A little MS3 praise, for once, and a few other brief reviews

[Tronspeed3]

GET A lexus ISF

 

[leadf00t]

GET A lexus ISF

Wouldnt mind driving one of those !!

 

[SFCSpectre]

Wouldnt mind driving one of those !!

same here *drool*

 

[Sport6]

GET A lexus ISF

I like 3 peddles. As cool as any car is, I will have to have a manual tranny.

 

[solidtrance]

Great thread. Great read, lots of good opinions here already. First off, I feel the same way about my 8 that you do about your MS3. If I were in the market for a new car right now I would pick up a MS3 in two seconds. The bang for the buck that the MS3 offers is unbeatable. It does so many things well. It is a car that will really suprise you with its power and handling capabilities. The only other car that I would even consider if I were replacing my 8 would be a used Z4M, what a great car. I agree with the guy whho posted earlier, if you can afford more of a payment right now, get your car paid off sooner. You will pay less in the long run, and just imagine what you could dowith an extra 7-900 a month. Talk about modding and making your MS3 a beast!

 

[coololddude]

Read the tests on the new WRX. The STI (A car I thought was in my future) is looking more and more like a oink, oink. The 2011 WRX will look even more like the STI.

 

[iguanaboy]

Great thread. Great read, lots of good opinions here already. First off, I feel the same way about my 8 that you do about your MS3. If I were in the market for a new car right now I would pick up a MS3 in two seconds. The bang for the buck that the MS3 offers is unbeatable. It does so many things well. It is a car that will really suprise you with its power and handling capabilities. The only other car that I would even consider if I were replacing my 8 would be a used Z4M, what a great car. I agree with the guy whho posted earlier, if you can afford more of a payment right now, get your car paid off sooner. You will pay less in the long run, and just imagine what you could dowith an extra 7-900 a month. Talk about modding and making your MS3 a beast!

We should switch for a week to scratch are itch. Just have to convince the wives it's s good idea.

 

[solidtrance]

Plenty of time for that on the way to and from OCC and EECM (maybe???). But yeah I would be down for that.

 

[LaCroix08]

if you can afford a 7-8 dollar payment, pay the ms3 off as fast as possible, then wait for EXACTLY what you want, and then you get a car that would usually cast 7-800 a month and only pay 500 still. .just my .02

my only regret is NOT getting something less impractical while i could. but i love my ms3.

Yeah, that's basically what I'm doing, only somewhat differently. I will continue to make payments on the car as usual, but just put all of my extra money into savings, that way I can eventually spend it on a car, or even a house.

GET A lexus ISF

Yuck, if I were going to blow that kind of money, I would get an m3. Way more car for the same price, and they come in a 6-speed.

Read the tests on the new WRX. The STI (A car I thought was in my future) is looking more and more like a oink, oink. The 2011 WRX will look even more like the STI.

Yeah, the WRXs are nice, and if they had the same interior as our Mazdas, I would trade my 3 for a WRX hatch today. Well, not today, when the 2011s come out

 

[batou079]

as far as bang for the buck, mazda is hard to beat. rich well featured interiors, with moderate power, good looks, and beefy suspension stock!? yes please!!!

before i got my speed6, i test drove many many cars. i orginally wanted an A4, plush and sexy looking. But wanted a little better handling. Then i checked out STis and Evo's, ended up being too far to the other extreme... all handling/power, sparse on the features.

BMWs, VWs, and Audis ended up off the list due to high initial cost, as well as nutty Euro import upkeep costs.
When i weighed all the things i wanted in a car, the speed6 ended up the top choice... balance of power, comfort, looks and features versus cost.

the speed3 was my close 2nd, choice if my initial speed6 prospective didnt go through.
always "better" cars out there, and more expensive... but when it comes to WELL balanced car for the cost, honestly these cars have very little competition. over all the other imports too.

 

[zx2man]

Great replys.....Ive driven RX8 and boy those are nice cars,seats hold you in well and the cornering is just nice ...doesnt got the acceleration of the speed3, But anyone wise knows that, and it has enough power to play the corners all day long..Never drove the 135I but heard good things..but maybe its more "refined" for some who comes from a MS3..I test drove the 09 wrx when it came out..nice car..the shifter was alittle clunky..but ours are not perfect either, and it pulled pretty hard, about on par as the speed...test drove the 370z month ago..now that was nice!..smooth v6!..strong power..sexy interior..I was cornering like a madman,making the salesman piss himself lol..awesome car!..1 bad thing..no backseat..and I got kids..but I had to atleast test drive it....If you wanna test drive a sti, try to find a used one on the lot..there nice cars as well..sweet 6 speed..that shift smooth..great all around car, But most Subaru dealerships treat em like thier Ferrari's and look at you like you got a cock growing out of your forehead, when you ask em for test drive...and yeah for 40-45 grand out the door..just not worth it for me.... I would love to own the current Gen M3..thats nice ride..but I think ill be keeping the speed for awhile

 

[Khasmordan]

A friend of mine has an older 05 wrx and he has gotten to stage 2 and omg that car is awsome. Only problem I have is the practicality of the vehicle and head room. I am just shy of 6'4 and most of my height is in my torso so I sit with my head above everyone else usually. In his car on a decent bump I will hit my head on the roof easily but in the MS3 I have tons of head room. I love having a hatch and the benifits of having that extra space to haul stuff as well, I just wish it wasn't Front Wheel Drive.

