HELP PLEASE! Mazda3 or GTI??

[ShadyBDawk]

I have been debating for months now over the new Mazda 3 (lava orange with black leather and GPS) or a 2004 GTI 1.8t (black with leather). I like the features and price point on the Mazda 3, but I also have always owned VW and love the turbo the GTI offers.................What do you all think? Please try to be unbiased as possible ;)

[RAAZ227]

I would have to say the GTi, in comparison to the Mazda 3.

[ShadyBDawk]

why do you say that? cause of the speed or look?

[RAAZ227]

why do you say that? cause of the speed or look?
Well it depends. If you are aiming for speed. Then pick the GTi. It is very, very easy to get good numbers out of them. They are also pretty quick off the show room floor. I think they run low 15's stock. My borther in-law has one that is stock and the wheels break loose as soon as you stomp it. :D I don't know too much about the M3 but I know the 1.8T GTi will take it in a 1/4 mile race. I'm not sure about a road race between the two. But I would think the Mazda 3 could take it in lap times.

I also know the fit and finsh of both cars are superb but, in the long run you might be better off with the GTi.

my 0.2$

[Hoeboe2k]

The GTI is quite a faster car, esp if you buy the VR6. However, VW's are cars that are quite problematic and have wierd quirks built into them. I don't know if they took it out, but you used to need a freeking special tool that was real hard to use to take out the spark plugs.

[goldwing2000]

If you're a "put gas in it and drive" kind of person and have lots of money to pay a mechanic, then by all means get the VW.

If you plan on doing ANY work on it yourself ANY time in the future, you'll be better off with the Mazda.

[Esteban Toledo]

I have been debating for months now over the new Mazda 3 (lava orange with black leather and GPS) or a 2004 GTI 1.8t (black with leather). I like the features and price point on the Mazda 3, but I also have always owned VW and love the turbo the GTI offers.................What do you all think? Please try to be unbiased as possible ;)

You should test drive both cars. Then, go from there. Both are fine cars. VWs, however, seem to be over priced. But w/ the new golf coming, you may be able to get a good deal.

Also, if you're into modding cars, VW has a larger aftermarket.

[jersey_emt]

(mswerd)

A 1.8T GTI can be easily modded for some serious power.

[frenzy2223]

The redesigned GTi will be released in late 2004 or early 2005, so I would wait if you are going to go with the GTi.

[MazdaDryvr]

let's not forget the difference in insurance costs.

[vividmaz3]

The GTI is quite a faster car, esp if you buy the VR6. However, VW's are cars that are quite problematic and have wierd quirks built into them. I don't know if they took it out, but you used to need a freeking special tool that was real hard to use to take out the spark plugs.
I raced from a dead stop with 5 people in my car a GTI 1.8T and murdered him. it was sad really. if you know how to drive our cars they are pretty damn fast, but then again I do have exhaust and that little short ram I threw on there. but honestly I would go GTI if you want a FWD car because it has a Turbo. I love turbos. it sucks that the 3 is FWD, i think that is why I am getting rid of mine soon.

[Esteban Toledo]

The redesigned GTi will be released in late 2004 or early 2005, so I would wait if you are going to go with the GTi.


Based on what I've read, the current golf/gti is superior to the 2005 golf/git.

[RAAZ227]

If you go for the GTi.. one site is needed: http://www.autothority.com/

The chips that they sell for the 1.8T are sick. Major hp gains:

ECU Upgrade
Our AutoThority software upgrade provides your car with a 31 horsepower gain at the wheels and improved torque and throttle response to go along with it. The low-end torque and throttle response are improved and the drivability is smooth throughout the entire power band. The performance can be felt right away as your car will speed up through the revs quickly before reaching the raised rev limiter. Our AutoThority software upgrades prove them selves time and time again on the street as well as the track. All you have to do is overnight us your computer from your car and when we receive it that next day we will have our Engineer reprogram it and we will get it over-night right back to you. Yes there are a couple days down time but the additional performance will be worth it.

Letter Code: HS

Conversion,5-Speed, ECU Conversion, Drive By Wire, 14.5 psi, Must Send Box
Price: $449.00

[Concord3]

There are two cars in my driveway: a 2002 GTI 1.8 Turbo, and a 2004 Mazda3 5-door. Granting that the GTI has an auto and the 3 has a stick (obviously giving the advantage to the 3), there still is no comparison: the 3 is at least twice as much fun to drive. It's far more agile, and the engine loves to rev. The fit and finish beat the vaunted VW's, too.

Most amazing, the 3 handles like a rear-drive car going around corners. I don't know how the Mazda engineers did it, but they did. Slow down into the corner, and then nail it; instead of plowing, the little Mazda pulls. I can't wait to get onto the track with it. Sigh. I'm in love.

[r1ceburner]

You can purchase a Turbo Beetle for about $18K (not the Turbo S) which will put you at 150hp / 148tq. Add a $500 ECU chip and you will be at 205hp / 218tq. Add a Turbo S fender liner and a larger side-mount intercooler (or go hog wild and install a FMIC) and you can find yourself at 225whp / 230wtq for under $2000 in mods.

This is a much cheaper way to get a GTI-class machine thats helluva lot faster. Remember the Beetle and GTI are on the same platform.

GTI is nice, but waaaaay overrated for what they expect you to pay. Since VW's financials have been sucking for the past 8 quarters, you can expect them to reduce prices somewhat, but VW's will never be bang-for-the-buck compatible with the Mazda3s.

