servoeyes said:
1st...buddy...you got the car all wrong. The clunk is a recurring issue that will hopefully be solved w/i the next month according to reports kickin' around here...but we'll see. However...like problems all the other cars listed have, this doesn't affect the drivability of the car.
To begin, the suspension is not mearly making noise. It has exagerated play in the rear suspension an the looses its abilities over time. Remember I have the same suspension. The day a new set of bushings go in the difference is night and day. Also there is no way that mazda will have a fix in a month. Mazda is still trying to simply quiet the bushing instead of fixing the problem in the suspension that is causing the bushing to wear out in 3000 miles. I don't want to break a promise but trust me, mazda is still ******* with us all, the suspension will not be corrected! Rmember us MP3 guys are in this fight with the MSP owners against mazda aswell!
servoeyes said:
Same goes for the subwoofer and stereo...that's all Kenwood's fault. I've never had any stereo problems, though, and my sub was replaced and functions great to this day. It'll probably go in my girlfriend's car when I change out to a better set-up.
Wrong man. The head unti is a known pain in the ass by most to ever sell them. Mazda should have taken the time to make sure they bought a good unit. However they bought the cheapest they could find that they thought people would get hyped up about. Also if its not mazda's faualt why are the broken ones being replaced with the same unit. It garbage. Lets move to the sub. THey blow CONTANTLY. Why, could be a few things. If the box is not sealed thats a huge reason. THe amp never being set up right is another. A gain at more then 3/4 with a modern head unit is asking for a blown sub.
servoeyes said:
Now...the hesitation...yeah. It's a problem, so far as you make it one. I get the feeling that those of us that notice it are fairly aggressive drivers, and know that it shouldn't do that. If I was granny-ing the car all day long, I'd never have even noticed it. However...since installing the INJEN w/ the breathers, I have had no problem with the hesitation. The stumble, however, is still there. That will require Mazda's assistance or the S-AFC-II (which apparently works on ALL the proteges! we'll see...). Either way, it's not the best position to be in.
The hesitation is an entity all its own. You were satesfied with an intakes results. Many installed an intake, exhuast, hard pipes FPR and MBC and STILL HAVE IT! Regardless if the theory of a driving style actualy causes the hesitation, IT SHOULD NOT. Buying a car that is intended to be a performance car, regardless of price, and a 1000 miles later it turns ass SLOW is not acceptable.
servoeyes said:
However, for an autocrosser, there isn't a better deal out there. Even out of the box, this car is a monster. If I didn't have the injen I'd be in DS and would own the class on street tires! Even in my first race in DSP I could have gotten second or higher had I been more experienced. While you could say an MP3 could do that same, I would say not on this course. It was a longer course, with hard straights that were suited to the MSP blasting off into. Not taking away anything from the MP3(especially yours), but it's also not in this comparo since it's not new.
The MP3 has the same suspension and better tires. The lack of a turbo will definitly make the cars uncomparible. I was pointing out the tires on the MP3 were superior and the suspension was identical. Also about 1% of the people that buy this car want to autocross. Many just want a fun car to get to a from work. A car with constant problems and after 3000 miles is a very different car then what was purchased is not something many people want. If these problems could be seen during the test drive thats one thing, often they are not. Even in an auto cross, if the car is hesitating badly you had better stay above 5500 RPM or you will be loosing some serious time.
servoeyes said:
Anywho...it's all about fun factor. The Scooby's got it, too...but all-around I think the MSP is the best that around $18.5-19.5 out the door (today w/ rebate, etc.) can buy. Obviously, I'm prejudiced...but I feel rightly so.
To me a car needs to be more then a "on paper" performer.
I want all but bullit proof reliability. I want the car to remain what I bought, not become something else. Something I constanly have to worry about or take to the dealer more then once every six months is TOTALY unacceptable. Now, not every MSP has all these problems. The hesitation seems to be on a car to car basis as do many other problems. HOWEVER! What to you feel will hold up longer over time and give the owner less headaches, a MSP or a P5. Its the P5 by a landslide! Now I realize the cars are far from the same but there is NO reason the MSP can't be expected to be as reliable!
Accepting Mazda's bulls*** on the MSP is never going to get you anywhere. Considering the INSANE number of MSP owners here I would suggest you guys start looking toward legal action. On both the hesitation and the clunk you have cause for a class action lawsuit do to loss of retail value. The Phrase, "We are working on it" is equivalent to "Thank you and GO **** YOURSELF!" DO NOT ACCEPT IT FROM THEM.
For me, I could EASILY have traded m car for the MSP and payed $50 less a month. The dealer was offering it up to me around $18K. I chose however to keep the MP3 and get a P5 aswell. I wanted a car that was fun and reliable and the MSP is only 1/2 of that equation.