RE: Spotted: Mazda 3 MPS
Discussion
Another one who experienced a hot lap in one at Thruxton and I was staggered how much speed the driver managed to hussle it through the corners. Asked if the car was tweaked and told it was completely stock. If I was after a hot hatch and not to worried on looks, this would be at top of the list based on this experience.
Had a Mk1 Aero for the past 5 years & just passed 78K in it. Always been utterly reliable. Had a Leon Cupra R before & there was a noticable increase in performance & equally noticable decrease in prats trying to race it. Have got to a stage where I want the performance without the 'driven through Halfords' look that some of the fast Fords & Vauxhalls have. One of the few discrete looking hatches for those of us who don't want the saloon car path after 45 and don't want a German clone.
Yes, it has running costs but I don't remember the Seat being too cheap to run either, at least this one hasn't left me standing at the roadside. Happily cruises at 80 & can take off ASAP if needed in 6th. I know performance hatches are supposed to be 3 door but the 5 door style at least makes getting in easier in MS carparks designed for Austin 7's.
Only problem I find is the slightly dead steering feel, doesn't really make much difference on M. Ways or A roads where it spends most of its time. Only loosened up really well after about 50K & now gets about 34 mpg with reasonable speed on M.way. Will probably end up keeping it past 100K as it's got sod all trade in value now due to tax & can't really justify spending ££ to get a newer more bloated car.
Yes, it has running costs but I don't remember the Seat being too cheap to run either, at least this one hasn't left me standing at the roadside. Happily cruises at 80 & can take off ASAP if needed in 6th. I know performance hatches are supposed to be 3 door but the 5 door style at least makes getting in easier in MS carparks designed for Austin 7's.
Only problem I find is the slightly dead steering feel, doesn't really make much difference on M. Ways or A roads where it spends most of its time. Only loosened up really well after about 50K & now gets about 34 mpg with reasonable speed on M.way. Will probably end up keeping it past 100K as it's got sod all trade in value now due to tax & can't really justify spending ££ to get a newer more bloated car.
renorti said:
no wonder I have seen 30 of these this weekend in my town {swansea}
30? I'm from Swansea, take quite an interest in these as my best mate drives one. As far as I've ever seen, there are no moe than 3 in the whole of Swansea. And the only one I ever see more than once a month is my mates one.vrtrooper said:
These are very popular with the more discrete drug suppliers around here.
Great sleeper car though, plenty of people have tried dabbling it and very few manage to keep up. I prefer my Mk1 RS to this though, purely because it feels so much more alive in the corners.
Gun said:
The two main issues are hesitation when accelerating that gets progressively worse and a smokey exhaust after idling, mine has both. They've managed to fix the smokey exhaust; it needed a new turbo on a 5 year old car with just over 40k miles on the clock...
They've so far failed to fix the hesitation despite replacing the o2 sensor, MAF and a new set of spark plugs. They've now fitted over £2000 worth of new parts to my car.
Hesitation could be high-pressure fuel pump? - there was a tech bulletin out in the early days about the pump not being able to keep up with fuel requirements at max torque... their solution: updated ECU software that reduced max torque They've so far failed to fix the hesitation despite replacing the o2 sensor, MAF and a new set of spark plugs. They've now fitted over £2000 worth of new parts to my car.
- these days you can get uprated pumps which are usually required to get the most from a remap.. same kind of issue as the TFSI VW engine has.enroz said:
The whole point of the post is it's dullness!
This is what a Q car is and should be!
Apparently they also have a very nice kit as standard, including a very expensive stereo system.
The police won't even look twice at you in your boring grey hatch.
Nice.
...they will if you pass them at 140...This is what a Q car is and should be!
Apparently they also have a very nice kit as standard, including a very expensive stereo system.
The police won't even look twice at you in your boring grey hatch.
Nice.
NeoVR said:
Gun said:
The two main issues are hesitation when accelerating that gets progressively worse and a smokey exhaust after idling, mine has both. They've managed to fix the smokey exhaust; it needed a new turbo on a 5 year old car with just over 40k miles on the clock...
They've so far failed to fix the hesitation despite replacing the o2 sensor, MAF and a new set of spark plugs. They've now fitted over £2000 worth of new parts to my car.
Hesitation could be high-pressure fuel pump? - there was a tech bulletin out in the early days about the pump not being able to keep up with fuel requirements at max torque... their solution: updated ECU software that reduced max torque They've so far failed to fix the hesitation despite replacing the o2 sensor, MAF and a new set of spark plugs. They've now fitted over £2000 worth of new parts to my car.
