Hey all,
I recently moved back to the US from overseas and haven't driven in years. I'm looking to get my first car in a long time I figured I should probably get a cheap used beater car that I can keep around for 50k to 100k miles. I'm considering a Mazda3 from 2007 with a manual transmission and 127k miles. I know the jatco or jayco or whatever automatic transmissions from this era were terrible and I've heard some complaints of cracked engine blocks (not sure if credit goes to Mazda or Ford on that). It's only $4000 (interior has seen better days) and I've always been a fan of Mazda, is this the kind of car I should spend money to take to a mechanic or do I not even bother?
Thanks
Matt
PS The sticker says "made in Japan"
With a manual, they can be pretty good cars and made in Japan is a bonus and they are not made in Mexico like the newer ones are for North America. That said, I live in Canada where it snows a lot and if you live in a snowy climate check for rust, Mazdas of that age are notorious for rust, so you want to check that it's not all rusted out. Secondly, take it to a mechanic and check that everything is good and the car itself runs well. If it's all good, I would probably offer $3000-$3500 since it's 14 years old.
On that car, watch for rust.
And no matter which used car you buy, always have it inspected by a professional mechanic, before purchase.
You don’t want to get stuck with a clunker..
Any advice on how to find a good honest mechanic? It's an add from a used car lot so with my luck I'll take it to a shop that the dealer does regular business with.
Find an honest mechanic, independent of the dealer so you get the true picture of the shape the car’s in.. If they refuse to let you bring it to your preferred mechanic (within reason), walk. If they have nothing to hide, they should have no issue with your request.
That's awesome, I live in Seattle though, are there any longer lists you can point me to?
Feel free to post a new question on the forum requesting honest mechanic recommendations in Seattle. That list is updated as & when the forum receives new mechanic referrals. Also, ask around in your family & friends for honest mechanics.