Considering a Mazdaspeed over a Tiburon v6 and Dodge SRT4...

[Zray]

I'm hoping someone here can help push me over the edge =)

So this is my story:

2-3 weekends ago I went to the local dealer's auto show and sat in a few dozen different vehicles. The vehicles that impressed me most were the Crossfire, 350z, Tiburon and Mazdaspeed (which really left me with the greatest impression). That week I read about the SRT4, pushing 230 hp at about 20k price, and thought "damn, now that's gonna be my next car..." well a check on financing suddenly shows me that I could actually afford an SRT4. Now I'm getting serious...

So today I went out and test drove the Mazda 6, Mazdaspeed, SRT4 and Tiburon in that order. First I gotta say - Mazda Dealership had the coolest salesperson we met that day - he let us drive off in whatever we wanted, only asked for my friend's car key until we returned; totally hassle-free experience. The M6 was a sweet ride, very smooth and clean, but just a little out of my price range. In comparison, the Mazdaspeed was snappy and agile, a bit rougher, but in a way that appealed to the hotrodder in me =) Sweetest thing about the Mazdaspeed was the price, 18k offer was made and there seemed room to negotiate. favor: Mazda :thumbsup:

Next up, the SRT4... ok. The salesmen at Southpoint Dodge in Austin are the stupidest ****heads I've ever had the displeasure to meet. Seriously... my friend and I were watching this guy in total disbelief. After wasting 25 minutes of our time they finally get an SRT4 for us. It's a beautiful sound, hearing one start up... very muscular. I get in, and the seats... ugh! And the interior felt more like a straightjacket then a glove... however, I get on the road and run the drill. Ok, it's punchy as hell, the torque is just insane... this car throbs with power. But everything else is crappy: interior, exterior, rims, sound, seats, and sales experience. The best thing about testdriving the SRT4 was leaving the dealership and the car behind... on to Hyundai.

It took this sales guy even longer to come up with an '03 Tiburon v6 5spd, but it was worth the wait. Compared to the SRT4, the Tib felt and looked like a Ferrari in every way except horsepower. It's also the closest thing to my Integra that I drive now... and the offer they made was really nice, 17.5k with room to deal. Cool thing was when the Hyundai sales manager came out to talk about the car and what deal they would make... he was a great person to talk to, didn't pressure the sale but made a really sweet offer without seeming desparate. We left their dealership with a good respect for Hyundai's cars and sales staff.

OK, so of course first thing I did when I got home was sit down and research my 2 darlings of the day, the Tiburon and the Mazdaspeed. I figured the Tiburon would be the best deal, with a v6 it seemed like it was just begging for forced induction and the big reaps in performance... well, not so. Tiburon's have a weak block it turns out... they can't handle much over 240 hp safely, and it's pretty hard to get them there. Stock they pull about 170 hp and 181 torque; combine that with a 3k curb weight and it's not a very aggressive contender. That power can increase to about 200hp with basic mods, but it takes a $3k supercharger to get beyond that (and the available SC's only add 40ish hp).

The Mazdaspeed however benefits from already having forced induction onboard, which means it can be tuned fairly inexpensively... I'm just wondering by how much? It seems like some members here are finding a way to push it into the 240hp range without cracking the engine open, combine that with it's 2.8k curb weight and it's a contender for a stock SRT4... which is really all the power I'd want for now =) So I guess I'm leaning more towards the Mazdaspeed... but I dunno... Tiburon is pretty sexy looking as well, and the list of features are very comparable; the MSP definitely has nicer rims though =)

Anyone wanna help push me over the edge?

 

[CustomMSP]

Bro,

Don't look at the MSP as a "Power" monster, all though it could very well be one. Look at it as perfect balance between power and handling, maybe a little more toward the handling side Plus it looks the best out of all the cars youve mentioned in my opinion. It sounds like you're going after HP.

 

[Zray]

HP would be nice, but as I found out today, I'm definitely into the total package. There are just certain power standards that I would like from my next vehicle purchase, and since I'm in the market I might as well go after what will satisfy that urge... but not at the expense of amenities. I'm also looking at model upgrading, and the M6 is a nice step up from the MSP maybe a couple years down the road.

