Mazda MX6, Subaru Impreza, 3 series BMW, cons & pros

ddavidv wrote: What does a MX-6 with a V6 weigh? I may be basing my 'heavy' assertion off comparing more recent cars (like the truly portly Mazda6). FWD is perfectly fine for a track car...up to a point. I drove and defended FWD cars for years, and they are great fun in the rain, passing all those V-8 muscle cars, but when it comes right down to it, RWD is still the most fun.

I want to say around 2700lbs. I remember thinking they were light, and always poo-pood them because they were heavier than my Celica, thinking that there was no way the extra power would make up for it. Imagine my surprise when i found that they might actually be lighter. They're a BLAST to drive, too. That motor makes some sweet sweet sounds. But yes, they're WAY lighter than they look.

Heck my 1g MX6 looks like it should easily weigh 3000-3200lbs. Even with a full interior it only weighs about 150lbs more than my fully stripped Celica. It's depressing.

MX6 should be just shy of 2800lbs. Having owned a Probe GT for many years, I'm very familiar with the KLDE (KL03) engine. I've commuted in it for years and thrown it around a good number of auto-x courses.

Out of those three- I would axe the BMW just because it's older. If I'm commuting, something newer would "generally" have less miles and less rattles/squeeks than older cars.

Suby would be fun in foul weather, but heavy and slow.

MX6 has my vote, but perhaps I'm biased. Great commuter, should see 28mpg on the highway, fun happy to rev engine, and fairly good on the auto-x course. Borla exhausts sound amazing on these things. With maintance, they last fine.. mine's over 200k with the only major replacements being clutch, normal waterpump/t-belt, and distributor. Aftermarket support is there, you just need to know where to look. Many are being turbo'd or the ever popular KLZE swap.

It pains me as a die hard drooling moron for Subarus, but the Impreza probably isn't up your alley. It doesn't snow where you live and you didn't mention an interest in rallyx or offroading, there goes the Subie's advantage. That being said, the EJ22 is truely one of my favorite low to mid power engines, and the '93-'01 Imprezas(coupes were available thru '01, FYI) are the lightest of the bunch. Heaps of aftermarket though, and a pretty versitile package. As always, they're like Legos, build what you want out of the OE bin. www.dirtyimpreza.com if you need rally inspiration.

I like the MX6 idea. Neat body, you don't see 'em much anymore(half of them are gone here in the rust belt), plenty reliable. That being said, I'm over FWD. How's the aftermarket? I'd worry about replacement and developed hopups for a quasi-niche car that's pushing 15yo.

My nod goes to the Bimmer. Rather bulletproof, great '80s styling, beautiful aftermarket, and perhaps most important, RWD.

ValuePack wrote: I like the MX6 idea. Neat body, you don't see 'em much anymore(half of them are gone here in the rust belt), plenty reliable. That being said, I'm over FWD. How's the aftermarket? I'd worry about replacement and developed hopups for a quasi-niche car that's pushing 15yo.

It's plenty adequate for a DD/occasional autox/trackday car. Replacement parts aren't really an issue, and suspension and braking aftermarket is readily available.

I test drove a 99 Subaru Impreza EJ22 AWD with manual transmission today. The dealer that had the car on the lot admitted that they have had a hard time trying to sell the car. It seems that NA Subaru's are not much in demand. Anyways, the Impreza only had 90,000 original miles and it even came with a new set of sporty 17" wheels and Fuzion tires. I drove it around the block a couple of times and I even got on the freeway, and yes I down shifted as much as I could at full throttle. It felt good at regular street driving but felt somewhat sluggish under hard acceleration. I can definitely picture myself in a Subaru but I have to give the MX6 and BMW a chance. I have to say that the Subaru felt very comfortable even for a car that looks small from the outside. I didn't notice any weird noises or rattles even at full throttle and it just felt complete. The Subaru has raised the bar and its going to be a tough test for the MX6 and BMW.

Go test drive the MX6. In all honesty, unless you're talking about sinking a LOT of money into either car, the MX6 is going to blow that underpowered overweight car into the weeds.

How tall are you? Or rather, how long is your torso? I don't fit in an MX6 very well..and definitely don't if it has a sunroof. No such problem with the other two choices.

The car i sold was a sunroof car and i dont recall any problems just sitting in it (though i never drove it, just bought it broke and flipped it). im 6,0..

however, i did NOT try with a helmet on

for reference, the Probe GT headroom is 37.8" and the MX6 is 37.9 so they are basically the same.

DD in the Probe i have enough headroom... I'm 6'0 tall and have the sear comfortably reclined.

Wearing a helemet in the probe with the seat a little more upright did cause my helmet to hit the headliners sometimes. Nothing major, but I could feel it now and then.

mad_machine wrote:

SlickDizzy wrote:

that the prototype to the "bug eyed" Impreza WRX?

It's aparently the CasaBlanca, from the wikipedia article on the Impreza:

"During this generation, Subaru made a limited edition Impreza Sport Wagon called the CasaBlanca,[5] which had a retro front and rear end treatment, which was inspired by the popular kei car Subaru Vivio Bistro styling package and Subaru Sambar Dias Classic. The Sport Wagon was also offered with the WRX turbocharged engine, and was called the Gravel Express."

