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I think the new Mazdaspeed 3 is the bomb-shizzle. VW's coming out with a 4-door GTI, but it's heavier than the 3, and has about 63 less horsepower, and costs more. Unless you're a Euro-snob that absolutely must have a VW/Audi, I see no reason to get the V-dub over the Mazda.

The Caliber SRT looks interesting, but too tall & tippy. I still think the MS3 is going to be king of the hill of the hot-hatch segment.  

yeah man, this thing should blow the current civic si and vw gti out of the water.  263 hp going to the front wheels on a tiny hatch? crazy.  

The "haters" are already out in force saying how it's less "refined" than the GTI, blah, blah, blah. If I want refined, I'll buy a Lexus. This segment is all about raw power and fun-to-drive. Plus, I'd still say you're probably better off with the Mazda, quality & reliability-wise. I still don't trust VW. Had one a few years ago, and had lots of problems.  

Having owned several VWs and being a GTI fan, I still find myself wondering which one I would buy. The GTI is a much nicer car. The interior is way better, it is more refined, but at teh same time that refinement brings weight. In my opinion the GTI is a good 300lbs overweight. Plus no limmited slip diff in a car with mountains of torque. I haven't sat in the MS3 yet, but I am guessing that it is simialr to all the other Mazda products I have sat in and won't be comfortable for my 6-2, 200lbs American body.

I wouldn't buy on HP in this segment. When you get down to it, these cars are commuter cars. Some are more fun to drive than others, but the horsepower numbers on paper have very little to do with how much fun they are to drive. My old GTI had 130hp on a good day, and it was a blast to drive.

If my next car is in this class, I am pretty sure it will be a Cooper S. It is the most fun I have ever driven. The horsepower difference doesn't matter to me, and I like everything about the car.  

If VW could get their *** together on quality and price, It would be a much tougher decision for me. But I went from an '00 GTI VR6 to an '03 Protege5. Granted, it was a BIG step down in power, and it was obvious from the trim and materials the P5 was more of an "economy" car than the GTI with its polished wood trim and high-quality leather. But at nearly 40k into owning the Mazda, it's been much, much more reliable.

So far, I'm solidly in the Mazda camp after having a much more satisfactory experience with both the vehicle and the dealer service dept.

While I do like the Coopers from a distance, now that I've had the P5, I'm hooked on the practicality of 4 doors. Maybe when the "Traveler" or "Clubman" or whatever they're goign to call it comes out, I might change my mind, but the Mazdaspeed3 would be the perfect fit for what I'm looking for right now.  

Whats up esanchez? I just got the MAZDASPEED 3 and its *** awesome. I had a regular 3 and loved it but my new 3 is the ish. If your thinking of getting one I highly recomend it. I dont think that people know about the power in this hatch.  

I'm officially envious. I'm saving up hard for a condo down here in pricey So Cal. My wife knows how much I want the car, but I promised her we'd get a place before I got a new car. Besides which, our current apt. only has a 1-car garage, so I'm forced to park outside, and I've already had my P5 broken into. I'd rather wait until I can give it the storage it deserves. :-)

What color did you end up getting? The Cosmic Blue Mica is really starting to grow on me. I wish they offered a darker gray than the Sunlight Silver. That's probably what I'd get given a choice. I might be better off holding out for the '08s for more colors, and maybe a Bluetooth option.  

As far as I'm concerned, Mazdaspeed3 is still better than VW GTI.

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How on earth does Motor Trend think the GTI is a better buy than the Mazdaspeed3??? Looks like the GTI will still be King?? What??? The GTI never held a candle to the 1st GEN MS3 let alone the 2010. Something smells really fishy here...  

I've driven both cars many times and the MS3 is flat out the better buy by a long shot! Its way more powerful, fun to drive, handling is better, gets around the track quicker, blows its doors off in 0-60 / 1/4mile, etc. The list goes on...

This in the sports compact segment not the small luxury car segment or whatever BS Motor Trend is judging these cars by. People looking to buy these kinds of cars are looking for bang for you buck / fun to drive cars. Not a 15 sec ¼ mile turd with a nice interior and more refinement – which are the only conceivable advantages the GTI has anyway and even that’s a close call!

The Mazdaspeed3’s combination of bang for the buck, fun to drive, build quality, etc (those things buyers –the majority in this segment are looking for) far surpasses that of which a GTI has to offer period end of story.

CAR AND DRIVER and pretty much every other mag has it right  MS3 > GTI