SPEED3 Owners thread
#592
04-08-2007, 01:40 PM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
I think now's a good time to report good mpg news out of my Speed3. On the way to work I filled up with 93 premium we have 87-89-93 here. I never notices till that morning!! Filled up, continued the other 4 miles or so down a different route. Omitting the interstate slingshot. I reset everything that could be reset on the trip computer as i rolled from Sheetz, and was seeing 'new' numbers. By the time i'd gotten to work I had about 27 average, and my average speed was even pretty close to the speedlimit. After work i made a trip north about 60miles total and then back the otherway about 80 roundtrip, getting some stuff done. Almost all interstate set at 67mph with maybe 10% of time in city watching how i drove. On the interstate numbers steadily climbed to 31 dropped down to 29.5 in the city and i got out in time to save it there and see in go back to about 30.5! Two trips afterward were calm but not totally tieing myself down. now proudly at 28.7. I say all of this to show what it took to get those numbers. So i now feel comfortable with changing my occupation and driving an hour and a half away, or taking a road trip.
Since my previous fill up was almost two weeks prior, it's completly possible and almost obvious that we've changed to summer fuel here. Which would lend some of the improvments. So basically I love to drive, and would take any chance to get on a track, or to drive other types of cehicles, and it shows as i must notrealize just how often i enjoy moderate spooling sounds in my daily driving.
If yall think this is more of a blog than an informative post..... it's going on myspace too!!!! lawlz. Yall be safe now and get urself one of them CAI's so's i can see and hear about it!!!! Peace!
Since my previous fill up was almost two weeks prior, it's completly possible and almost obvious that we've changed to summer fuel here. Which would lend some of the improvments. So basically I love to drive, and would take any chance to get on a track, or to drive other types of cehicles, and it shows as i must notrealize just how often i enjoy moderate spooling sounds in my daily driving.
If yall think this is more of a blog than an informative post..... it's going on myspace too!!!! lawlz. Yall be safe now and get urself one of them CAI's so's i can see and hear about it!!!! Peace!
#593
04-08-2007, 01:47 PM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
ORIGINAL: VASpeed3
This car is pretty stiff, the way I want it to be, but I can't see it being the right car for lots of people. My only criticism is that I think the steering ratio is too fast. Sudden movements caused by the car just following the road can make your arm move enough to steer the car off of your planned trajectory. Driving with one hand is no longer possible where it was in the Contour SVT that this car replaces.
That said, I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy this car! It responds instantly and powerfully to steering inputs. The brakes are some of the best out there. Recently I saw a test showing 60 to 0 in 111 feet. It's my first 4-banger ever, and my first turbo. Contrary to statements all over the place declaring that there is no turbo lag, I feel some turbo lag, so I guess those claims are made relative to other turbo cars. It's not a problem for me by any means; I just have to expect not to have the FULL power until about 1/2 or 2/3 of a second after the loud pedal goes down. Then, it's like being shot out of a cannon.
This car is pretty stiff, the way I want it to be, but I can't see it being the right car for lots of people. My only criticism is that I think the steering ratio is too fast. Sudden movements caused by the car just following the road can make your arm move enough to steer the car off of your planned trajectory. Driving with one hand is no longer possible where it was in the Contour SVT that this car replaces.
That said, I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy this car! It responds instantly and powerfully to steering inputs. The brakes are some of the best out there. Recently I saw a test showing 60 to 0 in 111 feet. It's my first 4-banger ever, and my first turbo. Contrary to statements all over the place declaring that there is no turbo lag, I feel some turbo lag, so I guess those claims are made relative to other turbo cars. It's not a problem for me by any means; I just have to expect not to have the FULL power until about 1/2 or 2/3 of a second after the loud pedal goes down. Then, it's like being shot out of a cannon.
Coming from a Contour, even an SVT, I would expect there to be a very marked difference. The Sp3's chassis is much stiffer as is the suspension, which begs the steering to be touchier. Welcome to the real world of sports cars and sports compacts.
I would expect nothing less from my own. And mine, though an n/a version is quite touchy in the steering also. It requires one to concentrate on the driving experience which is what these cars are all about, don't you think? They're not for everybody.As far as your statement of the turbo lag, yes, I believe the journalists and critics are referring to a relative state of mind. Turboed street cars are so much better than they used to be.
I remember I worked @ a dealership in the '80's where we traded one of the early, highly toutedturbo Ford T-Bird's, so I took it out for a spin. Big bodied and heavy in weight, steered like the boat that it was, but also turbo lag to beat the band, Man!! No power to speak of in the lower rpm range, but when it finally kicked in you had to hang on because you were in for a ride. We thought that was normal at the time. We know better now.
#594
04-08-2007, 02:37 PM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
ORIGINAL: MikeMS3
I think now's a good time to report good mpg news out of my Speed3. On the way to work I filled up with 93 premium we have 87-89-93 here. I never notices till that morning!! Filled up, continued the other 4 miles or so down a different route. Omitting the interstate slingshot. I reset everything that could be reset on the trip computer as i rolled from Sheetz, and was seeing 'new' numbers. By the time i'd gotten to work I had about 27 average, and my average speed was even pretty close to the speedlimit. After work i made a trip north about 60miles total and then back the otherway about 80 roundtrip, getting some stuff done. Almost all interstate set at 67mph with maybe 10% of time in city watching how i drove. On the interstate numbers steadily climbed to 31 dropped down to 29.5 in the city and i got out in time to save it there and see in go back to about 30.5! Two trips afterward were calm but not totally tieing myself down. now proudly at 28.7. I say all of this to show what it took to get those numbers. So i now feel comfortable with changing my occupation and driving an hour and a half away, or taking a road trip.
