Mazdaspeed 3

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rmchrgr

rmchrgr

Skate And Destroy
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OK, my wife and I need a new car. Though I still drive it, my '98 Jetta is on its way to the junkyard. She wants an economy car (naturally). I tired convincing her we need to buy an old car because they're just way cooler but I called off the dogs when I realized there was no way I was going to win this one. Sometimes you gotta pick your battles.

So if I gotta roll in some little crap box, I want one with a little performance, something that does not get my man card revoked every time I get behind the wheel.

I've been looking around trying to find a decent candidate. Recently, we had an '05 SRT 4 come in to our dealership. I looked it over and decided it needed way too much work and was close to unlivable with no muffler and a 'Stage 3" turbo kit that was leaking more oil than my Jeep 4.0 rear main seal. It also needed a clutch. Passed on that for $8,500.

I really liked the VW GTi but my wife didn't want a 2 door. I can't wrap my head around a 4 door GTi. Great vehicle but probably not the most practical family car with a 3 year old and another one coming ...

So I was driving around the other day and saw an '08 Mazdaspeed 3 for sale. That was her first choice so being the nice guy that I am, I swung around to take a peek. I called on it and went to take a look. This thing was in near mint condition, like brand new, only 18K on the clock. The woman that owns it is pregnant and no longer wants to drive a stick. I took if for a quick spin around a parking lot and yes, it has some balls. Its tight and nimble and very refined inside. Only problem with it? Bright red.

Anyone have any experience with these things? Good cars? Durable? Cars take a beating here in the northeast, especially around urban areas. Little pricey but this is the GT model, sort of like the SRT-4 or the STi Subaru. Car gets great reviews for being very well balanced and not too obnoxious. No fart can exhaust.

Seriously, the red is a little issue for me but maybe I can get some geeky tuner wheels to offset the raging femininity. Seems like a fun car to drive, even just taking a little roll around the lot.

What say you Mopar faithful?
 
my wife has a white 2011 mazda 3 it is very durable car it kinda of a turd on the bottom end but it quick on top end and it also a 4 banger and gets 38 mpg i would say buy it
 
RyanUpdike70 said:
my wife has a white 2011 mazda 3 it is very durable car it kinda of a turd on the bottom end but it quick on top end and it also a 4 banger and gets 38 mpg i would say buy it
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Cool, thanks. Trust me this car is no turd with the turbo, very crisp throttle response.
 
At least she didn't try to make you accept a Prius, right?
She might like a 4 door valiant, or maybe a Dart four door with /6 and an auto trans.
 
we recently went through the same thing in needing a decent driver for my g/f. after searching around and even tried out an 05 mazda 6,(pretty sure it was an 05) she couldnt stand the color .overall its seemed like a good car.and hell,if it has 18,000 on it ,you really cant go wrong.i didnt read any reviews of it online but ultimately,she decided on a 09 pontiac g6 gt (i know i know i tried) but like you said,sometimes you have to pick your battles. at the end of the day,its her car and she has to drive it.in this day and age ,i still chose to drive my 40 year old car everyday.at least it is black lol.
 
ive heard good things about them. my brother said he test drove one and it was great. i would say that its probably worth it.
 
Just the other day I drove a mazdaspeed6 grand touring AWD turbo. That is one fun car 6 speed handles like a dream. The maZdaSPEED3 is also fun but it's all on personal preference
 
Check out their forums for lots of info. They did have problems with their motor mounts falling apart but they can be replaced. 300HP in a front wheel drive car will give you torque steer. Remember to hang on to the steering wheel when you hit the boost.
 
I've only found one issue with Mazda, and according to the local dealer it's an issue that seems to be present an all Mazdas, even those rebadged as Fords. The A/C does get cold enough. We have a Miata, a Mazda 6, and a Ford Escape (built by Mazda) in the family, and they all suffer from that same affliction, and there doesn't seem to be a fix for it from the dealer or the factory.

A/C might not be an issue up north, but it is here in the South. All of the cars I mentioned are used here in Georgia and in Florida.

Other than that one issue, the cars have been great to own, very economical and dependable.
 
My friend has a Mazda 3 automatic 4 cylinder and at 100,000 miles the trans wouldn't shift into 3 rd gear. He called everywhere and nobody knew anything to fix it except a completely rebuilt trans. He doesn't have $3000 and has lung cancer so it sits.
 
We have an 07? mazda 3. Drove it cross country very comfortable, handles like its on rails. Never had an issue with the a/c even in Utah when it was 115 degrees. The hatch is very nice too, as you can fit big parts in it. We went to jersey and drove home with a full rear disc to disc in the back. really nice to get 32 mpg with the car instead of 10 with the truck. we take it to carlisle all the time too, it has hauled lots of mopar parts.

There really is nothing I can complain about with this car. Loads of fun to drive, I can only imagine how much fun the speed3 must be! If the price is right buy it, you won't regret it.
 
Cool, thanks for the input gang. I think we are going to move forward on the deal.
 
