New Mazda 3 - Is this a good deal???

spudulike

ok - so I am trading in a 99 Ford Fiesta (1.2 zetec, 67K miles). We were originally looking at second hand 04 Mazda 3's. But as happens, you always take a look at the new model - so here's the deal, after some negotiations I have been offered a new 1.4 Mazda touring with alloys for 17,500 (with the Fiesta). The list price of the car would be around 22.5K. This would be my first time buying a new car so not sure how much haggling they normally do.

So advise please - 1. Is this a good deal? 2. Should I be thinking of a different car with this budget?

Joeface

A Mate has one ,nice car,

His touring is 1.6 , not sure what the 1.4 is like , Mazda3 is basicly a Ford Focus.so having a 1.4 will prob mean its a little bit dead , other than that there aint nothing wrong with.

mikedragon32

I have a soft spot for the Mazda 3 Touring, it's well styled and well equipped for the money.

1.4 engine is fine, but as Joeface says, it is a little dead, especially if you're changing from a nippy Fiesta.

To answer your questions:
1) It's an okay deal.
2) With that budget you could get something a little nicer but a little older. Why not have a look on carzone and set a 22.5k upper limit and see what you can get.

Why not see if you can get an ex-demo or an 05 model? It will cost less and you'll take less of a hit on depreciation.

deRanged

mikedragon32 wrote:

1.4 engine is fine, but as Joeface says, it is a little dead, especially if you're changing from a nippy Fiesta.

Why not see if you can get an ex-demo or an 05 model? It will cost less and you'll take less of a hit on depreciation.

I'd agree on the engine being a bit light for what is a fair sized car. It'll do the job just fine though, I've had mine on motorways up to 130 kmh no problem.

There's a 3 year warranty so if you could go for an 05 or demo as above you'd still be under warranty and save yourself a fair bit.

Audioslaven

I also was looking at Mazda 3 but the I.6 diesel. I think you would get a 05 one with low milage and a high spec in Uk for about 13-15K or so. You should look into it. There was threads about importing a car, do a search....

gstonesmx5

i drove the 1.4 and its not flat as a pancake its more like a stice of toast.
nice car to drive and all but do you not think the saloon looks better ?
ok slightly less head room for rear passangers but more load space for you in the boot and i think a sexier looking car. some good deals outside dublin on 05 demos with a good spec.
you should want €3/4k for your car and €2/3k off the new car as well as its a demo. i saved myself over €4k when i bought a new discovery commercial demo with high spec and 7k km.

have a look on the net before you go back with an answer but if you wnat it get it and enjoy it.

Mailman

Don't look at the price of the Mazda3 on msn.com in the States - you'll feel
royally ripped off. There they come with a 2 litre 150bhp engine and air con as standard on an entry model.

I'd go with your first instinct - look for a Mid '04 car with some warranty left and negotiate hard then dispose of Fiesta privately or possibly hold off until the new year and look for an '04 then when dealers won't want anything other than '07 cars on their forecourt for all the gullible SSIA punters.

Mazda3 handles very well, is well built but even 1.6 engine isn't as pokey as I'd like and the dashboard is horrible. I might consider buying my sister's one next year when she trades up but the dash is tacky (but of good quality construction).