I Might Be Buying a Car! Please Help

"mazdaspeed2" (mazdaspeed03)
03/04/2014 at 10:12 • Filed to: None

The car in question is an aquatic blue Mazda 2 ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ). Does anyone have any experience with Mazda 2s? Also, are there any good used car buying checklists or anything like that anyone has come across? Any help is appreciated, and here is another small Mazda for your troubles.

DISCUSSION (33)

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:14

I read the title wrong, I thought you were buying a guy named Carl. I was very scared for a second there.

Tom McParland > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:14

Don't know much about Mazda 2s but Pop Mechanics has a great used car checklist

jkm7680 > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:15

Just upgrade to the alloys, that one looks good, check out Carmax, their stuff is certified, but probably slightly overpriced.

getchapopcorn > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:16

I think the word you're looking for is "HAAALLLLPPP."

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:18

Girlfriend drives a Mazda 2. Its a pretty basic A to B car but does handle well. I put an exhaust system on it and it sounds pretty good for an econobox!

mazdaspeed2 > jkm7680
03/04/2014 at 10:19

I will probably buy light rims down the road so it is not really a concern for me.

mazdaspeed2 > Tom McParland
03/04/2014 at 10:20

That is a great checklist, thanks.

mazdaspeed2 > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
03/04/2014 at 10:23

It will be used for commuting, and I plan to do springs and sway bars to make it more of a go kart. What exhaust did you put on?

ZDMW > Tom McParland
03/04/2014 at 10:29

Definitely saving that, pretty nice.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:31

Similar to this , but it looked less fart can-ish. Someone at the dealership had traded a Mazda2 in and they didn't want to sell it with that exhaust so they sold it to me for 50 bucks and installed it for another 100.

Mathias Rios > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:33

Why this over a nice NB miata? Or the countless other used cars you could get for 10k that I would consider better than a Mazda 2? I've looked at one of these up close and it looked sort of crappy to me.
Again not trying to insult but I'm very curious

MazdaMonkey > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:33

Not a bad price. There is always danger buying an early model year of a car, as they are often less reliable than later models as the manufacturer tweaks the problems. At least Mazda made that body style 2 outside of the US for a few years previous, so at least most of the car was tested before coming here.

The only other thing to look out for is a Mazda dealer selling a used Mazda2. You could then get a certified pre-owned car with a free factory extended warranty!

mazdaspeed2 > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
03/04/2014 at 10:37

Oh that's pretty sweet, I would definitely prefer less fart can-ish, but that is a great deal.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 10:37

Well 1) It's a very new car. Not likely to break down because it is simple as all hell.

2) They handle decently well with a good tire underneath them

3) Insurance is cheap

4) Miatas suck as grocery getters if you have kids

No clue why OP picked the 2, but here's just a handful of reasons why they could have.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 10:39

Ya it worked out pretty good for me. My fuel economy sucks now though, I like to hit the high RPM's to make the exhaust sound that soothes my soul.

Mathias Rios > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/04/2014 at 10:55

I think the "new car" theory is overrated. I don't consider new cars better than some older ones, and Miatas are very reliable from my experience. I guess the grocery getter is a valid point.

They can handle all they want it's still FWD in the end... not that that is bad but my personal preference is RWD.

Sometimes I feel people just buy a new car just so they can say they bought a new car when an older used car would be a better choice...

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 11:04

It isn't a theory, it's fact. Whenever you buy cars more than 5-6 years old, you're taking a gamble. You can cut your risk, but it is still a gamble at your own expense. Miatas are "reliable" but you're hoping that the years of abuse were not accompanied by years of neglect. No offense, but it seems like most first gen miatas nowadays are thrashed hard and run on the cheap and then sold in a sorry state. Hell I see a few being driven around Michigan during the winter. On the one hand - shine on you crazy diamonds. On the other- I do NOT want to be the poor sap who buys that car used.

If you want a RWD roadster then I certainly agree, what the hell are you doing looking at a hatchback. But keep in mind that plenty of cars are RWD and have crap dynamics. Meanwhile, plenty of front drivers can run with, or even beat, RWD cars at that price point.......The 2 is not one of them. Not even close. Too little power, too little tire. Needs a sway bar in the back as well. Maybe some strut braces. And this is all just for a start.....But again, I don't think speed was the reason for this.

Jayhawk Jake > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 11:05

There's something special about owning a new car. It's an intangible thing that can make them more desire-able than used.

I like owning a new car. I'm glad I did it once, and then traded in and got another one. From this point on though, I'm not so sure I'll be buying new.

Mathias Rios > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/04/2014 at 11:09

Fair enough, you present some fair points. I just know if I had 10k to spend on a car I wouldn't be looking at Mazda 2's.

Mathias Rios > Jayhawk Jake
03/04/2014 at 11:11

This car isn't even new though, It has 40k miles on it... I understand the "new car sensation" but to me there that's not much of an advantage because I can get a better car used, and if you can wrench you can fix most problems decently well taken care of used cars will have. To me it makes no economic sense to get a new car, today at least.

oldestyoungn > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 11:13

NO. STOP. WAIT FOR THE EPIC NEW MAZDA 2! Just go carless until then. It's simple really.

In all seriousness the 2 is a fun little car. I got to drive one for about 10 minutes. Then again if you like Mazda there's the Miata.... but I assume you're wanting new?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 11:13

I do have about 8k to spend on a car that I've saved up.....but I also have a pretty well paying job so I financed a new car using my savings as the down payment because I'm tired of "bulletproof" used cars falling apart. So my responses come from a place of pain :(

Jayhawk Jake > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 11:16

In this case I'd agree, I'm not sure why you'd go for a recently used Mazda 2.

