VW GTI and Mazdaspeed 3

[herrstreet]

I really dislike that strip of plastic on the front bumper above the opening... looks like a rubber mustache.

I agree - I think that the changes that were made to the 3's bumpers were unneeded and made the car slightly less attractive. Don't get me wrong, it's not an Aztec - The back end bothers me more. I don't care for the way the hatch bulges out and the rear glass sorta sags. It is similar to the Murano, which I also wasn't a big fan of.

My wife has the 3 sedan, and style aside, I prefer the functionality of the the GTI's dash. Particularly the radio, which looks cool in the 3, but is a little cryptic.

I'm really glad they made the mazdaspeed 3 - I hope they have success with it so cars like this continue to be made. VW could easily get us another 50 hp stock and now they have more reason to do so.

One last dig: I don't like the Mazda wheels at all. Not finding an alternative would be a deal killer from my perspective.

 

[gti5dr06]

i have agree with you on the stereo..that part definitely needs an update..on the wheels i think they're okay..but for a mazdaspeed model thats probably not a good thing..they should stand out..like the huf's do for the gti

 

[A18_RYU]

my dad and sister both have mazda 3s...might arrange a lil photoshoot....hehehe

my sister's one is fresh from the dealership today, and its a really nice carbon grey...which is what it is called. its a nice dark grey with like a slight shimmer as in the VW black magic pearl...obviously it isnt as nice as BMP! hehehhe

 

[Fuzzbear]

One last dig: I don't like the Mazda wheels at all. Not finding an alternative would be a deal killer from my perspective.

He had thought ahead on this... hes got wheels sitting in his shed waiting to go on..but hes waiting until the spring.

 

[Wantagti]

Around here, they're talking about marking them up. I think they'll end up like the Mazdaspeed6, stacking up in the lots. It's a nice car, but it looks so similar to the new Mazda3S. Very limited market for those cars it seems.... not sure why. Cool you have a friend with one though.

 

[Fuzzbear]

Around here, they're talking about marking them up. I think they'll end up like the Mazdaspeed6, stacking up in the lots. It's a nice car, but it looks so similar to the new Mazda3S. Very limited market for those cars it seems.... not sure why. Cool you have a friend with one though.

Yeah, He has family that works for Ford, so he was able to use S-Plan, finding a dealer willing to honor it proved to be a challenge..but not impossible.

 

[Wantagti]

That was a no-brainer stupid good deal. Good for him! Both our Mazdas have been pretty much trouble free.

 

[76er]

People are going to have a tough time picking the Mazda out from the sea of Mazda 3s out on the roads today. I live in an apartment and our downstairs garage has about 20 of them, some even parked side by side.

The Mazda Speed might have more horsepower, but we stand out from the crowd. :headbang:

 

[Lima]

I'm not a huge fan of the Mazda 3MPS (as it's called in Australia), but the standard 18s look fantastic and to be honest, if I'd never owned a Mk4 GTI I'd think the interior was pretty neat too.

In Aus spec they come standard with Bose stereo which sounds impressive on the spec sheet if nothing else. Not sure what the pricing is like in the states, but Down Under the Mazda is at the same level of pricing as the GTI, if anything it might be slightly more.

I'm sure the Mazda would be very reliable, pretty well built and undoubtedly quicker in a straight line, and possibly in the corners too, but I'd still prefer a Mk5 if I'm paying with my own money.

:thumbsup:

 

[Fuzzbear]

People are going to have a tough time picking the Mazda out from the sea of Mazda 3s out on the roads today. I live in an apartment and our downstairs garage has about 20 of them, some even parked side by side.

The Mazda Speed might have more horsepower, but we stand out from the crowd. :headbang:

His previous car was a spicy orange mica Mazdaspeed Protege.

Hes all about blending in with the crowd after a few years with the other one.

 

[gniknave]

I bought a 2006 Mazda3 S hatch with a 5-speed manual in July, heard about the Mazdaspeed3 coming, thought about it for a minute, then traded in the Mazda 2 weeks ago for my GTI.

 

[srbsta]

i like both cars but prefer the GTI

 

[Travis]

Yeah.. i didnt intend this thread to be a penis measuring contest at all.

Its funny how he posted this on the Mazda forums and got the exact opposite reaction : )
He did seem to have some issues shifting smoothly, but then again i used that as a rubbing it in point with the DSG. He did say that he liked the Interior of my car alot more. If he got employee pricing like he does for ford/mazda he probably would have looked at a GTI more.

Can you post a link to the mazda forum thread? Id love to read it to get some opposing opinions. I personally like the european style of the GTI better. Really they are different in design so it comes down to what you like. I do think the GTI looks cleaner in the way the lines flow together. The GTIs lines are simple in a complex way, the mazda's lines are complex in a simple way.

 

[Fuzzbear]

Can you post a link to the mazda forum thread? Id love to read it to get some opposing opinions. I personally like the european style of the GTI better. Really they are different in design so it comes down to what you like. I do think the GTI looks cleaner in the way the lines flow together. The GTIs lines are simple in a complex way, the mazda's lines are complex in a simple way.

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123652015

 

[Acoustic81]

If i didn't buy my GTI, i would have definitely bought a mazda of some type - i like the interiors of those cars. However on exterior styling, something turns me off about the 3. Maybe because of some of the harsh lines. Plus it looks more like a station wagon than a "hot hatch"