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Mazdaspeed3 vs. VW V GTI vs. Civic Si
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Comments
I like the way the si sounds though. The exhaust note is great. Does the 3 even have one? :P
The si sounds vicious from both these aspects.
I'm out guys. Have a good weekend everyone! :shades:
By the way, those of you who want a super handling that beats a GTI w/ a limo-soft ride that beats a Rabbit should get the base RX-8 auto w/ 16"s. :P
Have a great weekend.
The Mazda whistles while it works.
The Honda screams.
If you look at recent tests, the Si is somewhere around seven seconds, 0-60. The Mazda is slightly behind that. I'll quickly trade a half-second for the polish it provides.
DrFill
On the 0-60 test, that Mazda is half a second behind the Honda, that is nothing compared to the other advantages that you get with Mazda.
The only current VW engine which requires a timing belt is the 2.0T from the GTI. VW engines with 5 cylinders or more incorporate timing chains (including the 2.5L 5-cylinder in the Rabbit). I've noticed you have mentioned the GTI and Rabbit interchangeably.
Is your comparison between a Mazda 3 and VW Rabbit 2.5 or is it between the Mazda 3 and the GTI?
Rotaries are bring along with them some interesting maintenance / operating issues that some people won't be able to cope with as well.
I know quite a few people who have issues even getting them to run correctly when the weather drops below freezing.
On the 0-60 test, that Mazda is half a second behind the Honda, that is nothing compared to the other advantages that you get with Mazda"
1/2 a second? Wrong: Consumer Reports (which is the slowest of the comparisons). Mazda 3S 0-60: 9.5 seconds.
Civic SI: 7.0 seconds. That is 2.5 seconds faster which is not "a little" faster, it is "you just got smoked" faster! Get your facts straight before you come in here! :shades:
This, from the owner of 2 Hondas.
But in terms of performance, well the Mazda3 is laughably behind the Civic Si.
FWIW, the Mazdaspeed3 may not be very livable on daily basis but it will trounce the living daylights out of the civic si, in my estimation.
But in terms of performance, well the Mazda3 is laughably behind the Civic Si.
The Civic Si ought to blow the doors off of a basic Mazda 3. It's the performance model of the Honda, vs. the basic model of the 3.
But relative to the cars it competes with, it is quick. Quicker than the Civic, Elantra, Cobalt, Corolla, and Jetta, of comparable price and class. Last I checked, the Mazda 3s wasn't being compared to a Civic Si? And, at 7.3 seconds according to Car and Driver's comparison test (the 140 hp Civic got 7.7 sec), the Mazda 3 is ahead of the pack it runs with.
Personally, having driven a 130 hp 4-speed Auto Accord which runs 0-60 in about ten seconds, for years, my 8.1 second Accord with 166 hp (Car and Driver) seems fast. It's all relative guys. I've never had a problem because I didn't have enough power in my 1996, so my 2006 is like bonus power considering it gets better mileage than that same 130 hp Accord.
For me the only civic that should be compared the the speed three is the type R, and now there are 2 versions in existence and the japanese version is rumored to come over here.
Anyway, i'd have to agree with the 0-60 times; the si is quicker in general, whereas the 3 has a more relaxed torque curve, making it easier to drive on a daily basis; its a more 'normal' engine, as oppossed to the si's more quirky demeanor. But i do agree with grad in ref. to what blue guy said about 8 seconds being slow no matter what. We live in a world where some call the si sedans 0-60 time of 7ish seconds slow. 8 seconds may not be a blazing time, but for the class, is anything really fast? Even the mazda speed's 0-60 of 5.8 is slow compared to what a gallardo can acheive, but they are 2 different classes huh? Anything is fast when its realtive to its competition.
I think the 3s is relatively quick for its class,...but when you look at how it only edges out the 140 hp civic lx by .04 seconds, is that really anything to brag about?
No, it really isn't.
In fact, the difference is so small, if you were going to do the classic 'from stop light to stop light' deal, (which im sure most of us wouldn't im just saying this for comparative reasons. )it would not be unheard of for the civic driver to come out on top.