To answer your point though, not everyone can wrench, not even every car enthusiast. I can't, and while I certainly would like to learn doing so on a car I need to get to work everyday is intimidating. That factor alone is a good enough reason to me to go for a new car.

Beyond that, newer cars have features older cars don't, and those may be important to some people. I wanted a modern looking interior complete with a nice touchscreen infotainment system for my DD. There are some used cars that have it, but only recently used and at that point there are many cases where it's not that much of an advantage to buy used.

The bottom line is everyone is different. To you it may not make sense to buy a new car, and that's fine. Not everyone is you. Not everyone can be happy in an old BMW day to day, and that's fine too.

I'll just ask you to remember one thing before criticizing someone buying a new car (not that you were): Someone has to buy them new before you can buy them used.

Mathias Rios > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/04/2014 at 11:21

Tell me your story! I'd be interested to hear what you experience was.

I drive a "used" car, previously used by my dad until 3-4 years ago, it's currently sitting at 213k miles and it is incredibly reliable. I do all my own wrenching/repairs which makes owning a big german SUV ('99 ML320) affordable even for me.

My mom purchased an NB miata with 176k miles on it (after I checked it out and made sure it was good), for dirt cheap and it has been super reliable up until now.

Some people have good luck with used cars others have bad.

Mathias Rios > Jayhawk Jake
03/04/2014 at 11:25

Not being able to wrench is a fair point. It is very liberating though to not be shackled to stealerships and mechanics who do the same thing you can do but charge you money for it... Keep learning it's good fun.

My current car is a 99, far from what most normal people would call modern, however it does have Bi-Xenon HIDs, Touchscreen infotainment system (an iPad), decently modern looking interior (not that Mercedes has ever been very progressive in that field), all because I retrofit this stuff in (not the interior).

The bottom line is everyone is different. To you it may not make sense to buy a new car, and that's fine. Not everyone is you. Not everyone can be happy in an old BMW day to day, and that's fine too.

I'll just ask you to remember one thing before criticizing someone buying a new car (not that you were): Someone has to buy them new before you can buy them used

This is very true. I guess what I'm trying to grasp at is why with a budget of around 10k would you look at a car like this? I am all for buying new if you can afford super cars and stuff because that's awesome, but I think there are slightly better (although older and with more mileage) cars in the 10k or less range.

I've just made a big fuss of this for nothing I guess. oops.

Straightsix9904 > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 11:44

Have you looked at the Suzuki SX4? My girlfriend has one and it is a proper car. A little bit bigger than the SX4, can be had in 4wd, Hatch.

We picked hers up for under $10k about 2 years ago.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 11:56

Mk3 jetta - both front calipers have fallen off me at random times. It fell on my head once. Weird rattles and noises from left and right but at 200k miles, it is a bit expected. Oh and general repairs on it are a pain in the ass. I'm so done with wrenching on my car in a blizzard because I don't have a garage.

1997 Monte Carlo - Subframe bushings exploded, transmission exploded twice, head gasket went from good to shot in about 150 miles (had to fill up my coolant once a day for the last week of ownership), multiple issues here and there

1995 Buick Riviera - Electrical gremlins on occasion, but the car would always suck up water in the rain due to a poor fuel tank design. The Fuel pump locking ring was unavailable so I was on the side of the road every time the road was wet. Otherwise, I'd end up with a fuel tank of water. Other issues as well, but that was the big one.

So yeah, screw all of them. I'm buying a Fiesta ST.

mazdaspeed2 > Straightsix9904
03/04/2014 at 13:41

From what I have read the Mazda is the most fun to drive in that segment and that is my number one priority. The Mazda is also 400 pounds lighter which I like, thanks for the suggestion though.

Mathias Rios > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/04/2014 at 13:54

Hm.. None of those cars sound like very reliable vehicles to me. Not a fan of GM products anyhow.

Good luck with the Fiesta ST, it's on my "Want" list!!!

mazdaspeed2 > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 13:56

Sorry for the delayed response I had class, but everyone makes good points here. The reason for the mazda 2 is mainly that it is not my money. I am fortunate enough to have my parents assisting me with college, so they are buying the car for me and I am going to start commuting to save money. My dad put the restrictions of 2010+ under 50k miles and a budget of $10-15k. I want to help with payments whenever I can so I want it to be cheap to buy and maintain. Trust me, if I could do what I want with that money there would be an na miata and an e30 in my driveway right now. My requirements are manual and fun to drive, and the 2 fits both of those categories. Also, with not a whole lot of money into the suspension it will hold its own in the corners. Acceleration is nice and fun, but I put handling well ahead of it. Interior quality doesn't matter to me and I will most likely be making lots of small mods as I go to really make it my own. I test drove one and it really is surprisingly fun. I currently drive a mazdaspeed protege, but it is rusting and has 170k miles. I love the protege, but I know that it really is a ticking time bomb. The Mazda 2 can also be very very good at autox which I want to start this summer. There is a guy around me with one and I hear that he pretty much never loses.

mazdaspeed2 > oldestyoungn
03/04/2014 at 14:00

I heard the rumors about the speed2 and it killed me. If it does come out I will probably buy it the second I have the money. Fortunately, my parents are buying the car for me to help with paying for college because I will be commuting. Unfortunately, that means it has to be newer, low miles, and no rwd because of New England winters.

Mathias Rios > mazdaspeed2
03/04/2014 at 18:30

That makes complete sense now. With your requirements this makes sense. Good luck and keep us updated! I am doing my first AutoX with my SUV March 29th.

mazdaspeed2 > Mathias Rios
03/04/2014 at 20:22

I will definitely keep everyone updated and good luck on the 29th!