Mazdaspeed 3 vs Mazda 3 5door

[micronesia]

have you thought about a fit? $10k cheaper, will last way longer than either of the cars mentioned, better gas mileage, still fun to drive, cheap to maintain, and holds its resale value like crazy. i'd say seriously consider something in that class of cars while you're going to grad school that, when you're done and presumably making more money, you can sell for almost what you paid for it and get the kind of car you really want and also pay off your student loans at the same time. or if you choose to keep it you'll have a car that will last forever and can become your practical car. the few thousand difference between the 3 and the MS3 isn't a big deal but the price difference between the fit is enough to take into consideration

Actually something I didn't discuss much was, what would I do if I didn't get the MS3.

1) Stick with this car for a while if it lasts (95 Eagle Vision TSI)
2) Get a used car (can afford pretty much whatever I want if that's the case, but I'd prefer new if it's workable)
3) Get a less expensive new car.

Regarding 3, I've been using the regular Mazda3 as more or less a placeholder for an alternative car, but you are right that there are a few cheaper alternatives such as the Fit that are not bad cars. But I'm really unsure if it's worth getting a new (or young, used) car if I don't get one that is exciting to me, and I don't think the Fit will do that. I suppose I should test drive one before I rule it out.

 

[shane02pro5]

Unfortunately I had 2 accidents within 6 months and 2 speeding tickets so that's where the $400 insurance came into play. This was over 11yrs ago but I was making about $35k. All my bills totalled about $1600/month+fun money!

 

[jred321]

well it's tough to go downhill from a 95 eagle vision. a used 3 or civic or something would still be fun and a bit more practical than a brand new car

 

[shane02pro5]

I'll sell you a used P5-T for a hell of a deal at $50k! And it's full of fun!!

 

[micronesia]

Unfortunately I had 2 accidents within 6 months and 2 speeding tickets so that's where the $400 insurance came into play. This was over 11yrs ago but I was making about $35k. All my bills totalled about $1600/month+fun money!

Ah ok. I figure 200/month less on insurance, with 50-60k coming in (depends a lot though) plus more expensive gas... 200/month my loans plus another couple of hundred to cover my parent's share. ~500-600/month for grad school. Before car payments that's 200 insurance + 400 loans + 550 grad school = 1150. After taxes I'm bringing in ~ 3k/month so that should give me flexibility for car payments + investments + spending money. I'll run through this more formally before I sign anything though.

 

[nextcar]

ok, i don't believe anyone has mentioned the negative aspects of the ms3, so here's my list. keep in mind that my 2 previous cars were the prius and bmw 325.

1. the ms3 is noisy. the tires transmit road noise really well. the exhaust drone is present whenever i let go of the gas pedal.

2. the suspension is stiff. on smooth pavement, the ride is fine, but when you go over rough patches or bumps, you really feel it.

3. the clutch is a bit stiffer than i like it. also, clutch engagement is not as smooth as other cars i drove, like the bmw 3 series, vw gti, civic si, mazda miata. if you drive in stop and go traffic for prolonged periods of time, the clutch can be tiring.

those are my main pet peeves, but none of them are serious flaws. they're just small issues, and i'm used to them now.

now, i won't tell you what you should buy, as i haven't driven the regular 3, and because i'm not qualified (nor is anyone else on this forum) to guide you. but you're right, there are always 2 approaches of living your financial life:

1. be more frugal, and start saving for you retirement and house downpayment.

2. spend more and have more fun.

also keep in mind that once you're married, you wife will also have a say on what car to buy, and she might not like a stiff riding, noisy car.

 

[micronesia]

ok, i don't believe anyone has mentioned the negative aspects of the ms3, so here's my list. keep in mind that my 2 previous cars were the prius and bmw 325.

1. the ms3 is noisy. the tires transmit road noise really well. the exhaust drone is present whenever i let go of the gas pedal.

2. the suspension is stiff. on smooth pavement, the ride is fine, but when you go over rough patches or bumps, you really feel it.

