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10 WRX vs 08 Mazdaspeed 3

23K views 41 replies 28 participants last post by  gigi11 
#1 · (Edited)
Background:

I owned a 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 for 2 years. I traded it in last December for a 2010 WRX. My local dealer sells both Subies and Mazdas, and cut me a decent deal for a swap. I also had a tax incentive, and low miles (9K miles in 2 years) helped the trade. But my main motivation for the swap was the weather here in Iowa which made AWD more attractive to me. I loved my MS3 but hated how it drove in the snow and rain. Following is a comparison between the two based on my 2 years driving experience with the Mazda and 1 year with the WRX. I make this as unbiased and objectively as possible. No fanboyism :).


Features/Amenities:

Here I recognize I made a compromise when I switched to the WRX. The Mazda had a superior stereo, 6-speed, HVAC system, better seats, and even more room in the back seats. You get more features for the money with the Mazda. I did end up replacing my WRX's stock stereo for an aftermarket one.

Fit/Finish:

Neither car is a benchmark here. The Mazda developed a good share of rattles, and my WRX is starting a few. The Mazda's suspension, however, even brand new, sounded hideously during super cold (<10 F) temperatures. Thankfully the Subie doesn't.

Performance:

Now for the good part! Regardless of the Subaru's 2 hp lead (12 with the SPT exhaust), and about 1 second advantage in 0-60 magazine tests, the Mazda felt definitely more powerful to the "butt dyno". It pulled stronger and was more responsive. Of course, the Mazda had traction issues, which the WRX does not. Upgrading my WRX to stage 1 made it feel more or less as fast as my Mazda was on the roll.

The Mazda's power delivery seemed more "right now", whereas the Subaru's is smoother all around. I didn't notice turbo lag at all with the Mazda, and I do now with the WRX. However, the WRX keeps pulling harder at higher RPM's. I guess the Mazda's has a smaller turbo?

To my disappointment, launching the WRX was not at all easier than the Mazda, except on bad weather. Whereas skill was required to moderate wheelspin on the Mazda, skill is also required to avoid bogging down the WRX or frying something. And I feel that getting the WRX to do its fastest 0-60 times would affect the life of my transmission/clutch, whereas in the Mazda it would be less costly (just the life of the front tires).

The WRX's suspension feels significantly softer than the Mazda's. This is not a bad thing for me, as this is my daily driver. The WRX suspension seems perfectly tuned for sporty road driving, whereas the Mazda's is rough. However, on autocross events, the WRX dives and rolls a lot more, whereas the Mazda is more solidly planted.

Steering on the Mazda was superb. Almost BMW-like. Very responsive, although a little nervous at high speeds. The WRX is number and lighter. However, that doesn't mean that the WRX steering is worse. If there is anything bad about the MS3 is its wicked torque-steer. Torque steer not only happened at 1st gear; it showed its ugly face sometimes at 2nd or even 3rd gear. And while most of the time it was just a nuisance, sometimes it put me in dangerous situations, like once I torque steered in to the wrong lane on a left turn :/. That is certainly something I won't miss in my WRX!

The Mazda came equipped with bigger brakes for those bigger 18" wheels. Honestly, I haven't tested the brakes to the point where I can give a meaningful opinion. The Mazda's brakes produced a lot more brake dust, so I had to clean the wheels a lot more.

Trannies are different. The Mazda has a six speed, and the WRX a 5-speed. Because of the broader power delivery in the WRX, I can live with the 5 speed. The only compromise is that 80 mph cruises are buzzier on the WRX. Shifters behave differently also. The Mazda's is weighted and has a notchy "snick-snick" feel to it. The WRX's is more rubbery and with a more conventional feel. While the Mazda's feels so nice in the beginning, it is hard to shift fast. I find it easier to shift gears quickly with the WRX's. Clutch engagement on the Mazda feels more precise and has a hard to describe "geared" feeling that is very nice. The WRX, even after a year of driving, remains easy to bog down and sometimes even stall.

Exhaust/sound: My WRX came with the SPT exhaust from the factory. Even though, it is only slightly noisier than the MS3's stock exhaust. So I believe that the MS3 is a lot noisier than a stock WRX. Although the MS3 sound is boomy/sporty, it screams 4-banger. It is nothing like the intoxicatingly beautiful Subaru boxer sound. Subaru clearly wins here.

Gas mileage: I got slightly better gas mileage with the MS3 around my mostly suburban commute: 21 mpg vs. 20 for the WRX (19 @ Stage I). Both are premium-only cars.

Other considerations:

There is a huge modding community associated with the WRX. Not so much with the Mazda. That was something that became appealing to me. Tuning of the direct-injected Mazda engine gave little gains, and forums were littered with issues like blown engines and falling motors. With my WRX, I am stage 1 and feel pretty safe, and will go for stage 2 next year.

Finally, I can tell you from experience I am getting more attention on the road (both positive and negative) with the WRX than I did with the Mazda. This is strange, given the Mazda was red and the WRX is blue?

