Thinking about trading in for Type R

[Speed Vision]

Damn.. How old are you?

LOL, I'm one of the older fellas in here, 30. I spent a lot of time in the Honda Camp. Yeah, i'm a little older, but in this Hobby/culture, there really isn't an age barrier. Shyt, some of the guys driving ITR's in the Speed World Cup are like 40ish or so. (stash)

 

[AamirMSP]

I currently own both cars.

Type R is overall a much more performance oriented car, it doesnt suffer from torque steer as badly. The suspension feels more solid. The engine is smooth as butter and its ultra consistent and predictable. The tranmission is bar none the best I have ever shifted. The brakes are comparable on both cars. They both have terrific steering. The type R has independent double wishbone suspension while the mazda is strut based. This makes a difference in handling and the advantage is with the R. For day to day daily driving, the mazda takes the cake, its quiet, has A/C, isnt a theft magnent, and doesnt make every ricer on the road follow you. At the track and HPDE's the R will shine and show its racing heritage. The mazda is a perfect daily driver if you've owned an R and want something a bit more civilized. The stereo in the mazda is AMAZING! i dont even turn on the POS stereo in my R. Then again, everything in the R is in the name of weight savings. Also, the R has proven to be about 100x more reliable than my mazda. Ive never taken my R in for anything, absolutely nothing, and I beat the s*** out of it for 30k miles.

Aamir

 

[funnylittlman]

^--- Aamir

Have I seen you in FFX before?

-fnny

 

[daperspeed]

I currently own both cars.

Type R is overall a much more performance oriented car, it doesnt suffer from torque steer as badly. The suspension feels more solid. The engine is smooth as butter and its ultra consistent and predictable. The tranmission is bar none the best I have ever shifted. The brakes are comparable on both cars. They both have terrific steering. The type R has independent double wishbone suspension while the mazda is strut based. This makes a difference in handling and the advantage is with the R. For day to day daily driving, the mazda takes the cake, its quiet, has A/C, isnt a theft magnent, and doesnt make every ricer on the road follow you. At the track and HPDE's the R will shine and show its racing heritage. The mazda is a perfect daily driver if you've owned an R and want something a bit more civilized. The stereo in the mazda is AMAZING! i dont even turn on the POS stereo in my R. Then again, everything in the R is in the name of weight savings. Also, the R has proven to be about 100x more reliable than my mazda. Ive never taken my R in for anything, absolutely nothing, and I beat the s*** out of it for 30k miles.

Aamir

Oh ok well then I guess you're lucky to have driven both. BUT..why is it that SCC(of of whom editors also owns a ITR) said the MSP was the best FWD thet have ever driven? Also on this board some members have commented that some people feel the MSP is a better handler. And statistically isnt the MSP slightly ahead of the Type R...ie slalom?

Im not trying to flame Im just curious as to what exactly is it that you feel makes it better than a MSP handling wise because a few have stated the MSP was even better..dunno..
Also double wishbone doesnt necessarily mean a better suspension setup then a strut based setup.

 

[mspeed101]

I think the Type R suspension is a bit better then the msp but thats just my opinion ive driven both cars. By the way AamirMSP thats a nice type R!!

 

[AamirMSP]

Oh ok well then I guess you're lucky to have driven both. BUT..why is it that SCC(of of whom editors also owns a ITR) said the MSP was the best FWD thet have ever driven? Also on this board some members have commented that some people feel the MSP is a better handler. And statistically isnt the MSP slightly ahead of the Type R...ie slalom?

I read the same article you did, but I don't really trust anything that editors of tuning magazines write. Call me a skeptic. The torque steer that is so clearly present in the Mazdaspeed is there but very controlled in the R. This makes a big difference when accelerating through a turn. The R feels more balanced. Secondly, the double wishbone suspension of the R gives it a more stable feel when going over left side or right side only bumps such as gators on a track. The MSP might have turned better slalom numbers in that test, but I think numbers are not the only measure, for me feel is a significant factor since it leads to confidence. Also, you wont be hearing any funny sounds from the Type R suspension, no faulty bushings etc. The suspesion is also valved much more aggressively at 246lbs/in front and rear. The MSP is something around 145/117. I do believe the MSP has a better chassis though, its tighter and more solid. All in all, for the true enthusiast who can give up comfort and amenities, the R is the way to go with out a shadow of a doubt. For someone who needs an everyday car that can do track duty and is quite comfortable for everyday use and not a worrisome car to have, the MSP beats the R hands down. Also MSP packs much more package wise for the price. The R sold for $25-26k new and I picked up my MSP for 17,4 out the door. Within this price, I got a kick ass stereo, aluminum pedals, limited slip, turbo, great brakes, body kit, etc etc. The MSP is a tremendous value if you bought it during the rebate period. You will find your insurance to be cheaper with the MSP. Type R's get stolen like you would not believe. Its actually a horrible pain in the ass to own it if your in a decently sized city. Cant take it ANYWHERE.