Since my previous fill up was almost two weeks prior, it's completly possible and almost obvious that we've changed to summer fuel here. Which would lend some of the improvments. So basically I love to drive, and would take any chance to get on a track, or to drive other types of cehicles, and it shows as i must notrealize just how often i enjoy moderate spooling sounds in my daily driving.
If yall think this is more of a blog than an informative post..... it's going on myspace too!!!! lawlz. Yall be safe now and get urself one of them CAI's so's i can see and hear about it!!!! Peace!
I think now's a good time to report good mpg news out of my Speed3. On the way to work I filled up with 93 premium we have 87-89-93 here. I never notices till that morning!! Filled up, continued the other 4 miles or so down a different route. Omitting the interstate slingshot. I reset everything that could be reset on the trip computer as i rolled from Sheetz, and was seeing 'new' numbers. By the time i'd gotten to work I had about 27 average, and my average speed was even pretty close to the speedlimit. After work i made a trip north about 60miles total and then back the otherway about 80 roundtrip, getting some stuff done. Almost all interstate set at 67mph with maybe 10% of time in city watching how i drove. On the interstate numbers steadily climbed to 31 dropped down to 29.5 in the city and i got out in time to save it there and see in go back to about 30.5! Two trips afterward were calm but not totally tieing myself down. now proudly at 28.7. I say all of this to show what it took to get those numbers. So i now feel comfortable with changing my occupation and driving an hour and a half away, or taking a road trip.
Since my previous fill up was almost two weeks prior, it's completly possible and almost obvious that we've changed to summer fuel here. Which would lend some of the improvments. So basically I love to drive, and would take any chance to get on a track, or to drive other types of cehicles, and it shows as i must notrealize just how often i enjoy moderate spooling sounds in my daily driving.
If yall think this is more of a blog than an informative post..... it's going on myspace too!!!! lawlz. Yall be safe now and get urself one of them CAI's so's i can see and hear about it!!!! Peace!
#595
04-08-2007, 09:22 PM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
Yea so far the trip and some pretty good geustimation of being at half a tank and doing the math, i'll fill up in two or three days for sure and i alsways find it the accurate way. But for now if the trip has forever been telling me 21-22 and then ending up with 19-20 for real, i'm happy about a tripcomputer telling me 30ish!!
I inquired in person at my dealership about a parts catalog or any listing of things for the Speed3. THey're idiots. The rest of the dealership is top notch but the parts department is staffed but ******** that don't care about me or my little wagon they were more interested in the guy who needed new rear mats for his 07 yukon and for some reason knew everything about that particular behemoth's side mirrors and part numbers and pricing instantly. Me they looked at funny, i had to tell them what the car was three times and they told me all they had was what was online at mazdausa. Well bull-crap. Theres NOTHING at mazdausa for the speed3. Though the parts are out and i've had the CAI part nuber mailed to be and all. Are there places online that i can get this stuff? I'm tweakin about this, i wish my local dealer was Speed-ready, cause they'd kiss my **** and wipe it too if i even thought about it. /sigh
I inquired in person at my dealership about a parts catalog or any listing of things for the Speed3. THey're idiots. The rest of the dealership is top notch but the parts department is staffed but ******** that don't care about me or my little wagon they were more interested in the guy who needed new rear mats for his 07 yukon and for some reason knew everything about that particular behemoth's side mirrors and part numbers and pricing instantly. Me they looked at funny, i had to tell them what the car was three times and they told me all they had was what was online at mazdausa. Well bull-crap. Theres NOTHING at mazdausa for the speed3. Though the parts are out and i've had the CAI part nuber mailed to be and all. Are there places online that i can get this stuff? I'm tweakin about this, i wish my local dealer was Speed-ready, cause they'd kiss my **** and wipe it too if i even thought about it. /sigh
#596
04-09-2007, 12:44 AM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
Where did you get your Mazda that also works with Yukons in the parts department? Sounds like a GM dealership to me.
#598
04-09-2007, 08:51 PM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
Late last week, I really forced myself to drive like a little 'ol lady (drove 55-60 with a Hwy speed limit of 65 and I let EVERYONE on the road pass me by...) and after a full tank, I calculated28.9 MPG. This was "extreme" driving -- the kind the Speed3 was precisely NOT made for. But it still amazes me that I can go Zero-to-60 in 5.8 seconds and sip fuel at almost 29 MPG, in the same car.
When they cut out the winter additives, I'll try it again and see if it gets better.
When they cut out the winter additives, I'll try it again and see if it gets better.
#599
04-09-2007, 09:31 PM
RE: SPEED3 Owners thread
Ughh, I just filled up tonite.......266 miles and the low fuel light illuminated.....then it took 12.3 gallons of 93 octane to fill 'er up. Math says 21.6 mpgThat's doing 70 mph on the highway, no high speed runs, and only maybe 10% city driving included, all with 87 octane. So we'll see how the super 93 octane fairs....I'm only lookin to get 25 mpg, geez!!
On a boost related issue, anyone else notice the boost is not real smooth on this motor? I put a boost guage in this car and the boost at the limit bounces like mad (+/-2 psi), makes the guage go nutz! My GN has a similar boost control system (boost solenoid with varying boost depending on the gear the car is in), and it's smooth as glass. Is that the reason why Mazda didn't put a boost guage in this car? Hmmm.
On a boost related issue, anyone else notice the boost is not real smooth on this motor? I put a boost guage in this car and the boost at the limit bounces like mad (+/-2 psi), makes the guage go nutz! My GN has a similar boost control system (boost solenoid with varying boost depending on the gear the car is in), and it's smooth as glass. Is that the reason why Mazda didn't put a boost guage in this car? Hmmm.