In conclusion, I can see why the 08 MS3 beat the 09 WRX in a magazine comparo, but still the WRX is the best car for me and I am happy with my swap.
 
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#2 ·
Nice writeup. :)

Not surprised with anything that was said, given the differences between the cars. The MS3 is a wonderful car by most accounts; I couldn't fault anyone for buying it. Probably not for me, just because I'm one of those old-fashioned folks that prefers the feel of RWD/AWD.

Best of luck with your Subie. I'm impressed with the 2010's!
 
#3 ·
You made some very good points... having driven both (and even the ms6) id have to say I'm really impressed with mazda... One thing I would like to point out though is the location of the tmic on the mazda vs subaru, subaru' ic is in a much better area and you have more ample room to work,, the mazda' ic is right smack on top of the engine, making it next to impossiable to work on w/o being a pita...

Like ray, I am a awd/rwd fan and also hate torque steer so subaru's awd is far supierior then the ms6's... also the ms6 felt clumbsy and too much weight imo, but I did like the very comefortable interior...
 
#31 ·
+1
nice cars but FWD ruins it for me
 
#8 ·
Nice write up.

Both great cars. I have to admit, I REALLY like the MS3, a lot. I think it looks better, handles better, nicer interior, and more responsive clutch/tranny.
I just cannot get over the FWD.

A lot of what you said about the WRX annoys me even in my 2002 model, lol. Which means, after 8 years, Subaru has still failed to address these problems. Most notably the rolling suspension, inconsistent clutch, bogging clutch (especially in weather changes).

Unless I magically find a way to afford a 335i or A4/S4 I can't see myself leaving Subaru for my next vehicle though.



 
#9 ·
I looked hard at the MS3 as well but every review I read and the test drive I took reminded me of torque steer, torque steer and mooooore torque steer. The smiley face and red polka dot seats kinda were a turn off as well. It's definitely a good car though.

I found a few 335i's for about $24k with 40k miles on them used while I was used car shopping. Quite a few S4's from 04-06 as well in that same price range. A4's are ridiculously easy to find for that price range. So many of them come off lease you can pay that much certified from a dealer let alone trying to find a real deal on it.

For the record, the 335i I test drove was really nice. Much faster than I had anticipated. I test drove an 04 CTS-V and 07 335i back to back and even though the CTS-V had 100 more hp and torque, the BMW felt as fast if not faster and much better in the bends. I was disappointed in the feeling of the shifter/clutch however. It was much soggier then the STi and MS3 I test drove.

I nearly pounced on it but the thought of BMW size repair bills left me gun-shy.
 
#10 ·
I have a friend with a speed6. He complains that as soon as the outside temp goes over 60 or so, his car feels much slower. He says at 80 degrees and he feels like he is driving his old Corrola. I have never driven a speed in warmer weather, so I don't have first hand experience. I will say my WRX doesn't feel like its slowing down until after 75-80 or so - and with my STI intercooler, it feels fine until 85ish.
 
#17 ·
You know thats funny i just dumped my 09Mazdaspeed 3 for a 2010 wrx hb for the same reasons. I hated the complicated tuning on that car, i had it fully bolted at 300whp and the pcv smoking bs which was a piss off. I disagree about the aftermarket support though, there is more and more coming but basically that engine is ford and volvo and mazda amalagamation lol. I love having heated cloth seats back in the wrx none in the speed. Stereo better in the mazda for sure, I changed shifter bushings and shifter, much better. The body roll was less in the mazda but now i addressed that and went to perrin bars and links, made a HUGE difference. The biggest problem was too much power for fwd and in Canada with a decent amount of snow and even with winter tires it still kinda sucked, the awd should be much better. Back to the tuning and modding though, I did stage 1 on the rex and it feels kinda between stage 1 and 2 of the mazda. Bang for the buck i would have to spend way less to get 300whp out of the subie. I still actually frequent mazdaspeedforum.org and one of their members posted this post on their website lol which made me laugh, i don't care how much you butter up the fwd and torquesteer...if you can't put it to the ground then what good is it! even if the subie bogs the acceleration is still superior. As far as good aftermarket support Cpe and cobb have great parts for Mazda's but Subaru takes it because of how long these cars have been out and the popularity. I had a hard time around my area finding someone who knows the Mazda DISI that well. Any way sorry for the long post just thought i put in my two cents.... loving the rex lots though!
 
#25 ·
Nice write up. can't agree more on the stereo, i did some research on both cars before buying mine nothing extensive but like others have said, awd was a big factor for me and few months after purchasing my forester i was sucked right in the subie world and never looked back.
 
#28 ·
I was laughing at the 'FRMAROL' tag, then I saw all the fwd cars in your sig..
 