The major black eye against VW's 1.8T platform has always been timing belts breaking and water pumps going out. Both are impossible to detect until it's too late. The 1.8T engine VW used from '98 to '02 was called 'APH' and it was replaced with the 'APW', which addressed most of the reliability concerns with the timing belt and water pump AND added VVT, too boot.

If you want a VW with the 1.8T, either get a Turbo Beetle GLS or see if you can find a 2003 Golf 1.8T.

The good news for Mazda is that since Ford is moving the Focus platform over to the Mazda3s platform and the wealth of mods currently available for the Focus will spill over to the Mazda3s in a year or so.

[JDM Sam]

I raced from a dead stop with 5 people in my car a GTI 1.8T and murdered him. it was sad really. if you know how to drive our cars they are pretty damn fast, but then again I do have exhaust and that little short ram I threw on there. but honestly I would go GTI if you want a FWD car because it has a Turbo. I love turbos. it sucks that the 3 is FWD, i think that is why I am getting rid of mine soon.
Doubt he was racing you. A GTI 1.8T Golf is just barely slower than a Msp.

[TampaBlackMSP]

It comes down to personal experience and what you like - I've owned 5 VW's, including an '00 GTI - brilliant car once modded...I still miss it (got totalled) - go drive both...

In the end I'd prolly end up with another GTI - just my .02 - I am curious to see what the Golf V will look and drive like...

[JeRNuT]

a friend of mine has a 2003 GTI. He ran a 15.2 at the track stock with 16" continentals. He went back later with just a chip and pulled an awsome 14.4 on the same shitty tires. The chip was about $800. It seems like a lot but he can switch back to the stock chip with the press of a button. very very nice setup.

[JeRNuT]

Doubt he was racing you. A GTI 1.8T Golf is just barely slower than a Msp.
the new golfs are faster then the MSP. My friend ran a 15.2 and that was on a bad launch 2.5 60'.

[Rock]

I thought I saw somewhere that the new 3's do 15.5 in the 1/4.... not too much slower. it'll probably be more about personal preferance.
IMHO, I think VW's are overpriced vehicles, but when tuned and maintained,
are very very quick cars.

[Mazda3]

Doubt he was racing you. A GTI 1.8T Golf is just barely slower than a Msp.
A Mazda3 is just barely slower than a stock MSP as well.

[JDM Sam]

I've pulled 15.2 stock at the track as well but no traction. A msp can hit 14.9, someone on here did that. Would be faster if the MSP could hook up. A Mazda 3 is at least .5 tenths slower. I'd like to see a msp vs mazda 3 line up and race. It'll be at least 2 car lengths difference. Anyone in Dallas wanna run?

[Mazda3]

I've pulled 15.2 stock at the track as well but no traction. A msp can hit 14.9, someone on here did that. Would be faster if the MSP could hook up. A Mazda 3 is at least .5 tenths slower. I'd like to see a msp vs mazda 3 line up and race. It'll be at least 2 car lengths difference. Anyone in Dallas wanna run?
I agree. The difference would be about 2 car lengths, thats close in my opinion. I have driven both cars at the limit. In stock trim the MSP is not much faster, some of the Protege owners on this board greatly under estimate the performance of the 3. Granted you can drop the 1/4 mile times on a MSP by a second at minimal cost, but we're talking stock. One of my best friends owns a 2002 337 GTI, one of the German built ones, so I'm quite familiar with that car as well. He has the 3 stage re-programed ECU. In stock mode it beats the 3 by about one car length. In stage 3 mode I stopped counting the car lengths when they got to 6 (wow) .

At any rate a skilled driver in the 3 could beat a mediocore driver in a GTI, so the story isn't that far fetched.

[PeteyBoy3K]

I dunno, I ran screaming from my 99.5 golf (first mkIV style in the states) into the protective, loving, warranty-having hands of Mazda.

In my opinion... VW's have, and will probably always have, major quality control issues. Each time they release a "retooled" version that was supposed to fix all of the issues of the prior years, they introduced new ones (coil-packs). I basically had a car handed to me for free that ended up costing me $300-$400 a month to keep going, and still I couldn't fix the original stuff that was broken (trunk latch was screwed up, rear-middle seat-belt jammed). also, all of the stuff that breaks tends to be all the stuff that was neat and made you like the car in the first place. CV boot had to be re-packed for at 65K for $400. The ignition module went at 70K for $600 the alternator went at 80K for $400. They had recalls on the window supports, and the coil-packs they replaced the ig. module with in later years all started failing in syncopation.

Then again, I might have just gotten a particularly gremliny car, but it has put me off VW's for good. If you decide on one, be prepared to be taking it back to the dealer a lot to replace things under warranty, think heavily about extending the warranty. Also keep on top of its maintenance so that problems don't cascade, and otherwise just prepare for it to keep costing you new-car payments in fixes and replacements after the financing is over.

I'm not sure how the Mazda compares in terms of long-term reliability, I haven't driven it far enough for it's first oil change, but I do think the handling is better, the ride is smoother and quieter, and it's nice to have power windows, four doors, abut 30% more hp/torque and a moonroof for a car that only cost ~$2000 more than a bare-bones golf in '99.

Now, I know that a GTI is about 5-10K more than a golf, but it's the same squeaky-two-door, divey-in-cornering platform with a stiffer suspension, engine upgrades, and a nicer set of options (which I just read as "more things to go screwy at 55K").

[tkhawaii]

"The initial rush of speed and thrust will slowly be replaced by the lack of funds and trust"...LOL - IMHO for the GTI. Read all the stories about VW's huge downturn in reliability and quality. I believe the Beetle is having the worst year yet. Shop around and take your time.