Impreza WRX VS Mazda 3 MPS

[geg1992]

Hello,

Looking at getting one of the above two cars. Both are my favourite cars so I am looking to get one of them for a couple of years whilst I can afford them before I move out.

WRX 2004ish
MK1 Mazda 3 MPS

The initial cost + Insurance works out at about the same.

The thing that will pinch it though will probably be the overall running costs. I know with cars like these you can't think about MPG, but I have to be kind of realistic. I have a 10 mile commute to work, only dual carridgeway, so I could always go 60mph to work then enjoy the cars at the weekend!

What would have the best running costs?

MPG stats for the cars have the WRX in the lead, but the MPS seems to win with real-life figures. What do people get usually?

I do occasionally go on 200+ mile road trips, so if they are above 35mpg on the motorway thats a huge bonus!

People have mentioned high maintenance costs of the WRX, what is so high cost about them?

Really debating which one to get, and if it will be worth it at all, but If there's any time to get one, it's now!

How I see the pro's from each car:

WRX:

Looks
Noise
4WD


MPS:

Better MPG(?)
More BHP
More kit as standard, more modern
Rarer

I don't think you can beat the noise the WRX makes if I'm honest!

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

[jjones]

with the ppp/remap you should be able to get 30mpg , 32 if you really try hard.

[JFReturns]

WRX gets my vote. Flat four burble, four wheel drive, rally heritage. The age you're looking at should be more reliable than the MPS from what I've read too. Get a sportwagon and you have a practical all rounder.

[Ynox]

Got a MK2 3 MPS here.

Average on the trip computer is 29.7mpg. This is a mix of some city and mostly motorway driving these days.

Car is pretty comfortable, handles reasonably well. Servicing is reasonable at Mazda main dealers. Car hasn't gone wrong in the 2.5 years I've had it.

What would I choose? Not sure. 4WD would be nice for full throttle launches.

[geg1992]

Ynox said:

Got a MK2 3 MPS here.

Average on the trip computer is 29.7mpg. This is a mix of some city and mostly motorway driving these days.

Car is pretty comfortable, handles reasonably well. Servicing is reasonable at Mazda main dealers. Car hasn't gone wrong in the 2.5 years I've had it.

What would I choose? Not sure. 4WD would be nice for full throttle launches.

Thanks for the input! What kind of driving do you do? As that seems very reasonable, and as it's the same engine as the MK1, I guess it's only 1 or 2 mpg better.

[Hub]

The Mazda has the top rate £500 tax band! Impreza pre-2006 will be cheaper to tax, but perhaps a bit more thirsty.

[Ynox]

These days? Very little. Maybe a couple of hundred a month tops.

Used to use it for a 35 mile a day commute without too many problems though.

What's the VED on a WRX? A Mk1 3 MPS is nearly 500 quid. Also some MK1 3 MPS' aren't without their problems - cam chains, VVT systems and turbos can go.

[geg1992]

Ynox said:

These days? Very little. Maybe a couple of hundred a month tops.

Used to use it for a 35 mile a day commute without too many problems though.

What's the VED on a WRX? A Mk1 3 MPS is nearly 500 quid. Also some MK1 3 MPS' aren't without their problems - cam chains, VVT systems and turbos can go.

Yeah the tax being £500 does sound harsh. What mpg did you get on the 35 mile commute? Yeah true, but I hope to get a warranty if I do buy one, and make sure to look at several before rushing in! That's going to be a problem too - finding one that's been really well looked after!

[geg1992]

Hub said:

The Mazda has the top rate £500 tax band! Impreza pre-2006 will be cheaper to tax, but perhaps a bit more thirsty.

I wonder if the difference in MPG will cancel out the cheaper tax? Hmmm.

[Ynox]

Back when I was commuting in it the commute was mostly A roads / M4 - about 30 to the gallon.

Either car is probably not the car for you if you're that worried about MPG though. Remember that both will like a drink of super unleaded!

[geg1992]

Ynox said:

Back when I was commuting in it the commute was mostly A roads / M4 - about 30 to the gallon.

Either car is probably not the car for you if you're that worried about MPG though. Remember that both will like a drink of super unleaded!

Yeah you're probably right there, I'm just trying to be a bit sensible Yeah Super-unleaded only!

[Crafty_]

mk2 MPS is in a lower tax band IIRC, so you may consider it worth saving for a bit longer and getting one of those? look better too imho.

[geg1992]

Crafty_ said:

mk2 MPS is in a lower tax band IIRC, so you may consider it worth saving for a bit longer and getting one of those? look better too imho.