3. the clutch is a bit stiffer than i like it. also, clutch engagement is not as smooth as other cars i drove, like the bmw 3 series, vw gti, civic si, mazda miata. if you drive in stop and go traffic for prolonged periods of time, the clutch can be tiring.

those are my main pet peeves, but none of them are serious flaws. they're just small issues, and i'm used to them now.

now, i won't tell you what you should buy, as i haven't driven the regular 3, and because i'm not qualified (nor is anyone else on this forum) to guide you. but you're right, there are always 2 approaches of living your financial life:

1. be more frugal, and start saving for you retirement and house downpayment.

2. spend more and have more fun.

also keep in mind that once you're married, you wife will also have a say on what car to buy, and she might not like a stiff riding, noisy car.

Good post, thank you! I'm glad someone is being honest with a few of the drawbacks of the MS3. That list doesn't look so bad, but I'll run it by a few people.

Planning for your financial future is certainly a balance that is tricky to get right, but I do feel like this might be my best opportunity to have a more ambitious car. 10 years down the road I very well may not be able to have anything other than a family car. And 15 years after that, I don't know what the hell I'll want to do with my car.

 

[jred321]

don't forget the turbo issues the MS3s have had if you're talking negatives. i think the engine mount issues are resolved by now correct?

 

[pointysticks]

the kid is 23. i wish i listened to some smart adults when i was 23, but i didnt. the odds are this kid wont either. it took awhile for me to realize the power of compounding interest. as much as it can help, it can hurt. if you take that money you would be spending monthly on a new car, and put it away in your rothIRA, you would be leaps and bounds ahead of all your friends when you are my age. if i could do it all over again, i would save all that money while i was still living with my parents. that way, when you start paying rent, the days of saving would be harder, and you could just let it ride.

if you buy the car, realize it that it starts depreciating right away, and those payments stay the same. sucky math.

 

[freeflyfreak]

It's all about balance, spend some, save some.
If you spend too much and dont save enough, you'll end up miserable.
If you save to much and dont spend any the same will happen.
Its all about finding the right balance, every persons balance comfort zone is different.
Only you can find your zone, you are wise in asking advice.

The MS3 I bought in june, is the first and only new car I have ever owned.... I am 42 years old.

I always thought I would never buy a new car, they are a money hole, a waste.

Why did I change my mind?
The MS3 is good value, I wanted one.
I was willing to wait and buy used, but the majority of people who buy these cars are 20 something and will have thrashed the 5#!t out of them.
I couldnt imagine buying one used, so I bought my first new car.

I dont regret it.

The down sides for me are:
Loud tires/road noise
Not enough leg room to right of right leg.
Some cabin vibration/stiff ride.
Actually same list as "Nextcar" really

 

[micronesia]

the kid is 23. i wish i listened to some smart adults when i was 23, but i didnt. the odds are this kid wont either. it took awhile for me to realize the power of compounding interest. as much as it can help, it can hurt. if you take that money you would be spending monthly on a new car, and put it away in your rothIRA, you would be leaps and bounds ahead of all your friends when you are my age. if i could do it all over again, i would save all that money while i was still living with my parents. that way, when you start paying rent, the days of saving would be harder, and you could just let it ride.

if you buy the car, realize it that it starts depreciating right away, and those payments stay the same. sucky math.

I'm trying to polite as I'm new to this community, but I see you don't have the same goal :-/ Maybe I'll make an exception.

'this kid'? Please. You seem to be from one of those archaic areas where age alone determines status. It's also unnecessary to directly address the original poster, and reasonable to talk about him rudely.

I don't understand the power of compound interest. In fact, as soon as I go take a high school level math class, I'll realize that the entire goal of my life should be to have every extra dollar as a retiree. Never mind the fact that the odds of me reaching retirement age in one piece are greatly influenced by how conservatively I attempt to live my life. In fact, let me turn off my computer right now and save money on electricity. Also, let's disregard the fact that I plan on setting aside a reasonable amount of money to invest anyway! Of course, for every penny I'm putting in, I must squeeze another penny out of some other area of my life until something goes horribly wrong and I regret being to conservative. (You can certainly make the argument that the proper balance involves a cheaper car (like how the Honda Fit was suggested), but it's clear that you simply want to 'rain on my parade' rather than accomplish a noble feat)

This is the first time someone's explained to me that cars depreciate. I don't have to listen to it every god damned time I mention I'm interested in a new car. There's not much point in considering that the car isn't just an investment. The way you should judge your satisfaction with a car, is by it's resale value. I am not putting up to tens of thousands of miles on it every year, both accomplishing very important tasks, and enjoying some (or hopefully most) of the time because that's worth spending for! Hell no. I should sell my 1995 Eagle vision and ride my bike 22 miles to work on major highways too!

