So I went and checked out the new 3 MPS today...

[blackbetty]

good on you Nasa be keen to read your write up, Im still waiting to have a test drive

[PerthMPS]

bit of a review after having driven mine for the last 2 days.

+
interior finish is tight, and excellent quality
quickest car ive owned ever. (first turbo ive owned)
the VR paint is amazing

-
cup holder is slightly to small (man these are the big ticket items lol)
ipod cable is so expensive
passenger cant read their individual tempreture display
i find the sat nav annoying for some reason. (probably coz it takes me a dif route to what im used to

There is so much to love about this car.
Sorry I cant write more but im no car guru, in terms of handling etc, and cant compare it to the prev gen. I just know im very very happy with my purchase.

[blackbetty]

see if EQ has any more ipod adaptors, easy to install and good

[PerthMPS]

Can I ask who EQ is?

---------- Post added at 11:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------

one more - is the buttons for the cruise control. I use cruise control alot, and where the buttons are does not seem natural to use. I guess I will get used to it, but given that you are not ment to use the nav while driving, the buttons for nav & cruise control could have changed positions.

[Nirvandan]

OMG guys get over it, this is a thread about the new MPS not Subi's, Fords or anything else

Thats what was been discused until.......

[digs]

Went last night and drove the new MPS

Aside from the exterior looks I thought I'd comment on other things relevant to me (apologies to those out there who are car "buffs" if I'm not technical enough for you)

Thoughts:

+ve
- Much more refined and less brutal delivery of power - far less torque steer
- Much lighter clutch
- Much more comfortable for passenger (had my mate's sis in the passenger side)
- Better position of the gear stick
- Very modern interior
- Much easier to drive in traffic
- Possibly quicker than the 07MPS I drive (maybe less energy lost to torque steer etc, and applied to the tarmac)
- Great rear vision mirror effect to dampen headlights etc at night


Negatives
- Much more refined and less brutal delivery of power
- A heap less fun to drive (but I can completely see why Maz tweaked what they did - more appealing to a wider market)
- Right hand side arm rest has the crappy vertical bar between your hand and the window controls, meaning you have to reach around it to get to them (similar to rav4 I drive at work - irks you after a while)
- Engine sounds much less beefy, closer to a stock 3 than MPS3.
- Maybe it was that I didn't drill it for long enough to hear, but didn't get the same noise once the turbo kicked in either
- Rear vision mirror is massive, and noticeable on LH turns whilst speeding slightly...
- Pretty expensive for the bose, leather and xenons package!!!
- The car definitely doesn't insist on being hammered all the time like the previous model. I reckon you could drive it monday to friday without worrying about losing your license - something I definitely am not big enough to achieve yet with my car

[EVILMPS]

Good review Digs, even if you are not a car "buff" as you put it
I thnk you are right about them making it more appealling to a large audience, the chick at the Mazda driving day I went to reckosn they would have sold heaps more MPS's if they were easier to drive or came in an auto. But then I think, isn't that the fun of owning a car like this? If you want soft, buy a Mazda 2!!

I'm trying to decide on wether to go for a test drive or not...I love my 07 MPS3, brutal and aggressive as she is!
We are still having a battle of wills at home as to which Mazd 3 we are going to keep - my wife's 06 Maxx Sport in VR, or my 07 MPS in Black Mica...

[MPS3]

Good to see some members reviews starting to trickle in.....

[digs]

EVIL, cheers for the encouragement. Definitely worth a test drive bro, if nothing else to see what the new car is like compared to the old one. The dealer rang me to come in for that exact reason - feedback. He wasn't trying to sell it or anything, and threw me the keys and said "don't crash it" - didn't even come with!!
If you are going to have a gander (and cos you are a local) go to parkland maz and ask for Russell. Great bloke.

Might even be able to get the missus to upgrade

[PerthMPS]

i am loving the keyless system. At first I wasnt sure about the lock button in the tailight, but it is very conveniant.

[Team Green]

When I took the 2 for a test drive in Dec07 and I had it for a good 40mins in dry and damp conditions I was sold straight away....this is how I felt when I saw and drove the MPS...it was brilliant

[Oldhead]

This thread is exactly why i joined, different opinions and reviews for and against. Ihave my own opinions and will be test driving the new mps3 shortly.My current mps 3 sp has some shortfalls and as with all new models,Mazda have instigated refinements but,the questions will always be (are these refinements better or worse) Thanks to all reviews/opinions.

[eggbert]

Hey all,

Im new on here ! ..

I ordered my MPS on Wednesday and picked it up last nite !

Ive not experienced the older mps so i cant really compare ... but here are some of my thoughts so far.

I’ll start with some of the negatives
- Seats …. A little more side support would be nice .. Its lacking a little there and even the older impreza wagon ive got seems more comfortable .. or maybe coz im a little more used to that … not sure about that yet.
- The smile … I like the car physically … the only turn off was the smile and hence the reason I picked the black as its less visible. ..
- Too many buttons … looks more like a keyboard than a steering wheel … but the wheel itself is nice ! ..
- Im sure ill find a couple more … its only early days ..


Positives …
- HEADLIGHTS … I love the adaptive headlights. I didn’t realise how much of the road we are not seeing and in my opinion worth the $$ to go to the luxury
- The Bluetooth-music function works well and the phone commands are easy and straight forward.
- Gear box feels solid and the center console slides forward which is a perfect arm rest and shifting is fun and comfortable.

Again there are a whole lot more things for me to experience and Ill add them as I come across them

[CharlieBrown]

Great to hear eggbert!

Team Black!!

8 more sleeps for mine

[LYNCHY]

Its like christmas

[Enigma]

Its like christmas

[LYNCHY]

[Wardski]

Thats what was been discused until.......

until you couldnt keep your mouth shut

[Team Green]

Guys not again.....:mod:

[Oldhead]

heres my 2 bobs worth