Anything I should know before buying a speed3?

[Brian]

The boyfriend and I have been thinking of adding a speed3 to our garage (the speed6 gets lonely by itself :chuckle). We've both test driven one and really like the car. I'm especially impressed with how well mannered the car is considering it's only FWD. The only thing I didn't like was lack of a moonroof, but that's a minor detail.

Is there anything I should know of before buying this car? I'd like to hear from speed3 owners of any problems, issues, or 'dislikes' they've had with their cars. Especially the little things...things you might not notice a test drive.

[ptfire]

I test drove a Mazdaspeed6 before I bought the Speed3. I think you will enjoy the MS3 more than your MS6. No complaints on my part.

[5_Alive]

Shop around before you buy one.. Other than that, any minor issues you may run into, you can always post up and we will be happy to assist.. I have 36,600km on my clock, and nothing as of yet, except the brake squeaks over bumps, that's because I didn't use the right grease to lube the pins/rails, was my fault, other than that, a stupid faulty exhaust gasket, replaced under warranty, all is fine..

If you are interested in buying new, there is a 2008.5, True Red, with 15km on the clock, with the Mazdaspeed Shadow Chrome wheels here in Windsor for sale at the dealer for $25,100.. This is a really solid price.. If the colour isn't what you want, then I dunno, hehe..

If you would like more information, 519-735-2211 is they're number there, ask for Omar, he's a great guy(didn't buy my car from him, but always hear great things and I always talk to him when I'm in there), unless you can find one cheaper in the GTA..

A lot of dealers are marking them under $30k to move them out because they are realizing US pricing is way lower, and obviously everyone wants to move cars, and with this car out of season pretty much.. and also making room for the 2010 Mazda3..

GL with your buy!
Moe

[Jeff-TheBiz]

A lot of dealers are marking them under $30k to move them out because they are realizing US pricing is way lower, and obviously everyone wants to move cars, and with this car out of season pretty much.. and also making room for the 2010 Mazda3..

GL with your buy!
Moe

Every dealer should be well below $30,000 seeing as how Mazda Canada is offering $4,200 off (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12365) on the 2008.5 Mazdaspeed3.... before dealer discount.

[MSMitch]

There is a GREAT used Speed 3 for sale on this forum... :)

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

The boyfriend and I have been thinking of adding a speed3 to our garage (the speed6 gets lonely by itself :chuckle). We've both test driven one and really like the car. I'm especially impressed with how well mannered the car is considering it's only FWD. The only thing I didn't like was lack of a moonroof, but that's a minor detail.

Is there anything I should know of before buying this car? I'd like to hear from speed3 owners of any problems, issues, or 'dislikes' they've had with their cars. Especially the little things...things you might not notice a test drive.

Hi there. I have a fairly new 2008.5 Black Mica speed3. I have about 2,700km on the odo to date.

Yes, the car is extremely well mannered for a FWD drive car and Mazda has done an excellent job with the engineering of the suspension, LSD and the dynamic stability control and torque management systems.

Things to be aware of:

1) If you turn off the DSC, the car becomes much less well mannered through turns at open throttle as a lot more power goes down to the road without the DSC modulating it back. It simply has so much power that the car can step out and potentially spin, in a real hurry. This would be particularly true if a novice or nervous driver were to overreact in such a scenario and provide too much steering and/or brake input. The Speed3 is extremely responsive to throttle, steering & brake input. This makes it a blast to drive, but can also be tricky in adverse conditions.

2) I have had no serious issues of any sort with the car to date. However, it did develop a windshield/dash/cowl rattle once the weather started getting colder. I had the car in to the dealer to put in fully sythetic oil (Amsoil 5W-30) at 2,500km and also to have this rattle addressed via a TSB, but the day I took it in, it was raining like hell and it was almost impossible to isolate the area of the rattle, so I'll be taking it back in on a cold, non-rainy day soon to have it addressed.

3) I would recommend switching to redline MT-90 manual transmission fluid and Amsoil synthetic motor oil after about 2,500km. I noticed a huge difference in shift feel smoothness, particulary when the car is cold, while running the synthetic MT-90. Also have noticed that the engine runs smoother on the Amsoil than it did with the OEM semi-synthetic and does not seem to generate the same amount of heat. The engine gauge is actually running a fraction cooler now on the Amsoil and it also seems that my revs at speed, are about 25-100rpm less than they were previously at comparable speeds.

In any respect, the MS3 is a blast to drive and the best performance value coupled with refinement, on the market today. Let us know if you end up purchasing one.

[Elder_MMHS]

You may also want to check out the Mazdaspeed3 section of Mazda3forums. The driver base there has brought out a lot of issues and quirks with the car.

