S2k to MS3 - finally.

[psychophd]

Hi all,

I posted about nine months ago, asking you all about how the MS3 is, and what the transition would be like for me, coming from an '04 S2k.

Well, this past wkend I ended up purchasing an '09 grey GT with 12k on it from craigslist, after missing a few opportunities. It has limo tint on the rear 3 and pretty dark on the front two and RX-8 rims. He also had on it an injen CAI and a Turbosmart bov which we took off so the dealer could inspect it for me (I'll probably sell both and pick up a mazda cai for warranty issues).

I'll be sadly selling my S, but I need the utility of a 5-door (I used to have a '92 civic si hatch which was just awesome for utility and I'm hoping the same for the ms3).

I've only driven the ms3 a few times, but some things I've noticed:
In comparison to my S, it's much quieter in the cabin - I can use my phone and hear people when going 80, something I couldn't do in my S. It's not as quiet as my wife's bmw 3 series though. The stereo is decent, but it gets muddy when cranked (I do like the aux plug!).

I can definitely tell it's fwd, but it's not like my old civic. It also handles well, somewhere inbetween my S and the bimmer. It feels less skittish, but also less lively. It is nice to have throttle response at pretty much any rpm, vs. a vtec engine. The steering wheel actually feels a bit fat too me, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

The acceleration is impressive, and despite the reviews, when anticipated does seem relatively linear. I haven't noticed the torque steer that much (but have only done one wot).

The clutch point is really low for me, and seems thinner/narrower than Hondas. I'm having a hard time esp with 2nd gear to get it to engage smoothly.

The shifter isn't horrible, but the throws are longer and less precise than my S; I keep on missing 3rd gear, ending up somewhere between 1st/3rd. If I hesitate just a bit (I guess to find center?), it engages more easily. I'm also thinking about getting the SU rear mm which supposedly helps.

I did have a few questions:
1. How accurate is the mpg gauge? On fwy driving of 70 mi I got what seems to be an optimistic 29 mpg while tooling around 70ish.
2. Currently on the RX-8 rims, the former owner mounted his ms3 oem tires, which are narrower than stock rx-8 tires; when I buy new tires will I rub if I get stock rx-8 size tires?
3. For roof racks, do people typically go for Thule, Yakima, or no consensus? I'll mostly be mounting bikes, and maybe skis.
4. Any suggestions for well priced sways?

Thanks all - I'll be poking around this site more now.

 

[kvndoom]

Hitting a dead spot on 2-3 shifts is very common on this car. I came from an RX8 which shifted as smooth as warm butter, and I cuss out loud every damn time I miss 3rd. Rear MM + metal shifter bushings should cure this. I have the bushings installed (helps a little) but I've been putting way too much money into stereo gear and haven't gotten the MM yet. Soon...

The MPG gauge, by my observations, is about 2MPG optimistic. I have gotten 28 on long trips doing 60-65, so 26-27 for you 70MPH jaunt is probably about right. This car can do better than rated highway mileage if you're cruising and keeping your foot out of it. The rated city mileage is about spot on, though.

Another MGM on the road... works for me. Enjoy your new car!

 

[Jdm_Mica]

woot woot metro grey FTW! glad you like the car. i have twm bushings,su ream mm, and redline mt-90 and its a whole other shifting experience now

 

[speed3guy]

Im not familiar with what size the RX8 tires are? 235 40 17 go very nicely with this car! Anything over 235 and your gonna rub unless you roll the fenders a bit. I believe the only company that sells swags for the car now is Hotchkis. I know Cobb doesnt sell them anymore but could prolly find a set on here in the FS section. The front is a big PITA, but the rear is a breeze from what I hear.

 

[kyoo]

That's a pretty big compliment about the shifter coming from an s2k driver.. I've driven one, hands down the slickest shifter and shortest throw I've ever felt from a factory car

 

[8.5MS3]

nice pickup, to answer some of your questions:

1. Get solid shifter base bushings
2. Get a RMM (Cp-e or SU)

Both of these will clean up shifting so you dont miss 3rd

4. The MPG gauge is hoplessly optimistic (3-4 mpg high) That said i averaged 30mpg on a 7 hr drive @ 75ish, with some fun runs well into the triple digits

5. I will be wrapping my rx8s in 245/40s, I will need a fender roll however, 235s should fit fine, maybe a slight roll in the rear

6. I have hotchkis sways and dont know how i drove the car without them

Few driving tips:

-Never load the car below 3k, not good for the rods as this turbo spools instantly
-Powerband falls off a cliff at 5500, no reason to take it to redline unless you get a tune

 

[Hank3]

Welcome! Post some pics

The tires that come stock on RX-8 rims are 225/45/18. I had those running on my MS3 with stock suspension and never rubbed. Granted...I didn't carry a full load a people that I could recall and didn't have super heavy loads in the hatch either. I'm switching to 235/40/18 in a couple weeks so we'll see how that goes.

