Would you buy a 2007 Mazda3 with 42K miles?

[winston3x]

Hi,
Longtime Protege5 owner on the fence about this one. Asking $9800 - clean carfax 1 owner. Nothing out of the ordinary, just an owner who didn't drive it much. 2.3 s Sport. My only real hang up is that's it's a 9 year old car. I've loved my P5, have put over 110K on it since buying in 2009 but have also put a decent amount in maintenance, timing, struts, etc.. Hoping this time around to not have to do big maintenance for a few years.

Any advice from longtime owners would be appreciated. Have been eyeing the early Mk6 GTIs, but low miles 4 door autos are hard to come by, and having a low mileage inexpensive Mazda is quite tempting. Thanks.

 

[kms1990]

well it should not be a 2.5L motor if its an 07 they only had 2.0L and 2.3L in the usa through 2009 some 2010 models then 2.0 and 2.5L then the skyactiv 2.0 and 2.5L starting in 2013/14 models. i have an 08 2.3L hatch with 83.5k on it and its been good so far (had it about a year now) the basic make up of the 04-09 engines are the same the 2.3 is a stroked version of the 2.0 so they look and function very similar. the 2.3 does have variable valve timing though and only the 06+ 2.0L do. i had a protege 5 for 5 years and it had over 176,000 miles on it when it got hit and totaled i miss that car but the 3 is a very solid and outstanding replacement. more refined more powerful better quality materials on the interior about the same mpg but bigger more powerful motor slightly more cargo room. but it still handles just like the protege 5 did even holds better at high speed especially with the tires i have on it. mazda makes some of the best handling fwd cars on the planet. the 3 is still a solid, well built , reliable and fun car. google expert reviews of the 04-09 3 and read them they rant and rave about how well they drive and feel and look. edmunds road and track car and driver kbb all of them are just in love with the 3 and for good reason its a fun zippy little hatchback. the stick shifts have much more oomph than the autos in both engines look up 0-60 times and compare auto and manual and you will see.

 

[winston3x]

ah yes. Typo. 2.3 - edited. Thanks for the input! Going to drive a high mileage more expensive '09 today to get a feel. The one in question is about 4 hours away from me.

 

[K.A.O.S.]

I picked up an '08 3 Wagon with 45K miles on it at the end of last year. Dealer was asking 10,500 with a clean Car Fax report. I was also concerned about purchasing an 8 yr. old car, but have only had one weird issue with the heater so far.

 

[kms1990]

the 07 is a good pick if they both seem to be maintained go with which ever is a better value according to nada guides with the mileage and options on it. personally i would go lower mileage, just means less wear and longer time for you to keep it. the newer ones seem to not handle as well to me (body roll in corners more) but i think they went a little more upmarket with the ride on the 09 up ones as i test drove several of those body styles as well. i am a spirited driver whom likes to take the long scenic route on purpose to take the turns and bends so the less stiff ride maybe exactly what you want. the 04-08 ones handle more like go karts and even the reviewers state this as a good thing if you like a great handling car but not the smoothest ride. either way you should be happy if the car was kept up. i really wanted a speed 3 but i could not find one in my price range that did not either have an insane amount of mileage or was beat to crap except 1 but it was bought before i came back!

if the 07 has a sun roof read this: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showt...ofs&highlight= it details an odd issue i came across with my sunroof about 2 months after buying the car that ended up being an easy fix but happened at a time i was working doubles every day and had no time to fix. basically check the sunroof for missing or loose bolts. i detail how to do this in that link. (could not get good pics as it is a small area) plus my thermostat failed but that happens, its a moving piece. thats all the issues i have had other than the construction in my area bending my rims with horrible potholes but thats not the car company's fault.its happened to me and several people i know around here. these are reliable fun little cars. and even after my frustration with the sunroof i still highly recommend these cars as that was the only odd issue ive had, and at that it was not bad.