I'm looking to upgrade my '07 Mazda3 GT Sedan to either of these cars within the next year or two. Has anyone driven both of these cars? How would the 2.5L Mazda be compared to the 2.0 Boxer engine power-wise and back road handling? It seems both cars are close in purchase price and gas mileage and this would be a car I drive all year round. My main problem with the FR-S is I'm in Cornwall where there is no Scion dealership, so if I want the FR-S, I'd have to drive to Ottawa to buy the car and drive up there for maintenance (prefer to have service done by the dealer for a brand-new car) where as my local Mazda dealer is a 5 minute drive and I already know the people there and am happy with their service.
My Pros for the 2015 Mazda3 GT Sedan would be:
- better interior
- more torque
- Front-wheel drive but would handle winter driving better?
- I like the LED DRL/HID headlights & LED tailights which a base FR-S would not have.
- No frameless window issues to worry about in the Winter with ice and such.
- Runs on regular fuel, not Octane 93.
FR-S Pros would be:
- More unique compared to a Mazda 3 as I already see a couple Gen 3's at work.
- Rear wheel drive more fun?
- Better handling?
- smaller interior but I don't need the extra space at all.