Hello….
Which vehicle should we buy for our 19 yr old daughter in college? We are looking at a 2011 Mazda 3 with 105,000 miles and a 2013 Skyactive Mazda 3 with 125,000 miles. Neither have been in any accidents as far as we can tell. The 2011 was had two previous owners (Corporate/private) and the 2013 had two previous owners (both private). Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
This is the info on the 2011 mazda3.
102,540 miles
Gray Exterior
Charcoal Interior
2.0L 4-Cylinder Gas Engine
00
5-Speed Automatic Transmission
2 wheel drive - front
24 City / 32 Highway
2013 Skyactive Mazda 3 with 125,000 miles.
This would be my choice if it’s a 3rd generation car.
The 3rd gen is a “real” Mazda, a super dependable car with some quirks.
While the 2nd gen is a European Ford developed on a Volvo platform (Ford C1 / Volvo P1) - they’re better than GM, and most competition but aren’t great (as they age they tend to get tons or random issues and kind of fall apart)
If it’s a 2nd gen with the engine and transmission out of a 3rd gen (there some like this but they’re rare) I’d personally avoid it…
The 2011 model is definitely a 2nd gen model, basically a rebadged slightly worse European spec (not the US spec) Ford Focus - it’s not great but it’s not bad, significantly worse than a Corolla or a Civic of the same era.
Also on former corporate cars, as someone who has a corporate fleet car, it’s definitely best to use the maximum amount of caution, they usually get driven hard and neglected.
Engine displacement, how many gears do the transmission have, etc. would be helpful so that I can give more information on the powertrains.
They have comparable reliability records, so the key thing is condition/maintenance/paperwork, etc.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Mazda/MAZDA3/
Here are some things to check (it looks like pretty much the same on each list)
https://repairpal.com/2011-mazda-3/problems
https://repairpal.com/2013-mazda-3/problems
