Speed 3

[PXRdriFT]

I got a buddy who's interested in getting a MS3. Any advice from those that are more familiar with them? What are the negatives about the car? Positives? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Frank

[Colombia28]

I think i am qualified to share some insight.

I've owned mine for almost four years now and still love it! That's not to say i love everything about it. A list is in order..

Things i love about my MS3:

• Everything

Things i hate about my MS3:

• The worthless transmission. I hate the cable transmission of misery.

But honestly it's the only thing i really don't like about the car. Since i track the car a lot it could be said that it being fwd is a bit annoying at times, but you don't buy the car without knowing the limitations of fwd.

The car even in 100% stock form feels amazing around corners, very planted and secure. The brakes are phenomenal. Same stopping power and 60-0 stopping distance as the Brembos on STi's! The motor and exhaust sound is pure awesome. It's not rice like in any way. It almost sounds slightly boxer rumble-ish. Put an intake on it and you free up a ridiculous amount of horsepower, not to mention the whine from the turbo is insatiable! Can't get enough of driving the car, love every second of driving it and love tracking even more!

On a more practical note, the MS3 gets pretty darn good gas mileage. I drove to California in it and got damn near 31mpg. Put the seats down in the back and you can carry pretty much anything. I've also never had one mechanical problem or any problem for that matter.

I would tell your buddy to go for it! It really is an incredible car for the money.

[PXRdriFT]

Thanks for the input! What years would be good to stick with? Avoid?

[Colombia28]

I have an '08. The Gen2 MS3's (2010+) were slightly updated in a few areas. The gearing was changed a bit to provide more power up top and prevent the huge drop off of power past 5500 that us Gen1 guys have to live with. This can be fixed a bit with some tuning and upping the boost. However unless you are dragging your car i don't see it being to much of a problem, the low through mid range pull is crazy! Pulls like a freight train to use a stupid saying . The suspention on the Gen2's was also tweaked a bit but i haven't heard or seen it improve anything to much. Overall the cars identical except for the obvious outer and inner appearances.

I'm partial to the Gen1's because they are so much more understated and i like that. It is really the textbook definition of a sleeper. You really have to have a good eye and know what you are looking for to pick out a Gen1 MS3 from the standard 3. People at the track would always be blown away when i came flying past them in both the corners and straights. They always said they thought it was just a standard 3 .

The 2008.5-2009 MS3's you could say are the "rarest" of the bunch as they were made for only like a year and half, but the only difference was the use of some suede and piano black interior bits.

[mOOsE]

+1 to everything Colombia said. I had an 08.5 that I miss some days. Really no complaints. The DISI engine is a low-end monster that makes day to day driving a lot of fun and you can hyper-mile it to high 30's MPG also if you want. One of the nice things about the 3 in general too is the hatch. I have carried so much stuff that many SUV's would cry on moving days compared to the MS3

[erod550]

If he's planning on modding I would get an 08.5-09. The 07-08s were the ones that tended to throw rods the most when pushed hard. Honestly though at altitude unless you are majorly modding and going with a big turbo you're not going to make enough power to worry about that anyway. But the interior on the 08.5-09 GT is much nicer, with alcantara and nice piano black pieces.

Rear motor mount and a short shifter goes a long way toward fixing the crappy transmission feel. I loved the way mine shifted after adding those things.

[kingtut]

I have carried so much stuff that many SUV's would cry on moving days compared to the MS3

I concur. I went to Home Depot and got a 36" x 80" screen door and fully expected it to fit. I was disappointed when it didn't. But just barely!:lol:

Great info above, I agree.

I had a bit of mods done and am now fully stock (with exception to a Short Shifter and Engine Mount.) I actually prefer it this way. Yeah, its not as quick- but still plenty peppy to have fun. Overall a great car for the money and I still enjoy it.

[roninspeed3]

Having an 08.5 I am pleased to read the above and also to recommend. I have the Speed CAI and a BOV and that's it. I had an EGR CEL (under warranty) and needed to replace my power steering fluid at 33K but no other issues at all. Runs great, hauls stuff and my record is 33mpg from SLC. Although I believe I'm the only guy in Longmont who buys premium gas- that's kinda a drag but a good trade off. If you are after used, I would go 08.5 as they are well done and understated. I'm not a Gen II fan.

[dommo_g]

Don't buy a new one if you care anything about resale.

[slashsnake]

I have a 2010, and love it. If you plan on driving it in winter, you will need snow tires, luckily last year it hardly snowed in my area, but those few days it did I had to take the xterra.

It holds quite a bit in terms of cargo, we have taken it on road trips with a weeks worth of clothes and stuff, cooler, dog, etc and no problem. I even got a 16' extension ladder from lowes to fit in there (barely). 3 guys going out to play golf was no problem.

No mechanical issues here, though the paint does scratch easily.

My cousin has an 08 which is a great car too. I like how mine handles better (it is noticeable, even he noticed), but like the looks of his more.

