mazdaspeed3 inquiry!

[kylenls]

ok guys im currently shopping for a car so far im looking at mazdaspeed3/evo/sti (you know the usual awd selection aside from mazdaspeed3) anyhow im trying to be as educated as i possibly can on every one of these cars and find out everything i can about warranty issues,recalls etc. as well as the positives.

I have spent the last week researching EVO's and have decided that there is no way in hell i want to deal with the drivetrain issues and the poor warranty support of mitsubishi so i have pretty much 95% ruled out evo's. Sti's on the other hand seem to just be expensive (although not a big issue to me) and have no real problems that happen over and over again like the evo, as well i had an 05 wrx and loved it.

And now ive been spending this week researching mazdaspeed3's as i had a turbo mp3 and loved it, i would like to maybe go back to my mazda roots. Any how so far i have learned that there are crapy rattles and creaks, cheap paint the usual mazda stuff (such as the mp3 had) as well as turbo seals leaking oil. But i would like to know everyones experience with their cars any good/bad experience with the dealer and other issues that seem to be happening alot and so on. anything and everything about issues with your drivetrain, turbo, electrical etc.

I appreciate your help and want to point out i have read A LOT and searched A LOT so telling me to search and read wont do any good and wont get rid of me! I would like to know any and all things mazdaspeed3.

thank you.

 

[jbiird317]

i dont have any experience with the evo, but i guess that doesnt matter cuz you ruled it out anyway.

One problem i know of with the wrx (past models) is the failure of cylinder #3 when the boost is artificially increased. Im not sure if that is still a problem on the new models, but my friend's 06 is already on engine number 2 due to this problem.

As for the speed3, whats not to love?? I personally have not had any issues with it and the aftermarket support is really starting to pick up. There are those minor things that you mention, but for the money, I cant imagine getting a better car.

 

[ALIEN3T]

From my point fo view.
First oil change at 5000 miles. Dealer changed all oi.
I had a december of 07 model. had the motor moutn work done once the recalle dwas out. Had the other 2 recalls for emmisions, and somethgi else.
No cracks, no rattles, never been back to the dealer for any work. no turbo problems. Paint is still great no problems there. no flakes, just typical chips form rockls. Tires still have a ton of tread with 14,000 miles. on them.

 

[kylenls]

whats the recall code for the motor mounts? i cant seem to find it anywhere? what exactly was the issue? also is there a problem with the tranny mount? i just now read something about it and it seems more than one person has this problem.

 

[chacon101]

The phrase "best bang for the buck" is dead on with this car.

Even though price isn't that much of an issue for you, you're still going to love driving this car on a daily basis and never feel as though you cheaped out.

The power is there, the seats are great and it's a looker.

I found one dealer that I wasn't too happy about because the techs seemed to be too young (green) but I found another that is actually mod friendly. So my dealer experiences have been pretty good.

I had one recall which was done on day two (the ecu reflash) and that's it. No other problems thus far.

This car is a steal and you'll be happy everytime you get behind the wheel even if you don't mod it.

If you do some research, you will find that most say this car should come with a cold air intake or at least a short ram intake from the factory. That said, I went with the Mazdaspeed CAI for warranty purposes.

Other than that, it could be hit or miss with other mods that aren't Mazdaspeed parts. Unless you're lucky enough to have a cool dealer by you. I would suggest even just calling and asking the service guy if they are against you putting on an aftermarket exhaust and stuff.

Have fun and I hope you join the club. (drive2)

EDIT: my car was made 07/07 and it's an 08' model. Some people had issues with cars that were made/purchased before but they sorted most of it out besides the ECU reflash.

 

[Dream]

I have an STi now that im trading in for a speed3. I never had any issues with my STi, or the WRX I had before that. One thing I didnt like about the STi is the attention it gets, im getting too old for it. I chose the speed3 because of the price, looks, and over all performance you get for the money.

 

[turbobst]

ok guys im currently shopping for a car so far im looking at mazdaspeed3/evo/sti (you know the usual awd selection aside from mazdaspeed3) anyhow im trying to be as educated as i possibly can on every one of these cars and find out everything i can about warranty issues,recalls etc. as well as the positives.

I have spent the last week researching EVO's and have decided that there is no way in hell i want to deal with the drivetrain issues and the poor warranty support of mitsubishi so i have pretty much 95% ruled out evo's. Sti's on the other hand seem to just be expensive (although not a big issue to me) and have no real problems that happen over and over again like the evo, as well i had an 05 wrx and loved it.

And now ive been spending this week researching mazdaspeed3's as i had a turbo mp3 and loved it, i would like to maybe go back to my mazda roots. Any how so far i have learned that there are crapy rattles and creaks, cheap paint the usual mazda stuff (such as the mp3 had) as well as turbo seals leaking oil. But i would like to know everyones experience with their cars any good/bad experience with the dealer and other issues that seem to be happening alot and so on. anything and everything about issues with your drivetrain, turbo, electrical etc.

I appreciate your help and want to point out i have read A LOT and searched A LOT so telling me to search and read wont do any good and wont get rid of me! I would like to know any and all things mazdaspeed3.

thank you.

If you plan on doing some mods, The STI is way more expensive to mod than the Speed3 is.

 

[VermZ06]

In terms of performance the STi is a bit quicker...but it's not as refined iMO as the speed3 and it's 10K more expensive. AWD is overrated IMO unless you're serious about taking the car to the track or doing frequent driving in the snow. The MS3 is a a great performer for the price and is definitely the best bang for the buck. Go with the Mazdaspeed CAI and you'll unlock 10-20 extra ponies with that single upgrade and the car will still be under factory warranty.

Also wait till the '08.5 comes out this spring. You won't have to worry about any of the older recalls and you'll also be getting an updated interior. I have an '07 model and never had any problems with a tranny mount or motor mount. I had the mount recall done but never even had a problem before the recall. The 08.5's should be all good to go.

whats the recall code for the motor mounts? i cant seem to find it anywhere? what exactly was the issue? also is there a problem with the tranny mount? i just now read something about it and it seems more than one person has this problem.

 

[kylenls]

as far as the 2.3 goes how has it been holding up with boost? the only other mazda i had that was turbo loved to blow up. ive heard that these motor's are strong but is there any literature on why that i can read about? thanks again guys.

 

[///M Compact]

I have put 9000 miles on my 2007 2007 MS3. No mechanical problems, and no squeaks or rattles either. I don't thrash the car, but I do drive it pretty hard. I'm very pleased with the car. No complaints!

 

[Ben Nast]

If money is no issue, then I would get an 08 STI or the new twin turbo 1 series bmw. The new Bullitt stang is pretty hot as well. For low 20's nothing comes close to the Ms3. With a ms cai still under warranty you will be putting out at least as much power to the wheels as the cars you mentioned. The interior is nicer than the evo's and the handling is incredible for a fwd car.

 

[3.slow]

I wanted an EVO but couldn't afford it. The STI is just too expensive when the EVO IV is faster. Who cares about how a car looks, we all bought ugly wagons

 

[Powerslave]

with the evo and the sti you have to pay a 10,000 premium just for 4wheel drive the speed is everybit as good it just has a little disadvantage fom a dig due to front wheel drive, but the speed3 handles awsome it doesn't need 4wd for that, Nurgenburg 8min39sec.. I pull car lengths on sti's and evo's as long as we are rolling a little

 

[Powerslave]

plus i got the navigation with leather