Calling all MS3 GT Owners (I'm curious of how some of the features work.)

[Hirudin]

Hello all, like CHICO2003 I'm also about to pull the trigger on a MS3 soon (maybe tomorrow, so long as the dealer doesn't try to screw me!). I'm also very conflicted as to whether the extra options on the GT are worth it.

I'd say the biggest difference are the HIDs. Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know much about HIDs... OK, I know they're much whiter than halogens, and possibly a little brighter. Also they look kinda nice.
- They're only dims right? The brights are halogens right?
- Can you control them, or do you have to let the computer turn them on and off? I like to turn my lights off while I pull into a driveway or am behind someone in a drive through.
- Can you flash them? <- the lack of this feature might be a deciding factor for me
- The angle adjuster knob thing: does the 'Sport' edition have that too?

The GT apparently has some kind of alarm. How does it work? For instance, is there a chance it'll go off by someone merely hitting the car or would it pretty much take a broken window or something?

Last the rain sensing wipers: While I was test driving an MS3 it happen to start raining, pretty hard. The wipers didn't activate in the slightest. Is it possible they were turned off or something? The salesperson in the backseat didn't seem to know for sure.

Thanks a ton everyone!

 

[numbnuts22715]

Yes, the HIDs are only low beams, high beams are hallogen, but thats how most are.
Yes you can control them. You can also have them set to automatically turn on when it gets dark, or off when it gets light.
Yes you can flash them, but as you may know, HIDs flicker a little bit because they need to heat up or something like that, but it is possible to still flash them. it would be easiest to just pull the entire control stick(sorry for the lack of word, I dunno what else to call it) which will flash the brights and low beams on.
Im not sure about the angle adjuster knob, but I would imagine that it doesn't, usually most HID equipped cars do, but most do not.

Im pretty sure the alarm has a shock sensor, so it's adjustable depending on how you want it set, but I'mnot entirely sure...

Yes you can turn the rain sensors to come on automatically, or if you want to turn them on manually. On the adjustment knob, you can it to auto, or off, or intermittent and so on.

I hope that answers all of your questions.

 

[Hirudin]

...
I hope that answers all of your questions.

I think it does; thanks numbnuts22715!

 

[~JoJo~]

dude, get the GT, it's much nicer =p I was totally ready to get a sport, but I came about a GT and I am so glad because of all the spoil. Yeah I don't really need leather, HID are nice, and the navi is handy, but when you put everything together, along with the speed of the ride, it's just simply "perfect".

2 of my friend, 1 has a porsche cayman, 1 has a Lexus ES 5 something I forgot, both drove my car, impressed and ask if I would trade with them for a week. Basically the speed GT has almost everything from the speed to the leather, to the high tech, to the design, at half the cost.

 

[CHICO2003]

dude, get the GT, it's much nicer =p I was totally ready to get a sport, but I came about a GT and I am so glad because of all the spoil. Yeah I don't really need leather, HID are nice, and the navi is handy, but when you put everything together, along with the speed of the ride, it's just simply "perfect".

I'm leaning towards a sport myself...

Not a big fan of leather (it starts to look like s*** after a while) so that's out...

The Bose (most over-rated audio mfg ever) stereo is a complete disgrace. I'm what you might call an audiophile though.... Since I'd be taking that crap (along with the speakers) out anyway, it's irrelevant which one I have

HIDs... pretty cool but these can always be added later.

LED tails.. same thing.

