[Mostly Harmless]

Hello everyone! There is a good chance that I will soon be a proud MS3 owner. My cousin works in the automotive field and has a hook up that will get me a great price on a new MS3. Currently I am driving a 2004 Nissan Xterra S/C but I am running out of miles on my lease and want to purchase another car. Here is my question that I hope some of you guys can help me with: The hook up my cousin knows currently has a silver MS3 GT sitting on his lot. Out of all the colors silver is my least favorite. But he does have a Cosmic Blue Sport coming in any day now that he will hold for me. I don't know if I should suck it up about hating the color silver to get the GT or if settling for the sport edition in a color I like better. Is the GT really worth getting over the sport? Also there is a chance that the guy will get other MS3's, as of right now he only knows of the Cosmic Blue Sport that is on it's way to his dealership, so I have another choice of sitting around and waiting to see what comes in. The only issue with that is that I am jumping out of my skin to start driving/modding one of these beast. I would appreciate anyones opinion! I look forward to contributing to this forum once I get my MS3. 8)

 

[sp33dy GT]

pending your hookup pricing your paying 20+ thousand dollars, color preference is upto you.

i almost bougt a true red, but with the way i drive it wouldnt have been wise and also i wasnt too fond of it.

i was set on black mica, called 4 surrounding states til i found one at a dealer ~5 miles away.

no one can answer for you if u should go for silver or not. but i can say i definately wanted a GT. to me the options are worth the added cost.

get what u want and what's not avail.

 

[awdturbo]

Here's why I bought a GT over a sport:

1) HID headlights/LED tail lights with level adjustment
2) Leather seats felt better to me
3) Trip computer (how much fuel I had left etc.)

I always wanted HID's and the remaining fuel counter was also something that I liked from my parents SUV. The 6disc cd changer and bose system wasn't a big deal to me but a nice bonus.

In the end though, if you care more about color than features, get the sport. I personally would just wait for a car that you want, color+features. Don't settle, you'll regret it in the end!

Hope this helps.

 

[Judd]

I think the choice comes down to this: If you want all the creature comforts that come on the GT, then you should buy it. If you mainly want the car for its performance, then the sport is the right choice since it is a bit lighter, and has all the same performance parts on it, and costs less.

Up here in Canada don't have any choice, and get a mix of the GT and sport. We have HID's, but no leather, comes with the good stereo, etc... Biggest problem is it only comes in red!

 

[Mostly Harmless]

Thanks guys for the responses already! What kind of audio comes in the Sport edition? Does it have a CD player or is it just a radio?

 

[FluffyDucky]

You get a choice?! I didn't know that. Like my canadian cousin I wouldn't get much spec choice. We get allllllll the toys and any colour we want as standard. Leather may be an option but thats about it. If you can afford the GT then wait! The stereo will be shit hot and its still gonna shift with all the toys in it. Don't rush and then regret. I'm in a UK spec 2.0 Sport that comes with the same toys (nearly) as the GT, HIDs are great, 6 stacker is quick and usefull for hooking up a Ipod connector.

 

[betelgeuse]

[quote author=Mostly Harmless link=topic=66142.msg1134280#msg1134280 date=1168008368]
Thanks guys for the responses already! What kind of audio comes in the Sport edition? Does it have a CD player or is it just a radio?
[/quote]

It's got a cd player and as far as I know it's a six speaker system. It's not bad, good enough for me, but if you want more bass or like it really loud, you'll have to either go aftermarket or get the GT. Most would say going aftermarket is better though.

 

[muzikal-jrne]

To me it was not worth the extra $$$ for the GT.

(1) Black leather vs. Black sport cloth. - The cloth seats look and feel really good. Leather is not important to me, but it does look sweet.

(2) Lights/wipers/trip. - Bells and whistles are nice, but not needed for me. (NOTE: The sport does come with automatic climate control which is very nice)

(3) BOSE. - It is nice if you don't plan on upgrading your stereo, but I am an audio nut, and the money you save could get you a great sounding system. I am in the middle of doing my audio system now, and even just with new (high quality) front speakers and everything else stock it can sound really good on the sport model.

To each his/her own. Either way you will be happy. Just ask yourself what is important to you. Color is a very personal choice, and I feel that it is worth waiting to get exactly what you want. Good luck.

 

[Sonicboy]

Don't comprimise on the color. If you don't like Silver then have some patience and wait.

"Good things come to those who wait"

If you can afford it and want all the bells and whistles, I'd say go for it.

 

[Frosty]

[quote author=Muzikal-JRNE link=topic=66142.msg1134314#msg1134314 date=1168009676]
To me it was not worth the extra $$$ for the GT.

(1) Black leather vs. Black sport cloth. - The cloth seats look and feel really good. Leather is not important to me, but it does look sweet.

