Will I be happy with the 86/BRZ?
 

Hi all, I'm regretting going with a boring car (2017 Mazda3) to replace my 2014 mk6 GTI.

Things I miss from the GTI
1. Sound deadening.
2. Stability on the highway
3. At its best when driven easy, can hold its own when driven hard

It had the best signal-to-noise ratio. Offered feedback where it counts (steering clutch, brakes, suspension, etc) without being jarring or loud.

The Mazda3 doesn't do anything really well. Interior material is nice, but quite loud on highway, steering is too light, ride is too stiff for something so slow.

I am considering trading it in and getting either

1. 10th gen Civic Si--not as refined as the GTI or maybe not even as much as the Mazda3, but I'll have a lot of low-end torque going through a real LSD (helical though). More practical and probably more daily-friendly than the BRZ/86

2. GTI. Had it as a Turo over the weekend. The mk7 is more refined but became more numb compared to the mk6 that I had.

3. BRZ/86. I haven't driven it yet, so we'll see what happens.

Has anyone considered selling the car due to the the lack of torque, the stiff ride, and loudness on the highway? I think those would be my only only concerns with the BRZ/86

The GTI and Civic are not sports cars but are hot hatches. If you want great handling, go for the sports car. If you want to drag from light to light, get a hot hatch. If you want quiet, get a Cadillac or Audi. If you want stability on the highway, get a Mercedes. Decide what you want in a car....

Gti is hard to beat for a practical car with good track potential.

Can’t say about 17, brz did drive slightly more relaxed and I think it’s because slightly softer rear. These cars are known for great handling and driving dynamics. They do need a little help on power if you are used to gtis

Yeahhh you should probably steer clear of the 86 platform. It doesn't sound like it meets any of your desires in a car. Mostly basing that on your desire to drive a refined sports car (which I gathered from your post).

1. There is very little sound deadening. If you can't stand hearing what the road sounds like at every moment, this car will drive you nuts.
2. I'd say the car is fairly stable on the highway. It does get light and darty when pushing higher speeds though. But for the most part, the car just goes where you want.
3. IMO, the car does not like being babied. People will say there's no power, and you definitely get more of your money's worth if you play around in the higher revs. Not saying you can't drive it softly, but the car truly comes alive when you push to the limits.

The 86 provides a visceral experience. You will hear all the strange noises and you can feel it all through your feet, butt, and fingertips.

Best advice: go drive one.

Hello squelchy451 and welcome to ye ol forum :clap:

Yep, like said above, go drive one, what you experience on a test drive is what you get, it don't change much ;)

If I want to drive a quiet, relatively powerful, stable car, I will drive my wife's Saturn Aura XR. However, the only time I choose it, is when I'm hauling grandchildren :D


humfrz

It is no where near as refined as a GTI, you won't have the mid range grunt either. You really have to drive the 86 to get the best out of it. Keeping the revs up when you want to accelerate quickly.


I would suggest test driving a 17+ car first perhaps, or both to see the differences. The facelift cars are ever so slightly more refined over the 13-16 cars. A tiny bit quieter, the shocks were retuned and have better compliance on the road. The six speed manuals have a closer ratio 4.3FD over the old 4.1 which should make the engine feel a bit snappier.

You will probably hate the 86 platform if road noise and interior appointments are a must have.

Gtis are like a normal commuter car IMO. Maybe look at a focus st or something? That seems to be more in line with what you're saying you want.

This might take the prize for the most trollific post I've seen here.

In case you are serious, don't waste your time on the 86/BRZ. It is the exact opposite of what you say you want.

Just get another GTI

Lease it for 36 months and turn it in for another.

That way you avoid the big maintenance ticket items and time in service bay. I used to own a GTI too.

Your engine will blow up, tranny will fall out and minivans will pass you every single day. Or at least that what it seems like if you read this forum.

If looking for refined this is not the car. If looking for shear driving pleasure when you get to play than it is a very good choice.
Test drive is the only way you can decide.

As someone who currently owns a mk6 GTI and FR-S, they are very different.

The GTI is quiet, refined, practical, and torquey.

The FR-S is none of those things.

But what it offers is a high-strung engine, lots of feedback, quick steering (almost twitchy on a highway), balanced handling, and RWD with a LSD. On the track, it is sublime. In a straight line, not so much.

Based on the things you've said, I think you should consider another mk6 GTI, Golf R or S3. Possibly an M3 if you can afford it.

OP, you should be looking at the Lexus RC 200t 2.0 F Sport

I'm wondering why OP went with a downgrade by going from a GTI to a Mazda3, which doesn't have a Mazdaspeed equivalent for this generation, only to complain about it...shoulda gone with a Civic hatch sport.

Errr based on your liking............go balls out and get a golf R or used S3.

if you think mazda 3 is loud.............you gonna hang yourself in a BRZ.



But i wanna know why you went from GTi to mazda3 in the first place.