Yeah... don't trust the MPG gauge too much. Use it as a rough estimate gauge. With daily driving, I average between 22-24 depending on how light/heavy my foot is on the gas. Highway or using cruise control, I can average 26-28 MPG.

If you do your own oil changes, I'd recommend getting the spin-on filter conversion since the filter that comes stock is of the cartridge variety. Also, get the Fumoto valve to make it even easier and less messy.

Getting an aftermarket rear MM like 8.5MS3 suggested is a good idea. I would stick with cp-e like he said or Corksport MM inserts.

Keep an ear out for the glove box and windshield rattle; and your eyes on the the smoking turbo...

 

[LovinMyMS3]

In regards to MPG, on the highway I don't find the MPG gauge to be more than 1 or 2 miles off at the most. I've averaged over 30 mpg, figured by tank not gauge, at 70mph for a 2600 mile round trip. Seeing 34-35 on several of the tank fulls.

 

[Sport6]

Like others have said its about 2mpg optimistic. I usually have about 25.0-27.0mpg fill ups and the AVG on the screen is 28.6mpg.

My fuelly stats (in my signature) are a little messed up from first owning the car and a few auto-x.. but mainly stay in the 25-27 range.

 

[kyoo]

nice pickup, to answer some of your questions:

1. Get solid shifter base bushings
2. Get a RMM (Cp-e or SU)

Both of these will clean up shifting so you dont miss 3rd

4. The MPG gauge is hoplessly optimistic (3-4 mpg high) That said i averaged 30mpg on a 7 hr drive @ 75ish, with some fun runs well into the triple digits

5. I will be wrapping my rx8s in 245/40s, I will need a fender roll however, 235s should fit fine, maybe a slight roll in the rear

6. I have hotchkis sways and dont know how i drove the car without them

Few driving tips:

-Never load the car below 3k, not good for the rods as this turbo spools instantly
-Powerband falls off a cliff at 5500, no reason to take it to redline unless you get a tune

you can't WOT under 3k without peace of mind for rod damage??

 

[jainsworth123]

you can't WOT under 3k without peace of mind for rod damage??

nope. Over on the "other" forums they just got the rods back from testing, and they showed that these rods will break if loaded down that low, or if making over 300-350 tq. Pistons are fine though till like 500, go figure.

 

[8.5MS3]

I should clarify, if your stock you really don't have to worry much, but lugging the motor is bad in any manual car. its just worse for us. Once you start opening up flow, this turbo will spool instantly. I've seen 15+psi at 2200rpm. That's a ton of force on these rods. My tune prevents that from happening anymore but its always a rule of thumb. If you want to go fast don't be lazy, downshift and do it the right way.

 

[gonerogue]

I should clarify, if your stock you really don't have to worry much, but lugging the motor is bad in any manual car. its just worse for us. Once you start opening up flow, this turbo will spool instantly. I've seen 15+psi at 2200rpm. That's a ton of force on these rods. My tune prevents that from happening anymore but its always a rule of thumb. If you want to go fast don't be lazy, downshift and do it the right way.

Sorry to semi-threadjack, but I think it's better if I ask this question publicly than with a private message:

How do you define loading? 50%, 75%, WOT throttle? I often cruise under 3k and I never try to step on it hard under ~3k because of the issues I've read about. What RPM range (of course gear matters here) would be considered lugging in our cars?

 

[8.5MS3]

Sorry to semi-threadjack, but I think it's better if I ask this question publicly than with a private message:

How do you define loading? 50%, 75%, WOT throttle? I often cruise under 3k and I never try to step on it hard under ~3k because of the issues I've read about. What RPM range (of course gear matters here) would be considered lugging in our cars?

good rule of thumb, imagine the car was auto, if the computer would downshift based on your pedal imput, then you do the same. I have a dh so i can monitor boost, load etc.

Theres nothing wrong cruising under 3k, but trying to drive uphill in say 6th at 40mph is lugging the engine

 

[gonerogue]

good rule of thumb, imagine the car was auto, if the computer would downshift based on your pedal imput, then you do the same. I have a dh so i can monitor boost, load etc.

