ok so i have a 2008 mazda 3 hatchback, 2.3L, 4 Cyl. and im in desperate need of a part of some sort. i want to ad more power/torque to my engine and also want it to sound a little louder, nothing to big. i have been researching some cold air intakes an all that and still cant make up my mind. so please help me out, while trying to keep a low budget.

 

Nothing you do short of spending a considerable sum of money on forced induction will do anything significant for your car beyond make more noise. True, there are a few CAIs out there that will gain you a horsepower or three at the very top end of the engine, however, said CAIs almost always borrow from Peter to pay Paul as it were in that they short change you on mid range torque to achieve that extra power at WOT.

Long story short, save your money. If your car really and truly isn't fast enough, trade your car in on something like a MazdaSpeed3.

 

So i shouldnt buy a cold air intake for now?
or what would you suggest just to put on my car for now?

 

Most manufacturers these days (Mazda included) do about a 99% job of eeking out the best balance of power and torque for every day driving. Are the engines typically optimized for Wide Open Throttle/Red Line operations? No (but pretty close anyway).

Long story short, if you want more noise, then by all means put a CAI on your car. If you want more power, either invest several thousand dollars on a turbocharger setup (if your car has a manual transmission); or simply buy another car.

 

for a mazda 3, what brand intake would you suggest? fujita or injen??

 

Injen.

 

injen cold air intake or short ram intake for mazda 3?
i just want more power/torque and a little sound..

 

CAI. SRI if planning to race everyday... or you want a smaller package and don't mind losing even more low end.

 

yea i dont plan to race everyday. so CAI is the best thing for me?

 

The thing about CAIs and short ram intakes is that the engine will lose torque right were you need it the most, in the midrange.