I got to drive a friend's STI last year, it was good but not worth the hype. Fast as hell, but the rev's would hang between shifts(emissions control?) which was really annoying. The suspension was waaay too stiff for a daily driver in my frost heave ridden city and it understeered alot under power (apparently you have to really throw them into a corner to get what they're about). Not saying it's a bad car, but for my tastes not worth the money. I'm glad mazda kept the ms3's styling fairly low-key, I'm not a big fan of scoops and wings sticking out at every angle. The ms3 isn't as hardcore focused on performance as the STI, but it's still a riot to drive and way easier to live with day to day.
Pro5 to STi to Element to MS3?
- Thread starter LazerBlueP5
- Start date
LazerBlueP5
Member
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- 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe // 6spd
I can acknowledge some of the negatives about the STi:
1) It was a very rough around the edges, almost no sound deadening, the hood scoop and wing would flap like a flag at highway speeds, and the stock Potenzas are terribly unforgiving and transmit and obsurd amount of road noise.
2) The shifter was ovelry clunky to me- though you'll find some people prefer it. It's so clunky it slows down your shifts. Anyone that has driven one can understand.
3) Launching the car was difficult. I think most people think AWD is an easy ticket to a good 60ft time...however it's more tricky than one would think. Let the clutch out too fast and you bog, slip it and you burn the clutch.
Overall it was such a fun car to drive. The sheer power from a dig makes it almost unbeatable at your local stoplights. You know, the kind of people that get along side of you at a light which merges into 1 lane about 100 feet after the intersection. I was never cut off in the 2 1/2 years driving teh STi.
It's definitely not the best daily driver- it's got a very harsh ride, terrible on gas, it's loud, and the seats bolsters are tight (then again maybe I'm too fat). Not to mention the fact the rear seats don't fold.
I wish I could have the best of both worlds.....the 08 STi in a hatch looks promising but the 34-35k pricetag is a bit rich for my blood. Plus I remember how close those SRT-8's kept up on the highway. I presume the MS3 will be the same.
I personally think the MS3 is a much better car aesthetically. I've always LOVED Mazda's design. Plus with a FMIC/TBE/AP it is probably faster than an STi on the highway. I think I just made up my own mind. Hmmm...
..but now I'm back to ...which color!
1) It was a very rough around the edges, almost no sound deadening, the hood scoop and wing would flap like a flag at highway speeds, and the stock Potenzas are terribly unforgiving and transmit and obsurd amount of road noise.
2) The shifter was ovelry clunky to me- though you'll find some people prefer it. It's so clunky it slows down your shifts. Anyone that has driven one can understand.
3) Launching the car was difficult. I think most people think AWD is an easy ticket to a good 60ft time...however it's more tricky than one would think. Let the clutch out too fast and you bog, slip it and you burn the clutch.
Overall it was such a fun car to drive. The sheer power from a dig makes it almost unbeatable at your local stoplights. You know, the kind of people that get along side of you at a light which merges into 1 lane about 100 feet after the intersection. I was never cut off in the 2 1/2 years driving teh STi.
It's definitely not the best daily driver- it's got a very harsh ride, terrible on gas, it's loud, and the seats bolsters are tight (then again maybe I'm too fat). Not to mention the fact the rear seats don't fold.
I wish I could have the best of both worlds.....the 08 STi in a hatch looks promising but the 34-35k pricetag is a bit rich for my blood. Plus I remember how close those SRT-8's kept up on the highway. I presume the MS3 will be the same.
I personally think the MS3 is a much better car aesthetically. I've always LOVED Mazda's design. Plus with a FMIC/TBE/AP it is probably faster than an STi on the highway. I think I just made up my own mind. Hmmm...
..but now I'm back to ...which color!
LazerBlueP5
Member
- :
- 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe // 6spd
Good call- yeah Maple Shade never WAS a MS dealer. I did a search on Cars.com and came up with 7 of them from Maple Shade. I believe the "Maple Shade" dealer in Turnersville (closer to me) is getting one of them.