Yeah that's true actually, I worry about the depreciation with them though. Also I don't like the interior as much.

[pimpchez]

Ynox said:

Got a MK2 3 MPS here.

Average on the trip computer is 29.7mpg. This is a mix of some city and mostly motorway driving these days.

Car is pretty comfortable, handles reasonably well. Servicing is reasonable at Mazda main dealers. Car hasn't gone wrong in the 2.5 years I've had it.

What would I choose? Not sure. 4WD would be nice for full throttle launches.

Mk2 owner here ,although im stage 3 .Funnily enough its alot better on juice now than when it was stock 24mpg vs 21 although i dont hang about on the weekends .

What i would say is stay away from mazda if you can help it , there are a large majority of so called dealerships that dont even know the car exists let alone engine size etc .

The cars are quite reliable ,but the ko4 turbo is a weak link and so is the vvt (timing chain).
If the turbo is gone youl smell it and see the blue smoke , if the vvt is stretched you will probably hear it slapping the the cam cover .

I wanted a subaru before i got mine but at the end of the day the mps blends power and luxury so well you can forgive the lack of 4wd .

O and the burble , mine burbles not quite scooby but you can hear the undertones with a decent custom exhaust .

The mps especially in mk1 form is such a undercover car not much keeps up when your in 4th gear as stock let alone when you get to stage 3.

There is plenty of knowledge on our forum too and the facebook group

[pimpchez]

Ynox said:

Got a MK2 3 MPS here.

Average on the trip computer is 29.7mpg. This is a mix of some city and mostly motorway driving these days.

Car is pretty comfortable, handles reasonably well. Servicing is reasonable at Mazda main dealers. Car hasn't gone wrong in the 2.5 years I've had it.

What would I choose? Not sure. 4WD would be nice for full throttle launches.

Mk2 owner here ,although im stage 3 .Funnily enough its alot better on juice now than when it was stock 24mpg vs 21 although i dont hang about on the weekends .

What i would say is stay away from mazda if you can help it , there are a large majority of so called dealerships that dont even know the car exists let alone engine size etc .

The cars are quite reliable ,but the ko4 turbo is a weak leak and so is the vvt (timing chain).
If the turbo is gone youl smell it and see the blue smoke , if the vvt is stretched you will probably hear it slapping the the cam cover .

I wanted a subaru before i got mine but at the end of the day the mps blends power and luxury so well you can forgive the lack of 4wd .

O and the burble , mine burbles not quite scooby but you can hear the undertones with a decent custom exhaust .

The mps especially in mk1 form is such a undercover car not much keeps up when your in 4th gear as stock let alone when you get to stage 3.

There is plenty of knowledge on our forum too and the facebook group

Here is mine

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Mastodon2]

pimpchez said:

I wanted a subaru before i got mine but at the end of the day the mps blends power and luxury so well you can forgive the lack of 4wd .

O and the burble , mine burbles not quite scooby but you can hear the undertones with a decent custom exhaust .

That must be some custom exhaust if it gives an IL4 the offbeat burble of a boxer 4.

Anyway OP, get a WRX and stick a good exhaust on it. The sound of the WRX can't be beaten, and the 4WD will make it a much nicer car to exploit than the 3MPS.

[Baryonyx]

I wouldn't concern yourself with a mpg or two here or there when you're looking at cars like this. Use them as they were intended and they'll return dreadful figures. That's half the fun. I'd go for the Impreza though, without hesitation.

[pimpchez]

Mastodon2 said:

pimpchez said:

I wanted a subaru before i got mine but at the end of the day the mps blends power and luxury so well you can forgive the lack of 4wd .

O and the burble , mine burbles not quite scooby but you can hear the undertones with a decent custom exhaust .

That must be some custom exhaust if it gives an IL4 the offbeat burble of a boxer 4.

Anyway OP, get a WRX and stick a good exhaust on it. The sound of the WRX can't be beaten, and the 4WD will make it a much nicer car to exploit than the 3MPS.

Both have an un-equal manifolds ,hence the burble .

Op drive both and then decide ,I did

[andy118run]

I used to have an 03 reg WRX. Once I moved and acquired an 80 mile round trip to work it's days were numbered. Most of it was motorway but there was no chance of 35mpg. Used to do about 250-70 miles on a full tank, whatever that equates to.

The main cost I encountered was having the cambelt changed at 50k miles/ 5 years. Apart from that, servicing and consumables such as tyres were nothing remarkable.

No idea how it compares to a Mazda, but I'd have an Impreza WRX again without a doubt. Looking at the likes of AT, it's not always easy to come by a nice and tidy example of these though.