 

[hugador]

I love me speed too.

 

[jmonterr]

The speed3 is hard to match even with all of it's problems and the 135i and 335i are both fast as hell even though you might not feel it because the sensation of speed in bmw's is really diminished. As far as the subaru goes they do not really have much in the interior but the speed and handling make up for the lack if interior. But if I were you got for the 335 coupe

 

[meicalnissyen]

I've spent the last month or so avidly looking to get out of the speed3 and into something a little... more, I suppose. When I bought the speed, 500 a month was the absolute most I could spend on a car, I'm now at the point where I can spend 7-800 a month, and I figured I would look around. I spent a lot of time researching cars in the 40-50k range, and was pretty well set on either a BMW 135i or 335i. So after learning everything I could about both of them, I drove them each quite thoroughly, and I much prefer the ride of my Mazda. Sure, the BMWs were nice, but they're really not for me, they're too soft, you can't feel or hear the engine, the tires, the road, the exhaust.

I decided, while I was looking, I would check out a new STi, cause I've always been a fan. While I couldn't find a dealer that would let me drive an STi, I did drive a new WRX hatch, and it was quite impressive. The AWD system was amazing, and that Boxer engine was awesome, but the interior felt quite lackluster and almost cheap in comparison to my '08. I know that the STi is somewhat nicer than the WRX, and I'm sure driving one is absolutely amazing. However, I just don't feel like they're worth the extra money. At the end of the day, I just wanted to drive my Speed.

I know this is kind of a lame story, but it's times like that that make me really love this car. I know I haven't experienced every option out there, but I can safely say that I will be keeping my Mazda for a long time, even when I could quite comfortably afford a much "nicer" car. Anyways, thanks for reading! (cabpatch)

gtr?

 

[LaCroix08]

gtr?

I don't understand the question.

 

[EvilMonkey08]

i started in a new JCW tuned Mini Cooper S back in 06; definitely one of my favorite cars i've ever driven. had plenty of power for such a small car, however i needed more space since 2 pieces of luggage would fill up the trunk.

so.....traded the Mini back to the dealership for BMW 330ci ZHP. i wanted a sporty 4door sedan, but i ended up w/ a coupe. this ride was very nice and had several people to ask if it was a M3 (could pass for one except for under the hood). super comfortable ride & it had some getup (AT w/ autostick, so took some fun out of it). wound up driving it about 2 years before getting tired of the $750+ payments, so i sold it. while owning the bmw though, my friend was driving a mazda 6 that i really liked. thats when he told me about the speed3's. i soon realized that is what i was needing all along........a 4-door sedan/hb with some juice!!!

i done my homework between the speed3, lancer evo, and wrx sti, knowing one of these three was going to be my next ride. after driving the cars, figuring out estimated payments, insurance, etc., it was a no brainer for me on the speed3. imo, the mazda has the most bang for its buck. got my cwp 08 GT for a little over 24k OTD compared to 32k+ for evo MR & almost 35k for a loaded STI. the car has far exceeded my expectations and it is super versatile! i've actually hauled a solid wood coffee table & two bigass end tables , in one sitting. find me an 08 evo or sub that can do that (boom07)

 

[solidtrance]

find me an 08 evo or sub that can do that (boom07)

Okay, since you ask here are three....Motor Trend - Four Hot Hatches

But when you consider this;
Price as tested MS3 - $25,840, Lancer - $31,060, WRX - $32,344, GTI -$32,360
All the other cars are $5-7k more expensive. That works out to 20-27% of the purchase price. Which is a lot if you ask me. All in all its a great showing to foe the MS3.

 

[gonerogue]

Okay, since you ask here are three....Motor Trend - Four Hot Hatches

But when you consider this;
Price as tested MS3 - $25,840, Lancer - $31,060, WRX - $32,344, GTI -$32,360
All the other cars are $5-7k more expensive. That works out to 20-27% of the purchase price. Which is a lot if you ask me. All in all its a great showing to foe the MS3.

It's not even a surprise anymore. MT should just declare the GTI as the best hot hatch around for it's fuel economy and 'more refined' interior before they test the cars. The torquesteer is there for the MS3, but they make a larger stink about it than there should be. I dunno what he's talking about with torquesteer coming out of corners. If he's in 2nd, boost is cut with the wheel turned like that and if he's in third, he's being a baby.

Sorry for the rant, I am just tired of seeing the GTI win based on factors that I don't necessarily consider in a sporty hot hatch, especially when the price of the GTI loaded puts it into another class where I'd be considering something with a bit more luxury and/or performance.

 

[SFCSpectre]

.... The torquesteer is there for the MS3, but they make a larger stink about it than there should be. I dunno what he's talking about with torquesteer coming out of corners. If he's in 2nd, boost is cut with the wheel turned like that and if he's in third, he's being a baby....

(flame) I agree...seriously do these guys even know how to drive? Sometimes I think they only mention the torquesteer because they cant find anything else they dont like about the car. I mean look at all the speed 3's we have on this forum..from the 07 to the 2010... There is such a large number of them that are tuned/modded/pimped...whatever you wanna call it, that 263hp lasted about as long as it took to get the car home. We dont complain about torque steer...why? Is it because we can actually drive or is it because we drive the car more than once a year. More than likely it's because we actually take the time to learn the car before we start complaining about something like torque steer.

So MT here's what I think about the review (nuts)(pow)