To all that remember me I thought I should stop by to let you all know I sold my RA and got a Mazdaspeed 3. It was a great trade-up. Thing is quick.

Also I want to thank all the guys who helped me out. This was a great forum with lots of guys and a few girls who knew there stuff. And thanks to RRM, many cars were put to shame b/c of your parts.

Lastly, Im selling a new set of projector heads for the lancers that were never installed (https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=350361) and a used set of fog lights (https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=350362)





It's raning so no pics of the new car... thanks again all.

 

Sad to see you go, all the best!

Friend has a Mazdaspeed 3, and yes - it is a quick car! Take traction control off, you'll understand

 

good luck with the mazda
i might be looking to sell mine soon, but got to find a car i can afford, really want an evo, but upkeep on those things is expensive...
also mazda 3 and 6 are on the table, so maybe u can do a review and 'compare' it to the RA for us?

 

Congratz! That's one nice RA..

Are those the only parted out stuff you're selling?

 

sorry mankey, sold the car in that state minus the rims. They have a few minor chips but if you're interested ill take an offer.

As for a review I'm heading from eastern long island out to the city and can test things out better. I will sit down and write a review tonight if I don't get home to late.

 

Review Time:

Let me start by saying I'm comparing the stock speed 3 to my RA which had a number of mods. (click the link to my registry for the list). Also my RA was a automatic and this is a 6-speed.

Performance: This car is obviously much faster than my RA. As many of you know there were quite a few things like the DP on the RA that hindered its performance. The MS3 also has a downpipe that restricts airflow more then anything else in the exhaust but it seems they did this to keep some backpressure so the turbo would spool faster. Their biggest oversite is the wheelhop (also something the lancers had). A 267hp 281tq FWD turbo is going to have this but this is worse then it should be. Many ppl have changed the rear motor mount and reduced this significantly.

Handling: The handling is better than my RA (with swaybar, tiebar, and perches) but not by a huge margin. The MS3's weak point in handling is the tires. It has a low center of gravity and seems to be fairly stiff, and when pushed the bridgestone tires just don't seem to make the cut.

Driveability: The gear ratios of the MS3 are not designed with daily driving in mind at all. The RAs 5speed i'm sure was much better in this aspect. The same goes for the clutch of the MS3. The MS3 does provide a much smoother ride, and a hell of alot quieter also. I knew my RA had a stiff bumpy feel on the road but driving the MS3 made me realize how bad it was.

Stereo: I had the S&S package in the RA and thought that the infinity stereo was really good. The MS3 GT comes with a 6speaker bose system, with 6disc in dash, sirius, and a mp3 player connection. The bose stereo really needs a sub. The high end is much crisper than the infinty but the bass just isnt there. when you turn up the bass enough to get a balanced sound the bass distorts and never quite gets those really low notes. The head unit is very intuitive and they have steering wheel controls for basic functions which are nice until you turn the volume up around a turn.

Climate control: the RA never seemed to get quite cold enough. the ms3 seems to have a more powerful a/c and has automatic climate control.

Quality of the car: I doubt im the only one who had all types of squeaks and various noises to go with the fact that the RA just didnt seem very well built. So far the MS3 is looking good but it isnt even a week old yet.

Anyone who is looking at cars in this price range i'd suggest this in a heartbeat. I test drove and researched car at this cost and slightly above and found this was the best buy. I looked for anything 4 door and faster then the RA and this was my ticket.

After i wash off the pollen this weekend i will snap some photos to show.

 

^awesome review, thank you, ill have to test one out and compare to the 09 RA.

also, how it is having a hatch?, coz they only come in '5' door correct? or would it be better as a sedan? ie mazda 6?

 

If you don't mind sharing, what did you get for your RA? Did you sell it or trade it in? How many miles?

I'm curious because I'm thinking of selling my RA.

Congrats on the mazdaspeed! Sweet car..

 

What color did you get? The paint on the hood is thin. Watch out for chips.

 

the car is black. i like the hatch. needed the space for work so it was a definitely a factor when i went shopping. I traded it in. They owner of the dealership said if it was stock i would have gotten about 6000, he gave me 9000 for the mods b/c he knew he a wholesaler who'd pay more for it. i could have maybe gotten a little more by going private but didnt want the hassle or the wait. it had 65000miles on it.

Kurt, anything else i should know about the 3 since youve had it longer then me? any mods yet?

 

congrats on the purchase. They have great torque and the quality is excellent. Great upgrade!