Comments on: Mazda 3 MPS

By: mitch

mitch — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:08:24 +0000

I picked mine up about a month ago and have since done a front mount intercooler, turbo back exhaust 3″ from the dump pipe back and an ECUTEK tune.
Maybe the AWD fan boys struggle with a car that doesn’t do all the work for you?
I’ll happily take anyone for a run in it & show you exactly what it can do.

By: mitch

mitch — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:57:56 +0000

You can’t spell.
This only furthers the stereotype of you being an uneducated bogan.
Must be hard.

By: Robbo

Robbo — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:08:49 +0000

Still a great car. Done 38,000 K’s and it goes even harder now. Eats my 07 Rex for breakfast.
These are a serious performance car if you know how to drive them. Never been beatin in it!

By: Autoboy

Autoboy — Tue, 04 May 2010 09:35:17 +0000

From an MPS Gen 2 ownner:

1. Yes – hard (but not impossible) to lauch cleanly and get the ponies to the tarmac from standing start. 380nm through the front hoops!
2. Rolling accelerating very, very quick.
3. 80-120 scary!
4. Please Mazda do not ‘refine’ this car. Its hard,fast, audible,and that just the
way we like it.

By: Robbo

Robbo — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:25:01 +0000

Bought an 07 MPS with 3,000km on the clock for $33,000. Awsome car with crazy power. Torque steer isn’t really a problem if you can hang onto it, and who cares if it takes off like it does. Own an 07 wrx aswell with turbo back exhaust and only takes the MPS off the line, then its the MPS all the way. Handling is awsome and matches the REX in most corners. Great car all round. If ya find a good deal BUY ONE!

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:30:39 +0000

Well. based on the production car racing i was watching on the weekend at Eastern Creek, an MPS and STi are about evenly matched around a dry track.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:30:07 +0000

For my 2 cents, the ART of driving is where the pleasure is derived and most similar aged and priced cars perform comparably with little nuances that one driver will prefer over another. To really test yourself grab a 60′s stock VW beetle and find a really windy road and see if you can really drive, I present this from a fond memory I have of following a beetle up Broke Road in a GSR Lancer (non turbo) I threw everything at this damn beetle but he still beat me in corners and with skinny cheese cutters and inward wheel camber. Got to my mate’s place and said beetle turns in across the road. Asked my mate what the hell he had under the bonnet..stock 1500cc beetle..oh and the driver was a rally driver of some note..stil impressed by this over 10 years later! Ok quick rundown on some of the memorable cars I’ve thrashed:
- 68 Beetle with 8inch rubber – most fun in the dry – think driving a roller skate!
- Early big turbo WRX – blistering to limit but no feel at all when near the limit – why so many end up in trees!
- Gen 4 VW R32 – nicest sorted car for under 60K i’ve driven – not the most powerful but always put a smile on my face. Awesome on the track but so good that it’s the car doing all the work not driver skill – lovely to drift though
- BMW 330 – beautifully balanced
- Gen 5 VW GTi DSG – traded R32 so wife could drive auto, still miss R32′s racecar feel but effectively the GTi outperforms it – faster and can be thrown around corners just as well although have had the back end out way further than I thought possible in a FWD car – much better value than the R32 it’s still a fave
- 350Z – rear wheel drive fun!!!!
Look really guys unless you are going to buy a second set of rims and put racing tires on your car at track days then any of the new breed of hot hatches is going to outperform your talents so test drive them all and buy the one that makes you FEEL best when you drive it.
Oh and with the GFC and bankrupt bankers everywhere you can pick up a nice late model 911 AWD turbo for around 140 grand, now that’s bang for your buck and certainly worth my consideration – just have to convince the wife (yes she is the boss!)

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:03:00 +0000

I went with a mate when he test drove a WRX and 3 MPS. We drove the MPS first and I was really surprised by the in gear acceleration. Then drove the WRX, *yawn* after the MPS. No where near the acceleration of the MPS, the WRX felt very flat.

Stupid mate bought the WRX, don’t know why. 2 months later he was really regretting it, said he should have bought the MPS (as I suggested). Since then he’s been trying to sell the WRX.

They are a great little car, surprisingly fast, and I’ve owned some fast cars in my time. Just to clarify, never owned a rex or mps so no brand loyalty clouding my view.

By: Adam

Adam — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:06:07 +0000

James, I have the same model and have had no probs at all mechanically, etc. I would warn anyone thinking of this car to consider running costs though. services aren’t too bad so far (mine’s almost due for it’s 50 000k), but tyres are expensive. we got newies just before last xmas (Pirelli p-zeros – factory size), and they were $350 each. the original Bridgestones are almost $400 a pop (and not as good as Pirelli according to the tyre dude) and it can even go up from there. I still love it though, and don’t regret the purchase at all. mine was $32500 with 16000k’s on the clock in early ’08, so 25 grand doesn’t sound too bad. cheers.

also, Geoff……torque steer has never really been much of an issue for me, only when it’s really tramped does it get like that. and really, how often are you going to drive it that hard? hardly ever is my guess. this car is still fast without ripping the piss out of it.

By: James

James — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:34:29 +0000

I am considering buying a 2007 Mazda 3 MPS – 2nd hand of course. Around 42,000 kilometers – for $25,000. Do people out there think this would be a good idea? Any problems/greivances with their MPS 3 that I should know of? Any comments would be appreciated.