2010 Mazdaspeed 3: Open Thread

Pics of how big the glove compartment since the previous gen's was ginormous. And how about the beam pattern of the low beams and fog lights against a wall? Is the horn still just as puny sounding as the previous gen?

Are the rumors true that the seat pattern can sometimes cause blindness? :) Seriously though, I hate it and I wish they still had the alcantara option like in the the '09. I came really close to buying an '09 and that was one of the details that nearly clinched it for me, along with having HIDs (I was looking at the GT package).

I'd be interested in the suspension tuning differences between this and the last generation, since it appears to be where the bulk of the differences lie. What did they do, and how does it make it better?

I'll love to see the following video made on a closed course.

Video camera step up to record the steering wheel, and if possible? The speedometer.

Car is lined up on a straight roadway, driver floors the throttle - and let's see how much the steering wheel drifts as a result of torque steer.

Does it naturally understeer without putting power down?

Couple questions:

Does the clutch still feel broken? The last gen the clutch pick-up was awful catching in an instant.

Does the car still ride like a 90s Civic with cut springs - ie a skateboard with no suspension?

Does the muffler drone on and on like a 91 Honda with a coffee can exhaust? The last gen's exhaust made me want to play dance, dance revolution and then put a bullet in my skull.

That's 3 questions.

I wants to know how many would consider actually buying one as their primary car.

I assume you all drive with a heavy foot. Can decent fuel mileage be had by driving nice and easy (most of the time).

A bit off topic but will we ever see a Mazdaspeed 6 again? I love the MS3 it's just a little small.

"I wants to know how many would consider actually buying one as their primary car."

Not me.

(Owner of a black with tech package 2010 MS3. Love the black, pulls the eyes away from the grin in front. Most people I have to point the "smiley" out to.)

Clutch feels fine to me, and I drove both generations.

I find the ride more, dare I say, European, than my girlfriend's 09 GTI's. Higher handling limits, feels more stable, but also soaks up the bumps much, much better.

Love the exhaust note on this car. Can drone a bit above 4-5k, but sounds amazing down low.

But I predict praise from the staff on the storage space, thrust, practicality, surprisingly useful nav, and value.

And demerits on the transmission in certain cases, the always lacking pause of CD's/Satellite when taking a bluetooth call (at least it can rewind Sat, can't say that for the GTI), torque steer, steering wheel blocking the multi-function screen for shorter drivers, and glare on the screen.

Oh and I foresee the staff getting 19-20 mpg combined, but I get 22-23 combined with a decently heavy foot, with a surprising 30 on the highway.

All in all, loving the car. Just gotta find a track!

What kind of feedback does the car provide when driven at the limit? It's a guessing game for me in my 09'. Hopefully the 2010 is more confidence inspiring.

how is leg room compared to the 2009 3's?

I ended up passing on the old ones because the center stack was soo wide, that my knee would ram into while test driving. I know some of you previous gen mazda 3 reviewers mentioned this too.

seems to effect mainly 6' + tall people.

"Just gotta find a track!"

Don't get your hopes up; my 2007 MS3 is an extremely mediocre HPDE car at best..

Does the Speed 3 have memory and/or power seats? How do you guys adjust the seats in your cars when they go between so many editors? Do you find some cars have a better power/manual seat adjustment and memory function than others? What's a good way, or the appropriate way, to set your seats?

I would love to see how the Mazdaspeed handles long road trips. I've been thinking about getting one to be my daily driver for a while and I want see how it holds up. Also, granted you guys run into some, I would love to see how the MS3 handles bad weather. If it can hack it when the weather gets funky then that might seal the deal, otherwise I'm going to be paying more for a WRX.

I'd like to see a comparison against the 2010 GTI.

@dips200

I went on a 1500 mi road trip in my 08.5 MS3 GT and it took it like a champ. Interstates, b roads, mountain passes, you name it, it handled it very nicely. It was a week of me and a friend driving on average 5 hours a day and at the end of the trip I could've kept on driving, the car didn't complain at all, and neither did we. The car was a pleasant cruiser when it had to be and a rowdy performer when we gave it the beans. As for winter driving, where I live it doesn't snow so I can afford to keep the "summer"rubber year long, but those who do live in snowy places say the car is great with some winter tires.
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From what I've read, the early 07s had a different clutch that was probably mended with the 08.5/9 MY, since I've never had issues with the clutch being too stiff or too tricky.

