buying one

[ebsalem]

Hi gang,

I'm new to this group and am looking for a daily driver that's fun. The local Mazdaspeed dealer still has their first Orange model instock and was asking 22,500 for it. I said we could have a deal tomorrow at sticker. They bit.

My driving history is with two ACR Neon's as daily drivers and I AutoX a 911 in SCCA's FP. Hopefully this car is fun as a driver.

Questions are:

1. is the car fun?

2. is the car too attention grabbing. (wouldn't want to attract the cops/)

3. what's up with that funky stereo?

4. any maintenence issues to worry about?

thanks in advance,

 

[MSP Pro]

You're gonna love this car! It handles! Flat, neutral, tons of grip, and lots of steering feel. It is without a doubt the best stock handling car I've ever driven. And that includes a friend's Boxster S on an autox course. Racing Beat did a terrific job on the suspension. You may even decide it's more fun running D Stock than FP!

Check out the review in the January Sport Compact Car Magazine, or on the web at sportcompactcarweb.com.

 

[Dexter]

whats FP? modded?

 

[Strider1222]

One thing that doesn't seem right... the MSRP of the Mazdaspeed is 20,500. That is $2000 in markup... not cool to me... just my $.02 though-

 

[MSP Pro]

Dexter: FP is a class (F Prepared) for solo2 autox competition under the SCCA club rules. I was making a lame joke, since Prepared cars aren't even legal on the streets, are very high performance, and make stock class cars look like bricks.

ebsalem: to answer the other questions: 2. if you don't want to draw attention, get the black mica. I did and I'm nearly invisible to the authorities. 3. The funky stereo is a nice cd/tuner that will play mp3 format cds, so you can get maybe 100 songs on a cd. It's 200 watts head unit and a 250 watt amp in the trunk for the 8 inch woofer. Not really audiophile, but better than most car company stereos. 4. No maintenance problems for me so far, but some complaints about rear sway bar bushings clunking in the cold. Seems to be worst in Canada. US cars come with a 4 year 50,000 mile warranty, plus roadside assistance and guaranteed loaners for warranty repairs. Good enough for me.

Post some pics if you buy the car!

 

[AGR]

2,360 miles now.....What a great car!! I highly recommend the MAZDASPEED to any driver that wants a car that is an absolute blast to drive. It has it all!

 

[AGR]

One thing that doesn't seem right... the MSRP of the Mazdaspeed is 20,500. That is $2000 in markup... not cool to me... just my $.02 though-

$20,500 is window sticker, yes, and in the marketplace, I think that is where it falls. Hell! I would have paid $21,500 if need be. This car smokes the competition.

 

[ebsalem]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I may wait for a black version, but otherwise am ready to pull the trigger.

FWIW: FP is SCCA's AutoX class for modded RX7's, WRX's and Porsche 914/6's and 911's. We can do whatever we want to the suspension, interior and motor. But the motor must be of the same type that came in the car. There is a sliding scale for displacement vs. weight. No NO2, and only the big fat Subies get turbos. All the cars can turn a little past 1.1 G of lateral acceleration

My car has about 220 hp and weighs 2100 ~ 2090 pounds running on 10" wide hoosier slicks.

Thanks for all your advice!