Bye Bye Honda Fit! Helllllllllooooooooooo Mazdaspeed3!!!!!

Discussion in 'Fit' started by Spaz, Jun 18, 2006.

  1. Spaz

    Spaz Guest

    And here it is!!!!

    http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=upcomingMS3

    BYE BYE, HONDA FIT!!!!
     
    Spaz, Jun 18, 2006
    #1
  2. Spaz

    Body Roll Guest

    That car in the different category (and price range). Before you
    salivate check
    the prices for 18" max performance summer rubber.
    And beware of the torque steer :)
     
    Body Roll, Jun 18, 2006
    #2
  3. Spaz

    Spaz Guest

    I already have. From what I've been told from current Honda Fit owners, the dealers have been
    charging $2,000 OVER MSRP, plus there's other things they had to buy that are normally included with
    most cars, so YOU'RE the one who should check the prices. The dealers are ripping off the Fit
    customers bigtime.
     
    Spaz, Jun 18, 2006
    #3
  4. Spaz

    Body Roll Guest

    I'm sure they do. But even if prices would not go down in a few month
    they would in a year or two.
    Mini was selling like hot cakes when it just came out now it can be had
    for 18k (standard transmission) and they might finally sell for 17.5k
    they were originally suggested to be sold for
    while having none of the problems of the first model year. Mazdaspeed 3
    would most likely
    cost waaaay more than fit cost these days. It;s compete with WRX and
    SRT-4
    and would therefore be around $22-23k. And it's every bit as heavy as
    the two cars
    it;s competing with. The prices for Civic Si would go down by then and
    I hope I could get one for under $21k. Too bad the wife says the sedan
    is ass-ugly. I love it from evey angle!!!
    Taillights, schmaillights.
     
    Body Roll, Jun 18, 2006
    #4
  5. Spaz

    G-Man Guest

    We are all so happy for you! Now head on over to the MAZDA group Skippy!

    Bye Bye!

    G-Man
     
    G-Man, Jun 18, 2006
    #5
  6. Let's see, they have exactly zero in common except the idea that they're
    both front wheel drive, 5 door Japanese cars.

    Why Mazdaspeed3 instead of WRX?
     
    Elmo P. Shagnasty, Jun 18, 2006
    #6
  7. Spaz

    Matt Ion Guest

    I love my Accord, but I'd take a WRX any day :)
     
    Matt Ion, Jun 19, 2006
    #7
  8. Spaz

    jim beam Guest

    i tested one of the early wrx's, and it didn't impress me. it's quick
    enough, but doesn't corner like a honda. on balance, i think that
    matters more.
     
    jim beam, Jun 19, 2006
    #8
  9. Spaz

    flobert Guest

    They've come on a lot in 20+ years. Of course, i've neve seen a
    regular saloon described as better handling than a race-oriented car.
     
    flobert, Jun 19, 2006
    #9
  10. Spaz

    G-Man Guest

    My son and I test drove a WRX a few months ago when we were shopping for a
    new car for him for graduation.

    Fast? Oh yeah.

    But it was put together like the cheapo civic DX and even shutting the doors
    sounded tinny. The inside was nothing to write home about. I guess if you
    want raw power, it's for you. Personally I like a balance of both.

    He ended up getting an EX-V6 4 door Accord 6-Spd.

    G-Man
     
    G-Man, Jun 19, 2006
    #10
  11. Spaz

    jim beam Guest

    well here's the thing - the dealer let my buddy and i take the the car
    out on our own [as in, unsupervised!!!] so you can guess what happened.
    basically, we took it out on a canyon trail and redlined it for about
    30 minutes. power, yep. brakes, ok. handling, blah. better than a
    stock legacy, but still blah. hondas understeer at 9/10ths, but they
    still handle better if you know what you're doing because you can use it
    to gauge the degree of available traction.

    i wonder how many people get to do /real/ test drives like that? [tip:
    show up at about 5:30 on a sunday night when there's 5 other people in
    the showroom looking at minivans and the sales dude wants to go home.]
     
    jim beam, Jun 19, 2006
    #11
  12. Spaz

    flobert Guest

    They're designed, based on the trim level/spec to be a road legal
    track car. As such creature comforts that add weight, like the
    soundproofing, and all that, are taken out.

    friend of a friend ran a hillclimb car (60's mini) - you had to wear
    radio headsets inside your helmets to talk between the ocupants,
    because it was too noisy otherwise. Thats how such cars are.

