Pondering bailing out. Long post

[badmotorfinger]

Would like some feedback, because i'm thinking of bailing on the car. I've got a '09 MGM GT with 8500 miles and love it. But, sometimes love isn't enough...
My mods are listed, but I just got around to installing the TMIC last week. Woke up the butt dyno nicely, but I now have nasty wheel hop. Ok, so it's time to get some mounts. But when I was on the highway yesterday winding it out I started getting boost cut high in 5th, and later high in 4th. Fuel pressure, KR, and AFR's all look good. So I've had a Cobb AP in the box for a few months now (that's another F/Upped story) and figure it might take care of the cut...but dammit.
Fuel cut? Check. Dash rattles? Check. Wheel hop? Check. Crazy rebound rates on the dampers with more floating than my '93 T100? Check. I just want a nice car that can haul some gear (my dogs crate takes up most of the room, but I think I can live with that) and haul some ass.
Sooo, I'm looking through auto trader and see a one owner '06 Dodge Magnum SRT8 with 12,000 miles. Let me think about this; 425HP...stock, more cargo/passenger room, 425HP...stock, decent (but not great) interior, 425 HP...stock, kinda looks like a hearse (yes, my secret fetish, I think they look sick) 425HP...stock, good handling/braking with the Benz E-class platform, 425HP...stock, and it's a Dodge.
****.
It's a 425HP...Dodge.
Not trying to offend the Mopar fans out there, I like the look of the car a lot, hear great things about that motor, and am willing to take a fuel economy hit, but am spooked by past Mopar experiences and their questionable long term survival as an auto manufacturer.
One last piece to this puzzle. I love owning a car that is unique. My Speed fits that perfectly, only met one other person so far with this car in my area. But this Dodge? Total production from 06-08 = 3837.
I'm waiting for a phone call from the SRT dealer to see what kind of a phone quote I'll get for my ride on trade...
Some thoughts folks? Thanks in advance for your opinions, even if I don't agree, I need to hear from others.

 

[AutoEuphoria]

If you will lose money on the deal, don't do it. Meaning...if you owe money on the car and trade in/sale value is less than you owe, don't do it. Also, make sure you DRIVE that other car before making up your mind. I did a 180 on the Magnum after I drove it...I loved it before, and hated it after.

03/04 Cobras are going for a pretty decent price right now, as are 03/04 Z06's (what I plan to get in a couple of years)

And don't worry...you're not alone. The MS3 is a nice car if you don't plan to do much to it, but if you have the HP itch, it can get old pretty quick.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

if you're that intent on functionality, and you want some more go pedal to work with... I'd look into a subie... depending on what you're willing to finance an 09 STi will do you well, or you can go lower budget on an older one...

 

[Peter B]

Well I wouldn't bail. The thing that kills it for me is the part at the end. Its a dodge. My family owned one of those once....ONCE. Never again! What a piece of crap. Car made it 3 years fine then the rest of its life it wasnt worth the metal it was made of.

On top of that its big, I don't care for big cars, I think they are useless. Plus like you mentioned, dodge might not be around in another 6 months.

It sounds to me like your desire to bail is a reaction to your frustration with your current ride. Sort of like an impulse buy. That is a poor way to make a descission. I would take some time to think it over. If you truely do want to get a different car, I would look around a bit. Don't just grab the first car you see.

The economy sucks right now. No one is buy cars so if you are gonna get a different one, take some time and really look around. You might be abel to find some sick deals. You have the upper hand at the moment.

-Pete

 

[240ka]

If you will lose money on the deal, don't do it. Meaning...if you owe money on the car and trade in/sale value is less than you owe, don't do it. Also, make sure you DRIVE that other car before making up your mind. I did a 180 on the Magnum after I drove it...I loved it before, and hated it after.

03/04 Cobras are going for a pretty decent price right now, as are 03/04 Z06's (what I plan to get in a couple of years)

And don't worry...you're not alone. The MS3 is a nice car if you don't plan to do much to it, but if you have the HP itch, it can get old pretty quick.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

man, im with you on that...cant wait to get my C6 Z06 in the next few years

 

[derspi]

I really don`t think there`s any way you can come out good financially on a decision like this. It doesn`t matter what car you`re considering, the fact that you have a niche market car in the MS3 is what`s going to hurt you considering the economy is bad at the moment. I`d say go about fixing the little issues with the MS3 and wait it out. I mean, it`s a friggin`brand new car and does still carry a warranty so you can get the little things like rattles and clunks fixed at no cost. It may take a bit of work to get those dumbasses at the dealership to diagnose but if you b**** enough or do your homework, those minor problems can be fixed.

 

[cjms3]

im bailing for a 05 sti with 77k... cant wait

 

[mckraut]

im bailing for a 05 sti with 77k... cant wait

Ouch, 77k?

To the OP, I would personally keep the car. I'm willing to bet the trade in won't cover the SRT8 and you probably owe more on your MS3 than it's worth right now.

 

[badmotorfinger]

Sorry I forgot to add: I owe nothing on my car, but still don't want to get ass-***** on paper.
If it is an even trade then I would only have to look at projected depreciation of the respective cars. Which I understand, is just a projection...They're asking 23,800.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

theres no way they'll give you even up for that asking price... at least, I'd bet not.. if they offer it to you, I'd say go for it.... assuming that working out the MS3 kinks isn't worth it to you.

 

[Rotus8]

I had an SRT8 rental for about a month (whole 'nother story) and it was pretty cool. The one thing that got me was looking in the rear view mirror - this thing is huge! Yes it is big, but the small rear window makes it look even bigger looking back there. I did find the visibility limited which bugged me. And the fuel usage was ridiculously bad. Lots of room to put stuff. But, I wouldn't trade it for my MS3 unless you gave me a whole bucket of cash too, and then I probably wouldn't keep it. And have you checked what that thing weighs? A lot of that 425 is lost due to pushing all that mass around.

