sunshine 2 #126 August 22, 2007 Why do you have to be so rude? If you don't like the car she bought, so what? You don't have to rip on it. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #127 August 22, 2007 Well, on the street, it could roughly compare to WRX. Size and power-wise, the WRX is a fair match. The WRX has a far superior suspension, meaning it puts the power down better, and it has all-wheel-drive. And if you look at the SCCA's classing, the Mazdaspeed 3 is in D Stock with the WRX, G35 sedan, Maxima, Dodge SRT-4's, Chevy Cobalt SS, etc., cars which easily maintain the top of the class regularly."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #128 August 22, 2007 To answer you quite simply, I just don't feel like being nice."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheenster303 0 #129 August 22, 2007 Personally, I think Mazda3s are pretty! That's all that matters! Congrats on the new car, Kel!I'm so funny I crack my head open! P.M.S. #102 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluheelrtx 0 #130 August 22, 2007 Quote I see you caved in and bought a manual tranny. Nice. Can't say I would've bought a Mazda 3. Silly little underpowered stability-controlled pussy car with crappy engine mounts that fail all the time. But enjoy. You're kidding, right? No stability control, no ABS, no traction control . . . I love my 04 Mazda3 5door. Quick, agile, responsive . . .fun. I just wish that I had the Mazdaspeed engine and tranny. I haven't heard about the engine mount thing, but I can testify that I have driven the SHIT out of this bitch and have over 100k miles on it with no such issues. And underpowered? It's no muscle car, but it pulls hard from any speed. I've had losers in toy racers block me many times and 5th-to-3rd takes them every time. All that and it fits all my dogs, camping gear and rigs. -- Jason -- Some people never go crazy. What truly boring lives they must lead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #131 August 22, 2007 They must have put stability control in the later models, because a good friend bought one a couple years ago now, and it had a side-panel button labeled "DSC" for Dynamic Stability Control, which he stupidly left engaged at his first autocross after telling himself a dozen or more times to disengage it, and slowed himself down by a few seconds. And as I said, with two years of use and only one autocross, his engine mount is busted, which he researched on forums and determined was a common problem in the Mazda 3 of all years. As for power, the basic Mazda 3 doesn't have the type of power it should. And quite frankly, it wasn't tuned to be a high performance car. The Mazdaspeed 3 certainly more than made up for that, I'd never debate that, but in terms of classing, it still doesn't have the ability to keep up to a car properly tuned from the factory like a WRX. I'd love to see a Mazdaspeed 3 kick the crap out of a WRX on an autocross course, but until I see it firsthand, I'm going to go with the experts on this one."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conundrum 1 #132 August 22, 2007 The first two problems you listed can easily be fixed. Turn the DSC off, and get after market mounting brakets. And as far as you agreeing with the "experts", I'm not sure who you're talking about, but the experts at Motortrend seem to disagree with you. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/wagon/112_0611_sport_wagon_and_sedan_comparison/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRSKY71 0 #133 August 22, 2007 Mu husband and I bought a Mazda 3 (4 door sedan)in March. It looks look, not bad on fuel, and the price was definitely right. At that time I was driving a stick shift (eclipse) but we gave it up because I was pregnant and needed to be able to have both hands on the wheel and a four door car. The hatchbacks are really nice looking, though. Congrats!!! Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. -- Phillips Brooks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sd-slider 0 #134 August 22, 2007 Quote WTF is so great about a stupid manual transmission? This: Get In! Shut Up! Hold On! Anvil Brother #69 Sidelined with a 5mm C5-C6 herniated disk... Back2Back slammers and 40yr old fat guys don't mix! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #135 August 22, 2007 QuoteThe first two problems you listed can easily be fixed. Turn the DSC off, and get after market mounting brakets. And as far as you agreeing with the "experts", I'm not sure who you're talking about, but the experts at Motortrend seem to disagree with you. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/wagon/112_0611_sport_wagon_and_sedan_comparison/ First, you can't just solve the problem of DSC by turning it off. You've still got the weight of the system to contend with even if it's off. Second, why have to modify the stock engine mounts just so they won't break? That seems pointless. As for the experts question, Motortrend wouldn't know their ass from their elbow. Try reading Sports Car Magazine, the official publication of the SCCA. They recently had an article on the Mazdaspeed 3. As writers who are committed completely to racing, and to expanding on the theories of effective racing, they were highly anticipating the release of the Mazdaspeed 3. They reviewed it, tested it, and found that based on its performance characteristics it wouldn't dominate D Stock as they expected."