(2) Lights/wipers/trip. - Bells and whistles are nice, but not needed for me. (NOTE: The sport does come with automatic climate control which is very nice)

(3) BOSE. - It is nice if you don't plan on upgrading your stereo, but I am an audio nut, and the money you save could get you a great sounding system. I am in the middle of doing my audio system now, and even just with new (high quality) front speakers and everything else stock it can sound really good on the sport model.

To each his/her own. Either way you will be happy. Just ask yourself what is important to you. Color is a very personal choice, and I feel that it is worth waiting to get exactly what you want. Good luck.


[/quote]

+1 here. I got a sport and the only thing i would get are HID's. But i would rather pay ~$500 for a good set than $2000 just to have them. Granted that i would get the Bose, leather, and trip. computer. But for the price of a GT, i got my sport out the door.

 

[franck]

can't go wrong with a silver gt!

 

[saitech]

I'd say wait for the right color b/c then you'll take better care of it in the future, unless your current lease expires before the ms3 comes. You'll find some people say the GT package is worth it to them and some (me) will say that you can do without.

Also, the GT package has LED clear taillights if you are into them. I am not, I prefer some sleeper action. :lol:

Rainsensing wipers: some have said that it doesn't work well (probably depends on preference I think).
6 CD-changer: more and more people listen to mp3 players these days and both cars come with AUX in.
Speakers: I think you can do better with aftermarket, if you are an audiophile.
Trip computer: nothing a pencil, paper, and calculator can take care of...some have said the trip compter overestimates the actual mileage.
Seats: depends on you I guess. I don't like leather b/c it transfer heat much faster than cloth, i.e. it feels cold in winter and hot in summer. But leather looks sleek.
HID: if you really, really like HID's, I think you'd probably would want to go with one of the sponsor's kits. The "HIDness" of the stock kit is in between halogen and aftermarket HID. There is a pic comparing halogen/stock/aftermarket in the Exterior Lighting forum.

 

[C-Bass]

[quote author=chaosazy link=topic=66142.msg1134995#msg1134995 date=1168031058]Speakers: I think you can do better with aftermarket, if you are an audiophile.[/quote]

I'd agree with this. If you're the kind of guy who likes a good sounding stereo, but doesn't care enough to put in an aftermarket system, the Bose is great. If you like a good sounding stereo, and are used to having aftermarket gear in your car, this stereo will be warming the shelf in your garage within a week. The overall sound quality is probably a bit above average, but with a 5.25 inch "sub", the old addage proves true. "If it's Bose, it's got no lows". Don't expect it to sound like the Kenwood setup from the MSP. That was a much better step in the right direction

As far as the rest of the features go, they aren't quite as subjective as the stereo. I'd personally wait for the sport. In all honesty, if I had it to do over again I wouldn't have gotten a GT.

 

[CosmicBlueMS3]

one thing to note about the HID's in the GT.
if you go aftermarket in the sport, you wont get the leveling feature. In the GT the beam pattern is adjustable from inside the car.

the GT also comes with a trip computer. average speed, average mpg, instantaneous mpg, miles remaining on tank

when you add up all the little things that arent that great by themselves, it makes up a very nice upgrade package for under 2k.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

Thanks guys for all your help. Under my current circumstances I have decided to go with the Cosmic Blue Sport edition which should be here any day! I am so excited and can't wait to start modding it. I will get some pictures up as soons as I can.

 

[Judd]

[quote author=CosmicBlueMS3 link=topic=66142.msg1135912#msg1135912 date=1168089786]
one thing to note about the HID's in the GT.
if you go aftermarket in the sport, you wont get the leveling feature. In the GT the beam pattern is adjustable from inside the car.
[/quote]

This is good and bad. Compared to my P5, the HID lows on the MS3 throw more light, but less distance. Driving around town they are great, but on the highway I wish they were angled up just a tad more to light the road and ditches a bit better. Aftermarket HID's aren't adjustable, but they are angled a bit higher, so I think I'd be happier if I'd had them.

 

[GreyKiller2005]

[quote author=C-Bass link=topic=66142.msg1135772#msg1135772 date=1168063569]
[quote author=chaosazy link=topic=66142.msg1134995#msg1134995 date=1168031058]Speakers: I think you can do better with aftermarket, if you are an audiophile.[/quote]

I'd agree with this. If you're the kind of guy who likes a good sounding stereo, but doesn't care enough to put in an aftermarket system, the Bose is great. If you like a good sounding stereo, and are used to having aftermarket gear in your car, this stereo will be warming the shelf in your garage within a week. The overall sound quality is probably a bit above average, but with a 5.25 inch "sub", the old addage proves true. "If it's Bose, it's got no lows". Don't expect it to sound like the Kenwood setup from the MSP. That was a much better step in the right direction

As far as the rest of the features go, they aren't quite as subjective as the stereo. I'd personally wait for the sport. In all honesty, if I had it to do over again I wouldn't have gotten a GT.
[/quote]

The bose also is a royal bitch to replace, don't forget about that. When I finally trade my car in, the last thing I do with it will be to put back in the stock radio. As soon as I get my speed3 home, the first thing I do is pull the stock radio and replace it with my 500$ head unit.