Rain sensing wipers... lol wtf? you can't flip a lever when it starts to rain?

alarm.... didn't know the sport doesn't come with an alarm but... that's not really that big of a deal. if the alarm on the GT is anything like the one on my MSP, I'll be glad to pass. the one on my car was the biggest pos ever. would constantly malfunction... so I put in a clifford years ago. personally, alarms are pretty lame... I mean, who even pays attention to one going off? thieves could care less. the flashing led light looks good though. and that chirp sound (which I know the factory alarm doesn't do) is pretty cool

Nav.... not for nothing but, after owning a real nav system.... the ones mazda use are utterly pathetic. sure, they're better than nothing but... for far less than what it costs for the factory option, you can get a far superior unit... that also incorporates the audio features as well. I have an indash pioneer avic-d3 in my car. this thing is the s***! bluetooth... ipod adapter... sirius and xm... you an even watch dvds while you're drivng! all together, with instalation, it set me back about $1100... which is less than what mazda charges and this thing offers so much more. I realize why they can't make it a touchscreen (unless you're jevon kearse, you're not reaching it where it's mounted) but still... that little remote just doesn't cut it.

Even with all that said... I'm still somewhat on the fence. I dig the HIDs and LED tail lights... I hear the HIDs are a b**** to install (something about needing to take off the damn bumper) so that could get costly... also, I'm not sure if the LED tails are plug and play. since those are really the only things from the GT that I'd actually want, I need to figure out how much extra it would cost to have those added to the sport. Chances are, since there's about a $1500 difference between the 2, that those 2 options won't even come close... making my decision a no-brainer.

but just to set the record straight.. if I had no intention on EVER changing the stereo... I'd go with the GT. even though they sell kits that allow you to add a double-din unit... it's not the easiest install and that alone might scare people away. for most, I'm sure the bose system is more than sufficient.

 

[lukey]

I have all the toys on mine and use most of them, when it is raining in England it spends most of its time lightly spitting or fine drizzle, having auto wipers is so good just so you dont have to keep switching from intermit to full speed every 20 seconds.

I have to say the auto lights annoy me in dusk light, switching on and off every time a shadow makes it dark enough to turn them on then a blast of dusk sun turning them off, good way to drastically shorten the life of the bulbs.

In UK we have the stock MPS and the MPS Sport Aero, the stock doesnt get the big spoiler but does get LEDs ,HIDs, auto lights, rain sensing, bose audio, the leathered seats as standard.

The Sport Aero gets the big spoiler same as your mazdaspeed, really nice aero wing mirrors and eibach suspension which is stiffer and lower. The upgrade is only 500 option, which the suspension alone would cost more if you fitted it aftermarket, but 90% of them have it fitted, and good luck selling a base MPS in UK. Base cars dont resell so well here, if it hasnt got the high spec package that was only 500 it can knock 1000's off resale value.

 

[Hirudin]

^^Yeah, those Aero mirrors are sweet looking! What is Mazda's "deal" with having all kinds of different names/options in different parts of the world? I want a Preal White Aexla MPS with Aero kit and climate package damnit!

Hmm... I think I've been convinced the Sport is the way to go.

I've personally written off the possibility of getting the navigation. I'm very close to getting a Nokia N95 (which is a high tech cell phone) for that purpose (I've already got the mount and everything).

I like the leather, or the idea of the leather, but I am also afraid of it cracking in the New Mexico heat and lack of humidity (which I assume is bad for leather). Also, black leather isn't fun for the buns in the sun. (That rhymes, and you know it rhymes!)

The rain sensing wipers sound cool, but I'm sure will prove-to-be virtually useless (NM lack of rain).

I am a fan of 5000k light (white light) so the HIDs are appealing, but I figure I'll never leave the auto on/off feature activated. Without shopping around at all it looks like aftermarket HID kits can be had for $130 (here on the forum).

I'm no audiophile but I am a tech-geek. The Bose's lack of bluetooth is a real deal breaker for me. I'd like to be able to use the A2DP on the N95 for podcasts/music/books. Also, the vehicle I have now hasn't had a stereo in it for like a year (too lazy to put another in) so anything will be a huge improvement!

The alarm would be kinda cool, but I like to scrutinize my gadgets. "It has an alarm" isn't enough information for me to decide if what Mazda is selling is worth it or not.

Oh, and the tail lights... IMO the tail lights on like every Mazda are frigging ugly! There's a fairly good chance I'll replace them anyway.

