Mazda Mazdaspeed3 Review by CarReview.com

[americansmark]

Agree with everything but the Bose love. No such thing as a good Bose system. I ripped mine out of my Mazda6 and replaced it with Eminence drivers and a GPS navi hard drive deck. Avoid the Bose system. "No highs, no lows, must be Bose. But either way, it freakin blows."

Sincerely,

A sound engineer and DJ

[JeepXtreme4x4]

I'm not buying this car because of his sideburns.

[kyser182]

Thus torque steer. Its.barely noticeable with tcs on

[kyser182]

They review these cars with tcs off.

[therookie93]

Sorry. I can't overlook terrible torque steer.

[Crazy65pt]

@therookie93 When you find a 260 HP front wheel drive car that doesnt torque steer tell me and ill buy it.

But i can assure you it gonna be a boring one to drive.

[rkjpsn]

you remind me of steve zahn.

[mitsufq360]

@SeanAxela +1, 1st and 2nd are super short. Takes 3rd gear to hit 60

[WarriorTheyHate101]

mazdaspeed 3 or mazdaspeed 6 ? what are your calls?

[biggestsoccerfan]

@WarriorTheyHate101 Mazdaspeed 3 for looks, Mazdaspeed 6 for handling but Mazdapseed 3 handles really good for fwd car and its a real bargain!

[WarriorTheyHate101]

@biggestsoccerfan thanks ! 

[Bassgod76]

Those are Elwood/Blues Brothers side burns.

[umrahsahab]

ive driven this car but i never got to fully experience torque steer. If you have one hand on it...does it ever have so much that you cant hold on?

[Ge0vone]

I think, we need to get over the fact that its wagon, not a hatchback.

[juliojrdn]

@Ge0vone lmfao you're very wrong. this doesnt have the space to be a wagon, this is too sporty to be a wagon and this is too fast to be a wagon

[Ge0vone]

What about the 02-07 WRX "wagons?"

S4 Avant, or wagon?

Mitsu Evo "wagon"

do these cars are considered wagons or not?

[mikestylz96]

only if it were awd!

[Ge0vone]

Just get a Mazdaspeed 6

[mikestylz96]

is this guy really nitpickin' 3:03? id be happy just as is.

[biggestsoccerfan]

It is a hot hatch!! Look at the Guy sweatin frm 0:00 to 0:05 he wasnt jokin lol

[oldmusher]

Shifter is "Notchy". I'm not real sure what that is supposed to mean, but our 09 speed can be foot-to-the floor 6500 rpm powershifted through all gears every time. Maybe if you drove more and talked less? First and second too tall for you? Try a 5000 rpm start. Problem solved. Want more? Take your speed out when it is -20 degrees F The cold adds a lot of horsepower. If you go to the strip, spacer up the back of the hood (carefully) so that there is a definite gap. Let that heat out.

[Piratearrrr]

HATCH BURNS!!!!!!!

[dh39zj]

0:40....HA! He said "frenetic".

[tigercrap]

I have an '08 Speed 3 GT...Only thing I wish it had is KEYLESS START BUTTON and MP3 PLAYER! Clutch could be better too. Near perfect car for 23k.

[joebobfickle]

keyless start..we are getting too lazy to even turn a key now..lol its a MANUAL car..doesnt need a dam ez button

[ketl14]

lol TRUE.

[Ge0vone]

I would love to see it have keyless start button.

Nothing wrong with that.

It's the little touches that go above and beyond

[oarih94]

to be honest, i think it could have been a bit better if it was either RWD or AWD but FWD is cheaper to build so that keeps costs down. would be nice to have the choice though

[Ge0vone]

MS6.