#29 ·
i had a 08 mazda speed 3 before i sold it for my 05 sti...

the "torque steer" in the ms3 depends on which gear your in and how much the tires are spinning. since the pcm cuts boost in 1st and 2nd if you catch traction on the end of 2nd and shift to 3rd the wheel will actually pitch left to right or right to left! crazy! no torque steer in the sti and it launches

the stereo was better stock in the mazda but aftermarket stereos are still better...never heard a stock sti stereo

heat soak is horrible on a ms3 but the aftermarket has fixes for this...its only 85 in tx right now subie is doing great so far on heat soak

to me the interiors are about the same the mazdas seats are more comfortable

ride is about the same

ms3 only avail. in hatch

both cars are fast same hp numbers but even in tx traction is an issue for the mazda

oh i bought my sti for $17,500 80,000 miles ms3 $19,000 30,000 miles
 
#30 ·
My roommate and I both bought our cars around the same time. He purchased a 2012 MS3 (Upgraded from a 09' Civic Si.) and I bought a 2011 WRX HB. I always gave him grief about his smiley face but he loves it. His interior is nice but i'm just not a fan of the black leather and red cloth seats. His body roll seems to be about the same as mine. Whenever we raced from a 30 (ms3 stock, Subie had a stage 1 flash) I pulled probably 5-6 car lengths. He blamed it all on the flash but who knows. His exhaust is louder than mine BY FAR. He almost sounds aftermarket in tone. Impressive compared to mine because whenever i'm WOT all I hear is the wind. But all in all, the MS3 is a nice car but whenever I ride with him, the torque steer jerking just kills it for me. I love my wrx...... :)
 
#34 ·
Wow, very interesting. I too had a 2008 MS3. Unfortunately we lost it tragically fall of 2010. So we waited and ordered our new2012 Subaru WRX and took delivery late Feb. Both cars are hatches, daily drivers, and I'm getting better fuel economy with the WRX. Also, I'm having a lot more fun in Solo...much less under steer! Flatter in the corners and much more precise in the slaloms...all in all a much better ride all around and all wheel drive to boot!
 
#36 ·
That was a really nice write-up. I felt that that the MS3 aspects is very accurate too.
I really enjoy my MS3 as well, however I did not think the torque steer was that bad.
However, the things that annoyed you, annoys me as well.

The MS3 does feel sluggish in hot humid weather, and unfortunately for me - I live in Texas.
However, I must admit if the 2009 WRX looked like the 2012 WRX Sedan when I was cross-shopping the two, I would definitely have given it a more in-depth look. I think the WRX sedan looks amazing.
 
#37 ·
My tuner drives an MS3.
 
#41 ·
Torque steer is fun, guys just hit the gym if it's so frustrating to you.... :shakehead:
You clearly do not understand the underlying physics behind torque steer.

It's hell of a lot more fun then the back end braking loose and not catching! FWD manual also has the lowest parasthetic drivetrain loss of any platform.
I disagree. A RMR platform also incorporates a transaxle and, due to the general rule that rear brake rotors are smaller than fronts, should have less rotational mass i.e. less parasitic loss.
 
#39 ·
I can tell you i just Traded my new Focus ST in for my new WRX! ST was a good car very refined and awsome gear box but i hated the tourqe steer and the way it handles in the snow! Even on the highway in narrow lanes i would always have to drive like i was afraid the car would jerk sideways in traffic like driving on a highway like 476 where the lanes are super tight and traffic all around you. As soon as i made the trade and headed home with my WRX it was like a breath of fresh air ahhhh can finally hold the steering wheel again with one hand or at least alot less tight..LOL The rex felt way way way more grounded! I thought about trading the ST in for a MS3 because they where on sale but i would have wound up with the same monster a FWD tourque steer beast! Im so glad i stuck it out and got my new WRX and im even more glad that i did when there is snow on the ground!!! I think if FORD and Mazda would make those 2 cars AWD they would be awsome but till then they are not for me!
 
#40 ·
Torque steer is fun, guys just hit the gym if it's so frustrating to you....
It's hell of a lot more fun then the back end braking loose and not catching! FWD manual also has the lowest parasthetic drivetrain loss of any platform.
Assume you meant parasitic. Yep, it's an efficient/cost effective design, for sure, hence its use in so many econoboxes, family sedans, etc. Also superior in inclement weather to RWD, in my experience.

I can't agree with much more, unfortunately. The dislike for torque steer comes not from people being weak, but from a dislike for how it feels and the inherent dynamics involved. I didn't really get it 'til I owned a Nissan Maxima, back in the '90's. The plow effect that happened when I'd gun it and lose traction, or in a corner when pushing things, just isn't for me. In my experience, oversteering RWD is much easier to control, and is genuinely fun. Want to let it push out a bit? Give it some gas. Want to pull it back in line? Let up a bit. Easy peasy.

There's a reason why even Honda, icon of FWD cars, went to RWD for the S2000 sportscar.
 
#42 ·
Another major thing to note would be the depreciation of each car. I dont know how much the MS3 depreciates but the depreciation on the WRX blows my mind. Actually, this is one of the major factors making me go after a WRX.

Im leasing a G37x now for a RIDICULOUS monthly payment. Love the car - it's fast, comfy, feels good on the highway and it moves...but it's automatic.
 
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