dumb newbie question?

[emptystrings]

I'm really really new at this. I'm picking up my P5 today and it's the first car I've bought and first new car I've ever owned. How much mileage should a new car have on it? Besides the paint and leather and general interior condition, are there other things I should take a look at and inspect? Under the hood? I just want to make sure the dealership doesn't screw me by giving me a less than new "new" car. Thanks.

Oh, and question about searching on the forum. How do I search phrases, like "new car mileage"? I tried using the quotes and "+" but it still searches the individual words instead of the phrase.

 

[blynzoo]

use boolean search terms: new AND car AND mileage. That may work.

You can find out how many miles are supposed to be on your car by finding out where it was driven from. You live in So.Cal, so if it came from say, Sacramento it should have X miles on it, the distance from whatever Sacramento dealer originally had it to the dealership where you picked it up. That is all. If the car was delivered to the dealership where you purchased it directly from a truck, then it should have VERY few miles on it. Your dealer can tell you all these things.

There is nothing "under the hood" that you can check for to see if the car is new or not. There of course should be zero wear on everything in the car.

 

[KYREDP5]

Just as an example my car had 2 miles on it when I first got it.

 

[LapisBlueProteg]

well first things first try to work the dealer down as far as u can go. check everything on the car making sure that all works headlights, blinkers, hazards, brights, ecttttt. check all tires for air pressure and look at brakes, if u are getting leather check the condition of the hole inside of the car, make sure that what u are getting is there on the car, and 1 important thing do not let the dealer drill holes in ur front bumber
if they do that u can get them to either give u tint for ur windows or what ever u want , i did alot of things when i got mine and i was there for 6 hrs, check all fuilds levels, make sure that they give u a full tank of gass. milage on a brand new car will start off around 270 i say, depends if it is stick or not, after a few 1k's of miles u will start to get better milage, also take it for a drive somewhere, i see u live in so cali well so do i maybe we can get together somewhere that will be cool.

if u have a question about anything just leave a post like u did we will all answer ur question

 

[SpicyMSP]

YEA A N00B IN SO CAL!! Woot ! Hope to see you at our Weekly meets! Check the so cal forum!

 

[cbcbd]

Check the ENTIRE body for any scratches or anything.

2 days after I got my car I noticed a big scratch low on my front bumper, right in front of the wheel well. I was PISSED. But I had no idea if it was there when I got the car or if in 2 freakin' days I got the stupid scratch.
I also only noticed after I bought the car and drove it for some time that the clear plastic cover for the instrument cluster has some scratches that I could only see when the sun shone right on it (I could tell because there were shadows of the scratches on my tach). I couldn't brought that up before I left with the car just to save me the hassle - the scratches are on the inside so they'd have to replace it

So yeah, make sure everything is perfect, if not bring it up to them right then and there and make sure that they know of it when you come back to have them fix it.

Welcome to the forum!!!

 

[tmht]

and 1 important thing do not let the dealer drill holes in ur front bumber

I am assuming you are talking about for the front license plate bracket. He is in CA he doesn't have a choice. Front plates required, the car ships with the bracket, the dealer is obligated to install it.

Empty, 'grats on your purchase. Enjoy. Look for every scratch, dent, ding, spot, etc... and make them fix it before delivery. Also ask them to pull the service record for that car. I just found out last week when I took mine in for an oil change that the front bumper and left fender were repainted before I bought my car. In CA they are not required to disclose cosmetic damage that has been repaired only "material" damage.

 

[clownphish]

Congratulations!

I remember getting my Black Mica P5 April '02. It felt so surreal when the salesman was explaining all the features and going thru everything, I kept thinking "this is actually mine, he's going to let me take this home without a police chase, sweeeeet".

Anyway, this was my first new car so I understand where you're coming from and I was just as green as you are. Just make sure the salesperson goes thru all the features of the car and give it a thorough look over - as blynzoo said there should be no wear and tear anywhere whatsoever. If you notice anything make sure to tell him then and there. Finally, just enjoy it as much as you can. Drive it as much as possible so you can become as comfortable as you can get and you'll find very quickly that you will fall in love with this car. I did immediately, I bought the one I test drove. Enjoy, best of luck to you and welcome to the board!!!

 

[LapisBlueProteg]

yea here in cali we have to have the front plate but if u dont want it to be drilled where it goes then u dont have to people have made brakets to hold the plate with out drilling the front plate on and it looks dumb with the plate there

 

[tmht]

Let me be a little more clear. The car (technically) cannot leave the lot without a place to mount the front plate.

 

[SpicyMSP]

yea here in cali we have to have the front plate but if u dont want it to be drilled where it goes then u dont have to people have made brakets to hold the plate with out drilling the front plate on and it looks dumb with the plate there

you so cal n00b!! Why dont you come to our meets?!?!?

 

[emptystrings]

Thanks for all the replies! It's nice to leave to a short meeting and then come back to all these posts. I feel a lot better about what I'm doing. I'll let you know how it goes. So friggin' excited!

 

[SpicyMSP]

what dealership are you getting it at?

 

[emptystrings]

Alhambra Mazda.

 

[Stealth5]

mine had 15, but it was driven by the dealers wife from one dealership to the one near me, all just for me

 

[cbcbd]

oh yeah, one last thing:


Make sure to tell them to KEEP THE STICKERS OFF YOUR CAR!!

You know, the ones that dealerships feel they can put on cars, that have their names on it? And if they did already just ask them to remove it. It's sad to see such a nice looking car with a stupid "Bob's Mazda" sticker on the back.

 

[Sir Nuke]

Hi Empty....

the best advise I can give you is to pick your car up during the DAY...not at night....its easier to see things that may not be just right that way...it makes YOUR inspection easier...

Take your time....look it over VERY VERY closely....check the fit and finish of every square inch of the car...inside and out. Do NOT accept anything less that PERFECT....after all...you are paying a lot of money for your ride...and you should EXPECT it to be perfect.....if its not...make them fix it before you leave.

IF you got the roof rack on your car...ensure that they put the four pieces that you can use to fill in the gaps if you decide to remove the cross bars.....there have been a lot of people that didn't get them...and they come with the car.

I think that is about it......just be VERY critical of the car.....look it over very closely.....and take your time in doing so.

(stash)

 

[pr5toAZ]

Make sure any extras that are on your sticker are with the car. Like the Cargo Net I bought and they forgot about it, they had to "re order" it. Look over the car a few times, unless its right off the truck there is a good chance there is a ding or scratch. My car had 120 miles on it when I bought it.

One other thing, enjoy your FREE tank of gas. IT will go very guickly. Mine only lasted 3 day after giving people rides and just driving the car around.

You will LOVE your new P5!

 

[UBlink]

One more thing - if you do double and triple check every single thing, and then you find something you missed - it's OK. In the overall scheme of things it doesn't hurt to learn that life comes with its imperfections. I know a story of a guy who, when he picked up his new vehicle (oh yeah, it was just a pickup) would pull out a hammer and personally supply the first dent so he wouldn't worry about the inevitable. I certainly don't recommend this strategy, nor will I apply it if my P5 ever gets here [teeth grinding].

Even if you get every imperfection corrected at delivery, eventually reality will set in, and when it does, you'll still have a great set of wheels.

Congrats and enjoy!

 

[emptystrings]

My dealer is already getting on my nerves. I called yesterday, the said that the car is in, they just have to swap out the cloth for the leather upholstery and that they'd call me this afternoon for me to pick it up. Today: no call. Sucks. I hate it when they do that to you. I bought the car last Saturday. :mad:

I just want my P5.