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Hey guys, im trying to decide whether to buy a Civic Si or a Mazdaspeed3. The mazda has a 263 hp turbocharged engine while the Civic has a 197 ivtec engine. And the Mazdaspeed3 is only about $1300 more than the Si. I think reliability wise they are about the same, mazda's are japanese and those cars last forever.
The Mazda is almost a second faster (6.1) at 0-60 than the Si and they have the same fuel economy, but are about the same in handling and the Mazda looks like its much roomier.

If you guys can convince me to buy the Si over the Mazdaspped3 then i might stick with the Honda.

 
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if u plan on turboing ur civic .. take the si cuz once u boost the k20 u'll rip life out of people and cars and nething lol ..

 
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Do some more research on Mazda. JD Power and Consumer Reports put Mazda WELL back of the pack these days. Their reliability is not nearly what it was just a few years ago. Here's the most recent Consumer Reports report card. Honda is #1. Mazda is way down the list.

 
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A friend of mine has an MS3 and it is a great car. Drives pretty well, pulls hard, and is pretty nice looking to boot.

However if you do get one, be prepared to become very well known at your local dealership. I swear that the CEL is on every 15 minutes in that car!!

 
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How am i supposed to turbo an SI? Costly?

 
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well if u say 1300 more .. that 1300 could go towards a kit ... u could turbo and tune with a nice setup for 5-6gs .. alltogether so why nottttt?? save up another 4k , get a more reliable car and boost it and u will rape the 3 .. watch videos on youtube... turboed 2007 si and see what its about

 
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well, id go with the Si for 2 reasons. 1 being i own an Si , and 2, working in a repair shop, i see alot more mazdas with problems than i see hondas. mazda may be japanese, but its made by ford..so keep that in mind.

 
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2007 HONDA CIVIC SI HFP SEDAN TURBO DYNO RUN @ 9 PSI
275WHP 250TQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0u8OgPHXwo

 
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Mazda is not japanese... its ford... in fact, its worse then ford. And those engines really suck too. Test drive one, they are absolutly no fun- yeah its turbo, but big whoop. You step on the gas lightly the car leaps forward then takes forever to accelerate, you let off and it drags... the funnest thing you could do in a mazda is crash it. Buy the Si. Its a high revving 2liter with a huge platform for engine performance upgrades if you ever choose to do so.

 
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I was interested in a Mazda 3 for a while before getting my Civic because I had owned a couple of Mazdas in the past before they were controlled by Ford and they were good cars. And the interior of the Mazda is really nice. However it is not roomier than an SI sedan. It is tight by comparison.

I did a lot of comparisons of road tests too. That 263 HP may sound like a lot, but look at some more tests. They are only slightly faster than the SI is some speed ranges and they get lousy gas mileage by comparison. I would get the SI and just enjoy it.

 
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i would not get teh speed3......this is the 1st year they have a turbo inline 4 producing that much power....so ITS BOUND to run into problems

 
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Si gas milege 21/29 mpg and speed3 is 18/26 mpg
i agree wit what "Civic_racer9" said.. Ford usually doesnt make turbo charge car
plus, Si have higher RPM range, more fun to drive. just test drive both car and see how u like it..
remember, is civicfourms.com u r goin to get more postive feed back for civic.

 
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Mazda blows and the Honda value will always be way up there when its time to trade!

 
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the si drives like a base model civic below 5k rpms. take it for a drive and see for yourself.

 
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LoL! That is so far from the truth, you need a laser measuring tool to get back to reality. There is no comparison above or below 5K - the Si is quicker, more nimble, and a ton more fun to drive. I tested the EX, LX, and the Si just last month. No comparison. None.

 
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Drives the same as my 03 RSX Type S! It is a Civic after all. Did you think because it was an Si it was going to feel like a Lexus....LOL?

 
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Your RSX and the Si have almost identical HP ratings. But don't let the Civic badge mislead you - this is hardly the car it was for 7th gen and earlier. It's much more. And the Motor Trend, JD Power, Consumer Reports, and others agree. And the Lexus? I test drove the IS because it was on my short list. Very nice car. I was trading in an ES300 so I had a good benchmark for comparison. As luxurious as you would expect for a Lexus. But the power was anemic.

 
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Yep! I love my new little 4 door. I think the Lexus has a 6 cylinder, so its not really apples to apples.
Thanks
G

 
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I'll brandish myself as the best suited person to answer this thread as I own both a 07 civic si and a mazda (albeit, a 03 mazda tribute). dont know all that spec stuff, but love the si!! cant go wrong. and most importantly, mazda sux. had it in the shop for leaking oils/fluids 6 times in the first 3 years. I actually got a settlement out of it from mazda after getting a lawyer.

cant go wrong with the si, period. will go wrong choosing mazda, period.

 
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You da man!

 
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I owned both an '06 RSX Type S and a '07 Civic Si. Nothing compares to a Japanese engine. And, if you drive it right, you can achieve a mpg way better than what is listed on the window sticker. I've actually gotten a combined street and highway mpg of 35.

 
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ok, i work for mazda, they suck!!!, u do NOT want one, wiring is a bitch, and mazda r the cheapest bastards on the market, believe me, they suck, ive driven every model they have come out with, they r slow, and pepless, go honda, trust me, ive driven both, and seen warranties for both, that is if ur still looking

 
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I think both cars are good cars. I currently own a 07 Civic EX and a 05 Mazdaspeed Miata. The Mazdaspeed3 seems like the better choice to me but I'm used to owning turbocharged cars. While some posts here say Ford doesn't make very many turboed cars Mazda has been making turbocharged cars for years. I'm not exactly sure where the Mazdaspeed3 is assembled at.

While the Civic might be turboed to get the same power as the Mazdaspeed3 I wouldn't recommend it because the Civic has a super high compression ratio already. The Civic Si kept stock will probably be more reliable because there isn't a turbo attached to it. I don't think a boosted Civic would be any more reliable than a Mazdaspeed3, probably worse because of the higher compression.

The Mazdaspeed3 has a better power-to-weight ratio and it also has a turbocharger. The interior looks a lot nicer in the Mazdaspeed3 IMO. With a turbocharger you are probably looking at using synthetic oils, premium fuels and changing your oil every 3,000 miles, no exceptions. Turbo cars are very sensitive to oil changes. I don't know what the Si oil change interval is but I imagine it's 5,000 miles like the other Civics are. Turbo cars are typically higher maintenance but if kept up are just as reliable as natural aspirated models. I've seen turboed Miatas with over 250,000 miles on them.

I love my turboed Miata it's a lot more fun but it is more maintenance than my wife's Civic. I think a similar thing could be said for the MS3 and the Si. Depends on what kind of car you are going for. My two cents worth.