canyondrive
Member
So finally got THE hot little hatch that all the magazine/webs have been raving about for two years....and I'm glad I paid under MSRP this time!
I came from 08 R32 (hiccup issues). I am quite happy with the switch, they are quite different cars even though from some web clips it does seem like they are rivals.
Since I drove both cars for quite some time now, here are my personal impressions on R32/MS3;
- MS3 definitely picks up better. R32 is milder, in better words, smooth acceleration even with sport shifting mode. And MS3 is a few MPG better. I can't even imagine what's like with SRI.
- I'm glad MS3 is not that loud. I actually like the fact the exhaust is muffled with turbo. I loved the R32's exhaust but you can rev so much with automatic. R32 felt louder under full throttle.
- I think MS3 likes to go tight corners. R32 didn't like it too much. In town R32 feels heavy, combined with rough ride. I felt the weight of the car and I kept forcing to turn. But both cars doesn't feel as nimble as my old P5. I wish I can make MS3 to behave like P5.
- MS3's body feels a bit softer to me. And I want to stiffen up if possible. MS3 doesn't have the rock solid feel of R32. I feel this effect even more when I'm trying to control torque steer on rough on-ramps, etc.
- Torque steer is actually quite scary to me, coming from a semi-AWD car. I never appreciated the AWDness of R32 since everyone said it's a fake AWD. But now I wish MS3 had that Haldex option. I probably need more getting used to and knowing when to go full throttle. On 3rd gear, whether the MS3 goes straight or not really depends on the road surface. I am hoping if any mods will improve this?
- Practical issues, turning radius on MS3 feels huge. I read somewhere this is partly due to thick drive shafts for MS3 specific. MS3 is bigger and hatch has so much more space than Golfs/A3s.
- 9 grand less, but MS3 stereo sounds much better (w/bose). R32 was so bad I had to take the door apart and fix rattling and deadning (and I'm not an audiophile)
And I have a few questions,
1) Lumber support on my seat is useless. If I flip the lever, it comes back after 5 seconds. Any fixes (other than jamming quarters)?
2) How come I can't hear the turbo or purge valve at all? Does aftermarket intake will make audible?
3) Why can't I shift MS3 like Civic SI during vtec? Some gears on MS3 feels disconnected especially between 1st-2nd and 5th-6th. I still can't figure out which rpm to shift and keep accelerating smoothly.
4) I heard loud buzzer noise a few times coming from front drivetrain when the car was almost stopping/going. It sounded like power-steering pump dying but I wasn't steering. Any thoughts?
I mentioned in the impressions but I wanted to make MS3 body to feel bit stiffer and allow tighter, quick steering like P5 did. I also wish suspensions moved more than the body itself flexing.
What body reinforcement and mounts should I consider?
Nice to meet you all....
I came from 08 R32 (hiccup issues). I am quite happy with the switch, they are quite different cars even though from some web clips it does seem like they are rivals.
Since I drove both cars for quite some time now, here are my personal impressions on R32/MS3;
- MS3 definitely picks up better. R32 is milder, in better words, smooth acceleration even with sport shifting mode. And MS3 is a few MPG better. I can't even imagine what's like with SRI.
- I'm glad MS3 is not that loud. I actually like the fact the exhaust is muffled with turbo. I loved the R32's exhaust but you can rev so much with automatic. R32 felt louder under full throttle.
- I think MS3 likes to go tight corners. R32 didn't like it too much. In town R32 feels heavy, combined with rough ride. I felt the weight of the car and I kept forcing to turn. But both cars doesn't feel as nimble as my old P5. I wish I can make MS3 to behave like P5.
- MS3's body feels a bit softer to me. And I want to stiffen up if possible. MS3 doesn't have the rock solid feel of R32. I feel this effect even more when I'm trying to control torque steer on rough on-ramps, etc.
- Torque steer is actually quite scary to me, coming from a semi-AWD car. I never appreciated the AWDness of R32 since everyone said it's a fake AWD. But now I wish MS3 had that Haldex option. I probably need more getting used to and knowing when to go full throttle. On 3rd gear, whether the MS3 goes straight or not really depends on the road surface. I am hoping if any mods will improve this?
- Practical issues, turning radius on MS3 feels huge. I read somewhere this is partly due to thick drive shafts for MS3 specific. MS3 is bigger and hatch has so much more space than Golfs/A3s.
- 9 grand less, but MS3 stereo sounds much better (w/bose). R32 was so bad I had to take the door apart and fix rattling and deadning (and I'm not an audiophile)
And I have a few questions,
1) Lumber support on my seat is useless. If I flip the lever, it comes back after 5 seconds. Any fixes (other than jamming quarters)?
2) How come I can't hear the turbo or purge valve at all? Does aftermarket intake will make audible?
3) Why can't I shift MS3 like Civic SI during vtec? Some gears on MS3 feels disconnected especially between 1st-2nd and 5th-6th. I still can't figure out which rpm to shift and keep accelerating smoothly.
4) I heard loud buzzer noise a few times coming from front drivetrain when the car was almost stopping/going. It sounded like power-steering pump dying but I wasn't steering. Any thoughts?
I mentioned in the impressions but I wanted to make MS3 body to feel bit stiffer and allow tighter, quick steering like P5 did. I also wish suspensions moved more than the body itself flexing.
What body reinforcement and mounts should I consider?
Nice to meet you all....
i bought a fugita cold air and then hacked off the bottom part to make it a sri cheapest solution.. enjoy your new toy
