As I recently wrote, the Kia Sedona minivan which I bought new in the early fall of 2011 is no more. Or, more accurately, was turned into an insurance check following a collision. I am all in favor of having money in my pocket and needing to look for a car, but this always presents a conundrum.
I have long been a fan of something called the cheap old car. In my world, this is a car that is inexpensive, but also drives properly and is, in all significant ways, functional. The problem? The right cheap old car is mighty hard to find these days, and is getting harder. There are gobs of cheap old cars offered for sale. Why they are cheap is usually apparent. Salvage titles (or no title at all), non-working a/c (“just needs charged”), some failed component that prevents a test drive (“needs towed, but drove perfectly”), or is something with massive rust or astronomical miles. In short, these cars are the reason every sane person is leery of cheap old cars.
But those of us hereabouts know that, just as in the world of dating, the good ones are out there. The trick is finding them. My take on this last issue has always been sort of a flip of most common logic. I don’t believe that you can find the right cheap old car when you are actively looking, especially if you are short on time. I believe that the right cheap old car will eventually find the looker, if the looker is willing to be open to possibilities that present themselves. And this is the story of my 32nd car and how it found me.
The best cheap old cars are those with a known provenance. Ideally, you know who bought it new. Ideally, they were owned by people who have both the money and the inclination to maintain their cars. Also, these people are usually unwilling to keep even a good car beyond a certain age and will replace it with a new one. My new-to-me Mazda checks all of these boxes. And best of all? It was free.
Ok, not exactly free, but was the result of a slo-mo, multi-step family trade. It is relevant to note that my son and daughter (and their respective spouses) share ownership of a duplex, with each couple occupying half of it. The result is that there is kind of one big happy double extended family there. Late last year, my son’s wife was in an accident which totaled her Hyundai sedan. A different set of in-laws (those of my daughter) offered my son and daughter-in-law this Mazda. It had cycled from being a primary driver to the car used by two high school and college age kids (including my son-in-law), and (judging from the amount of pet hair vacuumed from the back area) became the “take the dog to the vet” car. The deal offered to my son by these generous folks was “You need a car, we have an old car we don’t want anymore, so take it if you want it.”
My son and his wife are not what most here would consider “car-people”. They didn’t drive it much and were put off by a slowly leaking tire and a battery that died during the winter. When we bought the Charger, I called this same son and asked if he was interested in our Honda Fit. I assumed that he would turn me down since he had the Mazda, but they took us up on it. We decided that because it needed a few minor repairs, an appropriate price for the Honda Fit was zero.
After this, my son made several efforts to have this Mazda hauled off, but could not get anyone to come and pick it up. Is this an example of all things working together for good? Because after the Sedona was crunched, I was reminded that the Mazda was still sitting in front of my son’s house.
This Mazda had sat without moving for about six months, and I was unsure of just how seriously to take it as a possible replacement. He and I spent about a half hour charging the battery, and the car fired right up. We moved it to my driveway, where I spent a morning filling the tires and taking it on an extended test drive. My other son was visiting at the time and he assisted with some interior clean-up – and a general pep talk about how nice the car seemed. At 142,000 on the odometer, there should be quite a bit of life left in it. I am not sure when we reached the stage where under 150k miles makes for a relatively low-mile car, but I think we are there.
The car is the top-end Grand Touring trim and is loaded with options, including a sun roof and heated leather seats. It took a while to get the two front side windows freed-up, but they now work. And best of all, it starts, runs, shifts right and blows ice-cold air (through a functioning automatic temp control system). So far, there are only three minor items I have found which do not work as they should. The headlights do not work when the switch is turned to “automatic”. Also, the wipers do not work on the “intermittent” setting. Neither of these things bothers me and they will go unaddressed. The third issue will need to be looked at – the “aux” jack in the console is not working, so I cannot listen to my own tunes. A little research reveals that this is an easy fix, which I will probably attempt. Or I could just buy one of those Bluetooth things that tunes to a radio channel.
