[Othullo]

lol... looks like Mazda 3 is the easy winner! yeah, i like the car alot too..very nice styling, in n' out. ok performance. maybe best package over all.

Has anyone here actually drove a Mazda 3? how's the build quality? n' how's the handling?

Sentra SE-R spec V is much faster, but i heard the handling is not too good, torque steer. anyone experienced it first hand?

thanks for the replys ya all! ^^

[righ]

lol... looks like Mazda 3 is the easy winner! yeah, i like the car alot too..very nice styling, in n' out. ok performance. maybe best package over all.

Has anyone here actually drove a Mazda 3? how's the build quality? n' how's the handling?

Sentra SE-R spec V is much faster, but i heard the handling is not too good, torque steer. anyone experienced it first hand?

thanks for the replys ya all! ^^

how about u go down to mazda and test drive
then tell us all about it :biglaugh:

[00000]

Sentra SE-R spec V is much faster, but i heard the handling is not too good, torque steer. anyone experienced it first hand?

thanks for the replys ya all! ^^

i had the 02 Spec V before, yes there is torque steer
overall spec v's built quality is not that great, i had some minor problems, and there are 2 recall notcies
spec v is built in mexico and mazda3 is built in japan
so which one do u think has better quality?!

i would go for mazda3 for sure, looks better (04 spec v looks so damn nasty) better quality, perhaps even better engine

[JDM]

There is some minor problem regarding the 2.5L share between Sentra and Altima.

There is some minor problem regarding the 2.5L share between Sentra and Altima.

AHH YES, the CAR FREAK has spoken~

[Othullo]

how about u go down to mazda and test drive
then tell us all about it :biglaugh:

:biglaugh: , mm, good suggestion
!!! but i'm a Z er, laZy n' buSy... lol lol.

[Othullo]

lol, guess SE-R spec V is OUT!!

maybe wait till Nissan fine tune the car more, n' yes, CHANGE the god damn nasty look of the 04 . The 02 looks much better, although still no match for mazda 3. hehe.

on a side note, just curious, why is the 127 hp Civic Si is as fast (0-100 acceleration wise) as the 160 hp mazda 3 GT? both goes about 8.7 to 8.9 sec on manuel. anyone has some sorta of explanation??? :)

[JDM]

on a side note, just curious, why is the 127 hp Civic Si is as fast (0-100 acceleration wise) as the 160 hp mazda 3 GT? both goes about 8.7 to 8.9 sec on manuel. anyone has some sorta of explanation??? :)

There could be a million variable factors in how car perform

Environmental

Road condition, Altitude, Time of day, Location, Driver, Temperature, Humidity

Mechanical

Tire, Wheel, Alignment, Which powering wheel, Weight, Gearing, Weight balance, Coefficient drag, Aerodynamics, Hp, Torque, # of gears, Manual, Automatic, ECU, Flywheel, Driveshaft, Halfshaft

Some manufactures are honest with their output some aren't. Ford, Mazda and Nissan all have history of over-rating hp output. Honda and BMW tend to under-rate their hp rating. Plus there is more than just HP/Torque. You have to look at power under the curve etc too.

[hk20000]

I have test driven MZ3, my friend has SER so I drove that before too, one with sport package one without. Neither was perfect, here's my verdict:

SENTRA SE-R

PROs: Pulls like a bull for its money, LSD proves very useful in really tight corners.

CONs: ABS overly sensitive, it was not designed with the sway axle's tricycle behavior in mind at all. Once one rear wheel is off the ground you lose ALL the brakes. Non ABS model is thus easier to handle. Torque steer almost to unacceptable level, but I think it's a problem the driver should conquer not the car. The car simply has a whack load of torque, driven by the wrong wheels and have an LSD on tap. And sway axle suspension is NOT acceptable in today's standard of sport compacts! Interior is like....any other Sentra - CRAP. Seats are the only thing that are ok but that's just because they are seats off Japan-designed Skyline R34 GT-t. Mexican quality calls for 3 recalls as of now (cracked rims, loose pre-cat, interior releasing toxic fumes). One Sentra I drove before already blew the engine throwing a rod (completely stock car, 2002 model).


MAZDA 3 GT

PROs: Silk smooth engine, good power but torque is over-shadowed by SE-R. Turning radius is SMALL. Enough gadgets on board to keep you entertained from Vancouver to Toronto.Interior keeps the funk of the RX8 and Mazda 6. Seats are supportive. Pedals position is impressive for heel-and-toe. Corners on a dime on really shitty tires. Clutch is setup in a very logical way. Very easy to get used to.

CONs: no LSD, axle hops like mad when accelerated hard, shifter is like loose...

[Othullo]

I have test driven MZ3, my friend has SER so I drove that before too, one with sport package one without. Neither was perfect, here's my verdict:

SENTRA SE-R

PROs: Pulls like a bull for its money, LSD proves very useful in really tight corners.

CONs: ABS overly sensitive, it was not designed with the sway axle's tricycle behavior in mind at all. Once one rear wheel is off the ground you lose ALL the brakes. Non ABS model is thus easier to handle. Torque steer almost to unacceptable level, but I think it's a problem the driver should conquer not the car. The car simply has a whack load of torque, driven by the wrong wheels and have an LSD on tap. And sway axle suspension is NOT acceptable in today's standard of sport compacts! Interior is like....any other Sentra - CRAP. Seats are the only thing that are ok but that's just because they are seats off Japan-designed Skyline R34 GT-t. Mexican quality calls for 3 recalls as of now (cracked rims, loose pre-cat, interior releasing toxic fumes). One Sentra I drove before already blew the engine throwing a rod (completely stock car, 2002 model).


MAZDA 3 GT

PROs: Silk smooth engine, good power but torque is over-shadowed by SE-R. Turning radius is SMALL. Enough gadgets on board to keep you entertained from Vancouver to Toronto.Interior keeps the funk of the RX8 and Mazda 6. Seats are supportive. Pedals position is impressive for heel-and-toe. Corners on a dime on really shitty tires. Clutch is setup in a very logical way. Very easy to get used to.

CONs: no LSD, axle hops like mad when accelerated hard, shifter is like loose...

:good: wow, good insight! thanks alot man!!!