 

[CosmicBlueMS3]

[quote author=Judd link=topic=66142.msg1139076#msg1139076 date=1168287594]
[quote author=CosmicBlueMS3 link=topic=66142.msg1135912#msg1135912 date=1168089786]
one thing to note about the HID's in the GT.
if you go aftermarket in the sport, you wont get the leveling feature. In the GT the beam pattern is adjustable from inside the car.
[/quote]

This is good and bad. Compared to my P5, the HID lows on the MS3 throw more light, but less distance. Driving around town they are great, but on the highway I wish they were angled up just a tad more to light the road and ditches a bit better. Aftermarket HID's aren't adjustable, but they are angled a bit higher, so I think I'd be happier if I'd had them.
[/quote]

I havent bothered to look under the hood, but it would make sense that the stock HID's can be manually aimed higher as well otherwise there would be no way to ensure that both beams were level. The leveling system isnt like that on the bmw, the mazda version simply moves the lights down 3 levels. So I would imagine you could toss the headlights on the middle or lowest setting and then adjust the beams for normal driving and then when you were in the back woods you could turn the beam up so that they were much higher than normal.
just a guess.

 

[kokemon23]

[quote author=CosmicBlueMS3 link=topic=66142.msg1139359#msg1139359 date=1168298010]
[quote author=Judd link=topic=66142.msg1139076#msg1139076 date=1168287594]
[quote author=CosmicBlueMS3 link=topic=66142.msg1135912#msg1135912 date=1168089786]
one thing to note about the HID's in the GT.
if you go aftermarket in the sport, you wont get the leveling feature. In the GT the beam pattern is adjustable from inside the car.
[/quote]

This is good and bad. Compared to my P5, the HID lows on the MS3 throw more light, but less distance. Driving around town they are great, but on the highway I wish they were angled up just a tad more to light the road and ditches a bit better. Aftermarket HID's aren't adjustable, but they are angled a bit higher, so I think I'd be happier if I'd had them.
[/quote]

I havent bothered to look under the hood, but it would make sense that the stock HID's can be manually aimed higher as well otherwise there would be no way to ensure that both beams were level. The leveling system isnt like that on the bmw, the mazda version simply moves the lights down 3 levels. So I would imagine you could toss the headlights on the middle or lowest setting and then adjust the beams for normal driving and then when you were in the back woods you could turn the beam up so that they were much higher than normal.
just a guess.
[/quote]

Yes, you can definitely adjust the stock HID's manually. Mine were aimed way too low from the dealer, so I raised them manually. I thought about doing what you stated here, just haven't gotten around to it. I get much more distance from the light now and don't blind anyone (no one's flashed their highs at me yet anyways).

 

[CosmicBlueMS3]

[quote author=kokemon23 link=topic=66142.msg1140416#msg1140416 date=1168355018]
[quote author=CosmicBlueMS3 link=topic=66142.msg1139359#msg1139359 date=1168298010]
[quote author=Judd link=topic=66142.msg1139076#msg1139076 date=1168287594]
[quote author=CosmicBlueMS3 link=topic=66142.msg1135912#msg1135912 date=1168089786]
one thing to note about the HID's in the GT.
if you go aftermarket in the sport, you wont get the leveling feature. In the GT the beam pattern is adjustable from inside the car.
[/quote]

This is good and bad. Compared to my P5, the HID lows on the MS3 throw more light, but less distance. Driving around town they are great, but on the highway I wish they were angled up just a tad more to light the road and ditches a bit better. Aftermarket HID's aren't adjustable, but they are angled a bit higher, so I think I'd be happier if I'd had them.
[/quote]

I havent bothered to look under the hood, but it would make sense that the stock HID's can be manually aimed higher as well otherwise there would be no way to ensure that both beams were level. The leveling system isnt like that on the bmw, the mazda version simply moves the lights down 3 levels. So I would imagine you could toss the headlights on the middle or lowest setting and then adjust the beams for normal driving and then when you were in the back woods you could turn the beam up so that they were much higher than normal.
just a guess.
[/quote]

Yes, you can definitely adjust the stock HID's manually. Mine were aimed way too low from the dealer, so I raised them manually. I thought about doing what you stated here, just haven't gotten around to it. I get much more distance from the light now and don't blind anyone (no one's flashed their highs at me yet anyways).
[/quote]

thats what I figured, it is now one more thing on my list of mazda to-do's
I have yet to adjust the beams down, but I have definately wanted them a bit higher at times driving down the back roads at night.