A local reputable small used car lot has a 2010 Mazda 5 grand touring minivan on his lot. It has 61,517 miles on it and a clean carfax report. He’s asking $10,500 for it. I have a 2020 Ford Escape which I like but I’ve felt the transmission slip a couple of times and the payment is too much for me to afford so I’m looking to trade it. Can anyone tell me if these Mazda minivans are good or not? I bought a 2009 Volkswagen Routan and that was a huge mistake it had so many issues that I unfortunately I took a bath and ended up getting rid of it. Thanks in advance for your feedback
The phrase "reputable small used car lot" is a contradiction in terms. Those places tend to be the worst bottom feeders, particularly the BHPH variety.
$10,500 for a nearly 13-year-old Mazda is highway robbery. The vehicle was most likely bought at auction with no known history. Carfax is not reliable for anything except possibly verifying the odometer reading. (Just over 60K miles on a vehicle that old is suspicious - that's well under 5K miles per year.)
As far as that model vehicle, from online accounts it does not appear to have much in the way of serious deficiencies. This particular deal sounds sketchy though. If you decide to proceed be sure to have a good independent mechanic do a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
(It's not surprising that you had serious problems with the Routan, by the way. Those are rebadged Chrysler minivans.)
Yes I found out the hard way that a Routan was a rebranded Chrysler/Dodge. My dilemma is that I can’t afford a high car payment which is why I want to get rid of my escape. Also, my credit isn’t the greatest so I have to finance something and get my mom to co-sign. I appreciate your help I will let you know what I decide to do