AWD and b00st

[qwertyuiopz123]

those sideburns are freakin nasty

[Ge0vone]

I was gonna comment on them

[EvanHershey]

.....a Nazi-Shifter? lol

[koukicrisp]

Vague and NOTCHY, not Nazi, but it did kind of sound like it though. hahaha

[aftermathsample305]

today ive looked at alot of videos of the mazdaspeed 3, and i am honestly surprised, what an incredible machine, and well priced for the performance given

[umrahsahab]

Wait till you drive it....and it is not the horsepower that is yummy. It is the way the whole car feels. Its like it just wants to have fun... lol

[IrishChris1979]

I really like this MS3 alot! I just think it's an awesome car with great performance for the money. It's also a modders dream, so many performance parts that make huge gains because of the turbocharger. I own a Corvette as a daily driver but, I'm seriously considering one of these MS3's as my daily driver & keeping the Vette as my weekend car... That's how impressed I am with this car. Thanks for the great review & to all you MS3 owners checking this out... Your car is amazing guys!!

[CarFanInCali]

Just came from the dealer and test drove this. Went to a Subaru dealer 2 hrs before and test drove the '09 WRX. The WRX had a stiffer ride compared to the MS3. Interior wise, the MS3 wins in that department. Power wise goes to the WRX (AWD is crazy!) Looks wise, I would say its a tie. Price wise, MS3 = $25k, WRX = $26k. The MS3 slightly offers a bit more (leather bolstered seats GT model, Bose stereo, rain sensing wipers, HIDs). Both excellent cars. Tough choice.

[loopba]

This guy can be summed up with one word: Sunglasses

[demariojason]

1:21=torque steer!! I experience this alot in the monte SS! ;)

[supremewhip]

Uh thanks for repeating after him. K thx. Now i can live on with my life.

[ojd1990]

and you're proud of it?

[morecowbell69]

Yes, the new MkV GTI's are German made. While they're in improvement, they still seem to have a lot of bizarre problems, especially developing all kinds of rattles and other noises after a few months. VW has said that the MkV has a bit overengineered, without enough thought to construction. The MkVI comes out in 2010...hopefully they'll

work out the kinks.

[dwightsheedy]

why are they only making 5000!!??!

[lujoebonjo]

because they lose money on every one. they have with every model mazdaspeed.

[jadetraveler]

I want one of these. :)

[cougar1233]

Great car review!

[morgangamer22]

COOL

[thestig2284]

What does he mean first and second are too tall? You have to shift it into third before 60 mph. Lots of car companies sacrifice track and driving quality by making the first two gears tall so they will have a better 0 to 60 times. Mazda didn't do that.

[Evo2nr90]

agree, first and second goes by in a flash.

[f4r20]

what he means is that the mazdaspeed 3 is limited to 225 hp on first and second to avoid wheel spin and torque steer, but when you reach 3rd you get complete boost.... of course that with a remap can be taken away an be even wilder on acceleration

[steve1300]

nice side burns

[derk702]

i love this car but until u guys drive a 260hp cobalt ss dont bag on it. fuckin dushbags..

[Alexsered]

I will bang on it, supposidly, all the cobalt SS is getting is the turbo'd engine from the saturn sky redline and the pontiac solstice GXP, and I spank those cars on and off the track. Also, those cars are supposed to out handle the cobalt in everything, but yet I spank them. So if that's all you got, the cobalt has nothing than.

[mjagately]

whoever said that vw's reliability blows can suck a fat one.

[Alexsered]

but you can't avoid the facts. VW's have been really crappy on the reliability factor

[jadetraveler]

Well, I remember hearing a long time ago that VWs were really reliable. My dad had a 1980 VW Scirocco that he stopped driving in 1998 only because the engine had lost noticeable power over the years. I think the reason their quality has gone down, at least in the US, is that their foreign manufacturing plants (namely in Mexico) have been lacking in quality. I've heard that their Passat - made in Germany - has gotten good quality reviews though.

[morecowbell69]

The GTI's are made in Germany, and they seem to be full of gremlins.

To bad...I'd love to have one if I didn't read so many horror stories about them.