I decided to take the car to my mechanic for a look-see. I knew that the brake rotors were badly, badly rusted from months of non-use, and knew that they might or might not be ok after some driving. The verdict came back that brake pads, rotors and brake hoses were necessary on all four corners, as well as replacement of one CV axle with a leaking boot and a leaking valve cover gasket. I could have done most of this work myself, but elected to spend about $1,500 having it done. Because I am older and lazier than I once was.
I was well-along in writing about this car when the winds changed and the Mazda found itself riding a flatbed twice in three days. Thank you Marianne for insisting that we keep that AAA membership. The first time I figured that the battery had turned to toast. I did not trust it, and suspected that it had frozen and thawed a few times during its period of dead-ness and that I had wrung from it all it had to give. The first flatbed ride brought the car home so that I could replace the battery. With that problem solved, I drove it to work the next morning – where it refused to re-start.
This second flatbed trip was to an auto electric shop, which diagnosed and replaced a failed starter but gave the rest of the electrical system a passing grade. I will admit that I was starting to waver in my commitment to this car. Was this “free” car kind of like the “free” cat or dog we all know, where getting the animal is just the start of a long and expensive relationship with the vet? But after a few days with the Mazda being back to its old self, I am ready to re-commit to this relationship. Even if Marianne is not. This is one area where our compatibility is strained. Whatever patience for cheap old cars she may have once had is long gone, particularly for those that regularly demand cash for repairs. Me? I am with cars like those people we all know who can never turn away a stray dog or cat if its eyes convey enough pathos. Fortunately there is a new Charger in the garage, so there will be peace in the household. So long as this Mazda behaves itself.
This car is an absolute hoot to drive. 2.3 liters is a LOT of engine for this little car, and this thing is mighty quick. At 153 horsepower, it is over 50% more powerful than my old (and similarly sized) VW GTI from the mid 1980’s – the one they called a pocket rocket. The Mazda’s front-wheel-drive platform may not provide all of the joy that my former Miata provided, but this car is still all about the Zoom-Zoom.
The funny thing is I always wanted one of these Mazda3 hatches. I remember looking at one about a year before we bought the Fit, and even had my kids sit in the back seat of a used unit on the Honda dealer’s lot as we were getting ready to buy. Sadly for me at the time, my tall sons were within maybe an inch of becoming too tall to sit in the Mazda’s back seat – something that was not a problem in the taller Fit. And is no longer a problem because those tall sons have lives and cars of their own.
Yes, the car has some damage along the passenger side (which my son-in-law blames on his younger sister) and some of the expected Mazda rust working around the rear wheels. But for what I need – which is something that will get me to and from a trucking company parking lot for a 30-mile daily round trip – it is just about perfect. And it is not the later generation with the evil clown grin.
So Car #32 is one of two things: Either it is the cheap old car I have been looking for or it is the cheap old car that will provide the luxury of time for the cheap old car I am actually looking for to find me. For now? This Mazda3 makes me smile like a little kid every time I drive it, so I am fine with with the first option and am in no hurry if the second option is in my future.
Further Reading:
Nothing beats a good dose of “Free”, as long as the free doesn’t turn into a bottomless pit! Looks like the planets aligned at the perfect moment for you! Happy Motoring! 🙂
Thank you!
Welcome to the Mazda family! Hopefully it’ll be reliable enough to not get in your spouse’s crosshairs. And definitely keep your eye on the rust issue. Mine is a 2022 – different platform and hopefully different body, but I’m fanatical about washing it regularly in the snowbelt winters.
The nice thing about this one is that the rust and dents are at a level that I will (hopefully) not consider the car more than the serviceable beater that it is. The rust and I have have a slo-mo contest on which of us can outlast the other.
Even at $1500 in at this point, you are still doing well. Something tells me you will get quite a few years of quality use (and quality time) with your Mazda. It definitely looks like it would be fun to drive.
Does your Mazda fit in the garage with the Charger? I know your garage is on the petite side but I’m speculating they might cohabitate well.
I think I’m a bit north of $2k by now, but that still won’t get a guy much of a car anywhere else these days.
The Fit’s half of the garage got filled with some junk during a house project, and then I was looking at a major garage clean out to get the Sedona in. Now, I think the existing hole will fit this car, and I am a couple of boxes of trash away from proving it.
Keep oil in it – the first gen 2.3 had oil consumption issues, my 2006 5 van was practically a 2 cycle. Ironically if you run it low on oil the first thing that happens is you bend all the valves cause the “VTEC” is oil driven. The second is you send a rod through the side of the block. I dutifully checked the pil on the van and got 175k out of it before I passed it on to a kid with a backyard painting business, The rust on these gets terminal quick, but I really have not found anything I like better so I replaced the 5 with another rust free 5 from CA, this model a 2008 with the “refreshed” 2.3 design that alleviates the oil consumption issue. Despite falling apart around me, all my Mazda’s have been extremely satisfying to own and drive.
One point I skipped is that this car got a new engine several years ago after it got into some too-deep water. I appreciate the heads-up and will keep an eye on it, but wonder if this one is the improved design because I have noticed no oil consumption so far.
If you’re worried about the rust you may or may not know that you can get a corrosion inhibitor on Amazon. I bought some for my old thunderbird. It’s supposed to cause a chemical reaction that will alter the rust to a paintable material.
Welcome to the Mazda family JPC. Zoom-Zoom indeed. We love our CX-5.
Mazda does seem to get a good bit of power out of smaller, normally aspirated engines.
While I have no direct experience with the 2.3L, a coworker of mine has a Mazda 3 of your vintage, and loves it so much, when he bought his current model Mazda 3 with a 2.5L (same engine as in our CX-5), he didn’t trade in the 2.3L and kept it.
When my stepson was in college, he had a base (or maybe one up from the base) Mazda 3 with the “clown face” as you put it. I think his was a 2012 or 2013, equipped with the smaller engine, the 2.0L. That car was the smoothest shifting manual transmission car that I have ever driven. The car handled like it was on rails, and was oh-so-fun to drive. So much so that when I was shopping in 2016 for what became my Civic Coupe, the decision was down to that car, or a Mazda 3 in the same Soul Red that my wife’s CX-5 now dons.
It came down to the fact my Civic has only 2 doors, which has always been my preference, but I’m sure I would have not been disappointed in that Mazda.
I think that it was only the sedans that came with the 2.0. I would probably have settled for the sedan, but it was always the hatch that called my name.
My stepson’s Mazda 3 was also a hatchback. Like you, he preferred the utility. It was surprising how much stuff you could put into that thing with proper engineering (he and I are both engineers).
When the next generation came out though, he was a little sorry he didn’t wait, although he got used to that 2nd generation’s “smiley face” after a while.
I kinda prefer the current design language myself.
I hope this car continues to behave for you!
A friend of ours has a very similar Mazda3 – same gray color, but it’s a manual. I’ve often thought “Gee, if he gets rid of that car, it would be tempting to buy it.” Sadly, our friend moved to Tennessee a few months ago, so our chance of that happening is now rather slim. Plus, he has no intention of getting rid of it.
Even with the needed repairs, it seems this is still well into the net positive column.
Oh, and we have an AAA membership too, largely for the towing benefits. I haven’t used the towing service in about 6 years, but when I needed it, I figured that several years of AAA dues paid for itself that one time.
A manual transmission would have made this one almost perfect.
I have now used that tow service three times in the past year (including when the key chip in my Honda Fit failed). Before that I had not used it in probably 10 or 15 years.
I got my 1996 Saturn SL2 for free from the woman that bought it new. Had 78K on the clock. Engine had stuck rings due to using wrong oil and her daily round trip commute was a mere 2 miles; poor thing never got a chance to warm up. Replaced the rings, new rod bearings for giggles (really didn’t need them) and a timing chain (chain only, no sprockets, mere $23 from the dealer}. Drove it 10 years up to 290K before it got wrecked. Repairs? one water pump, and one starter. That’s it. I used 5W-30 Mobil 1, changed every 5K. Your Mazda should be fine.
Well done; I was quite attracted to these when they were new. But it seems very few are still around.
Enjoy your new toy!
Mazdas were zoom zoom before they ever used the term zoom zoom. The gearing on my 91 5 speed gets the car moving quickly and I am out of first. Compared to the gearing on my 5 speed 2004 Focus the two cars show a difference on 400 rpm at 65 mph on the highway. The Focus 2.3 is no slouch I can assure you.
Those excuses you ran into about old cars needs another one added. Last night saw a ad for a gorgeous looking black 91 Grand Marquis. Seller goes blah blah about car and then says it may need a simple tune up. I go to the California BAR website to plug in the license plate and find it was last registered in November 2016. The seller never mentioned that in the ad. No current smog, expired registration and unless non-op there are penalties. This is a fairly common which makes the BAR site so useful.
Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about smog tests/certificates in my area.
I had no idea this site exists :
https://www.bar.ca.gov/inspection
I suggest saving this to all Gear Heads here .
-Nate
Congratulations! 142K on a 17 year old car seems to me to be totally in the automotive sweet spot. It shows that it was for the most part driven over its life thus far, but hasn’t been subjected to excessive driving (e.g., the owner didn’t spend half its life delivering newspapers or driving it as an Uber). With luck and average maintenance, I’d think you’d get another 100K out of it (at which point it’d be approaching the mileage on all of my cars). Really you couldn’t ask for more from a $1500 initial investment.
I’m pretty sure I’ve driven a Mazda 3 of that generation. Fun car!
Oh, and I’d suggest (rather than one of those radio frequency things) a bluetooth to aux adapter if you’re able to fix the car’s aux port (which you really should be able to do easily). And if you aren’t able to fix the aux port, there are solutions (I have one in the 2006 Highlander) where you can get a bluetooth adapter that wires directly into the car radio. Both of those will sound better and also give you hands-free phone use should you be inclined to use that.
It seems that Mazda over-engineered the Aux port to sense when something is plugged in. That function commonly fails, and there are several online videos that suggest jumping two terminals to wire around the issue.
Congrats on the “free car.” but no car remains free for long! I think those Mazdas hit the right size for utility and flexibility. Automotive engines are now so long lived that they are rarely rebuilt, if one goes bad, it’s easier to source a good wrecking yard replacement. Sitting is not good for cars, and I suppose where Winters are really cold, (everything is cold compared to the Calif Bay Area), it is even tougher on them. I’m certain that your Mazda is happy with the attention and use. Older used cars are a bit of a hassle compared to new cars, but they can often be so much cheaper to own. Though they do require the owner to keep an eye on them for potential problems and will probably end up needing some repairs or may experience an occasional mild breakdown. But you’ve got that new car as back up. Enjoy your new hobby car.
Yes, an older DD isn’t right for everyone, but many of us hereabouts can make them work just fine.
I am the previous owner of a 2002 Protege 5, the precursor to the Mazda 3, as well as a 1999 Miata. Loved them both. My Nephew had a 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 for 10 years and despite all the performance bits and turbo was an extremely reliable car up to 150,000 k miles when he sold it. The utility of the hatchback cannot be beat. I am a big fan of Mazda and it’s a company that punches above its weight in terms of putting out holistically great product despite it not being Toyota sized. Hopefully now that you got the kinks out it will be a solid and reliable car long into the future .
My daughter and son-in-law have a 2013 Mazda 3 Touring very similar to the Mazda in the story. They bought it used from a Mazda dealer and as we live in a garage suite on their property, the Mazda is “shared” for various babysitting or other such duties. We only have one parking space in the triple garage beneath our garage suite.
The arrangement works well as I help maintain the Mazda and detail it now and then. My daughter has suggested trading or selling the Mazda and has offered it to me and Mrs. M. I’ve given this some serious thought as the Mazda has only 162,000kms, burns no oil and has had no major mechanical issues. However, our 2010 Fusion SEL has had some major service done and I do like the roominess and terrific fuel consumption. Just returned from a trip to Montana. About 35 mpg Imperial averaging 120 km/ph. at 200,000 plus kms on the odometer (2.3 litre 4 cyl), I think we’ll just drive the Fusion into the ground it still looks and drives like new.
We’ve given away a couple of cars in our marriage and thankfully those cars served the next owners well. I would take a free car too, once I did my research.
I had a 2008 Mazda 3 with a manual transmission and sunroof. The car was a ton of fun on twisty mountain roads. It was an amazingly reliable car, needed a minimal amount of maintenance. I did change the oil every 3,000 miles to be safe and because I had a manual I didn’t need to replace the brakes for quite some time. Sold it to a neighbor’s son, it had 142,000 miles on it and still ran like a top.
Mine looks like the identical twin; same year, color, and trim level, although a 5-speed manual. We bought a CX-5 a few years ago for longer trips, but I still love the 3 for tooling around closer to home. 211k miles and the original clutch is still going strong! It runs and handles like new. There’s the inevitable bit of rust, mostly around the rear wheel wells, but nothing to complain about.
I ordered it new in Sep. 2006, but it had to be special-ordered, so didn’t get it until Feb. 2007. I wanted the Grand Touring trim level (then the highest), but without the optional sunroof, as that robbed too much headroom. (I’m not hugely tall, but like to sit fairly upright; can’t stand it if my hair is brushing against the headliner.) Every dealer in the area ordered all their Grand Tourings with sunroof, as they considered it a necessary option for the “loaded” version of the car.
JP, you noted that “the wipers do not work on the ‘intermittent’ setting.” Note that the Grand Touring has automatic wipers, so the position between Off and Low is Auto, not Intermittent. Obviously, it won’t wipe if you only tried that feature under dry conditions. It may be that the rain sensor behind the mirror is broken or disconnected, of course.
Thanks for that info on the wipers. You can tell who hasn’t yet pulled the owner’s manual from the glove box and read through it. I will need to do that soon to set the clock. 🙂
If yours is the same gray, you can attest that it is an unusual paint color that can appeal blue and even gold under different lighting.
Yes, mine is the same chameleon-esque Galaxy Gray Mica! That was a new-for-’07 color, replacing Titanium Gray. Other new features for 2007 were the Stability/Traction Control and LED taillights.
I’ve been looking at one of these to meet my wife’s demand for a smaller car than the CX-5. Fortunately rust is a non-issue in the Oregon high desert with salt free roads and low humidity.
My “third cheap car” is my daughters college 2012 Fiat 500 (non-turbo) – I owned a 93 Miata 20 yrs but down here in Houston area the humidity (and boring roads) and my aging bones made the Fiat win out over the miata when I had to chose one to keep. Great A/C, about the same 0-60 (10 sec), excellent Bose Stereo and the 5 speed keep it fun driving to the country club and back. Insured with Hagerty for $340/yr. Just changed original brake pads after 106,000 miles, and an expensive clutch change ($2,500!) so I’m good to go another 100K miles if I like.
our other cars are two Mazda CX-5’s, both turbo a 2019 and 2024. Also owned a “6” earlier. zoom zoom
What a nice interior and in very good condition! The seat also look comfortable. I know that in recent years Mazda has upscaled their interiors but even back then this one indeed was top of the line.
Best of luck with this car. In today’s dollars your current investment is minimal and I wouldn’t hesitate to put more money into the car if it proves reliable overall.
I will pass this comment on to the finance committee who lives with me.
My Mazda3 is a European Grand Touring model from 2008, it was called Mazda3 GTA in Copper Red. There was just a 2.3 turbo model called Mazda3 MPS with 270HP above it in lineup at the time. Has the same rooftop spoiler, but a bit more agressive rear bumper. No leather, it’s a 2.0 liter engine with 150HP and 6 speed manual.
It was using oil from new, a liter a year, but it turned into a “two stroke” for last two years before the rebuild. A minor engine rebuild last year (new piston rings, main bearings, head resurfaced, new teflon seals) cost me 1.000€ and it stopped the oil consumption completely. Runs now extremely well, is faster then I remember, but… it was using a liter of oil on 500 km tank for more then a year so it’s understandable. It’s a thirsty lady, drinking on average 9,5l/100km in city driving and not much less on open roads 🙂
Mine has 225.000 km, I keep the mechanical bits in – according to my mechanic – annoyingly good shape and it’s still a hoot to drive 🙂 Love this car to bits!
Other than the lack of 5-speed, very nice! I’d get it oil sprayed to slow the rust monster, but your level of mechanical sympathy for car #32 is likely lower than mine (which I’ll admit is abnormally high)
With all that money you’re saving it’ll help with looking for the Studebaker.
I think I’m just going to cede the rust battle up front. I figure I should be good for at least a couple of years.
That’s a tough question about what to do with the insurance $ from the Sedona. Trickle it into this car for the foreseeable future? Or buy another car. I have a feeling that the Mrs might have some thoughts that go beyond cars.
A Studebaker might get vetoed by your “Finance Committee.” Maybe for being fully retired?
A friend of mine bought a used import one of those cars I had a drive of it following her to the scrapyard with her previous Mazda, nice little car to drive, it ate a lot of parts but got worked hard carting gardening equipment, she upsized to a Murano.
I really liked these when they were new and tried to find a used one in good shape when the kid’s car needed replacement in 2012. I would have been satisfied with a mid-range or even entry-level version (after all, it was to be the kid’s car), but could only find the high-end Grand Touring models (cost more than I wanted to spend) or lesser-spec versions with a manual (a non-starter, given the heavy traffic congestion in our area). In the end, we settled on a VW Jetta, which was something we already knew, and actually had a good ownership experience, but whenever I see a 3 of this generation, I always feel a twinge of regret.
Wish you the best of luck with your new-to-you Mazda and hope it delivers many satisfying miles. I must say, it is quite a contrast with your new Charger, so it appears you will have your feet planted in the best of both worlds, including the traditional American sport sedan as well as the modern hot hatch.
I have decided that I am only happy at the automotive extremes. Either big, comfy cruisers or zippy little go-karts.
You’ll soon find out that when you are in the left lane and need to merge to the right, other cars will quickly give you space. It’s one of the big advantages of wearing the battle scars proudly, no Fs will be given by the driver and if someone wants to F around, they will find out for themselves…
It’s got at least five years of hard miles left in it, the big money’s been spent, now it’s just little dribs and drabs, all of which will improve it.
Enjoy it, an old car that you don’t have history with is liberating. It helps that it was/is a desirable one to begin with.
Yes, I think the lack of a long history and a memory of when a car was new/nice is the key. I am ready to embrace the beater!
I hope that your new to you Mazda3 provides you with many enjoyable miles.
As we have had a 2015 3 from new, my only concern with Mazda is support. For example, the back-up camera went out a full year ago, Mazda says there’s a recall, but I’m told that they have no parts or fix as of last week. The Mazda rep tells me I’m “in the same boat as everyone else”, which (along with no communication), isn’t good enough for me, so I filed a complaint with NHTSA today. There also was a small part I needed, the Mazda dealer quoted me a wildly expensive price, and it wouldn’t even be available for another month. Otherwise, it’s been a great car; to me it’s a very satisfying car to drive, and through 90K miles, it almost never breaks.
I wish I could be like you, leaving the body damage alone. I’d have to have all the body damage fixed, even when it isn’t financially prudent to do so. With your Fit, you once said that you weren’t sure you could still do the beater thing; I can so relate to that. I’m looking forward to seeing how you Mazda3 story plays out.
I suspect that this car has seen the inside of a Mazda dealer for the last time.
This car is in the perfect condition to dissuade me from improving its visuals. Enough panels need attention that it would be a major job. And even if I did so, there would still be enough rust to make dent repair/paint foolish. My retirement fom law has liberated me from caring about the car’s appearance.
Always thought these cars, and the zoom-zoom commercials, were cool. A friend had your model in that brilliant red, and it was a hoot. He was quite smitten with his car for about 10 years, when fatherhood and the kids’ flotsam required a bigger ride. Wasn’t crazy about the Altezza knock-off taillights, but that was quite the fad back then.
If the pixels are promulgating the truth, there is a purple undertone to that grey. Paired with your Charger, you’ve truly broken the trope that today’s cars have few colors of note!
That color is called Galaxy Gray, according to an online brochure I found. It is an odd color. In most lights it looks like an ordinary gray, but then in bright sun it looks quite blue, and then the metallic particles give off a golden sheen from certain angles.
As the former owner of an ’05 3 Maxx Sport (small engined manual with similar bodykit to yours and good suspension on 16s) I applaud your choice of car. Interesting the different names and spec levels sold in different markets. While mine didn’t have all the luxury goodies of yours, it was the best-equipped car I’d ever owned. When my son was doing the internet search to find the car, he kept turning up SP23s and Turbos, but I told him I didn’t need that much car. 🙂
One of the first differences I noticed was the bigger bumpers on your car. Interesting, since if I recall rightly that was no longer a legal requirement. I always felt the front end of mine was vulnerable, and I do like the protection pads on the rear of yours; my bumper did get scratched there.
Mazda did have some interesting colours in those days, the occasional yellow, orange or green, but most seemed to be black, grey, silver, white or red. Your purplish-grey is interesting, but I wound up with a bright blue.
If it makes you smile every time you drive it, WINNER .
Those little boy whispering TV commercials always unsettled me for some reason .
May this car last long before the tin worm takes it out .
-Nate
That was the main reason for taking it to the mechanic – to see if they would refuse to put it on a lift because of rust. Nope, they were good with that, so I expect I’ll have awhile to enjoy it.
And enjoying what you drive is a requirement at my age. 🙂
Back before my stepsons were even driving, I had picked a Mazda 3 hatch from this generation as an ideal first car. As reliable as a Civic or Corolla, but likely less expensive and way more fun (especially compared to a Corolla of that vintage). We bought a 2007 Mazda 3 S Touring in August 2020 with around 114,000 miles for my elder stepson, who is starting his senior year in college now. I think it has about 135,000 miles now.
JP is correct that this car is an absolute hoot to drive. Great power, pretty quiet at highway speeds, rides and handles very well (replacing the shocks helped). Seats are comfortable, and it has plenty of room for all those frequent college moves (another reason I picked the hatch, plus I prefer its looks).
Like any older car, it has needed some maintenance and repairs, the most expensive being a control module in the transmission that would not allow it to shift past second or third gear (that was a fun drive to my mechanic). I’ve also had the O2 sensor replaced multiple times and have since given up. It’s always been replaced under warranty, but the last time I had it swapped out, the check engine light was back on two days later.
My stepson has zero interest in cars, so the Mazda’s many charms are lost on him, but he likes it well enough. I just wish he’d clean out the interior once in a while. So much trash! I’ve cleaned it out and run it through the car wash many times when he’s been back home, but it’s kind of a wasted effort at this point.
My younger stepson starts college this fall, but he needs to earn some decent grades consistently before we’ll even consider buying him a car. He may also get a Mazda 3.