I can see why the user reviews on Edmunds are so high, it is just a fun car to drive, very fast, and unbelievable handling that is better than most everything under $50k not in AWD. I've heard some people don't like the seat comfort. I am 6'2" and have head and leg room up front and find it just fine (went to Minnesota straight through twice with it, no issues), and the back is tight for me leg wise, but enough head room, which is usually what I see (thanks to the hatch, no window right there).

I also like the '10 bluetooth setup. Easy to work and you can play your music through your phone to it as well. The GT has the extra bells and whistles, and while the push button start sounded nice, I couldn't see forking out the extra nearly $2k for it (also has a better stereo, adaptive headlights, and rain sensing wipers).

Using only high octane gas kind of gets old, but I hold about 24-25 mpg pretty steadily.

Clutch takes a little bit to get used to, shifter is a little.... notchy I guess is the word. Same with getting used to losing your power at higher RPM's. Coming from a Vtec it is just the opposite, I felt like I was short shifting all the time at first.

As for the mechanical issues I have seen and heard... well overdoing the bolt on mods while failing to address the fuel pump is one. And people not used to driving a turbo, pushing it hard and not cooling it down before shutting it down (Courtesy Mazda in Longmont had one they took as a trade a couple years ago that was a bit of both in this respect, turbo started smoking pretty bad after about 5-10 miles of driving).

I wanted to buy used, but the only ones in the state at the time was one in denver (08.5 GT certified used with 35k miles on it and he wanted $1k less than a 2010 sport), the one with the fubar turbo in Longmont, and a couple very high mileage ones with multiple bolt ons from private sellers.

And yes, the looks of "what the hell was that" from a Porshe or BMW driver out at HPR when you take him on the corner and pull away on the straight is great. I am sure the 1st gens see that even more with their sneaky design.

Rear Motor Mounts, or at least inserts are something you should look at right away. After that it is up to you. Coming from Honda, the aftermarket for these cars is pretty small, but you can find multiple different makers for intakes, downpipes, exhaust, etc.

Oh, biggest complaint.... NO TEMP GAUGE on the 10, It just has the warning lights for overheating. Though it does have a boost gauge. I think the 11's have a light that comes on or turns off or something when the car is warmed up.

[slashsnake]

Also, just had to add, when driving in very cold temps, there are a lot of new creaks and groans.

[erod550]

Also, just had to add, when driving in very cold temps, there are a lot of new creaks and groans.

Haha especially coming from the front suspension. Last winter when it was like -20 out it really seemed like an old car cause of how creaky the front suspension was. Once you drove it for a few miles it warmed up and was quiet again though. This was on my 09 but it sounds like the second gens have the same thing.

[erod550]

I also like the '10 bluetooth setup. Easy to work and you can play your music through your phone to it as well. The GT has the extra bells and whistles, and while the push button start sounded nice, I couldn't see forking out the extra nearly $2k for it (also has a better stereo, adaptive headlights, and rain sensing wipers).

And proximity key (never take the key out of your pocket) and mini-nav. The tech package is awesome.

[hcbr929rr2]

Oh, biggest complaint.... NO TEMP GAUGE on the 10, It just has the warning lights for overheating. Though it does have a boost gauge. I think the 11's have a light that comes on or turns off or something when the car is warmed up.

I just picked up a 2012, its got a temp light that's blue while the engine is cold, then goes away during normal temps and will illuminate red if it were to overheat/get too hot, its the same as the new subaru's, personal I would rather a gauge, even though I know factory temp gauges are so soft that by the time it reads hot you've been overheating for a while anyway lol, its more of a silly comfort thing I think. I really like the digital read outs in my '04 ZO6, I can thumb through oil temp and coolant temp, as well as the engine temp gauge that is separate from the information center

[dsm_luck]

My experience with my highly modified 09 Mazdaspeed 3:

Pros:
Stock internals and block can hold upwards of 500whp. (I am running 25psi)
Stock transmission is bullet proof for those power levels if not a bit notchy.
Stock clutch holds fine at elevated power levels.
Takes well to modifications.
Good bang for the buck.
Handles great. It really can embarrass some true sports cars on track day.
Utility
Nice interior.
Reliable.
Can run E85 with little to no modification.
Highway pulls are bonkers if running a BT.
Seriously this car will take a tune of abuse.

Cons:
FWD, FWD, FWD. Once you start modding traction become a MAJOR issue. Its not fun spinning through 3rd and only being able to get traction after 70 mph. If you stay away from a big turbo this is less of an issue.

Engine makes alot of mechanical noise. The CDFP is always clacking away.
Ride is FIRM.
Stock K04 is garbage and prone to having bad seals.

Thats about it. I love my car to death but I am considering selling it because the winter is not fun in this car. I may just see how she does on dedicated snow tires, or get an AWD beater. Not sure yet. That said this car is the best car I have ever owned. Better than my Audi 2.7T, better than any of my DSM's, better than the 02 WRX, and leagues better than the Saab 2.0T I owned. Its a great car and has modibility in line with the old SRT-4s.