Modded WRX owner considering a MS3

[ElBartoRex]

Wrx

content deleted

 

[mountjonas]

no ppg upgrade for the rex?

 

[ElBartoRex]

content deleted

 

[mountjonas]

i hear you. you could always sell the upgraded tranny later on, though, no?

either way, i think the ms3 is a great platform. i don't see many of them around unlike wrxs (including the one in my garage ) and the mazda interior is a lot nicer than the suby's.

 

[Mocoso]

You wont find as much aftermarket mods for it as for the wrx tho... and the fwd will take some getting used to specially given the puter limits power in 1st and 2nd....

My MS3 is "nice for a little 4 banger in 1st and 2nd" followed by a "oh sh,,, so thats why they call it the wild child" in 3rd.... youll find your wrx will "feel" like it pulls better off the line in 1st and 2nd... driving style will differ...

Im not sure the MS3 is the best platform to start heavily modding... but thats IMHO (flame suit on) but I see it as trying to mod the BMW M3... they have done a nice job on it already... it makes it harder to improve on it vs. other platforms but then again your wrx prob. falls into the same category

 

[ElBartoRex]

content deleted

 

[redspeed]

IF you are willing to give up awd... the ms3 is for you. I always wanted a wrx, and was looking for used sti before I heard of the ms3. The same day I test drove the ms3 (and fell in love) I test drove a 07 wrx. It was a disappointment compared to the ms3. Besides there is plenty of mods for the ms3. CAI, engine mounts, bov, exhaust, piggyback, intercooler and turbo upgrades. Thats plenty for a 1 yr old car!

In the end is your decision, go and test drive one, but like I said, "IF" you are ready to leave awd, the ms3 will make you happy. (thumb)

 

[silverspeed03]

Just buy MS3 already......You know you want to!

 

[~JoJo~]

plus ms3 is much much better looking than the wrx.

 

[chriscecc914]

all you need is to drop an sti trans in your wrx and your good. Youll never surpass 350whp on the ms3 because we have no fuel upgrades and our rods suck!

 

[controlo]

all you need is to drop an sti trans in your wrx and your good. Youll never surpass 350whp on the ms3 because we have no fuel upgrades and our rods suck!

thats assuming there wont be any fuel upgrades...

 

[chaos4]

IF you are willing to give up awd... the ms3 is for you. I always wanted a wrx, and was looking for used sti before I heard of the ms3. The same day I test drove the ms3 (and fell in love) I test drove a 07 wrx. It was a disappointment compared to the ms3. Besides there is plenty of mods for the ms3. CAI, engine mounts, bov, exhaust, piggyback, intercooler and turbo upgrades. Thats plenty for a 1 yr old car!

In the end is your decision, go and test drive one, but like I said, "IF" you are ready to leave awd, the ms3 will make you happy. (thumb)[/Q

Piggy back? Who has a piggy back for the MS3? Or, are you referring to the Exede cut and splice?

 

[redspeed]

Yes?... It's still a piggyback, It piggy behind the stock ecu...hence its called a piggyback. And you forgot CP-E.

 

[ZooZoom]

ElBarto,

Get the Speed3 and you will absolutely never regret it! I sold a heavily modded 05 Subaru LegacyGT to get mine. I was tired of spending countless mullah on keeping all my performance parts working in harmony. Sure, I loved my Subie and still bleed blue blood, but I find the Speed3 to be a joy every single time I climb into the driver's chair.

As for mods to extract nice gains with little money spent, here's my suggestion list: (I got all these and them some).

- Cobb SF Intake (forget all those CAI options, the Cobb is the bomb!)
- AWR rear tranny mount (better shifting, tiny bit more vibration @ idle only)
- ETS 3.25" TMIC upgrade (the 3.5" thk option sometimes rubs)
- TWM shifter bushings (quick, cheap way to get smoother shifting action)
- PG or TurboXS "test" pipe (catless midpipe between DP & CBE)

With these mods, my Speed3 put down 303 wtq / 260 whp on a DynoJet. actually, those dyno numbers were before my Cobb short-ram intake. My butt dyno says to add another 20/20 to them. (burnout)

 

[Rotary_Powered]

MS MS3 Enough said.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=122361

With some Mazdaspeed Accessories, CAI & Cat back, your looking at Lan EVO IX and 07 STI hp/tq numbers. The car is a lot of fun to drive, it's a great chassis. After trying one out It's my top choice for next car.

