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Focus vs. Mazda 3

14K views 95 replies 23 participants last post by  FriendlyFocus 
#1 ·
Has anyone raced a Mazda 3? Base or GT or Mazdaspeed3?
 
#40 ·
yea, to me the three is kinda the little brother that the focus never had, and the speed is the brother on steroids. the only thing that i'm really pissed about is the fact that they have a five lug set up. and 4 wheel disk brakes.
 
#42 ·
little brother, lol...

the focus is a good car, but the 3 is superior in pretty much every way..more power, better fit and finish, superior chassis, better styling, better interior....you realize the 3 is basically the same car as the european focus that most focus owners here curse that we dont get here ? I got my focus because of price alone...with "A" plan and a huge rebate it was an easy choice...a comparably equipped 3 to my ST would have been over $20K, where my focus I got for $15K
 
#45 ·
ummm, no they aren't...i'm assuming you are talking about 2.3L duratec, which I own...and not a 2.0L Duratec...because that would be crazy

I've raced a 3 in my ST, and it's all about the driver

you can pull the data yourself too if you'd like...a Mazda 3 2.3L and an ST Focus pull high 15's to low 16's, depending on how good you are...there is no clear cut "faster car"....
 
#46 ·
ok my 2.0 dura will walk my best friends 07 2.3 3. trust me we have proved this point many a many times. mine is a hatch tho. not a sedan. the only i have an intake and a cat back(still running both cats.) and he has an intake. i walk off and leave him by about 3-4 cars. depending on how much i spin tires.
 
#50 ·
then something is wrong with his car.....sorry, but a stock 2.0 focus is NOT a faster car than a 2.3L Mazda 3...it's a fact

Mazda 3s 0 - 60 = 7.97 secs

Ford Focus ZX3 0 - 60 = 8.6 secs

these are times repeated by R & T, Autoweek, C & D, etc

you think you and you're buddy conduct a better test ?
 
#57 ·
I have messed around with Lastrites abit all from a roll. I can say that from a roll the focus has no chance at all. From a dig though it would be good until about third and the Speed made boost. After that might as well hang it up.
 
#61 ·
I raced a MS potoge a while back and i smoked him all 3 times, 2 from a roll and 1 from a dig. I know its not an MS3 but i was pretty impressed as well as the driver of the protoge and his friend in another foci, he had a few mods which i cant remember. and i had my I.H.E.
 
#63 ·
I didn't drive, but riding with LR it felt a little heavy at times. Like he said earlier it's pretty soft and it gets a little bit clumsy under heavy braking. When he got on the gas the whole thing would lift and you are pretty much looking at the sky.

It felt way different then a Focus to me. But again I wasn't driving. I could tell though something felt way different. I have a feeling the main difference is going to be in slalom type situations where you're throwing it around. This seems to be home territory for a Focus and I think the Mazda might have a little trouble here, maybe even not so much in stats but in feel at least.
 
#64 ·
Yeah it is a brute beast and it shows its weight in slalom-like turns, but it does have an LSD so it will maintain grip, it will just not be as nimble as a Focus since it weighs so much more. Don't let it get you down though...power is substantial in comparison to any focus short of a turbocharged SVT.
 
#66 ·
well feel is apparently just that: feel

the real numbers speak volumes

ford focus ZX3 slalom speed - 63.9 mph
lateral g's - 0.81

mazda 3s slalom speed - 69.0 mph
lateral g's - 0.87

the 3 feels less nimble because it isolates you more with electronic throttle, and electro hydraulic steering assist, along with a quieter cabin than a focus

if you have actually DRIVEN both cars, the focus feels more nimble because it uses a traditional cable throttle and standard rack and pinion hydraulic steering, and bottom line feels more like a tin can than a 3, so you get more feedback..the experience is definitely more visceral

the way the 2 cars perform is quite a different story

i know this is an enthusiast site but if you pull you bias out of your opinion
the numbers just dont lie

bottom line you are trying to compare a 10 year old chassis with a 4 year old one...

truth of the matter is a more fair comparison would be a 3rd gen Protege with a Focus..close power numbers, chassis designed at the same time(98-99), similar steering and suspension...amazing how close they are in just about avery category
 
#67 ·
i would agree any day that the 3 handles better. i has alot of gear in it that the focus just doesnt, as you have mentioned macdaddy. plus you gotta love the 4 wheel discs on the 3s

the focus may take it in a straight line, but in turns the 3 would be a much better car.

my sister may be getting a 3 soon, i dunno yet though. that will be interesting haha.
 
#68 ·
Just curious though, how do the tires on the 3 compare to the crap that came on Foci? I don't know what is offered on the 3.
 
#80 ·
^ Still an ass [bash] [thumbd]

C'mon, it's a cheap car, it's not supposed to be a $25k Turbo rocket [thankyou]

It's quick enough to be fun, and surprise some people [burnout]

I've had Turbo Eclipse, 3000GT VR-4, 5G Lude w/SC, E39 M5, etc, so I know what 'fast' is, but it doesn't mean that this new car is a dog. 5spd S is the lightest Focus, and it scoots admirably for a cheapie. [bootyshak
 
#81 ·
i cant remember but last time i was at home there was a test in C&D with the new focus in it. iirc, car and driver got 16.4 out of it. but i dunno.
 
#82 ·
Here's someone running a stock '08 SE (heavier) Sedan (heavier) 5spd ..

http://www.dragtimes.com/Ford-Focus-Timeslip-14947.html

0-60 in 8.1, 1/4 in 16.5.

There are plenty of slower cars out there, and who knows, that driver might just suck.

CAI + ECU Tune + Exhaust = probably a pretty decent cheap fun car. I'll let you know whenever someone gets the '08 stuff out, but I imagine it'll be just like the 2.0 Duratec tuning for previous models (ie; small but real gains, 10hp here, 5hp there)

[wave]
 
#83 ·
i think the new one was just made for better economy. 35mpg under the new standards is pretty great. let us know what you do agains that 3 if you run it :)
 
#84 ·
My gf has an 08 SE 5spd. We've never raced but it feels that my zx3 is zippier. Again...we've never tested this out. I know her car is much smoother on bumps and more comfortable and quieter.

Arkaign: Let us know what the results are when you race!!
 
#87 ·
that time, the 16.1, is what my 2.3L has been said to run, and i ran a 15.9 first time at a drag strip with no power mods and bad front tires. i dont think they launched right lol.

take out your spare and run like 1/8th tank, give yourself the best chance. next time i go to the track (after some power mods) im gonna drop weight, should help ALOT.

side note....i wouldnt run your 08 too hard until its broken in! get some good mileage on it before you start runnin it hard ya know.
 
#89 ·
yea, i just dont want you to hurt it in the long run. plus she'll be a lil faster after a break in. i think i saw on the steeda site a CAI or SRI for an 08, might be worth checkin out ;)
 
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