So is anyone worked up about the Mazda3 MPS? Approx 270hp thru front wheels? Even if
02-14-2006, 02:52 PM
#12
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I think it's pretty cool.
Convention used to say that anything approaching 200hp or more through the front wheels was impossible. Now look how many vehicles out there have that or more. Why is some of you laugh at 270hp/280ftlbs but urge everyone to chip their 2.0T to make it 252hp/302ftlbs? In general, FWD will never provid optimum handling and yet with today's knowledge it can be tamed to a great extent. Anyone who's driven a MINI MCS with LSD will attest to that. And our cars aren't half bad handlers either in FWD form (or AWD that acts like FWD most of the time.) Mazda has been on a roll the last few years. They are much braver and quicker to bring niche cars to the market a la Chrysler, and their more pedestrian lines are great buys as well. Cooler yet, watch this car go for less than $27K or so.
02-14-2006, 03:26 PM
#13
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FWD can produce some great numbers. The Citroen Xantia with ARC can corner at .94g
http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/suspension/tech_suspension3.htm
Alfa has been praised for years with regards to their fwd 250hp V6 GTA - despite torque steer popping up every now and then.
Alfa has been praised for years with regards to their fwd 250hp V6 GTA - despite torque steer popping up every now and then.
02-14-2006, 03:27 PM
#14
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I'd test drive one.
If they stick to their normally good value pricing, you gotta hand it to Mazda for having the nads to bring the Mazdaspeed cars over.
Audi snobs may laugh, but the amount of stuff you can get in a Mazda3 for the money makes it an exceptional value. Now, they're adding more power and better handling to the car? If they price this properly, they'll sell a bunch of them, IMHO.
Audi snobs may laugh, but the amount of stuff you can get in a Mazda3 for the money makes it an exceptional value. Now, they're adding more power and better handling to the car? If they price this properly, they'll sell a bunch of them, IMHO.
02-14-2006, 05:23 PM
#17
Drove a T5 a while back..
It was pretty quick, handled well, but the auto trans was sluggish in manual mode. (Shift, wait, wait, wait..) Also the radio panel is a bit weird, and completely precludes head unit swaps, because there's no place to put a new one.
Despite my good luck with my 94 (220K miles). I won't be buying a new "Volvo" because service manuals are simply not available to owners anymore at a reasonable price, and codes can't be read unless the car is connected to the dealer's computer, which then looks them up online. No humans ever need know the actual codes.
Despite my good luck with my 94 (220K miles). I won't be buying a new "Volvo" because service manuals are simply not available to owners anymore at a reasonable price, and codes can't be read unless the car is connected to the dealer's computer, which then looks them up online. No humans ever need know the actual codes.
