lol.. just for arguments sake, Honda's no slouch when it comes to handling either. I'm not a fan of bench racing but I couldn't help myself..

 

I currently own a 2006 Mazda 3s GT Hatch, fully loaded minus NAV and a 2007 335i Coupe nicely equipped w/ NAV.

I love both cars and the Mazda 3 is a great alternative when the wifey wants to drive the bimmer to work. I agree with a bunch of other members that other cars are "the poor man's 3" while the mazda 3 should be considered a "top of it's class" car. We have about 85k on the hatch now. It handles great, the interior has held up with little maintenance, and has not been a headache to maintain.

If people are buying the mazda 3 to feed their urge for BMW performance, I'd pass and choose another sports-inspired car, like maybe subaru. I loved my subaru leggy gt and would say that those cars should be considered in this discussion.

 

How is that possible? The type s is faster than a 997 911 turbo? I would think the porsche would win in every category handling, braking, acceleration and speed.

 

Driver, rubber, temps..

Keiichi "drift king" Tsuchiya who did the driving also tested the G35S MT & IS350.. the TL-S MT still bested them by 1.5 - 2s.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C0eem7IjwE

^ He's an insanely good driver..

 

^ What the hell did that thing have for engine mods? He was revving it to like 9-grand.

Love the giggling bikini top girl too.

 

It's obvious... VTEC Just Kicked in Yo!


the RPM's on the gauge don't match the sound.. I'm guessing it was altered.

 

I believe that the BMW in the video has a honda engine.

 

You're correct.. F20C out of a S2K..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCo00asduEQ

 

wait... did someone say the mazda 3 is the poor man's m3?

 

I was playing on the M from Mazda. A girl asked my college buddy what kind of car he drives.. he said an M3 (Mazda 3)..

 

 

I've always thought of the Jetta as the poor man's 3 series but if I was you I'd just keep the Accord.

 

My words have become a self fulling prophecy. My 3 to me is a poor man's bimmer. The handling is outgrageous good for the price. I've never enjoy a small 4 cylinder car as much as this.

 

Glad to hear that it's making you happy.

 

I would have thought my Subaru was the poor man's car (the 2008/2009 version). With the specB package, the handling is pretty good. The power delivery is linear, but at best it would compare to a 328i. Even the looks are close:





It may be that the Mazda 3 is close in the handling department, and for that I don't know. Based on looks, I think the Subie is not that far off.

 

I agree. Calling anything a poor man's 3-series is such a pretentious statement, considering most 3-series on the road are less equipped than just about anything else in that price range. Do people not understand the importance of value anymore?

You could get a G37 for 10k less - that is much more equipped, without too many performance sacrifices. Would I call that person poor? No, I would call them smart.

 

My gf had a fully loaded 325 for 5 years... it was SO FUN to drive. No problem whatsoever with it, and it never had any rattle. It was a very solid car.

I personally wouldn't mind driving a loaded 6speed manual 328i. I think it's a little bit overpriced, but there's just something about BMW.... it's fun to drive.

 

^ Word on that, Thermon. This chick at work has a base 2011 328i equipped just like the one quoted above and thinks she's the feces. The only thing remotely lux about it is the (now standard, finally) leather seats. Too bad they are manually operated! No HIDs, crappy stereo and she paid $40k for it....and she still lives at home with her mother

 

A MS3 a poor man's BMW 3-series? a Porsche Boxter a poor man's Porsche? I don't think anything can be a poor man's bmw unless it's a bmw! If I see a MS3 on the day, would I say...'oh, a cheap BMW.' Oh no. A mazda is still a mazda.

 

Some of you guys totally missed the point of the thread.

 

Thanks. I set a limit of 40k when I was looking for a new car. However there was no way I could touch a new 335i equipped the way my G is for anywhere near that. Not to mention the dealer went way below invoice on when they sold me the G.

I'm happy with my car that's really all that matters to me.

 

So what's the point of the thread?

 

an open invite to bash BMW...like every other BMW thread.

but seriously, the point of the thread was lost immediately. its pretty easy to go off-track when the basis argument was mazda 3 vs BMW 3-series.

 

its true, jews love premium japanese brands (acuras, infinitis, and lexus) because they are cheaper and could be had at better price points. plus you could play it off with the whole "anit-german car thing"

hahah. sorry, i grew up in an all jewish neighborhood.

 

Who said that?

Read before you post some BS.

Check out the first post of this thread, it wasn't anything about which is better between Mazda 3 and BMW 3-Series. Of course, that's a nonsense.

It's just that some idiots who post without reading a thread.

 

we love a good bargain! Don't forget I'm asian Jew so saving money is runs deep in my blood lol.

TBH, I'd like a to get a Nazi sled one day, but I'll live vicariously through my Jewish friend Jefford who seems to have forgotten about WWII.

I think I'm too Jewish, I mean Asian, I mean cheap to get one. I'll have to stick with my G. Plus we're buying a house in two years and I'm saving up for my Fat Boy lo.

 

The original poster said it. Read before you post some BS!

 

I agree... in part.

I don't think that it is about "handling characteristics", it has more to do with the go-and-get-it-attitude.

I owned 6 Mazda before my BMWs.

 

wow did a TL-S really just get compared to an M3 and M5? after owning both (335i and TL-S) I wouldn't put the latter on either the level of refinement or on the same plateau driving - experience wise. If someone were to tell me the 3 series was a poor man's BMW, I would agree when it came to the lower end 3 series 323s and 325s and base 328s, but for new fully loaded 328s+335s that poor man must be making a lot more than the majority of people I know...

 

I remember when the Nissan Maxima was considered the poor man's 5 Series...in 2002 I cross shopped the Maxima SE with the 530i.....for 12K less with the Nissan I got more power, 6 speed instead of 5, Torsen limited slip diff, HID lights, much better premium stereo, more roomy rear seat and better long term reliability....yes the Bimmer had wood trims, slickier stickshift and the RWD....when I tested both, I named the Maxima the smart man's 530i
In 8 years of ownership I never replaced even a light bulb....

 

......which is why I was happy the thread died off. Unfortunate resurrection.

 

Well, in this case, it was an update by the OP, which I thought was interesting, anyway. But I'm probably weird.

At any rate, I test drove both "3s" along with some other cars. The Mazda 3 did have excellent feedback and responsiveness and was better than many other cars in any class, but my test drive of a 328i was astoundingly good. Granted, the BMW salesman knew exactly what roads to take to show off the car, but there is nothing quite like the feel of being pushed around curves and hills by the rear wheels, especially mixed with the sound of the inline 6.

I think describing the handling prowess of the Mazda is difficult, so comparing it to something well known for its capabilities in that area is common. I found both excellent but different. For me, however, there are concerns: For the BMW, long term cost and reliability, difficulty in finding a used one with the options I want, wanting the sports seats but thinking the lower profile run flats that come with that package would not mix with the roads--some of them dirt--where I live; for the Mazda, I'm mainly concerned about rust, but there are a few other niggling things.

Incidentally, I also test drove a G35 sedan and a few 1G TSXs. I drove the G35 in the rain on fairly uninteresting roads. I felt it handled nicely, but the lack of steering feedback bothered me. The TSXs have been mixed. The ones I could take on good roads either had extremely worn tires (one with a massive bubble, I saw afterwards) or the least expensive replacements available, so the results are unfair.

OK, so, there's no way anyone's going to read all that.