WRX (hatch) or Mazda 3 MPS
Discussion
Evening chaps. As title really. I want to spend between £10k and £12k on one of the above some time this year. Alternative suggestions also welcome, but it must be at least an 08 plate and not truly stupid to run. Believe you me I have thought long and hard about what I want. This will be a local daily driver. When I need to go any further the wife will use it (so it can't be too stupid) and I'll use her R56 Cooper (which between you and me I love). I have another "toy" for the weekend, so it doesn't have to be any quicker or track orientated.
I think these two offer me what I want until I can afford to sell the Tiger and one tintop and buy my 911! I actually really like the Mazda 6 MPS, but there is no post-07 version of that as far as I can tell.
Any advice or thoughts? Off to the pub with the missus now, but will monitor responses from my phone when she's not looking!
ta
Dan
I think these two offer me what I want until I can afford to sell the Tiger and one tintop and buy my 911! I actually really like the Mazda 6 MPS, but there is no post-07 version of that as far as I can tell.
Any advice or thoughts? Off to the pub with the missus now, but will monitor responses from my phone when she's not looking!
ta
Dan
Out of these two, and baring in mind i'm scooby through and through, i would opt for the Mazda.
Handles better, same performance, and IMHO looks better. When the WRX hatch first came out i saw back to back tests between both of these cars and the Mazda came out on top.
WRX hatch was the worst thing Subaru ever did!! Even the WRX-S wasn't hugely better. They shouldn't have bothered with either and just brought out an STi.
Handles better, same performance, and IMHO looks better. When the WRX hatch first came out i saw back to back tests between both of these cars and the Mazda came out on top.
WRX hatch was the worst thing Subaru ever did!! Even the WRX-S wasn't hugely better. They shouldn't have bothered with either and just brought out an STi.
ScoobieWRX said:
Out of these two, and baring in mind i'm scooby through and through, i would opt for the Mazda.
Handles better, same performance, and IMHO looks better. When the WRX hatch first came out i saw back to back tests between both of these cars and the Mazda came out on top.
WRX hatch was the worst thing Subaru ever did!! Even the WRX-S wasn't hugely better. They shouldn't have bothered with either and just brought out an STi.
A decent response, thanks mate. I think I agree. My favourite scooby is the Hawkeye, but it's too old. The hatch is a poor incarnation in my view - but still a scooby. I think msybe I'll drive a couple.Handles better, same performance, and IMHO looks better. When the WRX hatch first came out i saw back to back tests between both of these cars and the Mazda came out on top.
WRX hatch was the worst thing Subaru ever did!! Even the WRX-S wasn't hugely better. They shouldn't have bothered with either and just brought out an STi.
ScoobieWRX said:
Handles better, same performance, and IMHO looks better. When the WRX hatch first came out i saw back to back tests between both of these cars and the Mazda came out on top.
WRX hatch was the worst thing Subaru ever did!! Even the WRX-S wasn't hugely better. They shouldn't have bothered with either and just brought out an STi.
I think you're the first person I've heard say the MPS handles better than a WRX, pretty sure all the reviews I've read said it was just as quick (and maybe a bit stronger in the mid-range) but the WRX had it well licked on the handling front, torque-steer and traction being key issues.WRX hatch was the worst thing Subaru ever did!! Even the WRX-S wasn't hugely better. They shouldn't have bothered with either and just brought out an STi.
Most tests are a lot more positive than you about the WRX hatch tbh, despite it being a bit softer than previous versions.
I tell no lies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6PGMi89qRo&fea...
And this one wasn't the first test i saw which was i think by Car.com. This is a different test by Inside Line.
ETA: Ben, I love scoobs through and through. I play with them for a living and won't have a bad word said against the humble Subaru by anyone that's never owned one, but let's be honest here.....The WRX hatch is properly s
te and is undoubtedly the worst car ever made by Subaru.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6PGMi89qRo&fea...
And this one wasn't the first test i saw which was i think by Car.com. This is a different test by Inside Line.
ETA: Ben, I love scoobs through and through. I play with them for a living and won't have a bad word said against the humble Subaru by anyone that's never owned one, but let's be honest here.....The WRX hatch is properly s
te and is undoubtedly the worst car ever made by Subaru.Edited by ScoobieWRX on Wednesday 15th February 06:42
NZ Autocar October 07 said:
...Which leads us nicely to the real reason the WRX is the better choice for more drivers over a wider range of driving conditions: its more complete chassis performance. Subaru really has built a better mouse-trap here, given that the Rex has always been rich in driver comfort, involvement, and entertainment.
...
It's the driver that's always in complete control of the Subaru, not the bumps beneath it or the torque that's reaching the front wheels. The wheel of the MPS isn't quite the commander of direction it should be. You have to ease the throttle at times to keep the Mazda on the desired track, and its less compliant suspension fails to blot out road imperfections as well as the Subaru's, forcing the car off line on the bigger hits.
