P5 compared to 3 Hatch handling?

[Rusty]

...Add a rear sway bar for ~120 bucks to the 3 and its a whole new monster, really stiffens up the rear, BUT you will be able to swing the tail easier.

I wonder which way would be safer in the rain on the highway.

 

[WetsuitxNinja]

Beans got a huge writeup on stock vs progress vs racing beat, on the other forum.

Adding the aftermarket will take away some of understeer, which is supposed to keep the car safer to drive in those situations.

 

[Rusty]

Beans got a huge writeup on stock vs progress vs racing beat, on the other forum.

Adding the aftermarket will take away some of understeer, which is supposed to keep the car safer to drive in those situations.

Great, I'm already posting over there too, I'll check it out. That one ain't as busy as it used to be.

Do any of you know a good website to regionally search for pre-owned cars? I've been using kbb dot com.

 

[redspeed]

Great, I'm already posting over there too, I'll check it out. That one ain't as busy as it used to be.

Do any of you know a good website to regionally search for pre-owned cars? I've been using kbb dot com.

Here you go:

http://www.cars.com

http://www.autotrader.com

 

[Rusty]

Gracias.

 

[kura808]

ya can try www.craigslist.org some people use that but i'm not sure how safe it is but u can use it as a source cause it finds people in the area who want to sell(dunno how popular its on the mainland). if ur gonna try the url, dont type craiglist with out the s because it will become a porn site LMAO

 

[P5w3kids]

I traded my 2002 Pro 5 for a MS 3. I also had a opportunity to drive a 3 hatch for 1000+ miles.

The handling on the Pro 5 was excellent. The balance was good and the easy of driving the car to the limits is tough to replicate. Heel toe braking was some of the best I've tried.

The 3 is more refined for comfortable performance driving. The biggest improvement I'd noticed with the 3 hatch was corner exit speed and overall acceleration. I didn't like the pedal placement, but that that's personal preference.

If it's in your budget, step-up and get the MS 3 GT.

Exactly. The Mazda3 is far more refined, and is technically a superior chassis. But there's something about the P5 I enjoy more. In the end, they're both excellent, but different.

 

[Rusty]

Thanks people, I'm finally starting to make the transition from being leery of the 3 to being excited about it. I wish I could get a new one but it'll probably be an '04 or '05, but with no more than 40K miles. I think the drivetrain warranty is 50K. I've located a sweet blue '04 with a sunroof, but it has an automatic trans... damnit.
When I bought my P5 with 34K, I got a 6yr/72K extended warranty for $12 bucks a month for State employees. Sweet huh. I hope the same bank still offers that little extra.