Trip computer: well this one I'll miss... but maybe "they'll" figure out how to activate it again...

 

[Demi]

Trip computer: well this one I'll miss... but maybe "they'll" figure out how to activate it again...

They have. Search. Cant remember think its like the radio button and the cd button at the same time or something funky, i would find it for you but i have to head back to work.

 

[Sacrilicious]

the nav is just not worth it. it's an extra 1700 (or somewhere around there) for a nav system that is, quite frankly, not very exciting. since you seem to be in the same boat as me with wanting the bluetooth, i would suggest doing what i did: get the garmin nuvi 360. this is the bluetooth-enable model of the garmin. now, some things to be careful of:

1. you need a ground loop isolator ($25 from crutchfield) to get rid of this static that runs in the background.
2. if you plug the output of the nuvi to the aux-in of the MS3 so that you can use your car speakers, you cannot go hands free on a call, because for some stupid reason, it deactivates the mic when you output from the audio jack of the nuvi.

ya, it's REALLY retarded, and it pisses me off, but i deal with it by simply using the garmin's speakers when i'm on a call. otherwise, this thing is freakin sweet...the nav works really well, it mounts anywhere you want if you get the 3rd party friction mount, and it plays mp3s, so the fact that our CD player can't handle mp3s is fine now. it has an SD slot, so you can put in a big mem stick in there and put more mp3s on there (base mem = 2gb). the whole setup now costs about $475 ($420 for the gps + $30 for the mount + $25 for the ground loop isolator), so that's a LOT better than 1700.

 

[numbnuts22715]

the nav is just not worth it. it's an extra 1700 (or somewhere around there) for a nav system that is, quite frankly, not very exciting. since you seem to be in the same boat as me with wanting the bluetooth, i would suggest doing what i did: get the garmin nuvi 360. this is the bluetooth-enable model of the garmin. now, some things to be careful of:

1. you need a ground loop isolator ($25 from crutchfield) to get rid of this static that runs in the background.
2. if you plug the output of the nuvi to the aux-in of the MS3 so that you can use your car speakers, you cannot go hands free on a call, because for some stupid reason, it deactivates the mic when you output from the audio jack of the nuvi.

ya, it's REALLY retarded, and it pisses me off, but i deal with it by simply using the garmin's speakers when i'm on a call. otherwise, this thing is freakin sweet...the nav works really well, it mounts anywhere you want if you get the 3rd party friction mount, and it plays mp3s, so the fact that our CD player can't handle mp3s is fine now. it has an SD slot, so you can put in a big mem stick in there and put more mp3s on there (base mem = 2gb). the whole setup now costs about $375 ($320 for the gps + $30 for the mount + $25 for the ground loop isolator), so that's a LOT better than 1700.

where did you find that gps for only 320 bucks?

 

[Sacrilicious]

errr...that was completely a typo! i just edited in $420.

 

[CHICO2003]

that thing's not bad... In my experience, those suction cup models aren't nearly as easy to use as an indash model. (I've knocked the SC versions off while trying to operate it. plus, the 'play' it gives makes it hard to enter information in as you're traveling.

for me, the best bang for your buck is clearly the pioneer avic d3 you can find one online for between $700-800 / it replaces your HU (and sounds great!) plus, provides a slick touchscreen nav, bluetooth hands free calling & ipod connector (optional) the ipod conector isn't just an aux input... the ipod info comes up on the screen. pioneer makes the Z2 which is essentially a D3 with a hard drive. it costs more than double and, in comparrison, is a complete ripoff. since most of us have ipods anyway... this one truly rocks.

at first, I took the MS3 off my short list because I didn't think I'd be able to put a model like this in. fortuneatly, they sell inexpensive dash kits that allow you (or the installer) to install a double din unit like this.

for anyone thinking about buying a nav system for their car... and not interested in its portability, this is the better way to go imo.

