Has the MS3 dethroned SRT4?

Magnum SRT-8 has AWD.. :) I would loooooooooove to have one of those.. only if I could afford it and a miata. Saw a Magnum SRT-8 at the dealership for 38k *yikes*. Really, really nice cars though. I think they have an awesome look to them, even in just the R/T trim.
 
Kansei said:
Magnum SRT-8 has AWD.. :) I would loooooooooove to have one of those.. only if I could afford it and a miata. Saw a Magnum SRT-8 at the dealership for 38k *yikes*. Really, really nice cars though. I think they have an awesome look to them, even in just the R/T trim.


YES the R/T in plan form is a bad ass. I test drove one and even with the auto stic I got several 2nd gear scratches.
 
Hughes412 said:
LMAO
They punked yaw,


They said, and I QUOTE!

The MS3 is still just a mazda!

Did they forget that an SRT-4 is just a Neon, and that a neon consistently ranked near or in last place vs. it's economy car competition, including Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia? (poke)
 
They should watch that video of how the dyno was done too! The fan wasn't anywhere near the intercooler. I am willing to bet that the neons dyno with fans in front! This will acount for a few hp im sure. I like SRT-4's and I like the Speed3. Just depends on what your tastes are. The speed 3 has more goodies from the factory, the SRT-4 has a bigger aftermarket right now.
 
Kansei said:
Hello Neon forum visitors!

(hi)

ex MSP owner :p now SRT-4 owner. I think some of the questions the original poster asked are :bs:. How can you ask questions based soley on opinion, and expect a "right" answer? You can't. While I was thinking about getting on the waiting list for an MS3, I decided not to, and ended up with an SRT-4. I think the MS3 is pretty badass, however it's also much newer and had the liberty of taking things based on previous cars (whether their own, or other brands) and improving them, thats how the industry works.

Each in there own are badass cars, and I think the "throne" is all personal preference, with exceptoion of performance (I think the SRT-4 wins here). and handling (if it handles like the MSP, the MS3 will win here).

Everyone always busts on the SRT-4 not having windows, well the MSP didnt have cruise control or a sunroof so ... ;) They are both kick ass cars ... thats coming from someone thats been on both sides of the fence. People say the SRT-4 has a cheap interior, and I thought the same until I owned one, and its grown on me alot. The seats are beyond awesome, and everything in the vehicle fits perfect for placement, form and function. It's no Ferrari remember... but I do think the MS3 is nicer, however it also costs what... 3k more then the SRT-4 did on MSRP? (Pretty sure the MSRP was 20,500 on the SRT-4).

The problem with asking stuff like this on a brand specific board, is that your all in favor of the mazda just because thats what kinda board this is :) If you ask this on a dodge board, everyone will hate it. Thats just how it works.
 
Back three years ago when SCC raced the SRT-4 Neon and the MSP up and down some twisties, it took the SRT-4 about 3 miles to pull a lead despite the difference in HP. That mountain attacked served as the tie breaker they really did love both cars equally, and pit them against each other for a winner. What the MSP lacks in raw POWER it makes up in balance. Just as no FWD car is faster than the SRT-4, no FWD car to date handles better than the MSP. Both cars are still at the top of their perspective fields.

the MS3 is pretty damn close the SRT-4's speed. Drivers race in most cases, Don't get me wrong, I actually like the original SRT-4 alot! It's a great car! However no offense to anyone, but MOST of the SRT-4 owners I've met or seen online come off as arrogent, not all, but most. Though I have met a couple of good guys who know there stuff and help other enthusiests.

As for the dyno in Automobile mag, I do hope a reputable magazine does a dyno soon.
 
******** said:
ex MSP owner :p now SRT-4 owner. I think some of the questions the original poster asked are :bs:. How can you ask questions based soley on opinion, and expect a "right" answer? You can't. While I was thinking about getting on the waiting list for an MS3, I decided not to, and ended up with an SRT-4. I think the MS3 is pretty badass, however it's also much newer and had the liberty of taking things based on previous cars (whether their own, or other brands) and improving them, thats how the industry works.

Each in there own are badass cars, and I think the "throne" is all personal preference, with exceptoion of performance (I think the SRT-4 wins here). and handling (if it handles like the MSP, the MS3 will win here).

