I drive my ms3 in NYC quite often, I also live in NY state which means the car drives in lots of snow. Daily driving it's great, stop and go traffic, it's like anyother manual transmission. It's a pain in the ass, I don;t mind it though. Clutch is smooth and easy to work with.
You should come to this:
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=163067.0
It's local to you and you can see different 3's and ms3's to help you with your decision

 

The new 2.5L 3 with a stick would be a fun car and a good compromise between the 2.0L car and the MS3. I have a 70 mile round trip commute to work everday so I chose a standard 3 with a stick over a MS3 for gas mileage reasons. Plus I have a Boxster S for fun and competitive driving. I must say the standard Mazda 3 is more fun to drive than I expected, gets great fuel economy, and I've started autocrossing it as well because it has some seriously good handling and is a competitive car. You're in a similar position since you already have a turbo Miata as a fun car, but I don't know how much daily driving you and your wife do.

 

The MS3 sound like your kind of car. You already have an MSM so the MS3 will be familiar territory, minus the RWD and topless. But you gain a lot of extra space. At the end you can't go wrong with either the MZ3 or the MS3.

MZ3 fun and economical. Not a lot of power but enough to still give you a smile.
MS3 Tons of fun, still economical compare to others in its segment and will give you an ear to ear grin, and the plus it doesn't mind being your daily driver even on a crowded city.

 

Well lets put it this way...
if you decide you you want a mazda 3
you will more than likely want to make look purty
or ad things to it to make it fast/unique
then eventually you will want more speed
and youll be like shit... shoulda got a MS3

 

[quote author=texasplayer link=topic=164851.msg3495846#msg3495846 date=1263407612]
Well lets put it this way...
if you decide you you want a mazda 3
you will more than likely want to make look purty
or ad things to it to make it fast/unique
then eventually you will want more speed
and youll be like shit... shoulda got a MS3
[/quote]

i dont want to say your wrong, but waht if he looks at it this way
hes got a msm and thats sexy and fun already
and he gets a ms3 and drives it as a dd
and then wishes he got a 2.0L for better gas mileage cause he gets tired fillin up the tank often
and he'll be like shit...shoulda got a mz3
lol i guess it depends which scenario he wants ahah
i got a 2.0L and i always stare at ms3 when i see them on the road cause to me, they are damn sexy compared to my 3, but i got my pluses as welll. but the i know i wouldnt mind payin for gas if i had a ms3, cause the fun would be worth it completely

 

Some things to think about

Yeah we have the MS Miata but it's the wife's, and I don't drive it much. I have my own Miatas ('90, '99) but no boost. She'll be the primary new car driver with 45ish miles of commuting of each day.

The new car (3 or MS3) probably won't get modded. I haven't put a dime of aftermarket stuff into anything I've had that wasn't a Miata, and after putting new suspension into my '90 Miata, and probably doing suspension in the other older one (the wife's '93) I don't see much budget left for anything on any other cars.

In light of the car we're replacing I imagine I'd be pretty happy with a garden variety 3. But the wife keeps going back to the MS3... But she'll be the one living with it the most.

Can anyone explain insurance with these two cars? We got quoted $460/month for a 3 Grand Touring, and $441/month for a MS3. The turbo car is cheaper to insure? I wouldn't have believed it. The bad news: we're only paying $370/month to insure the Sonata.

PS I've done a little performance driving myself

The fleet from back in the spring, before we striped the '90

but I digress

 

If the wife already drives the MSM and is used to that power, she'll probably be a LOT happier with the MS3 than a normal 3. Once you get used to that turbo torque, almost any average NA car feels completely gutless under 4k RPMs.

And if you need a few extra dollars in order to afford the MS3 over the 3, you could always just sell one of your Miatas... to me :goodjob:

 

holy miatas.

insurance depends on the year and model of the car. the 3 gt can cost more than a ms3 sport because of all the add ons and stuff. it mostly depends on the net worth of the car, not really if it's turbo or not.

for my '05 3 gt i pay $260/month for full coverage. im 20 and have a clean record...

 

I've gotten 30 mpg on the highway with my new speed. But in the city it goes down to 24 mpg.
and that's not getting into it at all. So I'm sure it would be much worse if I did. But just to give you
an idea on what i get with the new Speed 3. Good Luck with you pick!

 

[quote author=Verto link=topic=164851.msg3496506#msg3496506 date=1263433551]insurance depends on the year and model of the car. the 3 gt can cost more than a ms3 sport because of all the add ons and stuff. it mostly depends on the net worth of the car, not really if it's turbo or not.

for my '05 3 gt i pay $260/month for full coverage. im 20 and have a clean record...
[/quote]

First off I put up some bad info. Those insurance quotes I posted were for every six months, not every month. The more I thought about it the more ludicrous it sounded to be paying $400+ each month for one car. So the insurance difference is practically nil.

We've got to clean up the Sonata before trade-in time: new tires, new windshield, and just a general wash n wax, and who knows how long that'll take. But I imagine before too long we'll probably be back here showing pics of our new Mazdaspeed3.

Thanks for the input.

 

Good choice.

 

[quote author=Verto link=topic=164851.msg3496506#msg3496506 date=1263433551]
holy miatas.

insurance depends on the year and model of the car. the 3 gt can cost more than a ms3 sport because of all the add ons and stuff. it mostly depends on the net worth of the car, not really if it's turbo or not.

for my '05 3 gt i pay $260/month for full coverage. im 20 and have a clean record...
[/quote]

:dur: all along i thought if you had a turbo it's more expensive on insurance.. i should had bought a MS3 instead, oh well.. i happy with my mz3 anyways gives me good gas mileage 400 miles in one full tank..