I have experienced both great mileage and poor one. The poor one is product of inner city crawling, and I've seen mileage as low as 16.7 mpg. On this recent trip cruising just under the speed limit at the interstate, I managed a couple of tanks near 29 mpg (calculated mpg, not based on the trip computer).

As for what I'd like to know, I would like to see impressions about the current ms3's seats, vs. the alcantara ones of the previous gen (though I'm well aware that those seats were as polarizing as the sparkly vampire movie). Also, the 1st gen's shifter hates to be rushed from the 2-3 upshift, and you sometimes shift and bump into nothing if you're not smooth enough, does this still happen on the new one? Also, do the ecu programming made to "smoothen out shifts" make the rev's hang as annoyingly as a Civic SI?

@ckk2 -- Not sure if we will see a mazdaspeed6 again, but i own a 2007 mazdaspeed6 and have test driven a 2009 MS3 and the seating space is only slightly better in the MS6. As for transporting items, the MS6 does not have a fold down rear seat, so the MS3 might actually be better for transporting larger items.

I would like to know how loud the car is inside the car. In the 09MS3, you could hardly talk to the person in the backseat it was so loud (at cruising throttle). I heard that the 2010 mazda3 has additional sound proofing,that i would guess carried over to the MS3. Any chance on a decibel test at idle, cruising and WOT and maybe compare it to a non-performance competitor ie the Fit, the SX4 or a Mazda3 if you have one? Thanks.

I may be the only person lame enough to ask this question, but as a previous-gen Mazda3 Grand Touring owner, I find myself debating between the Mazda3 S Grand Touring and the Mazdaspeed3. The GT is a borderline luxury car, with headed leather seats, xenon headlights, and a sunroof (all of which are also available on the 2010 VW GTI...); the MS3 doesn't even have the options. If Mazda would release a luxed-up MS3 with a comparable package to the GT, the issue would be settled. The MS3 seems to be a rip-snorting good time, but there are some days that I'd prefer a hiney-heater and an open sunroof to 263 horsepower. Is the performance trade-off worth the missing features?

@masanori: Personally I think 250hp on a FWD vehicle is too much... but if I were in your position, the GTI is a perfect compromise/non-compromise to performance and luxury.

I consider the lack of a sunroof to be a major plus.

Streets of Willow Springs lap time?

An IL hot hatch comparo: 2010 MS3 vs. 2010 GTI vs. 2010 WRX

agree with subytrojan! ms3 vs gti vs wrx!!

Are the gauges lit in the same way as the ones on previous-gen 3s? I had a Mazda3 as a rental for a week or so and the red/blue lighting is really bad at night. Not entirely sure why, maybe it's just me.

Is navigation in MS3s as useless as it seems? Tiny screen, can only be controlled from the steering wheel - any point in getting it?

How do you like the seats?

Lack of a sunroof even as an option is definitely a minus for me. I asked a salesperson about it and he went into a speech about high performance cars not needing sunroofs, then told me that I can get a shop to install a sunroof for about 700 dollars if I really need one. Seriously?

A GTI vs MS3 vs WRX comparison would be somewhat useless in my opinion, as it would just confirm what everyone already knows about those cars. I'd much rather see a GTI as a long-term car to see how reliable VWs are now, but that's unlikely.

I haven't driven a MS3, but I just rented a regular Mazda3, and I was very impressed with it. It handled well, good steering feel (even with electric assist), decent brakes, comfortable, nice interior, decent looking outside, and well equipped for an economy car. I can see how a MS3 would be a fun car with this platform and a strong engine. If I were in the market for a car like this, it would come down to the MS3 or the Cobalt SS.

I have to agree with masanori4585.
I think Ive been to my local dealer four times just to check the ms3 out. I really want one but am torn with the available options. The grand touring fully loaded is comparable in price to the ms3 with the tech package but the GT package adds so much more to the car. I really need a sunroof. I also would have a hard time giving up my MX-5. I wonder which is more fun to drive. Guess I'll need to test drive the ms3.

How bout a road trip? How are the seats on a long drive? And Id like to hear about the electronics navi. Is it useful, easy to use, blutooth integration, Bose stereo with Ipod. How does the car handle with four adults?