I'm considering the 3 MPS as my next car.
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i am still getting used to the silly grin on the 3 tho.
and if u talk about interior, Golf shits all over the 3.
I like the idea of Mazda promoting their Mps.
With the luxury pack, you can get Sat nav, Bluetooth, Bi Xenons and Bose Sound system.
my bro in-law has an xr5, they're pretty fun cars and yes, the low end torque is incredible in day to day driving, especially compared to a type r.
i can't compare with a fn2r as i haven't driven one, but compared with a dc5r, the xr5 is much more of a cruiser and comfy. in the R you have to constantly change gears, whereas in the xr5 you can just stay in any gear and it still pulls you along.
the xr5 definately has more body roll.
personally i'd still go the R, as i'd much prefer the raw feeling of the R.
day to day: xr5 hands down. but the rawness of the R overrides the torque of the xr5 :) for me anyway..LOL
but reading bout your needs, i think the xr5 would suit you best.
hope this helps. haha
what is all this complete bullsh!t about a turbo car somehow being less reliable or more expensive to maintain?
I won't rabbit on, but essentially over the years i have owned several turbo cars, 3 of them being Saabs, 2 of those being Aeros - High Output Turbo (HOT) models. In my experience cars that are fitted with turbo's at the factory, cars that were DESIGNED to be turbocharged, are JUST as reliable as any N/A car i have owned.
The problems arise when you have people who think it would be cool to boost their P.O.S 20 year old civic, vehicles not meant to be turbocharged.
oh and +1 for the 3 MPS.
You could get a 2007 Evo 9 for around the 40k mark. Practically new!
I'm not a fan of VW however I agree with the interior comment.The Mazda 3's interior looks cheap.
A few o/s tests have also shown that a DSG GTI is only a few tenths slower to the 1/4 mile compared to the MPS3.
Touring along winding roads also showed that the GTI was a tad slower but more composed than the MPS3.It appears that torque steer is still an issue with the MPS3.
Just going back to the 1/4 mile figure,the MPS3 seems to be averaging about 14.6 secs in reviews isn't that a tad slow for a 2.3L DI turbo:confused:
Taking into account that it looks like a little station wagon and the silly smiley grille,resale value may also be adversely affected.
The XR5 is a good car,if finances are a concern,at the moment they're $34,990 driveaway however,it does not have the sharpness of the current lsd FN2.
The same with the WRX,fast but not as sharp in the handling and gear changing.Also it does pitch and roll somewhat more than the FN2.