If the MSP can be brought over 200hp with under a $1k investment, I think my power urges will be pretty much satisfied =)

 

[Glowmunkey]

If I were to do it all over again, I would look more closely at the '04 Neons, but a HORRENDOUS sales experience sent me away in disbelief as well...

As for the Hyundai... no contest for me, I'll take a turbo charged 4 cyl over a V6 any day. Not to mention it's still a Hyundai... haven't driven the brand new Tiburons, but the older ones made me want to throw up all over the place.(pukey) (blarf)

 

[mp5jeff]

by 04 neon do you mean the 04 srt-4, only difference in those then the 03's is a lsd and it has 10 more hp, but the interior im sure is the same, zray sounds like hes looking for a entire car not just an engine

 

[oldzoomer]

The mazdaspeed is a BLAST to drive through the hill country west of austin!!!! I am waiting impatiently for the next sunny weekend so i can go have some more fun.
I also like the Tiburon but felt it was cheaper and didn't feel as solidly built. Something about the plastic and the way the doors closed.

I don't think you are getting a good deal from whichever Mazda dealership you visited. You should be able to get a 2003.5 for ~$16500 (including the $2k cash from Mazda). My salesperson was Jack Hughes at Roger Beasley Mazda on Burnet. He was easy to deal with.

 

[low_psi]

If you don't mind voiding the warranty, then getting a MSP is hands down the only way to go. Just adding a new intercooler, downpipe and a bit moer boost will make the car sporty enough for your likes(as I gathered from your post).

The MSP won't kill the SRT-4 at the drag strip, but take it to a real race track and the MSP will wreck shop.

 

[uclap5]

i think the tiburon is pretty snazzy looking.

but dont get it if you care about handling.

mazdaspeed is a great deal for a great all around package with cheap mods.

 

[Zray]

oldzoomer - thanks for the info, I might pm you if I have more questions about what steps to take in making a final deal (if you don't mind ) and interesting that you should mention the hill country / Westlake area - I work off Cuernavaca (off Bee Caves) and it's one of the sweetest twisty roads in the area Barton Creek drive is a good one too for faster running when there is no traffic around.

Cool, I'm getting more and more excited about the MSP =)

 

[brennan]

Under $1000?
Easy, just buy a boost gauge and boost controller, raise the boost to 9psi and bam I've beaten RSX - S which is 200 hp many times. Cost

boost controller - Manual - $30
Boost Gauge - $70

 

[oldzoomer]

Zray - feel free to contact me if you have questions. There are a few other Austinites with MSPs on here (active and lurking).
Another good road is Lime Creek (out in the boonies North of town where I live). It cruises around a lake and passes right through Volente. The whole 620/1431 area is full of great roads that are mostly empty.
I'm heading for Cuernavaca next!

I also looked at the 350Z, Infiniti G35, Accord Coupe V6, Mustang and Vette but none are as good a value as the MSP.

 

[Zray]

Glowmunkey - looks like Dodge's salestaff problem isn't just a local one. Too bad for them... but then the way they've packaged the SRT4 is kinda in line with the quality of salespeople they employ

Brennan - nice, $100k to gain 30 hp? That's a decent gain =) Will a CAI yeild the standard 10-15+ in addition? Another 15-20 after that and you're at the stock SRT4 hp range... yummy

 

[Zray]

oz - ya, I've been on Lime Creek a buncha times, and it's definitely a blast Cuernavaca's worst feature is it's dense with trees (a lot like Lime Creek actually) but it's a sweet little 4-5 mile-ish loop - start at the light and it will take you back to Bee Caves at the end =) Very very twisty...

I've looked at each of those as well (except the 'vette) and I came to the same conclusion. I'd almost be interested in a used Cobra, but there are too many advantages to going with a new car financing-wise, and the MSP also gets much better gas mileage.