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conundrum 1 #136 August 22, 2007 Well you seem to have something really against the Mazdaspeed3. Great, so it wouldn't dominate D stock, big deal. It's still a great car. *shrug* To each their own, though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stitch 0 #137 August 22, 2007 Quote Quote WTF is so great about a stupid manual transmission? This: Get In! Shut Up! Hold On! Doesn't that happen no matter what kinda of car you get in with Krelly. "No cookies for you"- GFD "I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65 Don't be a "Racer Hater" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philly215 0 #138 August 22, 2007 Quote Of course, I'm only saying that because I just spent an hour and a half practicing in a parking lot, and I still can't go in reverse. The back story is, I work at a car dealership, and now that I'm doing some sales, I need to be able to drive a stick. So they dropped me off in a parking lot with a manual transmission (knowing that I know the basic rules and just need to practice). I tried and tried and tried, and I was still only successful starting out app. 4/5 times . . . and in reverse, it was probably more like 1/10. Grrrr. When they came back to get me, I drove an automatic transmission back to the dealership, and I had an epiphany - stick shifts are stupid. The automatic was so easy, and it's still plenty zippy. Besides gas mileage, increased speed at the starting gate, and being able to brag to your friends that you can drive one , WTF is so great about a stupid manual transmission? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGH! More control of the car. If your not racing or buying a muscle car with an aggressive tone and engine, then theres no real bennefit except for what you like... I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #139 August 23, 2007 Quote Quote Of course, I'm only saying that because I just spent an hour and a half practicing in a parking lot, and I still can't go in reverse. The back story is, I work at a car dealership, and now that I'm doing some sales, I need to be able to drive a stick. So they dropped me off in a parking lot with a manual transmission (knowing that I know the basic rules and just need to practice). I tried and tried and tried, and I was still only successful starting out app. 4/5 times . . . and in reverse, it was probably more like 1/10. Grrrr. When they came back to get me, I drove an automatic transmission back to the dealership, and I had an epiphany - stick shifts are stupid. The automatic was so easy, and it's still plenty zippy. Besides gas mileage, increased speed at the starting gate, and being able to brag to your friends that you can drive one , WTF is so great about a stupid manual transmission? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGH! More control of the car. If your not racing or buying a muscle car with an aggressive tone and engine, then theres no real bennefit except for what you like... I Learn to double-clutch and heel-and-toe, and you won't be so worried about your tranny."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #140 August 23, 2007 To answer your statement, it's not that I'm seriously against the Mazdaspeed 3, but the basic design just doesn't work all that well for what its intention seems to be, and simply slapping a turbo in it and upping the power significantly isn't going to do a whole lot to the fact that the chassis doesn't handle high performance driving very well. It's like slapping a bottle of nitrous in an Impala intending for it to handle corners better. It just makes no sense."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philly215 0 #141 August 23, 2007 Quote Quote Quote Of course, I'm only saying that because I just spent an hour and a half practicing in a parking lot, and I still can't go in reverse. The back story is, I work at a car dealership, and now that I'm doing some sales, I need to be able to drive a stick. So they dropped me off in a parking lot with a manual transmission (knowing that I know the basic rules and just need to practice). I tried and tried and tried, and I was still only successful starting out app. 4/5 times . . . and in reverse, it was probably more like 1/10. Grrrr. When they came back to get me, I drove an automatic transmission back to the dealership, and I had an epiphany - stick shifts are stupid. The automatic was so easy, and it's still plenty zippy. Besides gas mileage, increased speed at the starting gate, and being able to brag to your friends that you can drive one , WTF is so great about a stupid manual transmission? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGH! More control of the car. If your not racing or buying a muscle car with an aggressive tone and engine, then theres no real bennefit except for what you like... I Learn to double-clutch and heel-and-toe, and you won't be so worried about your tranny. Come teach me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #142 August 23, 2007 It is all just practice NSFW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
