• Home
• Videos
• STi vs Evo
• Wallpapers
• 2008 Impreza
• About

November 23, 2006

2007 Mazdaspeed3 vs 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Comparison

By Ron Kiino
Photography by Evan Klein

In this day and age, power comes at a premium. From pricey electric bills and rolling blackouts to rising oil prices and $3-a-gallon gasoline, power and the means by which we obtain it have become especially costly. For the typical American buyer who’s out to purchase a new car, the average transaction price now hovers around $29,000. Finance that debt over five years at a reasonable 6.0-percent interest rate, and you’re looking at roughly $560 per month. Ouch. So if you want some muscle under the hood but don’t want to empty the bank account, what can you do?

Happy to say there are some rides out there that offer maximum muscle for minimal moola. These mini-musclecars deliver levels of power and performance that belie their pennywise price tags. In this frugal and fast field, no two vehicles deliver more bang for the buck than the veteran Subaru WRX and the newcomer Mazdaspeed3. The rally-bred all-wheel-drive WRX received significant upgrades for 2006–notably a 230-horsepower turbocharged flat-four–while the all-new front-drive Mazdaspeed3 has entered the arena with a force-fed inline-four whose direct injectors help kick out 263 horses. Best of all, they both start for under $25,000. To find out which one is best at terrorizing the tarmac, we subjected both vehicles to the hilly roads and commuter highways in and around Los Angeles as well as a full day at the test track, the latter including myriad laps on a demanding autocross. Which electrifying econobox delivers the strongest current for the least currency? Plug in and find out.

AC/DC

It’s hard to believe the Subaru WRX made its U.S. debut five years ago. In car years, that period represents almost a full generation–in the Subie’s case, one that includes two face-lifts, a couple nose jobs, and a heart transplant. The WRX’s new-for-2006 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four utilizes an 8.4:1 compression ratio and 13.5 psi of maximum boost to pump out 230 horses at 5600 rpm and 235 pound-feet of torque at 3600, useful upgrades compared with last year’s peaky 2.0-liter, which put out 227 horses at 6000 and 217 pound-feet at 4000. To cope with that extra oomph, Subaru reworked the WRX’s chassis, fitting it with additional aluminum suspension bits, a quicker 15.0:1 steering ratio, bigger 17-inch wheels with 215/45 Bridgestones, and a more robust brake system with four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, the rears squeezing larger 11.3-inch discs that are now vented.

For this shootout, we opted for the entry-level TR, which, at $24,620, stickers for $1000 less than the standard WRX. Fresh for 2006, the TR replaces many of the standard WRX’s plusher accoutrements with those more Spartan items, such as black side mirrors, manual climate controls, and plastic inner door handles. This is not to say that the TR is a penalty box, as it still comes with A/C, an 80-watt CD stereo, keyless entry, and power mirrors/windows/door locks. Our tester sported the $579 Premium Sound Package 1 that adds spiffier speakers and a subwoofer, bringing the bottomline up to $25,199.

While 25 large gets you into the base WRX, at the Mazda showroom, it puts you behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel of a nearly loaded Mazdaspeed3. Starting at $22,835, the Mazdaspeed3 Sport comes replete with just about everything you could ask for in a car, including automatic climate control, heated seats, and six airbags. For those who want more in their ultrazoom 3, there’s the $24,550 Grand Touring trim, like our tester, which sweetens the pot with auto on/off Xenon headlamps, LED taillamps, a Bose stereo with six-CD changer, partial leather seats, a security system, and rain-sensing wipers. Our True Red example, brilliant enough to out-red a fire engine, also had the $1750 DVD-based navigation system, an option that raised the tally to $26,300.

