Quote:
Originally Posted by lupinsea
I've driven an '03 or '04 GTI VR6 before. The styling was tight, clean, and buttoned down. The interior was surprisingly nice. But despite the V6 it seemed really wheezy. The shifter sucked on it, very vague, very tall, long throws and you didn't really get much of sense of what was happening down in the gear box.
I've not driven a newer GTI. Perhaps they are better? 
I've not driving the Mazdaspeed3 but I"ve driven other Mazdas and based on those experiences I have a fair amount of confidence in Mazda's ability to build a fun car. And everything I've read regarding hot hatch shoot outs confirms this with the Speed3 coming out on top.
Then there's the specs, too. The Speed3 is lighter than the GTI, has more horsepower, significantly more torque, higher top speed (if that's important?), and a torsen LSD.
Although, one review was whining and complaining about the Mazdaspeed3. The problem: too much power.
VW GTI w/ 2.0L Turbo 4 cyl.
200 hp @ 5100 rpm
207 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
3255 lb. (16.3 lb/hp power-to-weight ratio)
0-60 = 6.4 sec
1/4 m = 15.0 sec
Top speed = 130 mph
Mazdaspeed3 w/ 2.3L Turbo 4 cyl.
263 hp @ 5500 rpm
280 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
3064 lb. (11.6 lb/hp lb/hp power-to-weight ratio)
0-60 = 6.1 sec
Top speed = 155 mph
Comes with torsen LSD |
The VR6 was never the engine to have in a GTI (the 3.2 in the R32 excepted); I drove both the early 170ish hp VR6 and the later 200ish hp VR6, and both times was underwhelmed. The engine just didn't have enough character for the car. The early VR6, as you mention, was wheezy and underpowered; the later one breathed better, but was blander than plain macaroni. The 1.8T (in 180 hp guise) was just as fast, lighter, cheaper, got better gas mileage, and was more fun.
The 2.0T is a much better engine, and the new chassis is far more responsive than the old. Whether it's better than a Speed3 I can't say (probably not), but it's light-years better than the Golf/GTI IV.