compare
ready go

 

Yay! I won.

 

Mazda has tons more torques!


In all seriousness...what do you want to compare?

 

For speed , convenience, space, cheaper maintenance...MS3
For attitude, class, appeal, emotion, handling ..MCS.

 

MS3 on its worst day would walk the mini on its best day. It is hard to believe but this is fact, just a simple short ram intake on an MS3 will yield it about 20hp. A downpipe with testpipe another 30! My intercooler kit on it gave it about 20hp.

Its a fun car to drive, the turbo spools VERY fast.

Two different cars for two different markets so you really cant compare the two. Its like an f150 vs a camary.

 

MS3 is a fast station wagon.

suddenly it sounds so slow...

 

Mazdaspeed3 vs. any Mini. No contest. Who wants to own a thirsty station wagon!

 

dude really
ready NO

 

If you need the extra space and want the extra straightaway speed, then go for the MS3. If you want more character, better handling, better economy, better resale value, and a feeling of being "one" with the car, stick with the MCS. Having said that, though, I think I could be content with the MS3 as a daily driver...

 

My daughter has had two Mazda 3s and loves them. However to me that is a car you buy and drive for 3 years and then move on-no tradition, personality and character. I like the different and unusual car and basically could own just about any make and model I want and I chose the MCS. I'm very happy with it.

No I'm not talking about new $60K cars here. I am a "pre-owned" car guy and prefer that someone else take the initial depreciation hit and break the car in. I would rather own 2 (or 3) different cars rather than one new one. The MCS fits in that category well--it is different, BMW quality and a head-turner. A Mazda3 looks like many other japanese, korean and other nationality cars.

 

compared
done stop

 

Anything in terms of performance I would give the nod to the MS3. I use to have one. Also the ride was nice along with the fit and finish. I avgeraged 21mpg city. And after a BPV,intake, and sts the car was a hoot to drive. ALl for 21k new.

No contest if you ask me. ON a spec page.

But the mini has the flair giving it the edge.

 

Build quality to me doesn't even compare to the MINI... We were just inches from one and trading my wifes G35 coupe for it, but we decided not to, and got back into the MINI and Infiniti, and the difference was unbelievable...Now as performance, no, the MINI doesn't even stand a chance. To me it's not about straight line. It's about loving the car you're driving, and after 3 years, the MINI is the only car that when I get in it, I smile. MS3 would only give me that feeling for maybe a month...?

 

The MS3 is a good all around car, but at the end of the day, it is still a Mazda (And they depreciate like bricks). The car is gas thirsty and the handling is not all that impressive. If I need fast and practical, I'll take the Clubman S, but then again, I am biased.

To me the MINI embodies the best qualities of a car in a way that no other product at its price point is capable of.

 

The MS3 is the best bang per buck car out there right now. Don't have any experience with with other mazdas but my MS3 held its value better than anyother new car I have owned. I bought it for a tad under 21k, and a year later i received 20,500 for the car trade in.

I avg'ed low 20's in the city. Far from thirsty. All depends on how much time you spend in boost.

Handling not impressive? It is more than a match for the cooper s. Granted I am now looking to purchase the S for its fun factor. You cannot beat it. But to call the Ms3's handling not impressive is to say the mini's isn't as well. Here is some paper racing.

From motortrend;

2003 Mini Cooper S
0-60 -7.2
1/4 -15.4@91.70
60-0 -118ft
600ft slalom - 66.8mph
skidpad - .83g

2007 Mazdaspeed3
0-60 - 6.0
1/4 - 14.3@99.60
60-0 - 111ft
600ft slalom - 68.6mph
skidpad - .86g

 

I know you guys are being facetious and all calling the MS3 a station wagon, but please, y'all know better. Would you like people calling your Cooper a clown car? Didn't think so.

Personally, coming from a Protege5, the MS3 was high on my list. Considering the price difference between a fully loaded MS3 vs. Cooper S, the MS3 will definitely make you think twice. In the end, though, insane resale value, uniqueness and fun factor won out.

 

You've got an R56, so for those of us with R53's, yes, it's a station wagon, and so what if I drive a clown car

 

Wow, who gives a crap about 1st vs. 2nd gen, I'll never understand this territorial garbage.

And no, the MS3 is still not a station wagon, and will still outperform an R53 or an R56....

 

Calm down there bud! You apparently missed my "razz" smilie, , (aka just joking smilie). And yes, I admit that my MINI is nowhere a MS3. Again, I re-iterate, just joking. I have no beef with the R56. I wouldn't mind owning a Clubman, actually.

 

There is no comparison, like comparing apples and oranges !

The Mazda is a ricy car with ricy handling, and ricy metal, and has no where's near the resale value the MINI has.

 

I had the same decision to make last month. I had decided that I would buy either a MCS or an MS3. I drove a lot of minis, and a lot of mazdas. The mazda was faster, cheaper, and more practical. But in the end, I just enjoyed driving the Mini much more. I bought my first mini two weeks ago and do not regret it.

Something else to consider is that while the Mazda is much better than say, a civic or evo, it is still a very "boy racer" type of car in my opinion. And to top it off, they look pretty much like every other Mazda 3 out there. If you want to de a little different, buy a mini. And guess what, everyone that I have given a ride to absolutly loves it. And that means a lot considering I come from a family very involved in muscle cars.

 

Hm, well I still somewhat see that "ricer" term to be an insult... so if asian cars are called ricers because it is an important crop in asia..

Would Minicoopers be a called OATERS? ..because the UK's main agricultural crop grown is oats!
====
-civic passes by-
"hey everybody look at that ricer!!!"

-then a mini passes by-
"hey look at that oater!"

 

I don't know if it's self-imagined but it feels weird every time I post on 1st gen, and the OP did specifically mention R53 so my bad there.

I agree. If all cars were purchased w/o emotion then we would all be driving MS3s now. But there is a good reason why we're Mini owners, it's a special breed of auto.

 

The Mazda 3 has dismal side impact ratings without side airbags. If you buy one, make sure to order the side airbags.

 

I was in the same boat as you in late 07.

It was between the MS3, Civic Si, and mini Cooper S.

I was really leaning towards the MCS, but optioned the way I wanted was 5-6k more than the MS3.

If I was able to get the Mini for Invoice like I was the MS3. I would hands down bought the MCS. But the cash difference, utility and power made me go with the MS3.

Had the MS3 for a year. The 2nd longest I ever kept a car. It was a nice ride. Longest was a 01 M3. 18 months.