Under the hood of the ‘Speed3 resides a 2.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged inline-four that, with help from a high 9.5:1 compression ratio and 15.6 psi of maximum boost, cranks out 263 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 280 pound-feet of torque at only 3000 rpm. The sole tranny is a slick-shifting six-speed manual that routes the 2.3’s prodigious ponies and pound-feet via a cone-type limited-slip differential and an ingenious torque-management system that minimizes torque steer by varying the bleeding of the wastegate, the sensitivity of the electronic throttle, and the power delivery when turning. Compared with a standard 3, the ‘Speed3 rides on a firmer suspension with 60 percent more roll stiffness and 18-inch alloys shod with summer Bridgestones. The brakes, too, are improved, utilizing larger front rotors and more aggressive pads.

Live Wires

Down 33 horsepower and 45 pound-feet of torque to the Mazdaspeed, the 3140-pound WRX TR still managed to smoke its more powerful and equally heavy rival from 0 to 60 mph, posting a sports-car time of 5.6 seconds, nearly a half second quicker than the ‘Speed3’s 6.0. Equipped with an all-wheel-drive system that uses a viscous-coupling locking center differential to distribute power 50:50, the WRX was simply able to put down a superior launch, the result of all four wheels responding to a violent 5000-rpm clutch drop. Launching the Mazda, on the other hand, required a low-rpm drop of around 1000 rpm and, because the torque-management system cuts torque under full throttle in first and second gears, short-shifting at 6000 to achieve the best time. With the torque-management system off-duty in the upper gears, the Mazdaspeed was able to put down full power past 60 mph, catching up to the Subie at the quarter mile with a time of 14.3 at 99.4 mph. Once the ‘Speed3 gets going, look out–Mazda claims the hot hatch can hit 155 mph, although we weren’t able to verify this. While a smidge quicker at 14.2 at 97.4 mph in the quarter, the WRX just can’t keep up as speeds reach triple digits, falling 0.5 second behind the Mazda at 100 mph.

The WRX also trailed the Mazdaspeed in every handling test we conducted, evidence that the Subie’s softer suspenders, while providing a more supple on-road ride, were too spongy to match the taut dampers and springs on the 3, which still delivered a ride pleasant enough for everyday commuting. Through the slalom, the WRX posted a speed of 63.4 mph, well behind the Mazda’s 68.6, a pace that betters that of the BMW 330i, Infiniti G35, and Jaguar XK. Around our figure-eight course, a telling test of handling and braking, the WRX clocked a time of 27.1 sec at 0.64 g average, again no match for the 3’s 26.6-second at 0.69g average. Circumnavigating the skidpad, the Mazda held on for 0.86 g of lateral grip–better than that of a Lexus IS 350–once more outgunning the Subie’s stickiness of 0.80 g. And although the WRX wears snazzy red-painted calipers that use three times the number of pistons, it was the Mazdaspeed that offered superior brake feel and performance, halting from 60 to 0 mph in 111 feet–only a foot on top that of a Z06–a substantial 12 feet shorter than the Subaru. In defense of the WRX, grippier summer rubber, rather than the mud-and-snow tires it wore, would make a perceptible difference in these tests, as would a stiffer suspension.

The real beauty of the Mazdaspeed is that it shines just as brilliantly on the road as it does at the track. From steering feel and gearbox precision to body rigidity and cabin comfort, the ‘Speed3 is a notch above the WRX, which comes across dated and a bit cheap in comparison. Close a door on the Subie, and the trim pieces shudder against one another, a far cry from the Mazda’s, which shut with a quiet solidity. Throw in features unavailable in the Subaru–a thumping Bose stereo, a nav system, Xenon headlamps, and curtain airbags, to name a few–and the Mazda quickly proves it’s the most dazzling of the two. Better yet, for relatively similar money–less if you don’t need directions or ear-piercing audio–the Mazdaspeed3 delivers that dazzle at a relative bargain. It’s the most electric of this duo. Plug it in and play!

1st Place: Mazdaspeed3 Grand Touring

Accomplished chassis, luxury-car elements, and a refined, gutsy powertrain make this Mazdaspeed the best ever and best here.

2nd Place: Subaru Impreza WRX TR

Brisk acceleration, all-wheel-drive traction, and a chassis capable of more can’t compensate for a lack of refinement and fewer grins at the wheel.

