Mazda 3 Owners I Need your advice

[Verve]

I have a friend who is in sales and he is contemplating to buy a M3 for the following reasons

 

1) Low Price - lowest omparatively as when the car was launched

2) Stunning Good Looks and nice conti feel and handling

 

However he wonders where have all the 04 to 05 Mazda 3s have gone to as there are so few M3s on the road

 

he was also told that mazda sucks and that the aircon does not get cold even after a while

 

he was also advised that parts are very expensive and that it is not very reliable

 

i beg to differ on some of these points as i felt that the opinions given to him was a bit biased and i cannot see how a normal jap car can be that unreliable.

 

However the most accurate opinions (maybe biased - yo bros try to be objective ) must be from the owners themselves.

 

he knows the fc is slightly on the high side but is prepared for the additional costs to have something that he likes as a daily ride.

 

he was also considering lancer but was told its very noisy

 

appreciate all your help

[Silveratenza]

I have a friend driving a 2004 Mz3 and he really love every single bit of his car...

 

1) Nice handling

2) Good looks

3) Low maintenance (can go authorised workshop)

4) Many aftermarket parts

5) Reliable - so far no problem after driving for 2 yrs plus

6) FC - 11-12km/L (quite good for such a heavy car)

 

BTW, Mazda cars have been awarded the no.1 in the US for most reliable brand...

Even Honda and Toyota took 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

 

Engine noise may be a bit on high side, but dun compare it with Lexus quality lah..

 

Why not many 2004/5 cars on the road? Many have since changed their cars due to their high COE incurred...

 

Most importantly, he must like what he is driving and affordable...

 

Just go for test drive of all the cars and feel for himself...no point listening to others...every car make have their own set of problems...

 

In fact, my another friend driving a Altis is swearing every single day on his car though, FC is not as good as advertised...prob 12-13km/L and quite noisy after a while...BM maintenance is rocket high!!! He has never went back to them after the free servicing expires...

 

ONE LAST THING, 50k for Mz3 is a steal NOW!!!

[Macrosszero]

Depends - Mazda 3 is a nice solid car with a boatload of nice features that put it at the front of its class.

 

1. 4 wheel disc brakes

2. Aforementioned solid build quality

3. Integrated audio and steering wheel controls

4. Japanese built

 

However it suffers like the Civic FD 1.6 litre in being too heavy for its existing engine. Both are chassis that require a more powerful engine. Thus the engine is not well matched to the car. The result is an engine that is quite thirsty yet doesn't provide a performance to match the thirst.

[Verve]

thanks my thoughts are similar too by the way i think now its around 56k (before finance rebate) after rebate about 52k, where you get your 50k lobang from, can pm me or recommend me the contact for me to let my friend know, 50k is a price

[Verve]

agree that power is not its forte but i suspect 2l road tax and fc might put some potential .6 buyers off guess you can't always have your cake and eat it

[Cheekg98]

mazda3 aircon is solid .... better than lancer one. actually quite a number of zoom zoom on the road after they slash price. at this price, getting a car with continental feel and sporty look, it's value for money. as for FC, i usually gets around 11 plus to 12 km/L .... once 14km/L

 

also another plus point.... it's MADE IN JAPAN

 

Edited March 4, 2007 by Cheekg98

[Porche]

only thing that is is the resale price. other than that, its a good car

[Vit4wd]

In fact, my another friend driving a Altis is swearing every single day on his car though, FC is not as good as advertised...prob 12-13km/L and quite noisy after a while...BM maintenance is rocket high!!! He has never went back to them after the free servicing expires...

 

 

Pls advise your friends that his warranty will be void. Distributor is very strict about this.

[Vit4wd]

Lancer is at least $10K cheaper than Mazda 3.

 

I am sure this is attractive enough for the compromise.

[Cheekg98]

lancer is getting EOL .... resale value will be affected ...

[Cheekg98]

cos' altis is tomyam car ... quality cannot fight with sushi makes

[Verve]

nowadays i heard that with low new car prices, theres no more such thing as resale value anybody care to verify

[Verve]

i think with the recent increase in prices the gap has narrowed to 8k or less

 

on a value basis yes i have to agree its the best value for money

 

but the m3 has better looks better equipment, excellent handling and all round disc brakes with good build quality so its a matter of getting what you pay for

[Cheekg98]

buying car is a liability ... where got resale value ?

[Macrosszero]

I noticed you mention your friend is doing sales. If he has to pay for his own petrol he's going suffer quite a lot in terms of petrol bills.

 

Suppose he gets 11km per litre vs. say, 15km/litre on a Honda Jazz. That's approximately a 30% difference in consumption which translates to a 30% difference in fuel bills.

 

If he's covering 20-30,000kms a year he should take heed of that.

[Verve]

the jazz is going for almost the same price as the m3! and its a different class of car.

 

i told him to expect around 100+ more in petrol consumption - should be thereabouts i guess

[Porche]

the current badge...have problem to dispose the car! i'm also one of them, the only thing is i borrow less. still able to change the car

[Verve]

is it because your car has high coe, how much you paid for the coe