What do you dislike most about your Speed 3?

[MS3077]

Several road tests have the Mazdaspeed 3 going 0-60 in under 6 seconds with skidpad numbers in the .87 to .91 range. In Car and Driver magazine's May 2007 issue, the Mazdaspeed 3 recorded its quickest acceleration times, completing the 0-60 mph sprint in 5.4 seconds, with a quarter mile time of 14 second flat at 101 mph. Car and Driver also put the Mazdaspeed 3 on their 10 best list for 2007 and 2008.

So my question is this.. Why can't you accept the facts?

I rest my case

 

[Ferdball]

I know, but if you go by these number alone, it shows that the MS3 is pulling away. The reason I say that, is because at 60MPH, the Bimmer is slightly ahead, but at 1/4 mile, the MS3 is ahead. Which means that the MS3 is actually pulling away.

I have a theory that all MS3's are not created equal. I did a dyno day with two other MS3's recently. One car with no performance mods dyno'd 5 to 10HP higher than the other two. The other two both had CAI's.

I don't have a 1/4 mile strip anywhere nearby, so I can't test mine. But I would bet that I would be on the slower end of the spectrum.

 

[builthatch]

I have a theory that all MS3's are not created equal.

ferdball, all ms3's are created the same, but they are not all treated the same from that point on. this is why tuning (when there is tuneable engine management available) is so crucial, because all cars end up differing so much in the end. some people abuse them, use different oil, different quality fuel, different break-ins, more miles, etc so the cars end up going their seperate ways from their factory brethren. the mass produced bolt-ons are nice, and adaptive engine managements can help compensate somewhat, but the best way to get the most out of the part and car is to tune per that individual car, on a dyno.

 

[pipmoutprog5]

ms3

the only thing i dont like about the ms3 is the poored designed stock blowoff valve. other than that i love this car

 

[camrycev6]

I love me MS3, but I loath sycophantic idiots....

 

[RedSpeed3Girl]

i dislike not having a sun roof

 

[camrycev6]

Yeah, that would have been a good option

 

[RedSpeed3Girl]

it sucks.. every other car i had, had a sunroof, and its a really nice thing to have on days where its a little too cold to put the windows down but you want some air.. *sigh* oh well, ya win some ya lose some

 

[Barney]

4) Sounds: Sometimes little things like paper or something will fall from my center console and get sucked into the sub's 'air duct' (for lack of a better word) under the passenger seat.. which then makes a horrible rattling when you have the bass high, and it's a b**** getting it out. Oh and bass is kind of weak for a Bose system. Don't get me wrong, it sounds way nicer than the regular mazda speakers, and I love it, but the bass could be stronger. And one more thing regarding sounds: My passenger doorhandle is loose or something and makes a horrible vibrating sound when I play my music past like vol 18, really annoying me and I think I'm going to have it replaced.


I had a renegade malted milk ball rolling around in the subwoofer thing under the seat for like 2 months. Drove me nuts. Spent 2 hours taking the seat out and taking apart the subwoofer to get out the malted milk ball. It was tasty.

My complaints
Short gearing. I usually go from first to third or even fourth if I wind it up a little in first.
Kinda used to doing that after 182000 miles my 94 Z28 6 speed.
I've put 400000 miles on 3 different Acura Integras. I drive a lot of miles. Even my beater work Integra shifts better than this car.
I've been a truck driver for 28 years and the trucks I drive shift better. Thou after 28000 miles it's getting better.
Heated mirrors would be nice.
I have zero rattles, just a few creaks when it's really cold.
The automatic climate control is just plain weird. I rarely use it.
I just leave it on manual and set it to 68 or so in the winter.
Of course thats once it finially puts out heat, seems slow.
CD player can't read MP3 CD's that seem to work in every other CD player I put them in.
WTF is up with access to the oil filter. You spend more time dicking around with that cover to get at the filter than the rest of the oil change.
Windshield fogs up on the inside.



Other than that love the car

 

[pipmoutprog5]

about the windows fogging up on the inside try using "rainX" is working for me.

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

So I kept driving terrible the other day. Everytime I go to shift, boost kicks in and the rpms go way higher, and I shift slower to keep the ride smoother, but end up buckin and broncoing everywhere. For some reason I couldn't get it straight.

Any tips of shifting this thing better in city streets? I drove from a stop in 2nd a few times, and that was better. Wonder if thats really hurting the engine or not.

 

[Rotus8]

So I kept driving terrible the other day. Everytime I go to shift, boost kicks in and the rpms go way higher, and I shift slower to keep the ride smoother, but end up buckin and broncoing everywhere. For some reason I couldn't get it straight.

Any tips of shifting this thing better in city streets? I drove from a stop in 2nd a few times, and that was better. Wonder if thats really hurting the engine or not.

Won't hurt your engine, but it's hell on the clutch. You don't want to ask how much a clutch job is going to be.

 

[MS3077]

Won't hurt your engine, but it's hell on the clutch. You don't want to ask how much a clutch job is going to be.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

It's hell on the clutch because the engine doesn't have enough torque to get goin, so you slip the clutch longer?? Usually in stop-n-go parking lot and neighborhood maneuvers, if the car is still rolling, i'll continue in 2nd gear if i'm slow enough.

I don't know what else I can do except drag the shifts out longer. Meaning, wind out 1st and 2nd gear real long at light throttle input.