Showing results in  Forum [Show all channels]

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• Hyundai ix35 - ix35 Stick or twist? 26 Nov 2018 (Forum)
  Short list is 2016 Auris Hybrid tourer (£16-17k at a Toyota franchised dealer and I'm not averse to an auto) or a 2012-2016 petrol Civic 1.8 (a fair bit less and I can get serviced locally). New Mazda 3 is out as will only take 50kg on roof. Any suggestions - do I just run the ix35 into the ground or am I asking for DPF/DMF trouble here in the next few years? Thanks in advance
• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV - PHEV pros/cons - reliability, servicing etc. 17 Oct 2018 (Forum)
  I've been looking into this car as a possible future purchase and am just wondering what the main pro/cons are.  There are obvious benefits such...
• BMW 114 - Crankshaft issues? 3 Nov 2017 (Forum)
  He is now looking for a 2012 onwards mid size petrol car in tha £8-9k price bracket. Snce my earler V40 thread I have suggested all the usual suspects but decent Mazdas, Hondas, Kia etc are very rare at present. Even 1.6 Focus are few and far between. We havent got a lot to see as yet but ther are still a few days to go. Civic remains my preferred option but its up to him.
• Any - Best & Worst Engineered Cars 8 Dec 2016 (Forum)
  For my thinking, having now owned an Outback for 9 months I have to say that £ for £ it is the best engneerd car I have owned (even better than BMW & MB) and it is cear to me why you see websites conatining stories of people doing 400K to 500K miles in them without too much bother. After that it has got to be Honda, Mazda and Toyota/Lexus.
• Diesel vs Petrol engine for mostly short journeys 22 Jun 2015 (Forum)
  Hi, We are looking at p/x our 11 plate Ford Focus (1.6 Zeetec 32,000 miles) for a larger car, probably a Mondeo, Octavia or Mazda 6 to deal with all the kids stuff we have to carry around. I have about 2K cash along with the p/x of the Focus. I have always owned petrol cars, but notice that looking at the models above opening up to diesel gives a lot more options.
• Peugeot 508 2.0 HDI vs Skoda Superb Estate 22 Aug 2013 (Forum)
  Skoda feels a bit cheap plastic and basic inside, I have  VW CC now so I guess its not going to be to the same standard as that. I need a big comfy fast estate car, not even looked at Mazda 6 ( they have no dealers as far as I can find ) Would like a BMW 5 series but as its a company car they set a max price of 28 Grand. and max co2 of 130. 3 series & A4 are just too small.
• Renault Laguna 2005 or... - Are all French cars that bad? 26 Feb 2013 (Forum)
  But, another friend who is car knowledable says basically 'stay away from French cars' and he'll help us find a VW, Skoda, some kinds of Mazda or Toyota. He reckons that it is completely possible to get an ok car which is older and has more miles for less than £2000. - Also he used to work as a mecanic, so he can help fix whatever needs fixing.
• Honda - Part Exchange Questioner 7 Feb 2012 (Forum)
  Online Guides ranged from 3500-4300 Glasses came back at 3300-4300 Online Auction quote came back at 3650 Trip to Mazda franchise a px on a maxda (same cost as the Honda) - £4000 Trip to local supermarket (Same cost again as the Honda) - £3750 They offered £3000 and wouldnt budge, which was a bit of a shock as in the past Ive found franchise dealerships more flexible.
• BMW 5-Series E39 (1996 - 2003) - 5 Series - Which engine and spec 1 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  Hi All My trusty and economical mazda 626 is nearing retirement age. After covering 160k uneventful (but slightly boring) miles, I'm looking for something to replace it. I am thinking of getting an E39 5 series. Will be looking at paying ~£3-4k, so would be looking at something like a 00/01 reg.
• Slowest depreciating car 24 May 2008 (Forum)
  I'd like to go new (just because), and budget is up to £15k My theory is that over 4 years, the cash allowance will have paid for the car in full, and whatever it's retained value is, will be pure profit. I'm thinking traditional slow depreciators like the new Mazda MX-5 et al...... any other suggestions? The other theory is to go for something small, frugal and basic (Polo BlueMotion) which would pay for itself in closer to 2 years, and would also likely retain a fair value.
