Should I get a 3 or a Speed 3?

[ShrikeArghast]

The simple answer would seem to be the Speed 3, but let me lay out a little background first.

I'm a sports reporter by trade and typically travel upwards of 450 miles every two weeks (sometimes less). Thus, one of the big reasons I am looking to trade in my 2007 Mustang V-6 is because it gets crazy-bad gas mileage.

So... I've broken down my thinking to this:

1) The Speed 3 is a modest improvement in terms of MPG, whereas the 2.5L 3 is a substancial one.

2) The 3 is a good 4k cheaper than the Speed 3. I don't make much money in this career, so the dime is a factor here.

3) The 3 is zippy. The Speed 3 is virtually a race car. Coming from the Stang (even a V-6), I'm really concerned that I'm going to experience a major performance and thrill reduction with the normal 3.

As you can see, I'm torn. I'm very concerned I'll get the 3 and wind up eyeing the Speed 3 jealously for the next half decade. I'm a fairly practical guy -- I don't street race, and don't speed much, but I enjoy being able to call upon power and speed when I need it. Knowing that it's there is comforting, at least to a degree.

Having said that, I never really looked at the V-8 Mustangs and thought "boy, I wish that was me."

So, which direction should I go in? 3 or Speed 3? Are there any other posters here who have dealt with this question and come to a solid solution? As I said at the outset, the Speed 3 is the obvious "gutcheck" answer because it flashy and exciting, but there are a lot of other issues at play here, too.

Thanks for any and all help.

[LBcarfan]

I owned the sport 3 with the 2.5L; it got good gas mileage (between 25-30) averaged between street and highway, but it had much more "get up and go" than the 2.0L- that felt like a sitting duck. If you want even more zip since you are used to a mustang, go with the speed 3. But otherwise, the 2.5L has plenty of go without compromising MPG and $$

Used Car Inspection Services

[mikezoomzoom32]

If you want something economical and still fun to drive the MZ3 will do the job. If you want to outperform your mustang and get slightly better MPGs and pay for premium fuel then the MS3 will do the job. Both are great cars and both have a good amount of sportiness to them.

[Saint_]

MS3 has too much torque to be a fwd car. This alone would keep me away from that car if I was in a similar situation.

[redneck4Christ]

When my wife and I were expecting our first born, she convinced me to shop for a replacement for my aging 270k mile '96 626. So we stopped by the local Mazda dealer. While I was looking at the regular Mazda 3, SHE convinced me to consider the Speed3 instead.
---I have a Wonderful wife!---
We've never regretted that decision. I commute 600+ miles a week thru Dallas/Ft.Worth traffic and hit the traction control regularly. The trip computer still says I'm averaging around 24 mpg.

I hope that info helps.

We actually stumbled upon a 3 yr old lease car with 30k miles on it for less $ than a new one. We witnessed 3 others take it out for a test drive right before us and we still got it.