PureDrive... You mention the new MS3 is faster versus the new WRX ? See some test my friend ! The MS3 is not even close compare to the WRX number and the GTI is the slowest one...
2010 Mazdaspeed:
0-60mph: 5.8
1/4 mile: 14.3
2010 WRX:
0-60mph: 5.1
1/4 mile: 13.6
2010 GTI:
0-60mph: 6.3
1/4 mile: 14.9
If you talk about the real '' BANG for the BUCK'S ''... The 2010 WRX is unbeatable for the price !
You need to read a little more closely........
My exact quote from above is "The Mazdaspeed3 will be faster than the WRX once rolling, in everyday driving (ie, not from a dig and an abusive AWD launch)".............
You gave the same 0-60mph, abusive clutch dump, AWD launch number that I talked about in my post. You need to understand that the WRX, and really any AWD car, gets a huge boost in their performance numbers from being able to essentially redline the car, drop the clutch, and get no wheel spin, just putting the power down to the pavement and translating that into acceleration. IN REAL WORLD DRIVING, you don't do this with any vehicle.
Check out the tests where they do ecceleration tests once the car is rolling, such as from "20mph to 50mph" or "50mph to 80mph". The Mazdaspeed3 posts better times and is faster during those scenarios. This is what we all experience during our daily driving. Most buyers are not waiting at a stoplight or at a dragstrip tree, ready to launch the car into oblivion. On any kind of street driving situation, on a road course/race course, or in autox, the Mazdaspeed is faster once moving, as the FWD does not allow for as strong a launch as AWD and will have the tires trying to get traction in 1st gear. Once the Mazdaspeed gets traction, by 2nd gear, the car is faster than the WRX.
As well, AWD has more drivetrain loss than FWD or RWD. The exact same engine making the same power mated to each platform will put less power to the wheels in an AWD setup and make more power to the ground in a FWD setup. The mazdaspeed makes 263hp and 280 ft/lbs at the engine and puts that through FWD. The WRX makes 265hp and 244 ft/lbs at the engine and puts that through AWD. The Mazdaspeeds3 will put more power down to the pavement, albeit not as well as the WRX.
You should also look into the 1/4mile trap speeds, but that is more info than I have time to get into right now. Several places I have looked have the Mazdaspeed3 trapping at 99-100mph, with the WRX trapping 98-100mph. Only one place that I saw had a number other than 98 for the WRX, but I included it anyway. Every place I saw had the Mazdaspeed with 99 or higher, with the Mazdaspeed3 being at least 1mph faster at the end of the quarter mile.
If you care about bragging about 0-60 times that magazines get, then the WRX is definately your car. If you care more about driving, then you should test drive the Mazdaspeed3. Again, I know of what I speak, having owned 3 different WRX's in the past and having test driven the new WRX several times back to back with both the GTI and Mazdaspeed3.