    Drove a Metro 6R4 groupB rally car from the early/mid 80s a few yewars
    back, you couldn't hear anything in that thing, and it was fast as
    hell - 80's civic hatchback size, 450+hp, and 4WD. was banned from
    rallys for being too fast and so too dangerous. At the time, they were
    able to lap silverstone in them within about 10-15 seconds of the
    formula1 cars. but noisy - hell yeah!
     
    flobert, Jun 19, 2006
    #12
  13. Spaz

    flobert Guest

    I did back in Jan, with a volvo v70r. turned up with a buddy 9a local
    state patrol cop) and he got it on an unsupervised test. They're
    actually looking into buying one or two for pursuit vehicles, so we
    get on the interstate, with a pair of friends in marked cars, and
    floor it - 135mph and the crown vics were tapped out - volvo was a
    dream, and is limited to 155...(so if you saw 2 state trooppers, with
    a black V70 between them flashing past you in Jan, here's a belated
    wave :)
     
    flobert, Jun 19, 2006
    #13
  14. Spaz

    Body Roll Guest

    Lets see, my laundry list for Impreza (including WRX):

    1. shitty handling (can't feel where the car ends)
    2. shitty 5sp transmission.
    3. "hello retirement!" suspension (My Outback Sport rolls MORE with a
    fat rear sway bar
    than a Toyolet Malibu without, and mind you Malibu is not a sporting
    car by any measure).
    4. mediocre brakes

    On Impreza without turbo:

    5. shitty gear ratios

    On the plus side there are gobs of traction anywhere. But Civic Si
    should be no worse I
    expect. And dispite the puny 139 ft.lbs of torque that beast does 0-60
    in 6.5 sec
    while my pigley that can theoretically crank out 166 ft.lbs does it in
    8.4
    See the part about shitty gearing above if you are still Imprezzed.

    Granted, for WRX you probably would have so much power that you won't
    care
    how the car is geared. Properly or not you'd have plenty of power
    anywhere
    and can transport yourself pretty quickly. Having zero enjoyment in the
    process.

    So if a muscle car is in your future WRX fits the bill just fine. But
    if you
    have any brains left you may want to give a long and hard look to Civic
    Si.

    Dunno if the seats are bearable though. They were complete P.O.S. when
    I test drove a civic 3 years ago and that was a dealbreaker.
     
    Body Roll, Jun 19, 2006
    #14
  15. Spaz

    Matt Ion Guest

    Perhaps. Depends on where and how you're driving. The thing I miss
    most about my old GLC is the RWD for cornering on the dirt roads 'back
    home' - you just can't power-slide in a FWD :)
     
    Matt Ion, Jun 19, 2006
    #15
  16. Spaz

    Body Roll Guest

    Forgot to add, 4 wheel drifts in Impreza are controllable due to 50/50
    torque split
    between the axles. I guess I'll miss that if I get a Civic Si. You just
    can't have it all...
    Unless you get an Evo!!!

    Controllable drifts? Check.
    Razorblade steering precision? Check!
    Decent shifter? Check.
    Gobs of power? Check.
    Affordability? Can't have it all after all.
     
    Body Roll, Jun 19, 2006
    #16
  17. Spaz

    flobert Guest

    reliability...
    build quality...
    maintaince

    the evo's are terrible for road use, especially the higher h ones
    (anything over about 280) Major service on them is something like
    15-20k miles
     
    flobert, Jun 20, 2006
    #17
  18. Spaz

    Body Roll Guest

    Hmm, the warranty is 5 years/60k miles. Unless they prove that you
    raced it
    I don't see how you can get into much trouble. Except with LEO :)
     
    Body Roll, Jun 20, 2006
    #18
  19. Spaz

    flobert Guest

    As the british Motoring Journalist Jeremy Clarckson has found out,
    Warentees have their down sides too.

    His ford GT has been in quite a few times now, and whilst its been in,
    whats he got to replce it from the dealer... a ford focus estate
    diesel (station wagon)

    imagine you take your FQ400 in, because its broken again, and whilst
    its being worked on, you get some boring small bottom of the rage
    loaner. Still happy about your buy? Still happy when it seems you
    drive the laoners more than the car you bought?
     
    flobert, Jun 20, 2006
    #19
  20. Spaz

    sapper Guest

    I picked up my Fit 07 this evening. I got the Sport Auto. Had to wait
    almost 2 months for it! Drives well, the engine seems to rev up a bit
    when starting up. Ride is a bit firm - comparable to a 1992 2 door
    civic. Seats are firm, but very supporting and one gets used to them
    real fast.
    Visibility is excellent as is handling.

    I paid $399 - dealer conveyance fee over the MSRP. If I'd waited, or
    shopped around a bit I might have saved part of that - but I wanted the
    car sight unseen.

    No misgivings so far (touch wood!)
     
    sapper, Jun 21, 2006
    #20
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