That was the 6am emotional 'ok I've had it up to here with it' response which I'm sure I'd tone down if I was a bit more conscious at the moment. The bottom line is, I'll gladly discuss the technicalities of investment if you so choose, but your assumptions are unwarranted. If you feel confident that you can prove to me that it's fully worthwhile to take another course of action after considering my entire financial situation, then hell, I'll run through the numbers with you. But if you assume that I'm like you were at 23 before inquiring, then I'm forced to reject your advice until you re-establish your credibility.

I think you should read the post above this one. Please don't tell me I'm not balancing my life correctly. Help me balance it, or keep your assumptions about my lack of balance to yourself.

 

[Zimmer]

good luck in your decision. You have many peoples inputs from many vantage points. as each one of us did hopefully evaulated their needs vs wants... now vs future.... Balance of fun and frugal. Take it as advise and let us know what you choose!

 

[Donas64]

If you can an MS3, can I borrow it on weekends? But seriously, evaluate your situation, present and future and make a wise choice. Good luck.

P.S: If you do ever settle down, the MS3 will satisfy the need for speed while being quite practical so thats a positive.

 

[dokx]

After spending about 30 minutes of my life (which I won't get back, by the way) reading this entire thread, here is my attempt to give the requested feedback ...at least from my perspective.

I'm 29 years old and could have used my "MS3 payment" for something more responsible. In the past, I haven't been financially responsible with my money like I should have, but I recently started, so I'm not too bad off.

In my life, I've owned 8 previous vehicles. The last two were the most significant in helping me make my decision about the speed3. In 2001, I purchased a used (1998) Mazda Millenia S with 60,000 miles. By 2004, it had 128,000 miles and was starting to have transmission problems. This sort of screwed up my "60-month loan" plan. I traded the Millenia in to a Dodge dealer for a new 2004 Dodge Neon. Because I was upside down on the Mazda, the payment ended up being exactly the same. The only difference (or so I justified to myself) was that I had a brand new "practical" car with 0 miles. If you ask me today where I made my mistake, I wouldn't tell you it was buying the Mazda with 60000 miles or even putting all those miles on it; I would tell you it was trading in my fun car for something practical. I should have just kept the Mazda or put up the extra money to get something I really wanted. I regretted that decision for the entire 4.5 years I owned my practical POS. I decided a few years ago that I would never again regret buying a car I didn't want.

Enter MS3.

I've only owned the speed3 for about a month, but I'm loving it. Aside from the worry that something (door dings, wheel rash, etc) might happen to the car, I haven't a care in the world. There are little rattles and the ride is rough at times, but overall it is an amazing, unmatched car for the money. I don't stress all the forum-hype about burning turbos and engines falling out, as I have the warranty for now. I'm not modding the car, so I don't expect any warranty pushback from the dealer. If they piss me off about legitimate problems, I'll just get rid of it and get something else. So is life.

To get back to the origins of the post, I can only say this. For the difference in price between the 3 and the speed3, it is definitely worth the money. In terms of practicality, it has just enough "regular car" left in it. In terms of fun, I scares you sometimes when you really hit the gas...in a good way. Hope this helps.

Damn...now it's at closer to 45 minutes of my life...

 

[micronesia]

dokx, I appreciate your contribution. Many people seem to be in your shoes or to share your point of view. However, I don't understand your point about how you have lost time. Did you find the thread had many posts that weren't worth reading? BTW love the avatar.