Everyone always busts on the SRT-4 not having windows, well the MSP didnt have cruise control or a sunroof so ... ;) They are both kick ass cars ... thats coming from someone thats been on both sides of the fence. People say the SRT-4 has a cheap interior, and I thought the same until I owned one, and its grown on me alot. The seats are beyond awesome, and everything in the vehicle fits perfect for placement, form and function. It's no Ferrari remember... but I do think the MS3 is nicer, however it also costs what... 3k more then the SRT-4 did on MSRP? (Pretty sure the MSRP was 20,500 on the SRT-4).

The problem with asking stuff like this on a brand specific board, is that your all in favor of the mazda just because thats what kinda board this is :) If you ask this on a dodge board, everyone will hate it. Thats just how it works.

I gotta defend myself here.

How can questions be BS?

I'm asking for opinions. Nothing more nothing less. I'm not asking for and end all be all definitive conclusion. Just raising some questions that lead to discussion. People need to chill out and not take stuff so seriously. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge SRT4 fan and I personally don't really care for the looks of the MS3. But overall I think the MS3 is the better car. Of course the answers will be biased towards the MS3 on this board but that does not mean we can't have the conversation. And I've actually noticed a fair amount of support for the Neon SRT4 in this thread unlike the SRTForums where they just TRASH the MS3 based on a bogus dyno run and they all think that their Stage 2 Neons can outrun a Bugatti Veyron and outhandle an Enzo.(ughdance)
 
FI_FSDE said:
Just as no FWD car is faster than the SRT-4, no FWD car to date handles better than the MSP. Both cars are still at the top of their perspective fields.
I wouldn't go that far, the MSP is a very good handling car.. but there are quiet a few cars that handle better (the 1st gen protege's for example.)
 
sephiroth said:
I wouldn't go that far, the MSP is a very good handling car.. but there are quiet a few cars that handle better (the 1st gen protege's for example.)
no
 
**** the MSP! This might be the Jim Beam talking, but goddam the msp is a slow POS! I know this is a mazda forum but goddamn lets be honest. Yea it handles ok but what good is that if you can't pass people on the strieghts? Even then it's not that good. How many NCCA champs has been won in an MSP? The radio sucks (breaks all the time) the LSD sucks the pistons suck the rods suck, the suspintion sucks (clunk). Hell the list goes on. The only thing good about the car was you could get it cheap.

Now Mazda has this MS3 that has 260+hp yet it limits the torq and hp in first and second gear and that makes it as slow as the 04 SRT4. And they want to charge 24k!? Give me a ******* break! Thats why they don't out sell honda. People don't by cars to be balanced, they want speed! **** a turn. I don't car if I have to slow down for a turn as long as I can pass that b**** when I come out. And that the SRT4 does.

OK now I'm done.! Some one tell Mazda to start over and do it right this time.(poke)
 
oh wah it clunked.. that's all you can come up with for the suspension lol. I just fixed my clunk with the AXR clunk fix bracket tonight :D. People who buy Mazdas DO want a car that is balanced.. that's what Mazda is about. I don't think Mazda should EVER become more about just all out speed than about balanced performance.. in my eyes the MS3 really strays pretty damn far from typical Mazda, and that scares me.. it may bring people in but it'll dilute the brand image. If you want your straight line power, get a freakin SRT4 then.. there's the one and only thing they are good for. And yes, they're damn good for that, especially for the price. Sorry Mazda didn't include forged rods and pistons like the SRT4 has.. if they had cheaped out on the sound system, styling, and suspension, they EASILY could have... but that wasn't the point of the car.. it was meant to bea good all around car for a pretty cheap price.
 
So why exactly do you own a Protege if they just completely suck?

And what the hell is suspintion?? The reason why Mazda limits the torque in 1st and 2nd is so that you don't blow the crap out of the motor, it's called being smart!

I'd also much rather outhandle a car in turns tha outmuscle in on a straight. It's much more fun beating the crap out of a car in the twisties when the competition has the upperhand on power.
 
Kansei said:
absolutely not.
the 1st gen is a 100% better car than the 3rd gen's in respect to handling..
first gen is a more solid, better enginered, better handling, and makes better power(vs 3rd gen protege), and has more potential(ditto). Go talk to someone that mod's 1st gen's and 3rd gen's
 
Last edited:
Being an ex-srt4 owner I will reiterate that the powerplant where its at with the neon. The potential is unlike anything else on the market for the price. It doesnt take much more the 800+ to get 300+ out of the stock turbo. The the mopar upgrades and cheap aftermarket parts make it very tuner friendly, quite frankly its scary driving a fwd car with that much tq. As far as build quality this has been said time and time again, the srt just doesnt equate to what the mazda or any other cars in its price range has to offer. Then again it is all relative, most of the good stuff is in the powerplant.