I myself have more than just nipped on a few mazda 3s heels when i had my ex. And being and ex, it weighed more and was an auto.
Then again, all of this belongs in the "Mazda 3 vs Civic" forum, since none of it has anything to do with the si or mazdaspeed. Or the gti for that matter.
I know that the 3 has great speed and torque for it's class. I really don't care about 0-60 range, unless if you are racing. In LA, 0-60 means nothing, because the freeways are mostly run at 40MPH. Damn traffic and congestion. :mad:
I still think a 160HP engine is better than a 140HP. At least for the noise part. The Civic sounds like it screams, too much noise for me to like, However the 3 purrs along, nicely. SWEET!!!!
Couldn't disagree more. Freeway merging is where I want power. Lots of it. I despise people who mosey onto the freeway as I feel totally endangered by them - they refuse to match the flow of traffic and thus freeway traffic must slow for them or even worse I'm stuck behind them getting on the freeway. I've taken to hanging back and giving the other car a huge lead if I think it's a slow-merging/slow-thinking dullard in front of me. If they're slow, the gap will allow me to merge at a decent speed and get around them more easily.
And I drive in LA all the time. It's freeway/hour dependent. I've been on the 405 at 5 in the morning and been forced to do 90 to keep up with traffic.
As for the engine note, that is subjective. I've got a friend with a 2004 3s (4-speed Auto) and it isn't particularly quiet, and you feel like you can feel every single tread block of the tires (stock wheels and tires). Again, subjective.
0-60 is a HUGE deal here, where freeways typically run 75MPH all the time, and on-ramps vary in length. Top end power is a big deal to me, since typically, when I need it (I'll be pushing the pedal further) the engine jumps to max hp/high-rpm. When I don't need it (lightly pushing the pedal) the engine runs more economically than a torquier engine would.
160hp better than 140? Yeah in some ways. But you gotta realize that 160 hp isn't all that amazing for a 2.3. Honda had a 2.0 that put out the same amount. They have one that puts out 197...
You explain LA very well.
Not trying to be a mommy/daddy to the forum, that's not my job.
The Mazda was slightly slower, but was more relaxed about everything it did, and on wet, winding roads, it was swift, poised, and the interior was more cohesive.
If you're 18, the Civic will excite. Anybody over 25 may tire of it's endless racket and unpretentious ways.
Honda could've tried to quell noise a little bit. The Si is twice as loud as my Integra, and the 3 was half as noisy as that.
The Scion tC was more quiet than either.
The Si is not a Ferrari. Let's keep it real. The noise doesn't endear it. :sick:
Mazda's torque negates enough of Civics high-end power to make it a close race, but the Mazda has smoothed out the rough edges.
DrFill
Thanks. Your write up was awesome. I really how the Mazda smooths out the rough edges, like you have stated. I took my car this weekend on the freeway going about 90 and it purred right along. Very low engine noise, unlike the Civic that I drove at 80. Even the Nissan SE-R sounds like that it was going to fall apart. They both screamed way to loud. :surprise:
Isn't there another thread comparing Civics to the Mazda3 (and the Rabbit for that matter)? Where in the heck is the discussion of the Speed3 vs. the Civic Si vs. the VW GTI?
The VW GTI is a great all around car, if only VW has a better dealer and manufacturing background and reliability record. If they lengthened their warranties to Hyundai's levels that would help.
Having said that, the vw warranty is longer than that of mazda or honda.
It is kinda by a bit tho stall. 36000 3 yrs compared to 4 years 60k. Thats a lot for some people. Even if it only takes you 2 year to get 36k, 2more years on top of that is a pretty long time!
I live 1 mile from work.
I live 16 miles from work. :sick:
Great, how is the car? You like it? Any problems yet?
Enjoy!!
Mazda has a 5-yr 60K engine power train warranty as well. VW has an advantage in bumper to bumper coverage, and Mazda has the advantage in engine power train coverage.
Did you test the GTI or Mazdaspeed 3?