Test Drove Mazda 3 MPS..Shocked!

[mikearwas]

Hello all,

im looking for a fairly potent car for around 8-9k so decided to take a 2008 3MPS for a test drive. To be perfectly honest i was shocked at how good it was. Admittedly tha handling was a litle dull but my god the in gear acceleration was quite simply ridiculous. My dad had a cls55 amg and although the power band in the mazda was smaller, at the right revs it pulled almost as hard. Genuninelly a shockingly quick car made all the more amazing by the fairly bland looks. At one point an audi 3.0 a4 came up behind at some lick on a dual carriageway and flashed his lights, amazingly the salesman said to me "smoke him."!! Third gear 3000 rpm and full throttle the audi quite simply disappeared backwards. The shove really is remarkable.

I have to say that this is the car i am now loooking to buy, i know there are peopke who will criticise them but to be honest you cant argue with 260bhp. Furthermore, as im only 20, it is remarkably cheap (for someone of my age) to insure at £1000. It also has every possible extra, bose speakers, cruise control, xenons the works! I'm a car nut and wasnt expecting to like the mazda, but i came away open mouthed, dribbling from that ridiculous in gear turbo shove. Although i probably shouldnt say this we hit some miles per hour (clearly sighted straight road with no traffic at that point) effortlessley and the car was still pulling hard. Even in fifth and sixth it kicks hard when on boost. I have since found out that they are quicker from 70-100 than a 997s! Anyhow i suppose the point of this post is to advise people looking for a hot hatch to not dismiss the mazda because i was very pleasantly surprised.

Cheers

Edited by mikearwas on Sunday 6th February 17:57

[Waugh-terfall]

They're great aren't they?! Thruxton use them on the circuit for tuition etc.

I'd absolutely love one, but just not in the market yet, unfortunately. Are they really that cheap to insure?!

[5potTurbo]

They are quick, but make sure you follow their service schedule for oil changes RELIGIOUSLY

Your test drive was obviously done on German Autobahns

[scooby jeff]

+1

Mate has an mps and as you say the rate of acceleration is brilliant on a scale of impreza sti's and evo's. Very impressed indeed.

[mikearwas]

Your test drive was obviously done on German Autobahns
[/quote]


Guess i left myself open to that one!

And yep they really are that cheap to insure, although i somehow have managed to get myself into somewhat of an insurance sweet spot with really knowing how!

[750turbo]

I have always had a soft spot for them, but aren't they very thirsty, and drink the expensive stuff?

[mikearwas]

750turbo said:

I have always had a soft spot for them, but aren't they very thirsty, and drink the expensive stuff?

They are pretty thirsty, i averaged 21.3mpg on my test drive but to be fair i wasnt exactly gentle. Tell me of another non diesel car that will give you that kind of performance with better fuel consumption- there cant be many.

[joebongo]

mikearwas said:

They are pretty thirsty, i averaged 21.3mpg on my test drive but to be fair i wasnt exactly gentle. Tell me of another non diesel car that will give you that kind of performance with better fuel consumption- there cant be many.

My old E38 740 sport?

[kambites]

mikearwas said:

They are pretty thirsty, i averaged 21.3mpg on my test drive but to be fair i wasnt exactly gentle. Tell me of another non diesel car that will give you that kind of performance with better fuel consumption- there cant be many.

I can get twice that out of my Elise if I'm careful, and 50% better if a rag it. Slightly different type of car, though.

[PHmember]

5potTurbo said:

Your test drive was obviously done on German Autobahns

mikearwas said:

Guess i left myself open to that one!

He wasn't having a dig, he was advising you that it's not exactly wise to post about breaking speed limits on an open forum, especially one that quite a few policemen are members of.

[stevemiller]

All rolling roads by Mags put them at 280bhp thats why they hold on to Focus RS which although claim over 300bhp most have shown less than 300bhp when tested on the same RR

[mikearwas]

PHmember said:

He wasn't having a dig, he was advising you that it's not exactly wise to post about breaking speed limits on an open forum, especially one that quite a few policemen are members of.

Fair enough, but they would have to prove it! Could always be forum bravado from myself!

[EDLT]

mikearwas said:

PHmember said:

He wasn't having a dig, he was advising you that it's not exactly wise to post about breaking speed limits on an open forum, especially one that quite a few policemen are members of.

Fair enough, but they would have to prove it! Could always be forum bravado from myself!

A quick read of 10PS's prison diary is in order.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

The things you post on a public forum can be used against you, regardless of context.

[threespires]

I'd love to know where you get insurance for that price. My son is 22 and pays £2,000 for his 1.8 Celica.

[-Z-]

mikearwas said:

I have since found out that they are quicker from 70-100 than a 997s!

If you mean through the gears then thats total BS.

[Mastodon2]

stevemiller said:

All rolling roads by Mags put them at 280bhp thats why they hold on to Focus RS which although claim over 300bhp most have shown less than 300bhp when tested on the same RR

Has any Focus RS ever tested a true 300bhp? From what I remember, 275 was about the most any of the independant tests showed up. Talk about marketing!

As for insuring a 3MPS at 20 for £1000 - really? Seems almost as realistic as the a 20 year old who told me he drives a Nissan GTR a little while ago, I would love to know who you guys go with.

[Regiment]

With 2 years no claims and being 27, I was quoted £1014 to insure a 250 cup, so shocked that a 20 year old would be quoted the same, especially for a car that is supposed to be as raw as the mps.

[G0ldfysh]

kambites said:

I can get twice that out of my Elise if I'm careful, and 50% better if a rag it. Slightly different type of car, though.

Yup and if you want the thump of a turbo, there is another option to get the same level of economy.

Admittedly interior comforts, (cup holders etc) not to the modern hatch standards

[David87]

mikearwas said:

they are quicker from 70-100 than a 997s!

In 6th gear then yes, it probably is. Through the gears, however and it's goodbye Mazda.

Probably a decent car (and I haven't driven one, I must add), but I get the impression the handling isn't very involving and there's only so much forward shove you can take before it gets a little boring and you get used to it. Something like a Focus ST Mountune would do the drag racing stuff but be a little more fun in the corners at the same time IMO.

[kambites]

Aren't the 3 and the Focus basically the same chassis? If so, I'd imagine you could make the 3 handle like the Focus easily enough if you tried.