My personal quirk list that I have experienced:

- When driving hard, a shifty motor mount that causes 2-3 mis-shifts and in certain scenarios, gear pop-outs in 2nd (i.e. hard acceleration on corner exit, hard braking on corner entry).
- A generally sub-par shifter. You'll need to get used to the odd spacing between the middle and outer pair of gates. The shift feel is pretty rubbery, clunky and somewhat notchy - typical Mazda? Motor mounts that cause issues as described above. I suppose a few mods could help out like stiffer aftermarket mounts, shifter bushing change, gear oil change.
- Rattle in the glove box due to the way the locking mechanism is designed and the hard plastic materials used.
- Rattle in the windshield cowl.
- Engine revs falling on clutch engagement differ when the engine is cold versus hot.
- Clutch gets hot and a bit slippery after long distance drives (i.e. 2+ hrs at a time at cruising speeds of 110 - 140km/h). I think I had this symptom with my regular 3 as well. My left foot was on the dead pedal.
- Fuel economy that varies wildly depending on how you drive. You can get almost as well as a regular 3 if frugal and stay out of boost, or you can burn through a tank of gas if pushing. Probably similar to the MS6. Worst fuel economy for me was about 300km/tank at a track day. Best was projecting over 700km/tank with cruise control at about 100km/h on the highway.

Good luck on your research!

[Unoriginalusername]

i will sell you mine..., after freight/tax a new one after rebate is 31600 or there abouts... i can sell you mine for a ton less

[alhope34]

The engine gauge is actually running a fraction cooler now on the Amsoil and it also seems that my revs at speed, are about 25-100rpm less than they were previously at comparable speeds.

Umm...something is wrong if you're reading lower cruising RPM with different engine oil...especially with a manual transmission. A full synthetic oil may lubricate better, but in no possible way can it change your transmission's gear ratios.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Umm...something is wrong if you're reading lower cruising RPM with different engine oil...especially with a manual transmission. A full synthetic oil may lubricate better, but in no possible way can it change your transmission's gear ratios.

Yah Allhope, I thought it was odd too. I know why now though... When I brought the car in initially for the oil change, I had the A/C compressor on as it was raining and i had it set on the windows since they were fogging up. When i picked up the car later, it was not raining and I had changed the settings so that the AC was no longer in use. That was the difference i noted in the rpms... I have to stop being so anal with this car and watching all my gauges constantly...LOL.

This said, it still does run significantly smoother and noticeably cooler too, on the Amsoil though, than on the OEM semi-synthetic. The revs feel smoother on both hard acceleration and during engine braking.

[Mazda3X2]

Sorry to be a little off topic for a second but this was funny to read.

When I went to Parts Source to pick up synthetic oil for my MS3. The guy behind the counter tried to talk me into Mobile 1 becuase when he put it into his Honda Civic it dropped 500 RPM on the highway! 500 RPMs! How could I possibly bring up the impossibility of this with someone so convinced...lol. Cracked me up and I wanted so badly to ask if putting in this "magic oil" added another gear to his transmission.

On the MS3, I only have 2200km's on her now but I love it. I absolutely love it everytime I drive it. The sound of the exhaust has a perfect tone, not too loud and just enough to let you know there's a little something extra there. I hope this continues well after the "new" wears off and with the mix of handling and power I expect it will.



Umm...something is wrong if you're reading lower cruising RPM with different engine oil...especially with a manual transmission. A full synthetic oil may lubricate better, but in no possible way can it change your transmission's gear ratios.

[5_Alive]

LOL at the oil guy at Part Source.. That probably happened because he cleaned the distributor, or no more oil was getting all over the sensors, so he was getting the proper reading..:chuckle

Back on here, you will love the MS3.. just go buy one, you have nothing to regret. If you already own an MS6, you know the power train..

Run and go buy one before they run out of them..

[Brian]

Thanks for all the input, guys. We'll probably be picking one up within a month.

[0nsp]

Bit late, I know, but definitely get a 3M mask for the hood. The paint chips REALLY easily, and my hood looks awful right now.

[chinsterr]

Bit late, I know, but definitely get a 3M mask for the hood. The paint chips REALLY easily, and my hood looks awful right now.

That's all mazdas in general... not speed3 specific

[oneurt]

That's all mazdas in general... not speed3 specific

Oddly enough both of the Mazda's in our stable have the 3M shield on.. honestly money well spent. I got hit by a pretty nasty stone cause it actually shipped the 3M and left a small tear in it, but the paint was untouched :).

So far with my MS3 I haven't had any issues, really change to hear about the slipping clutch issue, never had that while on my road trip with the cruise set at 120Km/hr.

My only issue was a bad idler pulley bearing, which was fixed under warranty. And then the minor creaks and squeaks from the interior.