Also, something that hasn't been mentioned yet as a difference between the 3 choices is crash performance. My understanding is that Imprezas do quite well. I would trust them more in that situation than an E30 that is 11 years older, doesn't have airbags etc.

Of course how important this is depends entirely on how much you plan to drive the car and what percentage of the time your family will be in it. I bought a 95 Miata rather than a 92 partly because it has a passenger side airbag and my girlfriend is normally sitting in that seat when we drive in heavy traffic on the highway...

This nagged at me, so I looked it up. BMW 325i 2895 lbs Mazda MX-6 2775 lbs Impreza Coupe 2720 lbs

Whoa... i never would have guessed that weight for the AWD Impreza. That's actually pretty impressive. They always felt a bit heavy when i drove them, though. Strange.

In reply to 93celicaGT2:

It's a pretty substantial amount of weight considering how much power actually gets put to the ground. Ever seen a dyno sheet from a stock 2.2L AWD Impreza? They put down less than 100whp (and not that much more lb/ft of torque) from the factory.

boxedfox wrote: In reply to 93celicaGT2: It's a pretty substantial amount of weight considering how much power actually gets put to the ground. Ever seen a dyno sheet from a stock 2.2L AWD Impreza? They put down less than 100whp (and not that much more lb/ft of torque) from the factory.

Ouch. Have i finally found something the Celica can outdyno? I might hit 110whp if i'm lucky, and even at 2300lbs, the car still feels dog E36 M3 slow.

If the OP thought that the Impreza pulled ok, he's going to be crapping himself with the MX6.

I test drove both the 88 BMW 325 and a 96 MX6 today. Both cars are as different as night and day. The BMW felt sluggish, slow and underpowered compared to the MX6 high reving V6 power. Both the mx6 and 325 offered a v6 engine but they are not in the same league. The mx6 pushed me into my seat as I gave it even the smallest amount of gas. The bmw did not offer any kind of thrill even at full throttle and to be completely honest, I no longer want a bmw. I have narrowed my choices to either a Subaru Impreza or Mazda MX6.

In reply to deveous9:

you say it was a 325, not a 325i The 325 is not as high strung as the 325i. It had a lower revving economy engine in it (super eta) compared to the sportier, thirstier 325i and 325is

Nit picking but the BMW has an inline 6 not a V6.

I lust after the MX6 engine. I think it would be great in my miata.

Like 02maniac says, if the E30 you drove was a 325E (eta/economy), make sure you get out in a 325i before settling on the MX6. I would think the two cars should be fairly evenly matched, performance-wise.

My 325i will kick a 2.2 Impreza's ass. I know because I've owned both. I think you drove an eta powered car. FAIL. Please try again.

He said it was a 2 door.... i don't think there was a 2 door ETA, was there?

That said, i'd hedge my bets that a V6 MX6 would mob all over a 325i anyways. Stock vs. Stock that is.

Capt Slow wrote: Nit picking but the BMW has an inline 6 not a V6. I lust after the MX6 engine. I think it would be great in my miata.

I'm sure you've seen it...

But Youtube "KLZE Miata" for some glorious sound.

93celicaGT2 wrote: He said it was a 2 door.... i don't think there was a 2 door ETA, was there? That said, i'd hedge my bets that a V6 MX6 would mob all over a 325i anyways. Stock vs. Stock that is.

There was certainly a 2 door ETA. I had one before I fixed it. I'd be surprised if the MX6 walked all over the 325i...

93celicaGT2 wrote: He said it was a 2 door.... i don't think there was a 2 door ETA, was there? That said, i'd hedge my bets that a V6 MX6 would mob all over a 325i anyways. Stock vs. Stock that is.

There certainly was a 2-door 325, 325e, and 325es

0-60 times for 325e are about 9 seconds compared to mid 7's for the 325i

I'd consider that a huge difference.

njansenv wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: He said it was a 2 door.... i don't think there was a 2 door ETA, was there? That said, i'd hedge my bets that a V6 MX6 would mob all over a 325i anyways. Stock vs. Stock that is.

There was certainly a 2 door ETA. I had one before I fixed it. I'd be surprised if the MX6 walked all over the 325i...

Hrmmm... my bad.

As for MX6 vs. 325i/is, i guess i can't say for sure. I haven't seen E30 325s at the drag strip in person, but i have see low 15s out of stock MX6s, mid high 14s with bolt ons. Strictly going off what i found on the internet (reputable source, right? ) seems the E30 is good for a high 15s quarter mile.

That said, same source also says the MX6 is high 15s.

So yeah, guess it's a wash. The MX6s i've driven felt quite a bit quicker than the E30 325is i drove, though. And the Butt Dyno is 110% accurate.

Definitely interested to find out exactly what the OP drove, though, since i'm strictly bench racing and using the butt dyno for fun.

Someone please educate me on what the difference is between a 325e and 325i BMW.