Quote:
Originally Posted by mbanks21
Looking to downsize and save some money for the next 12-18 months before I blow it all on the next gen M3. Currently in a 2015 335 Msport but looking for a small/midsize 4 door sporty car about $20-25k. The Mazda 3 five door comes with a manual tranny, ~195hp, weighs 3046lbs (vs ~3700 for my 335). I have yet to drive one but it's on my short list. Thoughts?
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I had a 2016 Mazda 3 hatch with the 2.5L and a manual until a couple of months ago when a lady ran a red light. We also have a 2016 328i and have had a number of N54 and N55 cars. I replaced the Mazda with a GTI.
Compared to the F30 the Mazda has comically better steering, the brakes initial bite feels much more natural and tech features were actually better too. It's got a pretty flinty suspension though, even compared to the RFTs of the BMW. And while you might think the naturally aspirated motor would rev well or be fun, it's actually my biggest fault with that car and what kept me from getting another. It's possible that it's better with the auto, but it's flat awful with a manual.
It hates to rev, 4500 is about the useful top end. It has okay torque starting at about 2000 rpm. So it's effectively a diesel. You have a 2500 rpm range that it's fun at. I averaged 24 mpg, admittingly I drove it hard, but my GTI is getting between 27 and 28 on the same cycle while having another 100 lb/ft of torque, happily revving to 7200 all day and just smashing my belief that any n/a motor is better than any turbo motor.
But it was a lot of fun to drive, we used it on weekends and very rarely drove the 3er. I find the F30 to be a very dull car with very little feedback or sense of fun, and that's the LCI. The lack of an LSD is a huge fail, even when you plow thorough the button pushes to get it into Sport + and knock the DSC down a level.
Prior to killing it, I'd have strongly recommended it with the provision that it's slow and not very efficient. But now I feel silly for not having bought the 70 pound heavier, but 7.5 inch shorter GTI in the first place. It doesn't have the blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert or nav, but they're available, and it does have Apple Play, which Mazda still hasn't sorted out.
I got my GTI at $500 over invoice pricing and with the '18s about to arrive, you could easily get an S or Sport for under $25k.