For the hardcore VW lovers "you've just gotta live with it" is a common phrase.

[jadetraveler]

GTIs in the past have actually been made in Brazil or Mexico - at least the ones sold in the US. For a while I owned a 2001 GTI that was made in Brazil. But I believe all the newer MKV GTIs (from 2006 onward) are made in Germany, so maybe that will make a difference.

[909MS3]

I would rather ride my bike than to own a chevy let alone one of those Chevy Cobalt SS. I get 34 mpg in my speed3 and shits on a chevy, go have some ice cream

[yeahryanscali]

nice sideburns lmfao

[cougar1233]

I wished they made this fast little car in an automatic. I have a feeling they didn't because it would raise the price of the car a few thousand dollars. I can drive a stick, I just do a lot of tight city driving, with stop lights every 100 feet and a stick is a pain in the ass. I'm 39, as you get older you don't even want a stick if it's a hassle.

[Coixxman]

an Automatic would have lower performance and it would be less fun to drive aroung.

[SgtXbox360]

DSG maybe?

[biankaseba]

Hey guy Iam 43 years old. I love my Speed 3. I live in Miami and traffic here sucks, but when I find a hole in traffic Iam GONE!!!!!

[mike336619]

I was surprised to see that it doesn't a boost gauge. Does anyone know why not? Is that a big problem, technically, it's not as important to look at as the tach right? I mean, won't the waste gate take care of things...?....

[dbateman]

I don't know, that's about the only thing I found myself wanting with my MS3. I solved that problem by buying a DashHawk, it plugs into the OBDII port and mounts on your dash, displays things like boost, engine coolant temperature, and much more. Can also time 0-60 and 1/4 mile times.

[Sonicku]

I was so hype about da MAZDA3 until i found out that it was a FF, Hacthback, 4 door, family mini van slow ass car.

[CarReview07]

Have you driven an MS3? Do have any idea how well the car handles or how the extra torque is great at pulling the car off the line? Most people haul more than their butt to work or school every day. The hatchback can be really useful as an everyday car.

[cmbadass]

Line up! We'll show your ass slow!

And when we hit the twisties, hang on and marvel at the pretty LED tail lights I have.

[DinoMartini]

I really like it. In red it looks great. Mazda did wonders with the styling, its not too boy racer. Just a little bit here and there to give it some road presence but not enough that the cops pull you over every time you drive.

[Alexsered]

I agree, the complete opposite of this car is the Caliber SRT-4, thing has big shiny rims, a retarded hood school, huge wing, obnoxious body kit and just looks like a tricked out rice SUV. The ms3 is sleak and stealth. Love that about this car.

[nelson4568]

its a great car i went to the ny auto show today and sat in one now i have problems getting in cars with racing style seats because im 6 foot 5 and about 315 pounds  but i fit in it fine and it wasnt pinching my back at all lol

[mrjost55]

315?! wow...

[MelloSpeed]

I'm much smaller than you yet it's still very awkward for me to enter + exit every time. Requires more twisting & turning than any Yoga itself.

[nelson4568]

lol idk i sat in one at the newyork auto show and it seemed big to me maby they had an extended track but its a realy nice car

[FLip8822]

i was thinking about getting this car as my first car it looks prettyt sick and not too expensive

[biankaseba]

I bought a 2007 on April 2007. This car got hit at the back and got it fixed. I didn't like the way it came out of repair, so I decided to traded in for something else. I went to see different cars like the new G-37s, the Volvo T-30 t5,GTI and the Honda civic SI. Guess what I end up buying another Speed 3. 2008.5 model in pearl white. For the money you can go wrong with this car. Also the 2008.5 is a better car than the 2007.

[FLip8822]

i was thinking about getting this car as my first car it looks prettyt sick and not too expensive

[MelloSpeed]

Torque steer is cool. It means you're pushing the car hard. Don't see it as a problem. It's just a characteristic of the FWD Speed 3.