I drove my son-in-law's 2006 Mazda 3 for the last six months while he was working over seas and in Texas. Great car. It is dependable, comfortable, powerful, and economical. It was surprisingly powerful and got 24 mpg in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway. The a/c, was OK but not the greatest. I would recommend it to anyone.

He came home so I was forced to buy a 2007 Charger R/T. I always wanted a Hemi car so I figured what the heck. After a tank of gas a week, I'm thinking of getting a Mazda 3 for daily driving. Of course I could drive the Hemi like an old man but it's too much fun not to.
 
Well, my wife and I bought a 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 this week. We had looked at one local to us but the woman selling it turned out to be a complete flake. Repeated call backs with no answer, couldn't decide if she wanted to even sell it yada yada.

After two weeks of back and forth and the holidays, we decided to move on and look for another one. Found a basically identical one on CL about 45 min. away with only 13,300 miles. We bought that one.

Went to go pick it up from the guy tonight and drove it back home. What an AWESOME car. Power to spare, man what a little rocket. There is an intake on it, you can hear it sucking air. Handles like its on rails. Comfortable inside, nicely appointed. Great car! We're stoked!

Pics tomorrow.
 
I have an '04 Mazda 3 (not the mazdaspeed) even without the turbo, it's a peppy car. Only problem mine has had is the dash cracked. The first time, it was under warranty, so they replaced it, and it cracked again. No mechanical problems with 117,000 on it.
 
Oh yeah, I did have to replace a motor mount, too, but it was super easy...like a 10 minute job.
 
This thing is BAD ***. Seriously, it hauls. Kinda gets into muscle car territory - 265 + horsepower in a 3,100 lb car with as stick. :burnout::supz:
 

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I bought a Miata last year to drive back and forth to work so I could save gas and keep the miles down on my F150. I love that little car! I have had a ton of performance cars in my day, and I think this is the most fun to drive of any of them. My ac did a great job last summer in 100+ deg days. Congrats on the purchase. Fastest color too!:D
 

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I own a Miata also, my daughter has a Mazda 3, my wife had a Mazda 626....all have been or were very good cars. The Mazda 3Speed is a nice ride even if it has wrong wheel drive.
 
My dad has a 2005 Mazda 3 with very minor mechanical issues with well over 200,000 miles on it and going strong.
 
i like them, nice little cars, quick and fun to drive. i myself am a subie guy, need that all wheel drive to get threw the snow ...LOL frien had a speed6 that was very nice and awd...
mazda actually Detunes those things in 1st and 2nd to help with the wheel spin. get a programer and that can be removed..along with a lot of tire tread ...lol
 
My bro in law has a 2008ish and the windshield is $1200 to fix as it has some rain sensor in it or some other B.S. Cool car though. Perfected my stick shifting in a early 626 and had a B2000 pickup that would NOT die....had a replaced trans in it that had a DEEP overdrive 5th like a .68 or something and a 2.7x rear, thing would cruise at 80 at about 1500 RPM.
 
I had a 2008 MazdaSpeed 3 GT, no complaints. It got close to 30MPG if you kept your foot out of it on the highway and low to mid 20's around town. My biggest problem with the car was psychological; I felt like I always had to win the stop light to stop light contests with other drivers of the same mindset. Torque steer is an issue if your not prepared, even though it is torque limited in 1st & 2nd gear. Excellent seats and great Bose sound system for long trips. Highly recommended bang for the buck.
 
vitamindart said:
i like them, nice little cars, quick and fun to drive. i myself am a subie guy, need that all wheel drive to get threw the snow ...LOL frien had a speed6 that was very nice and awd...
mazda actually Detunes those things in 1st and 2nd to help with the wheel spin. get a programer and that can be removed..along with a lot of tire tread ...lol
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It sucks in the snow, period.

I read about them being de tuned. Funny too, because if I lay into it in first and second it will start hopping around, especially if the wheels are turned. Think torque steer and wheel hop. It has a limited slip differential.

Clutch is a little touchy, kind of like on or off. There's a spot in the pedal travel where it just wants to grab and unless you're rolling it will stall or on the other hand you could be into the car in front of you. Took a little practice, more slip than I like, you kinda need to tense up your foot. My wife had a hard time getting it going when we test drove it. Consequently, she has not driven it yet and its supposed to be her car. Hope I don't need a clutch at 30K. Shifts nice though. P.O put a 'shifter kit' thing in it, supposed to firm up the throws, make the detents more defined. I really don't know what it does actually. :D

I still can't believe my wife agreed to buy this car. Somehow she thinks we compromised which is a major feat in itself. I guess it is a 5 door hatch with a good sized trunk. She wanted 4 doors for the kids.

Does not matter though, I am truly surprised at how this car performs. Kind of a sleeper really. I blow past cars in third gear at 60 like they're standing still. :cheers:
 
snowtires will help a ton, my WRX sucked in the snow when i got it and its all wheel drive. they put silly summer tires on a car they sent to Wisconsin.
 
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