 

[controlo]

dokx, I appreciate your contribution. Many people seem to be in your shoes or to share your point of view. However, I don't understand your point about how you have lost time. Did you find the thread had many posts that weren't worth reading? BTW love the avatar.

i think i agree with your line of thinking for the most part.

i have to admit, i'm not exactly responsible when it comes to finances. i suppose that's part of being a 21 year old kid. i'm still in school and i'm having fun. i can barely make my car payment every month but i wouldn't trade it for a POS and a cup of starbucks everyday. i'm the kind of person that can't save money. it literally burns a hole in my pocket, thus requiring more money spent.

i agree there should be a balance of saving and spending. the truth is, i don't even know what i want to do for the rest of my life (career), let alone how to get my finances in order. this life is too short not to have what you want. i know a lot of people that save but for what? and where do you draw the line?

OP, if it's a car that you crave, don't let anything stop you.

 

[dokx]

dokx, I appreciate your contribution. Many people seem to be in your shoes or to share your point of view. However, I don't understand your point about how you have lost time. Did you find the thread had many posts that weren't worth reading? BTW love the avatar.

It just seemed that there were a bunch of "sieze the day while you're young" posts back-to-back rather than relative responses. While the financial aspect is important to keep in mind, I was hoping for some perspective from the pro-mazda3 guys...sort of like from the pro-speed3 guys...about some of the happiness/regret they have about their cars. Instead, it started to turn into one of those HR sessions we have at work where they lecture you about 401k programs, like we're too stupid to read it in the Employee Handbook. Nothing personal guys, but I doubt anyone is going to become fiscally responsible because they read about it in the Mazda forum. Besides, it sounds like Micro already had that department covered.

No offense intended to anyone.

 

[jred321]

pro 3:
cheaper initial cost (few thousand)
cheaper long term cost - maintenance and gas. 87 octane and better mpg. no synthetic fluids, no high wear performance parts, can be more flexible w maint periods because the engine isnt as stressed
should be more reliable over the long run because the engine isnt stressed
still handles very well with a little more forgiving ride
looks pretty much the same as the ms3
financing options and incentives apply (eventually they will on the speed3 also)

con 3:
less peak horsepower
peak handling is worse

 

[Donas64]

It just seemed that there were a bunch of "sieze the day while you're young" posts back-to-back rather than relative responses. While the financial aspect is important to keep in mind, I was hoping for some perspective from the pro-mazda3 guys...sort of like from the pro-speed3 guys...about some of the happiness/regret they have about their cars. Instead, it started to turn into one of those HR sessions we have at work where they lecture you about 401k programs, like we're too stupid to read it in the Employee Handbook. Nothing personal guys, but I doubt anyone is going to become fiscally responsible because they read about it in the Mazda forum. Besides, it sounds like Micro already had that department covered.

No offense intended to anyone.

Apparently we are. The savings rate in the Average American Household is dismal to non-existent. I don't think Americans are stupid, I think we just have our priorities out of whack.
It's not just the bad economy either, people are buying things they can't afford and paying for everything on credit. He asked for some advice and got it I guess. I see your point though. But if you ask for advice on a forum, chances are you'll get it. And since this a large forum, the advice might be repeated over and over until the thread is closed.

Me, I'd rather drive a reasonably fun but cheap car now and have enough cash to get my dream car when I'm older and can afford it. Thats not to say I don't want to have fun now though. I want an MS3 but I know it would be financial suicide. So I'll have to bide my time.

I hope micro gets his MS3 if he can comfortably afford it.

 

[phantomranger]

life is too short!!

listen up Micro. don't let nobody influence you on what is best for you. Life is too short for coulda should woulda. you are gonna make mistakes in life, but it's the way that you come out of it at the end. if you f**k up, be a man and learn from your mistakes. i'm all about saving money and investing, but at the same time, i have to live my life right now, not 30/40 years from now. if it makes you happy and you can afford it, get the vehicle you want and deserve. trust me, later on, you don't want to regret not getting it. I bought mine in December and it is the best car i have owned. so there you have it. I'm backin you up on this one. a lot of people want to hate on others, so they can seem like they are the s**t. get what you want playa!! live your life. PEACE LOVE RESPECT!!