I want to go in an test drive it soon. They better not give me any bs about not letting me drive it. Sometimes dealers act like they are selling Bently Continentals.
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- 03 protege5
I believe the you actually can't test drive the MS3, haha. I have heard you have to put the down payment before they will let you test drive it, but that could just be a rumor.
My dealer gave me that down payment bs when I wanted a test drive. Then I came back a few days later and they gave me the keys and said I have to deal with another customer come back in a while. So I took the car out on a 30 minute test drive.(cool)
I was sold on the car after that
To call Subaru poor build quality. Facts are facts, Subaru is better then Mazda in build quality and reliability. They just don't match them in refinement. They just don't look as good, but Subaru makes very durable cars, and the STI is extremely durable and reliable. The car is beefed up and ready to mod and race. The Speed 3 likely can't survive the mods and abuse nearly as long, and I'd put money on that. It's also why it's cheaper. In the end you always get what you pay for.
You won't find a more reliable 300hp car anywhere. If my Speed 6 can be half as durable and reliable as my STI was, I'll be happy. With that said, the car was a bit too raw as a daily beater, and it drew way too much attention, a lot of it negative, so that's why I got rid of it. The Fun factor of the STI is definitely better then the Speed 3 though, especially if you are a pure enthusiast.
You won't find a more reliable 300hp car anywhere. If my Speed 6 can be half as durable and reliable as my STI was, I'll be happy. With that said, the car was a bit too raw as a daily beater, and it drew way too much attention, a lot of it negative, so that's why I got rid of it. The Fun factor of the STI is definitely better then the Speed 3 though, especially if you are a pure enthusiast.
They let me drive it before even checking my credit. Heck...the salesperson was like, you ready to take it for a drive after I was there 10 minutes.
grazzmaster
Member
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- 1996 Dodge Caravan LE - serious sleeper...sleeps about 6.
One call to Pinnacle Mazda and they said I could come out and take one for a drive. I even told them on the phone I wouldn't be buying for another 6 months to a year - they were like "no problem!" I was surprised - they had about 5 or 6 '07 MS3 still, and most of the dealerships in WA we out!~ They've been great - so I'll probably see them again when I have a decent down payment I shoudn't have taken that test drive - now I'm jonesing big time. (stoned)
I shoudn't have taken that test drive - now I'm jonesing big time. (stoned)Oh and BTW I think that a MS3 could run away from a WRX or STI on the highway, just like the SRT-4's could, just like this(dance)
civic si hb
Member
Really.......... How the hell did that happen? Specs for a 2005 BMW 330 CI coupe is only 225hp and 214 lbs of tq. They weigh in at 3285 lbs with a 6speed manual. I can't see a MS3 having anykind of issue with this car at all. Where you shifting at redline or something? The MS3 has more HP, more TQ and is 133 lbs lighter.
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I was wondering myself...I was shocked. We were doing about 65 and went up to about 90...he was pulling away the whole time....slowly but he was. I was so disappointed. It wasn't like I could have done anything differently...I just dropped into forth and went WOT. No luck. I already knew the specs on a 330...I looked at one a few years ago, so I know what should have happened. Maybe his was modded... don't know.
civic si hb
Member
My last run-in was with an '05 Dodge Magnug R/T (345 hp, unsure of the curbe weight), we did several runs from 40-50 starting up to 100+ and I walked him BADLY every single time. Average was about 5 car lengths or more.
We then raced from a stop, and were just about dead even, with me starting to pull away after 75 mph (we stopped at about 90). I bogged the launch pretty bad... still cant launch this thing for crap.
We then raced from a stop, and were just about dead even, with me starting to pull away after 75 mph (we stopped at about 90). I bogged the launch pretty bad... still cant launch this thing for crap.
Karma_hunden
Member
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- '04 protege, then '05 mazda 3i, then '06 MS6 GT, now '10 RX8 R3
lol looks like somebody was victim of some smartass driving a 335i with a 330 badge. I think it's a taste of your own medicine, seing as how we like to shock others by making them think we are spanking them with the regular 3/6.