[nelson4568]

ITs true Volkswagon SUCKSSS

[voiceKoil731]

Lol I love the bike comment, seeming I do the same with my specialized mountian bike all the time, great space. Only thing you dont have to get a GT to get the pedals...

[sedansi0777]

PPL keeping bitching about the motor mount issue it had in the beginning... It's been f'n resolved you idiots! The car is badass end of story, suck it up and be happy with you week ass toyotas and hondas.

[Coixxman]

Is an excellent Car but I Don't know if it is reliable. That engine won't last as long as a Subaru or Honda or even a Volkswagen.

[civicexcoupe94]

You're wrong. Subaru is the only one in the group you named that might be able to contend with the reliability. Honda's reliability has been slipping year after year since the Kseries was invented, and VW's reliability is a joke. The 2.3 engine in the MS3 has allready won awards for reliabilty and performance. Remember, this engine has been being produced for years now.

[iluvmy03xrs]

are you kidding me! you are a dumbass civicexcoupe94! within the first months the speed 3 was recalled for a motormount failure. they said the bolt for the 4th mount would just loosen and come out causing the engine to drop down and destroy the drivetrain! piece of shit car. get a toyota!

[civicexcoupe94]

ROFL you're a fucking idiot. EVERY car has a major problem in a new models first year. The motor mount failure has lonnnnnggggg been fixed and only effected the first shipment or so. Also, I dont see how a motor MOUNT failure

[civicexcoupe94]

*** I some how clicked post when i wasnt done. Anyways, a motor MOUNT has nothing to do with the reliability of the ENGINE itself. Like I said, the mount has been fixed and only effected the first few shipments. For 25 grand it blows the doors off everytthing else in its price range. BTW, hows that pos 2zz powered matrix doing for you? How's not having any torque? Lets not forget how the 1zz's in the MR2 Spyders blew up all the time because Toyota doesnt know how to design a precat...

[xboxlivemonkey]

excuses man , thats all for the jealous

[its2realj]

dude the motor mount issue has been resolved. Get a toyota? wtf are you stupid? what toyota can even come close to a speed3 for the price? you are stupid....go elsewhere.

[iluvmy03xrs]

piece of shit mazda. not a good car. recalled for a motor mount failure. engine would drop and destroy drivetrain.piece of junk...for 25 grand,what a joke

[xboxlivemonkey]

go drive your toyota , maybe when toyota stops being a pussy , they can get on the track and try and win some track races

[voiceKoil731]

Ive had my motor mounts fail, my turbo seals blow, and other multiple things. BUT it was all warrantied, it still is warrantied, and still out performs, and out classes any car close to its price tag. Unless your buying used nothing touches it, HANDS DOWN

[Coixxman]

2008 Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo is faster and gets

22/30 miles per gallon (vs the MS3 18 mpg city)and it holds the Ring record for its class

[garrettej8]

who cares? I get 35mpg with my ms3 on the highway. no one buys these kind of cars to save on gas anyway. lets talk about how much more the chevy is going to depreciate in the years to come.

[fstms3]

Not really. MS3 ran the ring on an open day by an inexperience driver on the ring. Cobalt ss is shit in comparision buddy. keep dreaming

[ToxicDonut81]

Do you plan on driving it for 100,000+ miles? That is when you should START to think about reliability issues - before that, don't bother.

[sedansi0777]

You're kidding right?

[Love9sick]

Did he say 14.5 seconds on the 1/4 mile?! lol What happens after the 0-60? does it take a poo?

[REMAN121]

I don't agree with the torque steer comment in the review. Honestly, I test drove one and I could accelerate hard with one hand on the wheel and shifting with the other. This not a car for girls, if you cant handle it go work out some more.

[mattfay69]

I thought I wanted an SRT-4, until I saw this car. Its bad ass!

[djmixmac]

Torque Steer :(  FWD

[IztormI]

weee my dad owns one :D

[btgebo]

i love this car