With that said I really like the styling of the ms3, although I do wish it was in sedan form. none the less the 2.3 does have some potential to put down some nice numbers. With reservation having not actually drivin the ms3 I would go as far as to say that the ms3 would take the "throne" as the sport compact in its price range. I would gladly take the ms3 over the srt -4 as an overall comparison.
 
Falango said:
So why exactly do you own a Protege if they just completely suck?

And what the hell is suspintion?? The reason why Mazda limits the torque in 1st and 2nd is so that you don't blow the crap out of the motor, it's called being smart!

I'd also much rather outhandle a car in turns tha outmuscle in on a straight. It's much more fun beating the crap out of a car in the twisties when the competition has the upperhand on power.

I don't believe he was going as far as to say that protege sucks. His point was rather to point out it was meant to be relatively cheap and fun to drive. you agree right? (thumb) And im also sure that most will agree that the pro engine isnt meant to handle mass amounts of power.
 
Hughes412 said:
**** the MSP! This might be the Jim Beam talking, but goddam the msp is a slow POS! I know this is a mazda forum but goddamn lets be honest. Yea it handles ok but what good is that if you can't pass people on the strieghts? Even then it's not that good. How many NCCA champs has been won in an MSP? The radio sucks (breaks all the time) the LSD sucks the pistons suck the rods suck, the suspintion sucks (clunk). Hell the list goes on. The only thing good about the car was you could get it cheap.

Now Mazda has this MS3 that has 260+hp yet it limits the torq and hp in first and second gear and that makes it as slow as the 04 SRT4. And they want to charge 24k!? Give me a ******* break! Thats why they don't out sell honda. People don't by cars to be balanced, they want speed! **** a turn. I don't car if I have to slow down for a turn as long as I can pass that b**** when I come out. And that the SRT4 does.

OK now I'm done.! Some one tell Mazda to start over and do it right this time.(poke)
:bs: I don't care just for straightline speed, it is fun. But I'd rather take a corner at .88g's. Take two of the same car say an s2000 throw $2000, in suspension in one and $2000 in drivetrain in the other guess which will be likely to come on top at a track? It handles okay is a major understatment. I like passing people in a corner not a straight(glare).
 
Hughes412 said:
**** the MSP! This might be the Jim Beam talking, but goddam the msp is a slow POS! I know this is a mazda forum but goddamn lets be honest. Yea it handles ok but what good is that if you can't pass people on the strieghts? Even then it's not that good. How many NCCA champs has been won in an MSP? The radio sucks (breaks all the time) the LSD sucks the pistons suck the rods suck, the suspintion sucks (clunk). Hell the list goes on. The only thing good about the car was you could get it cheap.

Now Mazda has this MS3 that has 260+hp yet it limits the torq and hp in first and second gear and that makes it as slow as the 04 SRT4. And they want to charge 24k!? Give me a ******* break! Thats why they don't out sell honda. People don't by cars to be balanced, they want speed! **** a turn. I don't car if I have to slow down for a turn as long as I can pass that b**** when I come out. And that the SRT4 does.

OK now I'm done.! Some one tell Mazda to start over and do it right this time.(poke)

Well, I would say that in stock form the MSP is not that fast on a straight line, your correct. Then you have to look at those MSPs out there that pull on STIs, and RSXs, all the while using a stock block (i.e. JDM Sam, and Pirana). I would also venture to say sense they pull on these cars they would definately pull on an SRT4. About the clunk, I have almost 40K on my car, and I don't have the clunk. Plus you can get a fix for what? 130? Sure the stock radio sucks, I agree with that, but what stock radio doesn't? You can pick up a decent alpine for around 130 that is Ipod interface ready. So overall, I would have to say that the MSP is a great ALL AROUND car for the money. Yeah, your not running 12's out of the box, but neither does the SRT4. You might like the straight races more, but that is your opinion and thats cool, but you can't discredit what some have done with the stock block of the MSP. Plus you can't say that the MSP does not handle like a beast, clunk or not.
 

New Threads and Articles

Back