 

[mckraut]

I just went back and re-read the first post...ONLY 8500 miles? Do you change your socks midway through the day as well? Christ man, give it a chance!

 

[badmotorfinger]

That's why I'm waiting to hear their offer. I think I might have a decent shot at a even or close to even trade. Mine is a current model year and I'm wondering if the combo of a V8 in this economy, and the possible death of Chrysler, might be some excellent bargaining chips. Obviously I would de-mod but I told them I would throw in the winter 17's too.
Again, I love my car. And I am not a nervous person by nature, but think about it. If my engine were to take a crap like some of our peers, it would be a bit of work to have the thing towed to MY garage first, return to stock (including re-installing and welding the cut-in-half stock exhaust) just so I can roll the dice with Mazda NA to see if they might cover it. Or just man up and drop 3-5K on another motor. Just things I think about from time to time.
I need a beer and a hug.

 

[mckraut]

Do you really think you'd keep the SRT8 stock though? Seems the mod bug bit you pretty hard with the MS3 and that urge just doesn't go away.

Also, let us know how it pans out with the dealer. I'm curious to see what they'd offer you on the MS3.

 

[jred321]

But this Dodge? Total production from 06-08 = 3837.

they produced 3837 cars across 3 years? so 1,300 cars/year roughly? i'm almost positive there are more MS3s out there. usually "limited edition" in mazda terms is at least a couple thousand per year. not that i've specifically looked into the MS3 but generally mazda's limited editions are limited to as many as they can sell, which is usually well above 1300/year



i say return it to stock. use it as a DD. get it in a condition that a dealership would consider warrantying it (it's not that hard to tell something has been modded and returned to stock). then buy a second fun car. also learn the lesson that many MSP owners (myself included) have learned and never buy another mazdaspeed product. the types issues you're talking about have been found in every mazdaspeed product ever made. also any high HP fwd car is going to have wheel hop. if you want big power don't buy FWD. the stock MS3 is pushing what i consider the fun limit for a street driven FWD car

 

[LazerBlueP5]

Ahhhh, the SRT-8 Magnum- easily my favorite SRT vehicle sans the one I own. I LOVE the way it looks- and it was a consideration for me before I got my SRT-6.

It'll definitely be faster in a straight line than the MS3 however it won't quite handle as well. It's got a HUUUUGE wheel base which means it'll ride really smooth but makes it's turn radius much larger and consequently making it less nimble.

If I had to choose flat out (if they were priced equally) between the SRT-8 and the Mazdaspeed3 I'd probably go with the 8, for the aforementioned reasons you listed. I enjoyed my Mazdaspeed3 but I'm REALLY enjoying my SRT-6. As you can see in my sig I'm kissing 11's very soon. However keep in mind if you do go the modding route on the SRT-8 it's going to be difficult to make a great deal more power over stock considering it's normally aspirated. The only way to make them go really fast (ie 12's-11's) is to do forced induction with them- which makes the price of admission not seem so cheap anymore.

That said I was a bit disappointed with the aftermarket for the MS3. IMHO Cobb AP was a flop, ESPECIALLY if you compare the gains with their STi kits. From all the talk about the MS3 being difficult to tune due to direct-injection,
to the problematic tranny/engine mounts (3rd occasionally being non-existent & excessive wheel hop), to the annoying torque steer....I came to the conclusion that it's NOT the best platform to build a powerful performance car. Don't get me wrong it's a wonderful daily driver with some pep on the highway but not an all out performance car. Keep in mind I wasn't using my MS3 as a daily driver when I owned it. The SRT-6 is filling that gap much MUCH better than my MS3 was.

Speaking of which I had a MS3 mess with me on the highway the other day- I was excited to see the guy try to pull around and pass me, as I'm truly still interested in the MS3 and still have a place in my heart for it. Let's say it didn't go very well for him- I pulled away rather easily. It's not even a race between the two- the SRT is another level.

I feel the SRT-8 can be the same way. It's got way more automotive grunt, and it's making 420+hp...all motor. However if you truly aren't interested in modding and would rather have a quick daily driver that is practical...well, you already own it.

 

[MikeHTally]

I considered the SRT-8 Magnum, but I've wanted a Speed since they came out. Plus, I already have a 300C and a Hemi Ram. Forty-eight sparkplugs in the driveway seemed a bit much, plus the better mileage was a good thing. May yet get a SRT Magnum, but it'll be a couple of years.

 

[jred321]

That said I was a bit disappointed with the aftermarket for the MS3. IMHO Cobb AP was a flop, ESPECIALLY if you compare the gains with their STi kits. From all the talk about the MS3 being difficult to tune due to direct-injection,
to the problematic tranny/engine mounts (3rd occasionally being non-existent & excessive wheel hop), to the annoying torque steer....I came to the conclusion that it's NOT the best platform to build a powerful performance car. Don't get me wrong it's a wonderful daily driver with some pep on the highway but not an all out performance car.

let me guess. this was your first mazda?

 

[PCspeed3]

Im in the same boat as you man, im ready to sell my MS3 even with the mods still on it. I need to get a truck that I can throw dirt/mountain bikes in the back and go shred. Im tired of worrying about a tiny little rock chip or door ding on the MS3. I will be moving to an ~06 F-150 in the near future hopefully.

 

[LazerBlueP5]

let me guess. this was your first mazda?

Incorrect. Look at my join date for the forum and my handle.