Theres nothing wrong cruising under 3k, but trying to drive uphill in say 6th at 40mph is lugging the engine

Gotcha, I'd never drive uphill at 40mph in 6th, so that's good to know. Thanks.

 

[psychophd]

Thanks for all the answers!

I've driven it for on commute since mon (it's about 35 mi each way), in both open and traffic-y conditions. A few more obs:

1. The seats are decent, but not as snug as I'd like. I do like the lumbar support, but am finding that the seat doesn't go quite as low as I'd like (for some reason I'm getting some leg pain - I think it's the angle the seat puts my foot in relation to the pedals). I already adjusted it all the way down.
2. I took my friend for a short ride - he likes it, but mentioned that it didn't handle quite as flat as my S, which isn't surprising.
3. I like the space in the back; I don't have to play tetris with my stuff everytime I use it (the s2k has 5 cu ft of space).
4. The cabin stays roughly the same decibel level at higher speeds, which is nice. I was surprised to find that there was a decent amount of float in the suspension when I was going 85 mph, given the ride at lower speeds.

Here's another ques: will a rear mm help with lower rpm shifts (say, 3-4k?), or just higher ones?

In general, I like it, and am still learning about it.

 

[cmw08.5cwp]

Yeah the motor mount will help at all engine speeds. These motors move around a good bit. Easily the best upgrade you can do for this car. I went with just the Corksport inserts because i dont plan on going crazy with mods and they work fairly well. I found that the shifter bushings also helped out a lot more then I thought they would with helping make shifting smoother. Both are pretty cheap upgrades.

 

[gonerogue]

Thanks for all the answers!

I've driven it for on commute since mon (it's about 35 mi each way), in both open and traffic-y conditions. A few more obs:

1. The seats are decent, but not as snug as I'd like. I do like the lumbar support, but am finding that the seat doesn't go quite as low as I'd like (for some reason I'm getting some leg pain - I think it's the angle the seat puts my foot in relation to the pedals). I already adjusted it all the way down.
2. I took my friend for a short ride - he likes it, but mentioned that it didn't handle quite as flat as my S, which isn't surprising.
3. I like the space in the back; I don't have to play tetris with my stuff everytime I use it (the s2k has 5 cu ft of space).
4. The cabin stays roughly the same decibel level at higher speeds, which is nice. I was surprised to find that there was a decent amount of float in the suspension when I was going 85 mph, given the ride at lower speeds.

Here's another ques: will a rear mm help with lower rpm shifts (say, 3-4k?), or just higher ones?

In general, I like it, and am still learning about it.

Personally, I'd get used to the shifter before installing a mount. You'll eventually get used to the car and your shifts will become much smoother. I don't have a mount or bushings and although I used to have issues shifting (sometimes still do with 2-3 shift @ WOT), I've largely worked that out with better footwork.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Thanks for all the answers!

I've driven it for on commute since mon (it's about 35 mi each way), in both open and traffic-y conditions. A few more obs:

1. The seats are decent, but not as snug as I'd like. I do like the lumbar support, but am finding that the seat doesn't go quite as low as I'd like (for some reason I'm getting some leg pain - I think it's the angle the seat puts my foot in relation to the pedals). I already adjusted it all the way down.
2. I took my friend for a short ride - he likes it, but mentioned that it didn't handle quite as flat as my S, which isn't surprising.
3. I like the space in the back; I don't have to play tetris with my stuff everytime I use it (the s2k has 5 cu ft of space).
4. The cabin stays roughly the same decibel level at higher speeds, which is nice. I was surprised to find that there was a decent amount of float in the suspension when I was going 85 mph, given the ride at lower speeds.

Here's another ques: will a rear mm help with lower rpm shifts (say, 3-4k?), or just higher ones?

In general, I like it, and am still learning about it.

The GT has an amp under the drivers seat and a sub under the passenger seat. You can not lower your seat as much as you can in a sport. The Sport model has a much better seating postion and adjustment range. Just an FYI in case some were wondering.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Yeah the motor mount will help at all engine speeds. These motors move around a good bit. Easily the best upgrade you can do for this car. I went with just the Corksport inserts because i dont plan on going crazy with mods and they work fairly well. I found that the shifter bushings also helped out a lot more then I thought they would with helping make shifting smoother. Both are pretty cheap upgrades.

Inserts wear out. Do it once and get a good Mount and be done with it. Even the AWR 88 dur race mount is nice and works as well the more expensive ones.