- these days you can get uprated pumps which are usually required to get the most from a remap.. same kind of issue as the TFSI VW engine has.I know many dealers were fitting the wrong plugs, or owners using uprated plugs and doing exactly what you say to your car was happening?
I know mine was terrible when I cahnged plugs...5 sets later the problem was cured with genuine Mazda MPS plugs (FoMoCo)
Cheers
gavzdc5445 said:
NeoVR said:
Gun said:
The two main issues are hesitation when accelerating that gets progressively worse and a smokey exhaust after idling, mine has both. They've managed to fix the smokey exhaust; it needed a new turbo on a 5 year old car with just over 40k miles on the clock...
They've so far failed to fix the hesitation despite replacing the o2 sensor, MAF and a new set of spark plugs. They've now fitted over £2000 worth of new parts to my car.
Hesitation could be high-pressure fuel pump? - there was a tech bulletin out in the early days about the pump not being able to keep up with fuel requirements at max torque... their solution: updated ECU software that reduced max torque They've so far failed to fix the hesitation despite replacing the o2 sensor, MAF and a new set of spark plugs. They've now fitted over £2000 worth of new parts to my car.
- these days you can get uprated pumps which are usually required to get the most from a remap.. same kind of issue as the TFSI VW engine has.I know many dealers were fitting the wrong plugs, or owners using uprated plugs and doing exactly what you say to your car was happening?
I know mine was terrible when I cahnged plugs...5 sets later the problem was cured with genuine Mazda MPS plugs (FoMoCo)
Cheers
Using lower quality petrol than the 98RON (UK) recommended by Mazda
Using the wrong specification oil
Fitting low back pressure aftermarket exhausts
big_boz said:
The St has the Volvo derived 5 pot turbo, Mazda is a 2.3 4 turbo, Focus has a much nicer soundtrack as a result.
I could never justify running a car that has such high tax/poor fuel economy though. I did very briefly think about a 6 MPS a few years back as the bang for buck is so high but i would resent the thing too much.
It's not actually that poor when you look at the whole picture, yes the tax is a little higher than some of the other hot hatches but the insurance is also cheaper, the fuel economy is pretty good I find for what you actually get especially at the side of something like the Focus ST.I could never justify running a car that has such high tax/poor fuel economy though. I did very briefly think about a 6 MPS a few years back as the bang for buck is so high but i would resent the thing too much.
My insurance is £200 cheaper a year than the civic type-r i swopped it for I get the same/better mpg and also have an extra 100bhp a load more toys and comfort.
I have the same emgine in my CX7.
Its a cracking engine, though the turbos are weak.
I am very tempted not to replace it. Its the longest time I've owned a car.
Having potentially expensive conversations with a company that can remap it, change the turbo, uprate the brakes and give me 300-400 BHP.
Great engine, and though my car is an SUV most people assume its a diesel. I love the idea of the 3. Dressing down in a kind of old money way. Just a dowdy not very new Jap shopping car to potter around in......
My retired neighbours had one. The guy loved it and used to grin and pat the bonnet Wen he saw me. His wife who doesn't drive had no idea. Just a sensible hatchback to her when he drove her to the shops. A different story he told e when he was on hs own. They have a diesel pug people carrier thing now :-(
Its a cracking engine, though the turbos are weak.
I am very tempted not to replace it. Its the longest time I've owned a car.
Having potentially expensive conversations with a company that can remap it, change the turbo, uprate the brakes and give me 300-400 BHP.
Great engine, and though my car is an SUV most people assume its a diesel. I love the idea of the 3. Dressing down in a kind of old money way. Just a dowdy not very new Jap shopping car to potter around in......
My retired neighbours had one. The guy loved it and used to grin and pat the bonnet Wen he saw me. His wife who doesn't drive had no idea. Just a sensible hatchback to her when he drove her to the shops. A different story he told e when he was on hs own. They have a diesel pug people carrier thing now :-(
After all the issues I have had with my MPS 3, would never touch another one. IF there was any way I could get rid of mine without losing 2k on it then I would.
If working, I can imagine they are outstanding performance with bigger boot than an equivalent golf gti and better equipped too. Depends on what people want from their car tbh, mine is a hack which I spend 2 hours a day driving to and from work, its comfy and has a BOSE stereo so it doesn't bother me being stuck in traffic with it but I have owned it for 2 months and it spend 5 of the 8 weeks back at the garage with various problems.
If working, I can imagine they are outstanding performance with bigger boot than an equivalent golf gti and better equipped too. Depends on what people want from their car tbh, mine is a hack which I spend 2 hours a day driving to and from work, its comfy and has a BOSE stereo so it doesn't bother me being stuck in traffic with it but I have owned it for 2 months and it spend 5 of the 8 weeks back at the garage with various problems.
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