...
So it all comes down to what defines a car for you. If its the engine, the Mazda is the pinch-hitter of this pair: if the chassis, there's currently none finer in the compact performance-car sector than the one that underpins the new Impreza WRX.
They preferred the MPS interior(leather), 6-speed box and and extra grunt though. The yank-spec WRX in the vid does look a lot more roly-poly and running a narrower, taller tyre too, looks like maybe a 195 or 205/50-16 rather than the 215/45-17 we get....
It's the driver that's always in complete control of the Subaru, not the bumps beneath it or the torque that's reaching the front wheels. The wheel of the MPS isn't quite the commander of direction it should be. You have to ease the throttle at times to keep the Mazda on the desired track, and its less compliant suspension fails to blot out road imperfections as well as the Subaru's, forcing the car off line on the bigger hits.
...
So it all comes down to what defines a car for you. If its the engine, the Mazda is the pinch-hitter of this pair: if the chassis, there's currently none finer in the compact performance-car sector than the one that underpins the new Impreza WRX.
PS I think you're on your own with the worst-Subaru-ever call, I guess you never encountered the Impreza CS in all its 1.5L automatic Fwd glory.
Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 15th February 07:17
ScoobieWRX said:
oh yeah....And it was quicker on the slalom course too 
Could easily be simply down to tyres though.ScoobieWRX said:
The Mazda wins hands down. WRX hatch....2nd worst car Subaru ever made 
Funny that the UK car media hated the WRX hatch, yet I read reviews from foreign sources that thought it was great. I'd want the STi though, but that's just me. If you are going to hold the supposed "handling" gremlins of the WRX against it and hadling purity is something you are after, I wouldn't be considering the a powerful FWD turbo car either.
Personally, I'd take a bloke or Hawk STi over either of them. Is 5 or 6 years really "too old"? "Too old" in what sense? It's not like these things do 3 years then drop to bits.
Personally, I'd take a bloke or Hawk STi over either of them. Is 5 or 6 years really "too old"? "Too old" in what sense? It's not like these things do 3 years then drop to bits.
I am curious as to the age limit thing? Is it a status thing or something like concerns over reliability?
I am not trying to have a dig by the way, just rather interested.
Out of the 2, my choice would be the Impreza, but the Sti, not the WRX. I know a lad selling a white hatch Sti and pretty sure he is looking for around 12k. Away from these I would be looking for a hawkeye Sti or maybe a GB270. There are those out there registered in 2008 and if its the one you prefer........................???????
Just a quick example:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3322255.htm
Or this:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
I am not trying to have a dig by the way, just rather interested.
Out of the 2, my choice would be the Impreza, but the Sti, not the WRX. I know a lad selling a white hatch Sti and pretty sure he is looking for around 12k. Away from these I would be looking for a hawkeye Sti or maybe a GB270. There are those out there registered in 2008 and if its the one you prefer........................???????
Just a quick example:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3322255.htm
Or this:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Evil.soup said:
I am curious as to the age limit thing? Is it a status thing or something like concerns over reliability?
It's because I get a car allowance (I don't do high enough private mileage to take the company car option), so really the car needs to be less than 5 years old. Also it would be hard to sell a 57 plate or older car to the missus. Her R56 did me for £9k on a 57 plate a year or so ago.Evil.soup said:
That is a very nice car for that money actually. Much nicer looking than the hatch in my view too.Don't get the WRX Dan,
Dont missunderstand me, its no slouch, but none of the Turbo flat fours are fuel efficient (which was one of your requirements).
Put it another way, I never bought one after I sold my last STI Saloon as they never felt right and ive been the President of the local owners club for over 10years.
Then again, I never really got on with my Super Six, but you've had yours a long time.
Dont missunderstand me, its no slouch, but none of the Turbo flat fours are fuel efficient (which was one of your requirements).
Put it another way, I never bought one after I sold my last STI Saloon as they never felt right and ive been the President of the local owners club for over 10years.
Then again, I never really got on with my Super Six, but you've had yours a long time.
Contaminated said:
Evil.soup said:
I am curious as to the age limit thing? Is it a status thing or something like concerns over reliability?
It's because I get a car allowance (I don't do high enough private mileage to take the company car option), so really the car needs to be less than 5 years old. Also it would be hard to sell a 57 plate or older car to the missus. Her R56 did me for £9k on a 57 plate a year or so ago.Just a rather boring thought, but what is the insurance like for both cars? (you spoke about it not being stupid to run).
When I investigated subaru's a couple of years back the insurance was just mental pricey. My 350z was significantly cheaper to insure (like nearly a grand cheaper)
Killed the WRX idea pretty much stone dead for me...
When I investigated subaru's a couple of years back the insurance was just mental pricey. My 350z was significantly cheaper to insure (like nearly a grand cheaper)
Killed the WRX idea pretty much stone dead for me...
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