say that considering I drive the car daily unlike you.
 
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Didn't the MS3 soundly whip the WRX in pretty much all performance measures except for maybe 0-60?
 
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Being a former WRX owner myself, I really can't talk you out of getting an MS3 for a DD... plus you still have a killer WRX track car. This is a no brainer IMO.
 
sperry said:
I think I'd go for a set of 17x7's with some snow tires for the winter. Assuming 17's clear the brakes. Hell, if 16's clear the brakes, I'd do that for the winter.
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They do. Well at least the 16" steelies package at Tire Rack does. Those with Blizzak REVO's in 215/55/16 package price is around $475 I think. Not bad at all.
 
If anything sperry, you seem level headed enough and open minded about the purchase. If you do go through with an MS3, you'll be a welcome addition here.
 
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