Nice to see the level of kindness and maturity on this board... that alone says a great deal about this car =)

 

[03MSP]

I was also considering a V6 Tibby before I got my MSP. The reason I ended up with the MSP is because it comes with so many things that I would have spent money on for the Tiburon anyway.....turbo, bodykit, rims, aftermarket muffler...those things can add up quick when you buy them all separate. Plus, having the 8th best new car handling in the world is a pretty fun thing to brag about

 

[lastsaga]

the tiburon is a good buy as well, the i4 model has a turbo kit for it. the car looks nice as hell, in my opinion.

the msp is just a better buy. i mean, with all you get, that'd be so much to spend on any other car to get it to that level of performance.

i've found the straight line accel to be a bit lacking, but for track and road racing, the handling is beyond comparison of anything up to 30k (stock)

the sound system is a nice touch, and i really like the rims, though i wished the seats had fatter side bolsters.

there are little quirks with the car, but nothing major or anything related to reliability yet (as far as i know)

the srt-4 is a quick car, but nobody at dodge would let me take one out when i went by myself to buy one. the mazda people on the other hand let me race the rx8 v. a supra tt LOL needless to say.. i lost pretty bad, 3 times in a row.

i think there are some good rebates from mazda on the msp right now, so look into their website for more info

 

[Glowmunkey]

by 04 neon do you mean the 04 srt-4, only difference in those then the 03's is a lsd and it has 10 more hp, but the interior im sure is the same, zray sounds like hes looking for a entire car not just an engine

Wait, they make a Neon OTHER than the SRT-4? Kidding... but the normal Neon just doesn't even register in my sights. I was more concerned about the LSD, I'm not interested in doing pegleg burnouts all day long... can't believe Dodge skimped on that in the '03.

Yeah, I hear you, I think the Mazda is more of a total package than the SRT, but I have heard that they handle pretty well and are fun cars none-the-less.

 

[BinaryRotary]

We have a couple of Tiburon's that come out and AutoX, let me tell you ..... they have to be one of THE worst handling cars on the market right now. Talk about body roll. I've driven one and it just seems so sloppy. Totally underpowered coming from a car thats well over 3000 lbs. I've never driven a Mazdaspeed, but Mazda is notorious for their agile handling and power that won't go over board. The one thing that has kept me in a mazda for the last 25 years is this .... balance. Mazda IMO makes some of the most balanced cars on the market, in the world today.

Considering that Mazda is the only Japanese company to ever win the 24 Hours of LeMans, the company that invented twin-turbos and the company that used the first computer controlled engine management system, I'd stick with the original. Mazda has sold more sports cars than any other Japanese company, with 500,000 MIATAS on the road alone. Take into consideration all of the RX-7's produced, bought and sold and you have a racing heritage that cannot be ignored. Good luck in your quest for the holy car, I just hope you're fortunate to come to the same conclusion that I have. Mazda is a winner, the ecentric underdog, always on the move. Remember, balance is the key to victory.

 

[Newf]

I don't know, the tibby wouldn't even be on my list. To me the quality of the interior just screams Cheap. At least with the neon...sorry....srt4, you'll be playing with the turbo so much you'll forget the cheap ass everything else. Whereas the v6 tib is weak imho. And it drives like a boot in comparison to the speed.

My 2 choices would be SRT4 vs MSP.

Since I would never buy a dodge, or american for that matter.....guess which one I'd choose.

I was hoping to get to test drive the srt4 before getting the speed. But, here in Canada, their only just getting here recently. But, just by appearance alone, between having to get new wheels ( stock are ugly ) and that ugly spoiler would have to be relaced, the stereo is crap, the shifter is ugly, and the list goes on.... there's just so much in the srt4 I would have to change just to live with it happily.

Whereas, the speed. I got in, Turned the key, cranked up the mp3 player, and just drove for days. 5 months later, I still don't need to change anything. It's just a nice little package, without geting two expensive, still good on gas, cheap on insurance, reliable, sporty, etc. Yes, there are faster, but then your gas goes up, and probably insurance too. This is the best car I can think of for the money, and operating cost throughout the life of the car.

I'm a Happy Speed Owner

 

[iNeedSpeed]

i too was in a toss-up between the tiburon and msp. after visiting both dealerships several times. i decided the msp had way too many advantages to pass up! i have had mine for two months now and luv it! ............... by the way........ watch out for the srt4, my roommate is a service manager at chrysler and says they are cheaply made and have plenty of faults. good luck!

 

[iNeedSpeed]

p.s. joepmbc @10psi!! hell yeah!