• Bangernomics 20 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  As discussed elsewhere, medium-to-large Japanese saloons like the Nissan QX, Toyota Camry and my particular favourite, the Mazda Xedos, are seriously undervalued, as are most vehicles with much more than 120k miles. Garages are no longer very interested in anything over 8-10 years old, as they have to provide a warranty, yet engines and bodywork last longer than ever, if looked after, and the world seems to be filling up with cars that are nowhere near the end of their useful lives, but that nobody really wants.
• A tale of three cars. 3 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  After a few disappointing months the Toyota was replaced by one of the then-new first generation of FWD Mazda 323's, a 1.5 GT. This was just as well made as the Toyota and nearly as much fun to drive as the Fiat. On my very first drive I caught sight of myself in the mirror, grinning idiotically. The moral of the story?
• How much do I sell this for? 18 May 2006 (Forum)
  Ive offered her £350 for it because it doesnt have MOT or Tax and has been sitting in her garage for 6 months and only got started up when I came round to clean her car. Im hoping to make a few quid as I have a classic Mazda that is in the process of being dragged through MOT prep and could do with the extra funds! What I want to know, is what should I sell it on for once ive MOT'd it and put 6 months tax on. Im also going to get it serviced as its overdue for one now.
• Lawman's new wheels 31 Mar 2005 (Forum)
  I need aircon, but other toys would be a bonus too. I am not too fussed about "handling" and would like something comfy. I have tested a 2000 mazda 323 diesel, and was unimpressed with the refinement of the engine, very noisy. The interior was pretty dull too. I am not anxious to pay a premium for an Audi or a VW, but would consider another Seat, either a leon or a Toledo.
• FAO Hagglemeisters 24 Jan 2005 (Forum)
  I want to make a bid on a Mazda MX-5 soon, but I'd like to get some price and haggling advice first, if I may. The car I want is a 2002 1.8 special edition model, with 28k miles on the clock. The asking price is £11k, and it's been offered at that price for the last seven or so weeks.
• Family Car 6 Oct 2004 (Forum)
  I have test driven the following: Vectra Diesel - Nice spec, much less torque than any other car I have driven, and very annoying indicator system. Mazda - When I told them the budget they lost interest and couldn't suggest any suitable cars! Honda - Civic - didn't like it at all, poor equipment level and too small for price - Jazz - Lovely to drive, but not quite big enough.
• Grating brakes on MX-5 5 Feb 2004 (Forum)
  I can't tell whether it's from the front or back, but it doesn't happen when I brake without steering or steer without braking. I've taken the car to the local Mazda dealer twice. The first time they said they couldn't find anything (although they admitted they hadn't taken it for a test drive). The second time they examined the brakes, steering and suspension and found no problems.
• DIY Bentley 5 Dec 2003 (Forum)
  The striking model includes bits from a Volvo, Suzuki, and even an old Austin Maestro & Montego. The boot lid is from a Ford Focus, glass roof from a Merc, headlights from a Range Rover, Mazda MX5 petrol cap, leather seats from a Volvo S60, door mirrors from an Audi TT, spoilers from an MG Maestro. The paint was designed for Metros. Andy, 40, bought the rusty shell of an 1983 Bentley Mulsanne for £3,000 and fitted it out with scrap parts worth £12,000.
• The best first wheels 23 Jan 2021 (Forum)
  Resists rot well and is as cheap as it gets for insurance. Simple and reliable yet fun to drive. A good example is easy to find at this money. Mazda 2 1.3 - A hoot to drive with the same basic suspension and floorpan as the Fiesta but uses a bombproof chain driven Mazda engine. Again £3k is plenty to get a really nice one. Ford Fiesta 1.25 Mk V post facelift - Cheap as chips yet fun to drive and reliable. £1,500 will buy a really decent one.
• Mazda MX5 (1998-2005) - 99 1.8 Intermittant starting problem defies analys 2 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  They believed it is the ECU but were unable to test it. For 4 hours of failed diagnostic work I got charged £230. Ouch! My local Mazda dealer offered little hope here, saying they could not test the ECU, and replacement for a test is difficult as the ECU is linked to the immobiliser and they had an MX-5 that had been in there for 7 weeks with an ECU problem that they couldn't solve!