 

[SharkDiver]

Hey everyone this is my first post on here-- and here is my story.

I have a 2004 WRX modded to cobb stage 2, (turboback catless exhaust, short ram intake, up/pipe, Tein H-tech springs, Kartboy short shifter/bushings, Perrin rear swaybar and solid endlinks). Recently I have been trying to decide if I should take my car to the next level with a turbo upgrade and I am presented with the issue of the weakest link of the WRX which is the transmission known to fail with 300+ whp. I am not sure I want to take my car to that level of worrying about major parts breaking as this is my daily driven car.

My girlfriend recently leased an 07 Mazda3 2.3 last May and since then every time I get in her car I am jealous of the interior and little features that my car doesn't have. Then I drive the torquey little 2.3 automatic (yes it is an automatic) and am amazed at how quick the car is!! I start to think-- damn they make a turbo version of this car!

Now I start to get thinking about switching platforms completely and am considering the Mazdaspeed3 as a change of scenery from my WRX. I am continued to be impressed with the looks and peformance of the platform and my jaw drops when I see what kind of WHP people are getting from just a few bolt on mods! I also figure that this time of year may be the perfect time to pick up a leftover 07 MS3 at a great price.

A little background on myself-- I do work in the sport compact industry, I am a sales rep at JSC Speed (www.jscspeed.com) and we mainly specialize in the WRX/STi/Evo market. I have many ties with aftermarket companies (yes I will be at SEMA this year) and I do plan on modding the MS3 if I do purchase one. My main questions are, I guess, do you feel that trading a modded WRX is a bad decision for a MS3 that I do not plan on keeping stock given the market trends and the lack of aftermarket options on this car?

Welcome to the forum..You should go out and test drive one.if I was you I would just start making some phone calls looking for a 07 to save a few $$.There is no change in 07 and 08.

 

[Craighjr]

I had a 02 wrx modded and converted to jdm sti stats eventually. I fixed 2 transmissions and sold it on the 3rds impending doom. I dont regret the MS3. I was waiting for the 08 sti or evo but 23k compaired to 35k sold me. The cars a blast you will not regret it.

 

[ElBartoRex]

Thanks for all of the advice guys-- I am definitely going to be making some calls around tomorrow. There is a dealer close to me that has an 07 cosmic blue in stock. Not my first choice of color, but if the price is right its a possibility.

Its very interesting to see 2 members on here that are former turbocharged suby owners that are happy with the MS3

I am really curious as to how much of a power dip you feel in 1st and 2nd gear with the torque limiting system..it seems like it would get annoying or frustrating.

all you need is to drop an sti trans in your wrx and your good. Youll never surpass 350whp on the ms3 because we have no fuel upgrades and our rods suck!

Easier said than done my friend-- you have to replace a lot more than just the trans..you're looking at clutch, flywheel, differentials, DCCD system, shift linkage, to get the STi performance out of it you essentially have to do a full drivetrain swap. Then at the end of the day I have a 2.0 WRX with a STi trans and drivetrain. Swapping to an STi would be fun, but is no way cost effective. I do not plan on surpassing 350whp on the MS3-- at least until there are more advances in tuning the fuel system. I am not buying the car to be a dyno queen or a Cobra killer-- just looking for something unique and fun that I can do some work on and have fun driving.

 

[ZooZoom]

You don't feel the power dip in 1st or 2nd gear...period. The only thing you feel is the utter absence of any torque-steer! If you want to bounce the front tires and have the steering wheel dance in your hands, then just press the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) off button and enjoy the fun.

Get the Cosmic Blue one. Its the only color option that's unique to the MS3 choices. All the others are available on the regular 3. Plus, its a super-sleeper color that will never drawn unwanted attention to you......unless your right foot seeks that attention! (glare)

 

[mountjonas]

too bad it's not available in white in the U.S.