We traded in our 2010 Mazda 5 last Wednesday on a VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI 6MT. This is the first time I've ever traded in a car before it was paid off, but it was worth substantially more than we owed and we weren't a good fit for the 5, I'm afraid. Not that it's a bad car, but it's inherently a compromise vehicle and it always struck me as delicate - engineered to be a lighter, lower-use car than it is. We had to replace tires, rotors and shocks much earlier than I would ever consider acceptable, and the low-profile tires caused us to have to repair two rims from Minnesota's potholed streets. It also seemed to hold up less well aesthetically to the normal exterior dings of city living and to the interior tasks of hauling kids and cargo - presumably the car's primary selling point and a disappointment. The gas mileage was also disappointing, as we never did better than 28 on the highway even when I was trying to do better, and its city mileage for real city dwellers was downright abysmal - under 20 most of the time.
With all that said, I will note that Mazdas hold their value *VERY* well: after 38 months and 40,000 miles we got 55% of our initial purchase price back in a dealer trade-in, even despite the stained and scratched interior; so while it was the first time we ever felt that we *should* replace a car before it was paid off, it also held value well enough that we got way more than we owed on it, so we *could* trade it in so early.
I like Mazda's design ethic, and I very much doubt that if we had bought a Mazda 3 or 6 we would be trading it in so soon - especially the old 6 wagon that was what I'd originally wanted and that could compete well against a Jetta Sportwagen. But for now, we're done. I didn't post here much but it was a great resource when I needed it.
With all that said, I will note that Mazdas hold their value *VERY* well: after 38 months and 40,000 miles we got 55% of our initial purchase price back in a dealer trade-in, even despite the stained and scratched interior; so while it was the first time we ever felt that we *should* replace a car before it was paid off, it also held value well enough that we got way more than we owed on it, so we *could* trade it in so early.
I like Mazda's design ethic, and I very much doubt that if we had bought a Mazda 3 or 6 we would be trading it in so soon - especially the old 6 wagon that was what I'd originally wanted and that could compete well against a Jetta Sportwagen. But for now, we're done. I didn't post here much but it was a great resource when I needed it.
