MAZDA 3

[bullet 1]

Hey guys,

Just wondering what you guys think of the MAZDA3? I really like it and from what I understand it is a FOCUS rapped in a MAZDA body. Do you guys think that it will be actcepted as a FOCUS and will be brought into the FOCUS crowd?:rockon:

 

[wagonman72]

Actually the next gen euro Focus will be based on the Mazda 3, but Ford in their infinite wisdom will not be bringing the new Focus to the US for the forseeable future. I have taken one of the 5 door Mazda 3's for a test drive, REALLY nice car. Overall the interior gives one the feeling of driving a BMW, and the auto trans with the Tiptronic-like shifter is really cool.

 

[bullet 1]

anyone else have an opinion?

 

[wagonman72]

Just get one and tell US about it.

 

[bullet 1]

hahaha................kinda on the SVT CONTOUR edge

 

[Infra-Red SVT]

Saw one today. Looks nice, i like it.

 

[BLUFOCUS]

I am glad you brought up the Mazda3. The 3's #'s beat the SVTF? In breaking from 70mph it takes 168ft instead of the 170ft svtf. In the 0-60 dept the Mazda3 does it in 7.4sec stock as compared to the 7.7 svtf?? I know that the Mazda3 has the 2.3L so it's going to really kick in svtf flavor. In the handling dept the mazda3 also kicks but 0.87g without bottoming out on rough surfaces!! THe quarter mile is the only loser, but by very little 16.0 as compared to 15.5. This car is also heavier than the svtf and the leg room is tight up front.

 

[AZ SVT]

Originally posted by BLUFOCUS
I am glad you brought up the Mazda3. The 3's #'s beat the SVTF? In breaking from 70mph it takes 168ft instead of the 170ft svtf. In the 0-60 dept the Mazda3 does it in 7.4sec stock as compared to the 7.7 svtf?? I know that the Mazda3 has the 2.3L so it's going to really kick in svtf flavor. In the handling dept the mazda3 also kicks but 0.87g without bottoming out on rough surfaces!! THe quarter mile is the only loser, but by very little 16.0 as compared to 15.5. This car is also heavier than the svtf and the leg room is tight up front.

I'm not here to defend the SVTF since I have never had any brand loyalty of any sort. But those figures don't mean much to me.

A 2 foot diffence in stopping distance is greater than the difference between two pieces of road or even amount of dust between two runs or if the tires have optimal inflation (as opposed to factory spec), not to mention the driver variable.

And the SVTF has tested at 6.9 0-60 by one magazine.

Skid pads numbers are almost meaningless. They were invented to have something to talk about when no meaningful test could be devised. Many people don't know that a skid pad numbers change with the radius of the circle. So you tell me who decides what radius is the most important in real world driving? It also only represents steady state cornering grip of that particular radius. On the track, what percent of lines through turns are at that constant radius? I'd guess less than 5% are at at a fixed radius and maybe 1% at the radius used for a magazine's skid pad test. Slalom speeds are more meaningful but even they are for a fixed course which doesn't match a real track; but they at least do measure transitional handling which is more important. You might be surprised to know that your street car that skid pads at .7x, .8x or .9x Gs easily exceeds 1 G peaks on a road course and that two cars that skid pad the same can be dramatically different on a road course or austo-x.

 

[BLUFOCUS]

No need to defend the svtf it's a great car. I just wanted to show some insight on the future of the svtf. The new mazda3 (stock) matches the svtf without even trying. This means that the next generation svtf is going to be something awesome. I read these threads frequently and I also drive a svtf (Yahoo!!!!). I can pickup on everyones frustration of this great car not being a stop light burner. Just my opinion.

 

[wagonman72]

Leg room is NOT tight upfront, in fact it has more leg room length! The thing is the trans tunnel kind of pushes your right leg out a little, forcing you to have to kind of reach around it. Of course being that I am about 6' 4" I had the seat all the way back. It is a very comfortable car, the auto trans accelerates nowhere near as briskly as the SVTF I do not know about the manual trans car. I really suggest that everyone takes a test drive. Once again a VERY nicely put together car.