 

Drove a regular 3 Grand Touring 6-spd today, though it was under less than ideal circumstances since the salesman joined us for the ride. I don't usually wind new cars out to redline on test drives but felt quite conscious of the guy's presence when running it up through the gears and cornering at anything resembling a sporting manner.

Regardless, the car performed about how I expected, which is good. The dealership didn't have a MS3 on hand so we'll have to find another dealer and make that comparison.

Curious as to what new 3 or MS3 owners cross-shopped when they were in the buying process. I started out thinking almost exclusively Mazda but then there are other options entering my mind. Honda Fit? Mini Cooper S?

We've got the Washington DC new car show coming up in a couple weeks so we can get our eyeballs on a whole bunch of stuff, that'll surely only further complicate the shopping process. Lucky we're not in a hurry.

 

Claff, the guys at Automobile Magazine did a decent write-up comparing the MS3 and MZ3.
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_mazda3_vs_mazdaspeed3/index.html

My wife and I drive the 2010 MZ3 GT 6spd for a daily driver. We also drive a 2006 Mazda5 5spd. In CT, I purchased both cars at the same dealership, and each time signed out the car as a short term loaner, taking it out for over an hour. Something to consider if you can do it - gets the salesperson out of the passenger seat describing the climate control and arm rest while you shift gears at 3000 rpm. Not fun. I have driven two turbos (Saab 900 and Volvo S80) Volvo (236hp) claimed 0-60 in 6 sec. I believe it. My guess turbo lag and torque steer has improved, not sure though. Drive both Mazda's if you have the time. With only 167hp, I am impressed by the power curve, smooth and linear from 3000 rpm all the way up without any notice of tailing off. Also, compare offers from Mazda. It might be that the financing and loyalty offers differ between models. Best of luck.

 

wish i had a ms3

 

[quote author=Claff link=topic=164851.msg3500886#msg3500886 date=1263706737]
Drove a regular 3 Grand Touring 6-spd today, though it was under less than ideal circumstances since the salesman joined us for the ride. I don't usually wind new cars out to redline on test drives but felt quite conscious of the guy's presence when running it up through the gears and cornering at anything resembling a sporting manner.

Regardless, the car performed about how I expected, which is good. The dealership didn't have a MS3 on hand so we'll have to find another dealer and make that comparison.

Curious as to what new 3 or MS3 owners cross-shopped when they were in the buying process. I started out thinking almost exclusively Mazda but then there are other options entering my mind. Honda Fit? Mini Cooper S?

We've got the Washington DC new car show coming up in a couple weeks so we can get our eyeballs on a whole bunch of stuff, that'll surely only further complicate the shopping process. Lucky we're not in a hurry.
[/quote]

I love my MZ3, but if you're considering competitors, the new Golf is probably the best competitor the 3 has. I seriously considered the TDi model, but the main things that sent me to the 3S GT were availability of leather/memory seats, better transmission feel, better color choices, price, & availability. If you're going to look at something besides Mazda, the Golf is worth a look.

I didn't consider the MS3, so I can't comment on it.

 

So how long till the deal happens??? PICS :lol:

 

[quote author=CaliMazda3 link=topic=164851.msg3522078#msg3522078 date=1264853512]
So how long till the deal happens??? PICS :lol:
[/quote]

If you've been watching the news to see what the weather's been treating us like here in the Washington DC area you'd see it's not exactly conducive to car shopping. This isn't really a bad thing, I wouldn't want to get something new and immediately subject it to this slop right off the bat.

We'll get rid of the 20+ inches of snow that ruined last weekend, then wait out for the foot showing up tomorrow night to dissipate after that, and then we might get to find a dealer that'll have the rigth car in stock and not stashed away in a back lot cause their main lot is full of piles of snow.

On the plus side, this should only take another week or so.

 

What can't ski to the stealership, LOL :lol:?

I hear you though, sorry about the bad weather, I know it sucks.

In a matter of time it'"ll happen, keep your spritis up.

Did you set your mind on the speed or 3 yet?

Just post pics of her after u get her. irateKitty:

 

[quote author=Claff link=topic=164851.msg3537448#msg3537448 date=1265679368]
[quote author=CaliMazda3 link=topic=164851.msg3522078#msg3522078 date=1264853512]
So how long till the deal happens??? PICS :lol:
[/quote]

If you've been watching the news to see what the weather's been treating us like here in the Washington DC area you'd see it's not exactly conducive to car shopping. This isn't really a bad thing, I wouldn't want to get something new and immediately subject it to this slop right off the bat.

We'll get rid of the 20+ inches of snow that ruined last weekend, then wait out for the foot showing up tomorrow night to dissipate after that, and then we might get to find a dealer that'll have the rigth car in stock and not stashed away in a back lot cause their main lot is full of piles of snow.

On the plus side, this should only take another week or so.
[/quote]

no. screw the car. move to Cali

 

Go speed3 for speeds sake :woahdance: :woahdance:

 

I woulda gone MS3 if I had the funds

 

[quote author=texasplayer link=topic=164851.msg3495846#msg3495846 date=1263407612]
Well lets put it this way...
if you decide you you want a mazda 3
you will more than likely want to make look purty
or ad things to it to make it fast/unique
then eventually you will want more speed
and youll be like shit... shoulda got a MS3
[/quote]

Agreed kind sir

 

[quote author=texasplayer link=topic=164851.msg3495846#msg3495846 date=1263407612]
Well lets put it this way...
if you decide you you want a mazda 3
you will more than likely want to make look purty
or ad things to it to make it fast/unique
then eventually you will want more speed
and youll be like shit... shoulda got a MS3
[/quote]

+1...And the gas is always greener on the other side for the 3 cause you'll save gas, but how much gas do you really save?