	2007 MazdaSpeed3 Grand Touring	2006 Subaru ImprezaWRX TR
Powertrain/Chassis
Drivetrain layout	Front engine, FWD	Front engine, AWD
Engine type	Turbocharged I-4alum block/head	Turbocharged flat-4alum block/heads
Valvetrain	DOHC 4 valves/cyl	DOHC 4 valves/cyl
Displacement	137.9 cu in/2260 cc	149.9 cu in/2457 cc
Compression ratio	9.5:1	8.4:1
Power (SAE NET)	263 hp @ 5500 rpm	230 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque (SAE NET)	280 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm	235 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
Redline	6500 rpm	6500 rpm
Weight to power	11.9 lb/hp	13.7 lb/hp
Transmission	6-speed manual	5-speed manual
Axle/final-drive ratios	3.94:1 (1-4); 3.35:1	(5, 6, R)/2.86:1 3.70:1 2.73:1
Suspension, front; rear	Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs,anti-roll bar	Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; struts, coil springs,anti-roll bar
Steering ratio	14.7:1	15.0:1
Turns lock-to-lock	2.7	2.7
Brakes, f;r	12.6-in vented disc;11.0-in disc, ABS	11.5-in vented disc;11.3-in vented disc, ABS
Wheels, f;r	18 x 7.0, cast aluminum	17 x 7.0, cast aluminum
Tires, f;r	215/45R18 93YBridgestone Potenza RE050A	215/45R17 91WBridgestone Potenza RE92
Dimensions
Wheelbase	103.9 in	99.4 in
Track, f/r	60.4/60.0 in	58.5/58.3 in
Length x width x height	176.8 x 69.5 x 57.7 in	175.8 x 68.5 x 56.7 in
Turning circle	36.1 ft	35.4 ft
Curb weight	3140 lb	3140 lb
Weight dist, f/r	63/37%	59/41%
Seating capacity	5	5
Headroom, f/r	39.1/38.4 in	38.6/36.7 in
Legroom, f/r	41.1/36.3 in	42.9/33.0 in
Shoulder room, f/r	54.9/54.0 in	52.7/52.9 in
Cargo volume	16.5 cu ft	11.0 cu ft
Test Data, Acceleration to mph
0-30	2.1 sec	1.9 sec
0-40	3.3	3.1
0-50	4.3	4.3
0-60	6.0	5.6
0-70	7.3	7.6
0-80	9.5	9.5
0-90	11.5	11.7
0-100	14.5	15.0
Passing, 45-65 mph	2.8	3.0
Quarter mile	14.3 sec @ 99.4 mph	14.2 sec @ 97.4 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph	111 ft	123 ft
Lateral acceleration	0.86 g avg	0.80 g avg
MT figure eight	26.6 sec @ 0.69 g avg	27.1 sec @ 0.64 g avg
Top-gear revs @ 60 mph	2400 rpm	2300 rpm
Consumer Info
Base price	$24,550	$24,620
Price as tested	$26,300	$25,199
Stability/traction control	Yes/yes	No/no
Airbags	Dual front, front side, f/r curtain	Dual front, front side
Basic warranty	4 yrs/50,000 miles	3 yrs/36,000 miles
Powertrain warranty	4 yrs/50,000 miles	5 yrs/60,000 miles
Roadside assistance	4 yrs/50,000 miles	3 yrs/36,000 miles
Fuel capacity	14.5 gal	15.9 gal
EPA city/hwy econ	20/28 mpg	20/26 mpg
Recommended fuel	Unleaded premium	Unleaded premium

Source: MotorTrend.Com
By Ron Kiino
Photography by Evan Klein

Technorati Tags: subaru, impreza, wrx, impreza wrx, subaru wrx, subaru impreza wrx, comparison, mazda, mazdaspeed3, grand touring

• Posted in : Articles, Comparisons, Reviews, Road Tests
• Author : admin

RSS feed | Trackback URI