mazdaspeed 3 sedan

[Kuro3]

I know I know, this has been beaten to death, the whole mazdaspeed 3 sedan vs. hatch thing.

But, lately I keep seeing mazdaspeed6's around, and I love my 3, don't get me wrong, but I keep thinking that I really wish the 3 sedan was given the speed 6's treatment, keeping it a sedan, with AWD (they did it on the Volvo s40), all that great hp that's on the speed3 hatch now, and just, I dunno....I love sedans...and I know that's a matter of opinion, and I again this has been beaten to death....but I also think that mazda would have an unbeatable car if they did that. An awesome looking sedan, inside and out, with great power, and awd, for a great price? who wouldn't buy that? So what if the price was a little more for awd, I bet people would still pay for it.

Maybe what would settle this whole thing would be if they just put awd on the hatch now, and put in the speed6 tuned engine, and made it more like the VW R32....for that kind of hatch, I think I might be convinced to let go of my sedan ways....

 

[bast525]

I know I know, this has been beaten to death, the whole mazdaspeed 3 sedan vs. hatch thing.

But, lately I keep seeing mazdaspeed6's around, and I love my 3, don't get me wrong, but I keep thinking that I really wish the 3 sedan was given the speed 6's treatment, keeping it a sedan, with AWD (they did it on the Volvo s40), all that great hp that's on the speed3 hatch now, and just, I dunno....I love sedans...and I know that's a matter of opinion, and I again this has been beaten to death....but I also think that mazda would have an unbeatable car if they did that. An awesome looking sedan, inside and out, with great power, and awd, for a great price? who wouldn't buy that? So what if the price was a little more for awd, I bet people would still pay for it.

Maybe what would settle this whole thing would be if they just put awd on the hatch now, and put in the speed6 tuned engine, and made it more like the VW R32....for that kind of hatch, I think I might be convinced to let go of my sedan ways....

Except not too many people would be willing to part with Evo money for a Mazda 3. Then again... MS 3 sedan with AWD and 270 something hp would be good competition for an Evo... I dunno.

I know if the sedan had been available I would have prefered the sedan, but at the same time, this hatch has proved extremely useful on more than one occasion

 

[Kuro3]

yeah, but how much cooler would your hatch have been if it had AWD?

 

[phillyb]

an awd hatch would be great!

 

[Donas64]

I'd settle for a speed3 sedan with FWD.

I just can't decide on the MS3. Sometimes its looks amazing, sometimes not so much.

 

[RelliMS3]

at first i didnt like that hatch too much but now i'm in love with it. i definitley agree that awd would be nice, it would be so much more stable when accelerating around corners

 

[Maxx Mazda]

I hate the MS3 hatch, but I LOVED the protege hatch.

 

[Donas64]

I hate the MS3 hatch, but I LOVED the protege hatch.

I'm the same way. Its been said a million times over but an MSP5 would have rocked!

The P5 just has such great dimensions and lines. Its understated yet agressive and looks amazing bone stock.

Still though, its time has past and the MS3 has grown on me a lot. Still, something about it though.......

 

[dkswim]

the only downside to going to an AWD is the drivetrain loss of all those difrientiels and extra shafts not to mention the extra weight. there is a reason were faster then the avarage bear.

 

[We Are Ninja]

I'd settle for a speed3 sedan with FWD.

I just can't decide on the MS3. Sometimes its looks amazing, sometimes not so much.

+7. My sentiments exactly. I dig it and I don't, simultaneously...

yeah, but how much cooler would your hatch have been if it had AWD?

How much heavier and more expensive would it have been if it had been AWD?

 

[D-rock240]

If they made a MS 3 sedan, I would consider it. I'm not a fan of the hatch styling.

 

[jbiird317]

im tellin u guys, the hatch grows on you. Personally i had to have this car as soon as i first read an article about it, but I wasnt always sold on the styling of the hatch. I bought the car for the motor and man, i have fallen in love with the looks too, took a few weeks, but now i cant imagine having the sedan...

 

[Craighjr]

Well my take is that AWD would have been great and honestly would not hurt sales when compaired to the Subaru WRX's. MS3 is $22800, WRX wagon $24500 or sedan $25500 the last I checked. Add say $2500 for AWD on the mazda. Add maybe 125 more lbs. Add 30 to 40 horses over the Suby still. So a $25300 AWD Mazda that still holds its own against the tried and true WRX. I wish they made it! Evo's and STi's are $32-35 so there's still a relavitly large gap between models still. (ok 29 for the rs evo but roll up windows manual door locks??? Its not ment to be a street car) So anyway when my car is all beaten and old I'll get a MS6 tranny, and rear end and volvo rear suspension and make my own MS3 AWD!

 

[Speed3xNoo8]

Anything is possible, AWD/sedan more hp = more $$$$$$$$

 

[shockdoctor]

Sedans are useless. I have a 04 Focus 2.3 pzev, and the trunk is totally useless.
I would love that car if it were more practical. But wait, I now have a pracitcal version of it with a real interior and real power and real handling. Thank God for the MS3!

07 MS3 Cosmic Blue, Injen CAI, Sirrius factory kit, 0% tint
04 Ford Focus 2.3 pzev, Injen CAI, Cosworth intake maniforld, Cosworth Stage 1(drive2)

 

[D-rock240]

The Focus trunk may be totally useless, but us with Mazda sedans (protege and 3) enjoy a decent sized trunk.

 

[Kuro3]

I get so much use out of my trunk...I do a lot of landscaping and, yeah sometimes I think I could use the hatchback to fit stuff in easily, but it's not like our trunk is useless, it's actually pretty big, and the way that the hinges work, makes it so you can use the entire trunk without having to worry about stuff getting squashed....but at the same time, I think my sedan looks faster than the hatch....but then again.....the ms3 is a friggin rocket!

 

[We Are Ninja]

Well my take is that AWD would have been great and honestly would not hurt sales when compaired to the Subaru WRX's. MS3 is $22800, WRX wagon $24500 or sedan $25500 the last I checked. Add say $2500 for AWD on the mazda. Add maybe 125 more lbs. Add 30 to 40 horses over the Suby still. So a $25300 AWD Mazda that still holds its own against the tried and true WRX...

Could Mazda actually develop an AWD drivetrain that could compete with Subaru's AWD? Subaru's been developing their AWD for years and years...

 

[BlackCherry06]

For the average day-to-day driver, I think the differences would be transparent. My MS6 will do everything a WRX will do on pavement. But if the cars are put head-to-head on a rally circuit, the development differences would become more clear.

 

[Shawn704]

Could Mazda actually develop an AWD drivetrain that could compete with Subaru's AWD? Subaru's been developing their AWD for years and years...

Mazda never developed the AWD in the MS6 in the first place. Personally I don't think Mazda will ever develop its own AWD system due to cost saving and shared technlogies from Ford's corporate umbrella, if another Ford's brand is developing an AWD system it would be redundant for Mazda to develop its own. Mazda Active Torque Split is just Mazda's jargon for Volvo's Haldex AWD. Mazda needs a less FWD bias AWD, something like Audi's Quattro or Honda's SH-AWD. Hopefully sometime in the future Mazda will be able to use the AWD system going into the Lincoln MKS, 100% of the torque can be transfer to the rear wheels.