2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed3

Dear Joe.....

The Speed 3 is not for the average person. You buy one because you want one. You accept what 263 BHP will do in a front drive car. You accept the stiffer suspension will compromise ride comfort.

Maybe you should stick with a Buick or Camry....

When I was looking this past year, the MS3 was a strong competitor on my list. It is a standard by which others are measured after all, though seemingly only in terms of outright speed and excessive torque steer. It's a helluva deal for what it offers, but with the competition out now, it's showing its age and lack of refinement a bit. What got my coin? Focus ST. Still waiting on a proper GRM review on it... I think you'll like it.

Planet_Scott----

Sure, I'll take a 87 Grand National, a 65 Riv, maybe even a 70 Stage I Skylark. Can't say there is a Camry I'd want though.....

I never said the Speed 3 was for an average person, just that it's price was "average". It's a good deal if it turns you on....for me, it didn't. I prefer a car with pleasing communication through the steering wheel, a great gearbox, and I'd like it wrapped in a semi-attractive package. For me, the Speed 3 fails to deliver. Raw speed is great....but it only goes so far.

This was one of my top choices when it came out, but Mazda wasn't dealing on the MS3 and a new baby meant no fun wagonwette for me. I've been watching the car ever since.

In two years when I am back to new-car buying mode however, the MS3 will no longer be my top pick. The Focus ST has eclipsed it and now that the X1 is available here, I may even be cross shopping BMW. (Less power but rear-drive and a BMW)

what a great time to be alive, when a 260hp turbo hatchback for average money is not enough to set the world on fire.

belteshazzar----- exactly! The choices for the enthusiast have never been better!

This is a very good car but for the money I bought a WRX instead. No torque steer, significantly less ugly..... and the WRX is not an attractive car itsself.

Really every car today that is a good driver looks terrible.

Camaro looks like some transformers abortion designed by a fired Japanese design team.

BMWs looks ultra bland cars for old people.

Japanese tuner cars look garish to an extreme in all the wrong ways.

A mustang is probably the only car that looks good and handles great. Maybe a 1 Series M from an otherwise vanilla bland company of BMW as well.

Then we have the Challenger that looks great but is essentially a retirees cruiser boat.

I still want to see that engine in an MX-5. Yes, the firewall would have to be changed slightly, but it's nothing that a mini-sledge couldn't handle.

I actually did cross shop one of these with the FRS/BRZ and the Focus ST. I ended up with the Mazda.

The FRS was fun to drive but felt cheap. Things rattled and made hollow noises when I shut doors and the trunk. The interior felt a bit awkward. I enjoyed driving but something wasn't there.

My concern with the Focus ST was the braking to control torque steer. I want to wait a couple of years to see what problems they develop. The other major question I had that no one could answer was: If drive it hard will I roast the brakes? All the reviewers of the ST heaped praise onto it but no one seemed to have a good answer to how the brakes hold up under track and extreme hot weather driving conditions (I live in a desert where it'll cap 115 on a bad day).

So I ended up with a Speed3. It didn't take too long to figure out that it was the car for me when I scared the hell out both myself and the salesman on an on ramp. I don't think I've stepped out of it once since I bought it without a grin on my face.

I've driven the Focus ST, the GTI, the WRX an the MS3 on the track and the road, I bought a 2012 MS3 for 21k, it was a no brainer, none of the other cars were actually within 4-5k of this price (the real price paid, not invoice or MSRP) and by the way, you can drive the hell out of the MS3 on the track, the brakes, although a little wooden, NEVER fade and if you have smooth inputs, the torque steer is completely negotiable, and OMG, it handles wonderfully, very aggressive factory set toe and camber, and its a reliable and safe car. I don't care what it looks like, I care that it's relatively practical and you can push it to its limits over and over again, and its simply much cheaper. BTW, a friend brought his new Subaru BRZ to the track and it was wonderful for about 10 minutes and then the brake pads disintegrated and scored the rotors, of course this is a cheap and easy fix, its a great car frankly, but it's cheap and still its more expensive than a MS3, are you getting the theme, there isn't anything close in price, it's a beast and really, the steering feel is very very good, as is turn in, I can keep going, but you get the point.

The 2013 Mazdaspeed3 is an understated piece of machinery. No extra doodads or thingamajigs. It just drives. No frills, but definite thrills in this 263-horsepower brute. Who says brains beat brawn?