 

[PeterC]

You can get quality Xenon HIDs for $130? That doesn't sound right to me at all considering how much they cost on cars. I don't think you will get the same quality of bulb or light output at that price. The HIDs on the GT are the real deal and put out a nice, bright area of light. It is a huge difference over halogen.

Next, leather will never crack or fade if properly taken care of. I only wish the seats were full leather because it is so much tougher and easier to clean compared to cloth. Twice a year you apply leather protectant and you are set for the life of the car. I have owned 2 cars with black leather...both looked brand new after several years of use, and Atlanta has no shortage of sunlight.

The rain sensing wipers work, but it's just a gimmick...not a selling point.

I thought the GT had heated seats. I was really pissed off when I got home and found out this feature is only on the regular 3 GT and not the MS3 GT...what the hell is that??? I guess you should never assume.

Last, the Bose system is a lot better than most stock systems, but clearly not as good as aftermarket. Personally, I'm fine with it. I just want to get some sound deadening.

 

[Sacrilicious]

actually, having cloth where your legs and back are on the seat feels more comfortable to me. i like that in the summer, it doesn't get nearly as hot as leather does when you sit down.

 

[Bravnik]

I've personally written off the possibility of getting the navigation. I'm very close to getting a Nokia N95 (which is a high tech cell phone) for that purpose (I've already got the mount and everything).

Just so you know, the N95's GPS is slow as hell to sinc and is not that good. I have had one for about 4 months now.

 

[designflaw]

I'm no audiophile but I am a tech-geek. The Bose's lack of bluetooth is a real deal breaker for me. I'd like to be able to use the A2DP on the N95 for podcasts/music/books. Also, the vehicle I have now hasn't had a stereo in it for like a year (too lazy to put another in) so anything will be a huge improvement!

Out of curiosity have you come across ANY stock bluetooth enabled car/stereos that have A2DP? I've seen very few aftermarket systems that support it I can't imagine many stock systems having it. I gotta think manufacturers just go for the iPod integration considering thats where the bulk of the money is gonna be made in media player support.

 

[Hirudin]

Just so you know, the N95's GPS is slow as hell to sinc and is not that good. I have had one for about 4 months now.

Cool! That's OK, I've got a standalone bluetooth GPS receiver that I plan to mount with an antenna somewhere in the car. I've got a Nokia E65 now and I've used it with Nokia Maps (or whatever their program is called now) and it's fine for me.

 

[Hirudin]

Out of curiosity have you come across ANY stock bluetooth enabled car/stereos that have A2DP? I've seen very few aftermarket systems that support it I can't imagine many stock systems having it. I gotta think manufacturers just go for the iPod integration considering thats where the bulk of the money is gonna be made in media player support.

I saw one that is very cool looking from a brand I don't think I'd heard of before, I don't think it's out yet though... Lemme see if I can find it...

Here it is.

[edit]Oops, even though you said the word "stock" twice, I somehow missed it both times... I no read good...[/edit]

 

[bast525]

If I could do it over again, I'd have skipped the red GT I bought and bought a silver Sport.

None of these options is all that great. The HID's and LED's are probably the best of it, auto lights is nice, auto wiper doesn't work well enough IMO. The Bose system doesn't sound as good as I expected, and the alarm seems to only go off if the doors, hatch or hood is opened somehow after the system is armed. It won't go off if you bump the car.

I'd rather have saved myself the $40-ish a month.

 

[I vtec do you?]

I am a fan of 5000k light (white light) so the HIDs are appealing, but I figure I'll never leave the auto on/off feature activated. Without shopping around at all it looks like aftermarket HID kits can be had for $130 (here on the forum).

Aftermarket cheaps are generally cheap because they're trash. Ever notice that car that seems like its brights are on and then you flash the brights at them, only to get theirs back at you? That's the guy that bought the kit you're talking about. They put too much light in a housing not made for them, which causes nothing but glare and doesn't improve road visibility by much, if any.