Merc1
Premium
Two Affordable Turbocharged Wagons Face Off
Sport compacts have it hard. Cars like the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX and the 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 — along with competitors like the Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper S and Volkswagen GTI — are expected to do mutually contradictory things with something approaching perfection. They're supposed to be quick but economical; athletic but comfortable; sporty but practical. Oh yeah, and they can't cost a lot.
Go ahead and dream the impossible dream.
In last year's six-car sport compact comparison test it was the then-new 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 that did the best job of pulling off those tricks. And just behind it in 2nd place was the 2006 Subaru WRX TR. Now, with the 2007 model year dribbling to an end, Subaru has introduced a new 2008 WRX that's both lighter and roomier.
But is it enough to knock the Mazdaspeed 3 off its precarious perch?
Subie Do, Mazda Do, Too
By stretching the Impreza WRX's wheelbase 3.7 inches to 103.1 inches, Subaru has produced a significantly roomier cockpit for passengers. Meanwhile, the new five-door body style (a four-door sedan is also offered) keeps the overall size tidy with minimal overhangs and total length of just 173.8 inches — 2 inches shorter than the 2006 WRX TR four-door sedan. Width remains unchanged at 68.5 inches while overall height has risen from 56.7 to 58.1 inches.
At 3,167 pounds, the all-wheel-drive WRX wagon is only 45 pounds heavier than the 2006 WRX TR and 9 pounds lighter than the five-door Mazdaspeed 3, despite the fact that only the Mazda's front wheels are driven.
This is partially due to the Mazda's slightly larger size. Its wheelbase is 0.8 inch longer than the Subaru's and its total length is 3 inches greater. It's also an inch wider and half an inch taller.
So they're sized about the same inside and out, but under their skins these turbocharged wagons couldn't be more different.
Powerful Arguments
Subaru and Porsche are the only carmakers that still believe in the benefits of the flat engine. The new WRX's turbocharged and intercooled 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve horizontally opposed four is an updated version of the same engine that's been powering Subarus since Wisconsin was admitted to the union.
Now rated at 224 horsepower at 5,200 rpm (400 rpm earlier than in '07), Subaru has given up a bit of peak power to improve low-end torque, and 226 pound-feet at a mere 2,800 rpm (down 800 rpm from before) is impressive. Bolted to the engine is a five-speed manual transaxle that feeds the Subie's ubiquitous all-wheel-drive system.
In contrast, the Mazdaspeed 3's power plant appears relatively conventional: a turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve inline-4. But this is Mazda's Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engine — the same advanced technology power plant Mazda puts in the larger Mazdaspeed 6 sedan and CX-7 crossover.
Using a direct-injection fuel system, the DISI is rated at 263 hp at 5,500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of peak torque at a measly 3,000 rpm. It's also particularly smooth thanks to a pair of counterrotating balance shafts that knock out most vibrations. It's attached to Mazda's compact "three-shaft" six-speed manual transaxle that supplies power to the front wheels.
Door Handle to Door Handle
The generous torque band and distinctive sound (sort of like a VW Beetle operating underwater — which, in a sense, it is) of the Subaru's flat four are as appealing as ever, but it just doesn't have the same thrust and flexibility of the Mazda motor.
Although the Subaru's 5.9-second 0-60 time is two ticks better than the Mazda's 6.1-second clocking, it's all due to its traction advantage at launch. By the end of the quarter-mile, the two cars are dead even at 14.5 seconds and the Mazdaspeed 3 is going 98.7 mph compared to the WRX at 94.4 mph. Considering the difference in power ratings, none of this is surprising.
The surprise was that this Mazdaspeed 3 was slower than the preproduction Mazdaspeed 3 in last year's comparison test. That car made it to 60 in just 5.9 seconds and traipsed through the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 100.1 mph.
Because this production Mazdaspeed 3 was absolutely brand-new with less than 500 miles on its odometer, it may just be that its engine would loosen up with some mileage and it would get quicker. Or it could be a natural variation because the cars were tested on different surfaces. Or maybe the engineers were just extra, um, attentive to the preproduction car. Feel free to speculate.
Either way, there's no denying the Mazdaspeed 3's torque steer on launch, but in most every other respect, the combination of the DISI's flexible power band and the sure-shifting six-speed gearbox is significantly better — and ultimately quicker — than the Subaru.
Full Article and Video:
Comparison Test: 2008 Subaru WRX vs. 2007 Mazdaspeed 3
Naturally I'd take the Mazda here as the new Subie continues to post lackluster reviews. Its just too ugly and doesn't perform as well as the old car did. The old WRX would have had no problem dusting off a mere "Mazda".
M
)
