Scotty, I'm looking at a 2011 Mazda3 i Touring with 113,500 miles. 2.0L 4-Cylinder DOHC 16V VVT with automatic transmission. A local dealer is asking $8775. I'm helping my daughter look for a reliable used car and this is around her budget. By the Carfax it appears to have been maintained well with regular oil changes, etc and no accidents reported. Would this be a reliable car? Thank you
If you are talking 2014 and up, yes they are reliable. But anything below that where it was sharing stuff with Ford, Nah not really.
I agree, I'll just add that in case of the Mazda3, I'd limit that to until 2014-2018 (Third generation) as I'm hearing very nasty things about the new ones from mechanics and owners. But they weren't that bad for the 2nd gen either, it's not like the pre-powershift Focus is that bad.
What are you hearing @Dan about the 2019-newer (4th Gen) ones?
When they just got released a friend who owns a shop said he's constantly replacing rubber suspension components on them (I don't think that's such a big deal, but for many DIYers it might be quite a big issue)
Additionally, the main complaints I'm hearing have also been published by consumer reports is AC / electronic failures - but that's not only Mazda with so many car makers beginning to incorporate too many different complex electronics.
Even with all of that, they're still IMO better than the 10th gen Civic, definitely better than a 6th gen Elantra and are way better than the 4th gen Focus - they're just not flawless anymore, a bit overpriced, and are getting outdated.
-
although this might be just nitpicking but, IMO new Mazdas also just don't handle well enough. The 4th gen feels slightly less stable than 3rd gen to me, and that's also what I'm seeing in the Moose Test results.
It's a shame, I think 3rd gen Mazdas were so close to being perfect - I still consider them better than even Corollas and Aurises (known in the US as Scion iM) of the same era (my only complain on those was that on the European version I don't like the ticking noises on from the SkyActive-G 1.5L, but other than that, 3rd gens are great cars.)
Lots of Ford parts in Mazdas of that vintage, and the price seems at least 50% too high. (Possibly on a buy-here-pay-here lot?) I'd look elsewhere.
A newer Mazda 3 yes. The year you stated they had a close relationship with Ford and I would pass on it.
No. Toyota or Lexus. Bought my wife a 2013 Lexus rx350 all wheel drive with 60k miles for $12000. I found that I could get a Lexus cheaper than a Toyota Highlander. Same chassis. My sister had a newer Mazda with nothing but problems. No go.
