I had many reasons for doing so. I just wanted to write some of this stuff down to get it off of my mind.

Here are some things I'm not going to miss, and some things I am definitely going to miss about my 2007 RX8 compared to the smiley creature 2011 Mazdaspeed 3.


Things I'm going to miss, specific to the RX8:
- The 8's sex appeal. Such a beautiful car. I at least bought an identical die-cast model to keep in my room.
- The super precise shifter and clutch.
- The suspension. (see below about the speed 3).
- The rear-wheel-drive acceleration/handling. When the rear tires would break loose it really wouldn't be that big of a deal.
- The unique, exotic quality of the RX8 overall (the engine, the suicide doors, the fenders, the race car cockpit).
- Being able to rev the **** out of the engine (without it being so bad for the engine, unlike with a traditional piston engine).
- This online community. The other Mazdaspeed 3 forums are very meh.


Things I'm NOT going to miss:
- Very little torque. Sorry, but in a city car I needz moar torque. The MS3 engine has as much torque at WOT at 70mph in 6th gear as the rotary engine has overall.
- Not enough space to transport stuff, along with the fear of damaging the leather seats.
- The eventual unreliability of the engine.
- Trying to open the **#@ing doors without them bouncing back and hitting me.
- The extra attention the RX8 brought on me. Sometimes I just wanna drive around without having people wanna race, or getting groceries without havin people gawking.
- The shifter and clutch. The MS3 is sooooo smooth and forgiving, which is better for everyday driving.
- The resale value. Glad I got rid of it when I did.
- The ancient head-unit/interior, when compared to all the tech in the MS3.


Notice how I didn't complain about:
- The oil consumption
- The gas mileage.
- The back seats for passenger use.


Notes about the Mazdaspeed 3:
- The suspension is too squishy. Any dips/peaks in the road causes me to bounce and flop all over the place.
- It's hard to tell which gear you're in sometimes with the shifter. Still getting used to this.
- I miss hearing the engine revs as much as I did in the 8. The MS3 is much more of a subtle sound. I like it now that I've gotten used to it.
- The advanced key works just that little bit faster, which is great when I'm locking the doors from the outside handle when leaving the car.
- The side mirrors suck. I miss the ones I had on the 8.
- I don't much care for the smiley face, but I don't hate it either.
- The rear windows roll all the way down!
- The passenger door unlocks when I turn off the MS3. I always had to unlock it by hand in the 8.
- The headlights and wipers are automatic!
- The MS3 has the same beautiful red paint as my 8.
- According to the computer, during stable highway driving I'm getting as much as 35-40mpg!

 

So you will miss the shifter/clutch but at the same time you won't? And I've never had a problem with the door coming back and smacking me. Any pics though of the new car?

 

I was so glad getting rid of my high power FWD Maxima cuz RWD is just so much better.
As for high speed accleleration, it's just begging to be thrashed.

 

congrats!!! i'd love an ms3 as my daily if i could keep the 8!! turns out, i'd have to work 80 hours a week to try to accomplish that. oh well! PICS!

 

I looked really hard at the MS3 before I bought my 8. I knew in the long run if I would have gotten the MS3 I would have modded the hell out of it and basically just throwing that money out the window. I really wanted a car that I could just drive with out wanting to mod the hell out of it. I mean I know I can mod the 8, but the turbo would have been to tempting. It's like you have to do an intake/exhaust/bpv and that just leads to more stuff that I didn't want to worry about. Even tho the ms3 would have been way more practical for me....they both have little room in the back seats, but with the 3 being a hatch would really come in handy. Either way their both great cars so it's a win no matter which one you choose.

 

Congrats on the car.

 

I did the same last year. I agree with you on most points... and eventually you will mod the 3, because it has a few shortcomings that will drive you nuts over time.

-Rear engine mount is a must... probably the car's single biggest weak point
-solid shifter bushings will make a huge difference with engaging gears and shift feel

Regarding forums, you are correct- none are as active or populated as RX8club, which is why I still lurk around this place. Come for the car, stay for the people.

And... your trip computer is lying to you badly.

 

Congrats!

I did the reverse (sort of). I've had a HHR SS (260hp turbo FWD) and SRT-4 Neon before the RX-8. Of course I had a 500hp Mustang GT in the middle of those two as well.

I just can't live without RWD. A Turbo 4 has its charms, but at the end of the day -- I will buy a low powered RWD vehicle over a FWD one any time.

My R3 makes me very very happy. It's a true driver's car. I rarely take passengers in it. But if you need a good daily driver for not too much dough, it's hard to beat the MS3. It's a great car, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

 

i laughed at the door slamming on you... happens to me all the time, especially when im trying hard not to door ding the person next to me and it just shuts in my face.... oh well, i like to call it a feature "Self closing doors"

 

Spring of this year I had time to kill and was intrigued by 2 Mazda cars I heard and read about and seen - but never had driven - the 8 and the MS3
Went to my local dealer who always has inventory, discussed my motives and they set me up to test drive both cars.