 

[quivvy]

saw one the other day and liked it alot. looks really similar. although id still rather have an SVTF

 

[quivvy]

Originally posted by BLUFOCUS
I am glad you brought up the Mazda3. The 3's #'s beat the SVTF? In breaking from 70mph it takes 168ft instead of the 170ft svtf. In the 0-60 dept the Mazda3 does it in 7.4sec stock as compared to the 7.7 svtf?? I know that the Mazda3 has the 2.3L so it's going to really kick in svtf flavor. In the handling dept the mazda3 also kicks but 0.87g without bottoming out on rough surfaces!! THe quarter mile is the only loser, but by very little 16.0 as compared to 15.5. This car is also heavier than the svtf and the leg room is tight up front.

also, wherever u got ur #s is shit. 0-60 tested from 6.9-7.4 is what ive read from reputable sources (not edmunds or some crap with shit drivers). the breaking has been tested from 60-0 @ 113 - 118. handling puts the mazda 3 to shame. the skidpad was tested at .90!! you have to take the best #s in the tests.. they got them so they are possible. plus these #s are averages. so whoever tested the others sucked. and people are running 15.1 up for a stock SVTF. id much rather have a unique and sportier SVTF than a mazda 3...

 

[BLUFOCUS]

Ha! I guess the #'s really got your goat :>)
Here's the Car and Driver link with the #'s
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=7566&page_number=1

I know that you probably have better equipment than they do to record the #'s right? I guess you also run a succesful magazine and have tested more cars than they have too :>)

The svtf is awesome. I just wanted to point out the future and the future looks good for all svtf drivers.

 

[JoeJoe]

its about the driver.............

joe

 

[cincySVTfocus]

Stop waiting for another, better SVTF.

It won't happen folks.

Ford is UPPING the SVT brand; which means, more expensive vehicles and a sporty cheap compact like our beloved little SVTF DOES NOT fit the bill!

The European Focus RS is the BEST SVTF you can get, and WE CANT GET IT!

 

[quivvy]

Originally posted by BLUFOCUS
Ha! I guess the #'s really got your goat :>)
Here's the Car and Driver link with the #'s
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=7566&page_number=1

I know that you probably have better equipment than they do to record the #'s right? I guess you also run a succesful magazine and have tested more cars than they have too :>)

The svtf is awesome. I just wanted to point out the future and the future looks good for all svtf drivers.

thanks alot mr sarcasm but all the info i got was straight from motortrend magazine.... and the best slalom run they got was 67.1.... which runs with the boxxter... etc.... check the latest version of motor trend in the back with all the tested specs... u will see these #s... 118ft breaking from 60, 0-60 7.4 slalom 67.1.... those are motortrend. and i have seen a few better #s elsewhere... keep in mind where both magazines tested each car, temp, condition, etc.


and just for the record i saw the show on Car and Driver TV where they tested the SVT Focus and they showed the dashbord... the car had 213 miles on it... think maybe THAT has a reason to do with shitty #s?

 

[wagonman72]

Is everyone just jaw jackin or has someone else taken one of these for a test yet? They are a very nice car, but they are smoother than the SVTF, meaning they don't have the same racy feeling you get from an SVTF.

 

[KevinB120]

The 3 is a sharp little car. Ford and Mazda have much nicer body componet built and fit, and better quality interiors then honda/toyota/mitsu by far. I am quite sure the new 3 inherited the focus rear suspension. They do share a few parts between the two. The new smaller volvo also uses a variation of the foci rear irs, with awd.......hmmmmmm. and now with similar architecture engines being turbo'd by mazda, and ford using volvo awd componets in Freestyle and 500....seems like not to many more parts would need to be swapped around for the foci. Then they can finally use the tranny hump and driveshaft tunnel that all foci come with now. From multiple rumors ive heard, a turbo foci possibly with awd will roll in 2 years. Ford also has been playing around with a couple RS's here lately.

 

[KevinB120]

The introduction of the 2.3 into the focus line late last year opens the doorway for a factory turbo car. Its a much better base then the ztec.

 

[The Orphaner]

I like the look of the new Mazda's. The 6 and the 3's.:thumbsup: