wow! a BAD Mazdaspeed3 Review!!

[Mocoso]

Yes it might be the best bang for your buck but you gotta think that the torque on a FWD car is too much. That's what's wrong with North America ....everyone thinks bigger is better, more is not enough. Sure it's fun in a straight away, but what happens if you want to have the same fun in some tight mountain roads? No one can deny the fact that a fwd car will understeer, no matter what the power rating is. But if you add considerably more power to the car, the understeer will get worse. And that's what the reviewer experienced and wrote.

Oh I dont know my big V8 does just fine on those tight mountain roads (glare) ... bigger IS better when done right! (or used right (evil) )

Besides this is the first FWD Ive had that I can steer the rear end by letting go of the gas on a turn... that has to count for something ...

 

[Hambino]

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Brit's are the lamest group of people on earth.

 

[SwampAss]

Ok look fellas, you can't compare RWD vs FWD because they are 2 totally different characteristics. No car is better than the other it all depends on your personal likes or dislikes.

But you can compare them! While the comparisons are vast and the differences are great, they both equate to the same thing. How a car handles.

I have more fun in my MS3 than I do in my 325i and it was $10,000 cheaper.

 

[Kansei]

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Brit's are the lamest group of people on earth.

:'( (poke) (glare)

well I'm only half brit so it doesn't bug me haha

The brits are just very nationalistic. I bet they'd rank a Jag X-type 2.5i as a better driver's car than the Mazdaspeed3.

 

[Hughes412]

Well I think he got it dead on!
That much power in a FWD car is just rediculous. You don't get s*** for traction, any racing has to be done from a role because you do nothing but spin from a dig. Now put AWD on it and it's a different story. And for the price it wouldn't matter. In reality I bet it would sell even better. I would buy one today if it was RWD!!

 

[Hughes412]

Why does everyone gripe when a fwd car with over 200hp and any reasonable amount of torque breaks the front tires loose and has torque steer?

Why have a 6spd trasmition when the first 2 gears are worthless! Remember this is supposed to be a sport hatch. It was ment to be ran hard. But yet you really cant until half way through 3rd. So I can see why he wrote this.

 

[Wes]

I wish the writer of that article could have driven my '92 Eagle Talon TSi... it was a FWD model and we got it up to about 350hp. Keeping it in a straight line under acceleration was a total body work out!

 

[neit_jnf]

I can't seem to find it but some time ago I read a track comparison between the RX-8, MS6, MS3 and the new MX-5; I think it was in Canada. The results were (from fastest to slowest):

RX-8
MS3
MS6
MX-5

 

[pbr]

I owned a 04 Rx8 and now own an MS3, interms of acceleration the 3 would blow away the Rx8 and handling is not far off, more room, more practical, better ride. I enjoyed the 8 but the 3 is a better all around car for less money.

 

[Hughes412]

I owned a 04 Rx8 and now own an MS3, interms of acceleration the 3 would blow away the Rx8 and handling is not far off, more room, more practical, better ride. I enjoyed the 8 but the 3 is a better all around car for less money.

And don't forget the MS3 gets better MPGs!

 

[Kansei]

And don't forget the MS3 gets better MPGs!

not if you boost alll the time.

 

[sephiroth]

If you persevere and if the road is at all damp (as it was during my week with the car), the front wheels will soon lose traction in first, second and occasionally even third gear,

loss of traction on a wet road? my god he's onto something!

It's one thing to get on the MS3 for it's torque steer and native lack of traction for being a 200+HP FWD car.. but to rack it for loss of traction on a wet road sounds like he's having a difficult time trying to come up with reasons why it's a bad car. Especially when you consider that most of people that are going to read his review already know that it's going to have traction problems just for being a 200+HP FWD car. It's just rhetorical nonsense to me.

 

[meha11]

This article is written by a journalist who works for the Times. Your stereotype Times reader is a middle aged middle classed overweight bolding conservative English man who would normally drive a Mercedes. This is the perfect description for my step dad who happens to be a very nice man but would have no interest in zooming around the twisty small roads of the English countryside in a ms3 which in his opinion would not be considered to be as refined as his turbo diesel merc. estate (station wagon).

My point being, this article is intended for people like my step dad to read, and advise them that our car is probably not suited to their taste.

Yes the car would be better awd but if thats what we wanted we would have a Scooby-Doo in our drive ways.

Who the hell cares what the Times thinks, I love my ms3

 

[FlyinMSP]

Here's another so so review, and it's AutoExpress :
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/204337/mazda_3.html

 

[Rotus8]

Here's another so so review, and it's AutoExpress :
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/204337/mazda_3.html

The article says "It's not so much bang for your buck, as power for your pound. The new Mazda 3 MPS costs 18,995, yet boasts an incredible 256bhp courtesy of its turbocharged 2.3-litre engine."

18,995 is $37,222 US today. I say yeah, it's not a good deal. We get a bargain at $23K!