First was the MS3. It was a real cold spring night. The turbo just ****** propelled me into the stratoshere ! Had not felt this torgue and push since Grand National days ! Incredible car ! Fit and finish was awesome. Stupid interior colors and freakout-the-old-guy dash. What a car. And what absolutely horrible torque steer.

then I drove an SII 8.

Game over. Smitten. had to have one. took 4 months but now I have one.
A true drivers car.

the MS3 was awesome but not my cup of tea. YMMV

 

Are you British?

 

He is from GM town.

 

I was very tempted to go for the new MS3 w/tech pkg, but I felt that the RX8 w/R3 pkg was the more appropriate vehicle for me. Yet I can completely understand why one would want to try something different after owning an RX8.

When I test drove the new MS3, the shifter wasn't as precise as the one in the RX8. More importantly, right before I got to redline, the power would fall completely flat. It was a very frustrating feeling, since I'm so used to revving all the way into redline and I just love the feeling of doing so. I think I've heard of aftermarket tunes fixing the problem, but I really did not want to get into the frustrations of modifying. At the end, I don't think this is a major issue, since the driver just has to shift a little earlier each time.

Another aspect was that I did not know what to expect of getting into front wheel drive. I've never owned a performance vehicle with it, so I wouldn't know about the differences in driving feel when you start pushing the car.

One other minor thing that kept me wondering is why the MS3 did not come with an option for Xenon headlights. I know I'm being very picky now, so this is honestly not a big deal.

I have to admit, I am jealous of the MS3 giving the RX8 a serious run for its money. As you mentioned, the torque is a BIG plus. I believe it has a greater amount of space within the interior as well, so that's another plus if you have additional passengers and/or cargo.

And I absolutely admired that small nav system that comes along with the tech pkg within the MS3. It is simply amazing, and I wish my RX8 came with it.

At the end, I connected with the RX8's drive a little more, and I felt it was the sports car for me. Make no mistake though, everytime I see a new MS3, it gets my attention right away. Hands down, the MS3 is one of the more exciting cars to own and look at, especially in the big world of cars we see today.

OP: Congrats on your new car, and enjoy it to the fullest!

 

I guess I like both transmissions for different reasons. At the track, I think I'd prefer the RX8 transmission. In everyday driving, the MS3. I forgot to mention I keep having problems with the clutch pedal. I think I'm just used to the RX8, but my foot keeps sliding up the pedal and getting caught. This especially happens when I'm reversing. I then have to use my leg muscles to very gently and delicately remove my foot from the clutch, which usually ends in me releasing too quickly. This is not good when trying to navigate parking garages.

BTW:
Added to MAZDASPEED Technology Package for 2011:
* Rain-sensing wipers
* Auto on/off headlights
* Bi-Xenon auto-leveling headlights
* Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS)
* Rear LED taillamps

Pics attached. It looks like what you'd expect, except I added some 5% tint to all the back windows.

 

I was scoping out the MS3 the other day when I took my car in to get the diff looked at. I like it but it just really didn't feel all that great on the inside. Granted you are coming from an 07 to a ms3. I just wish they had a nicer spoiler instead of the one it came with. Congrats on the car, how long before you start modding hehehehe

 

Awesome, Mazda decided to add the Xenon lights with the '11 Tech pkg. I didn't know that. Thanks.

Enjoy your new car man. Btw, nice choice on color.

 

The only mods I seriously would ever consider are to the suspension, and the shifter.

As said above the suspension is a bit too squish over dips/peaks in the road, causing me to bounce and flop all over the place. The cornering is fantastic though, I don't need to change that. What component of the suspension would fix my problem?

And changing the shifter to a shorter throw sounds like an easy upgrade.

I'll be adding my sub to the audio system as soon as I have time to install it.

 

Just get a nice set of coilovers.

 

once youve been bitten by the mod bug its over. You will sooner or later just wanna upgrade this, then that. Before you know it you have a twin turbo mazda speed 3 with drilled and slotted brakes, and coilovers. :P

 

^^ True that.

 

Definitely bypass getting springs, and just get coilovers. Save yourself the headache now

 

Yeah that pissed off pretty much everyone who bought a 2010.

 

op,

this is what is not going to work for you..

mpg on the nav screen is not close at all.

if you dont drive like a grandmother/ is that pc? tq STEER. not been to the track yet, but tq STEER.

it is a very good street car, but the flaws for me are to stupid. and i have not mentioned what i think are flaws..

i knew about the tq STEER before i bought it.

btw. this is a 2010 ms 3 comment. did not know the 2011 was out.

beers

 

Nice!! Im on the same boat as u, i got my self a 09 speed 3, i love it but the shifter is rubbery!!!! Congrats

 

I may be trading my 04 GT in on an 07 MAZDASPEED3 I've been eying. I'm liking what I'm hearing in here though.