Hey guys. I'm sure you probably see this a lot, but I'm considering getting an 04 Mazda 3s hatch 5-speed stick. I have a Protege5 now and while I love it, it's taking waaay too much of my money. Granted, a lot of it was the condition I bought it in, but I don't want to keep spending money on it like crazy and I'm thinking about something new.
So these are my questions: What are things to look out for or common problems with this generation 3? I know there's the oil filter cartridge system, but someone had talked to me before about converting it to a standard filter system. How much would that run me? How easy would it be to move my double DIN Kenwood stereo from my P5 into the 3? How easy is it to fit a standard 26-inch mountain bike in the back (or do I need to get a rack for the roof?)?
I don't know how many miles are on the car, but it's from St. Louis (no rust, unlike my P5 now), it's mechanic owned, and these are the new parts on it: tires, brakes, "front struts and rear shocks" (are they really different?), undercoating, and headlight assemblies. The guy is asking $4500. Would this be a fair price, or do you think there's something hidden I should be worried about (assuming the mileage is okay)? I honestly really like the car (it's just what I'm looking for in my next car), but I would have to wait for my tax return (and selling my daily P5) before I could get it.
So these are my questions: What are things to look out for or common problems with this generation 3? I know there's the oil filter cartridge system, but someone had talked to me before about converting it to a standard filter system. How much would that run me? How easy would it be to move my double DIN Kenwood stereo from my P5 into the 3? How easy is it to fit a standard 26-inch mountain bike in the back (or do I need to get a rack for the roof?)?
I don't know how many miles are on the car, but it's from St. Louis (no rust, unlike my P5 now), it's mechanic owned, and these are the new parts on it: tires, brakes, "front struts and rear shocks" (are they really different?), undercoating, and headlight assemblies. The guy is asking $4500. Would this be a fair price, or do you think there's something hidden I should be worried about (assuming the mileage is okay)? I honestly really like the car (it's just what I'm looking for in my next car), but I would have to wait for my tax return (and selling my daily P5) before I could get it.
