Thinking about buying a 3...

[Fourth81]

Alright, so I just got this great job, and my '01 Prelude, I'm finding out, had a bad owner and the car is starting to suffer from it. My first choice right off the bat was the 3 because it has a beautiful pricetag for all that power it pumps out. I just had a few questions for those who know and drive the 3's...

1. How well do the cars hold up after 5 years? I don't want to buy the car and own it for 3-5 years and then start having these huge mechanical problems...

2. Are there performance upgrades that the dealership offers that still keeps the car under warranty?

3. How bad is the torque steering? With 280 pounds of torque on a front-wheel drive car, there is going to be even a little bit.

4. Anything that I should/shouldn't do while driving the car? I've heard never to take the RPM's into the redline because the throttle cuts at 5,500 RPMs or something. I'm also unsure of the timeframe of how long it takes to break in a new car as well.

Any other additional info that you guys could offer would be awesome too. Thanks.

 

[BlackCherry06]

The 3 itself has only been around since 2004 so a 5-year testimonial won't be possible yet. I enjoyed my 2004, having been in once for a purge valve and once for a brake caliper noise (clacking, not squealing). I liked it a lot, it got a lot of compliments, but it was too small.

Regarding the Mazdaspeed 3 and 6 (same engine), some owners are having issues with turbo seals, but I've observed that most of those have had some sort of exaust modifications done to them, theoretically causing lowered back pressure rendering the turbo seals unable to keep oil where it belongs.

Check the Mazdausa.com website for a list of the upgrades offered that keep your factory warranty intact. There is an intake, and I think there's exaust and other components as well.

I've read that torque steer isnt bad, and is controlled by several mechanisms built into the car. Power is limited in 1st and 2nd gear, and I think you're getting full torque in 3-6. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Is there a slight power drop in 3rd as well? It's progressive, providing more power as you climb through the gears.

I read an article today where the writer almost swore the car was AWD because of how well spin and torque steer is squelched. After owning the 245 hp Altima with a 5-speed, another FWD car with that much power didn't interest me, no matter how much control they've installed.

Tis true about the power drop after 5500...same in my MS6. I've read on one forum about this being alleviated by exaust mods (downpipe, catback, etc) but I can't be sure how that could really help if the ECU is closing the throttle plate.

I'd go at least 600 miles before treating it like a rental. After that point, work your way up slowly. I recommend dumping the factory oil at 1000 and starting it on a diet of full synthetic oil. Your turbo bearings will thank you.

I don't subsribe to the 'drive it like you stole it when you leave the dealership with it'. I've broken in numerous new cars gently and have enjoyed many engines that performed well, consumed no fluids and were very reliable. I cringe when I read where someone did a block-long burnout on their way home from the purchase.

Enjoy your new rocket. They're a very well liked car in the automotive press as well as with owners on the forums.

 

[Fourth81]

BlackCherry06,

Thanks for your comments; you've helped me out a bunch on my decision Mazdas are pretty good cars, although my family is Honda-driven strickly because you can run those sumbitches into the ground and they'll still get up and go when you want them to. I just don't want to buy a car and find out that the car is going to fall apart, you know? Scares the living s*** out of me...heh.