Is Mazda 3 A/T good? (used/2nd hand) (300k to 350k budget only)

[speedtrap]

mga bro, here I go again, questions uli
Untill now di pa rin ako nakakabili ng car ko (namin) - First car.
Nung una, go na go na ako sa M/T Mitsubishi Lancer GLXI 1997, then napa-isip din ako kung
used A/T Honda Jazz or Honda Civic or City (worried ako sa nabasa ko na CVT issues)..then I made my decision na mag down na lang ng 50% to 60%
for a 2011 Hyundai Accent...Approved na car loan ko sa Accent pero at the very last moment,
di ko naituloy.

kung second kasi, at least wala na ako babayaran na monthly MA, expensive insurance, saka yung PMS yata sa casa.
yun lang, parang walang peace of mind baka maraming surprise na problem ang used car

Dati decided ako to get an M/T used car, kaya lang parang gusto ko A/T na lang.

On topic>

Now I have a budget of P300k (can have a 50k extra, so total of P350K)
Now parang gusto ko ng used Mazda 3 A/T.

1. Setting aside na malakas sa gas and may problem daw sa suspension ang Mazda 3 (as I read here, like mga first gen), ok naman po ba ang Mazda 3? talaga po bang nasa 7km/L lang FC?

2. Anong year model kaya ang hahanapin ko na kaya sa P300k to P350k? 2005 and 2006 po ba?

3. Ano po mga specifications ng older model ng Mazda 3? I read na may S, L, and V variants? What are the diferrences? (nasa page 12 pa lang ako ng Mazda 3 thread dito sa tsikot

4. Ok po ba ang automatic version nito? (I dont know how to drive properly and with confidence yet, naka-pagtry na po ako once two months ago, M/T 80s model yata na toyota pero may kasama ako, as in nanga-ngapa pa po talaga
I know matutunan ko din ng tama ang M/T, kaya lang parang gusto ko ma-drive ko na agad

Thanks!

[ghosthunter]

The Mazda 3 has it's good and bad points.

Fuel economy is a weak point, especially if you are looking at the 1.6L variant. The car is heavy and really matches better with the 2.0L.

The ride quality is more sporty than comfortable so expect a ride that is on the stiffer side.

Rear seats are NOT comfortable for long drives. Front seats are much better.

[zap.FREEDOM]

on the first issue A/T or M/T: depende na sa tao yun, ako M/T talaga ako, but I do drive a A/T car and for me it is easy to operate (easy-easy ka lang sa pag-ddrive, A/T e) at parang mas relax ka, kasi one foot lang ang gamit (it's like driving a kiddie cart). pero iba parin talaga pag M/T dala mo, parang mas-sporty kasi e, you pick and play the gears by your own self mismo, it's like union of man and machine kapag M/T dina-drive. That's what I feel.

second about sa mazda 3: yes, gas guzzler medyo may kalakasan sa gas to, (imo, may be you can reduce the gas guzzling this by your driving style) , but it is riding comfort is fine and a swift car too.

third: kung timbang mo e, kaya mo naman mag monthly installment at wala ka naman ibang pinagkakagastusan for the next 3 or 5 years, why not. Go for a brand-new iba parin talaga kapag naka-brandnew ka, (sure ka pa, pagbili mo, may warranty, 3 years or 5 years something like that') first owned, ika nga, ikaw ang naka-virgin joke!

--pahabol: since first car niyo, ok na nga yung second hand muna, but kung kukuha kayo ng pre-owned car, maging mabusisi sa pag-inspect ng unit na kukunin niyo, never stop asking question dun sa owner na pagbibilhan niyo. bring a trusted mechanic para ma-inspect din yun kukunin mong unit.

have nice day!

[niky]

The 2.0 AT is good. The 1.6 AT is either severely underpowered or a gas guzzler, depending on how you drive it. You can get 14+ km/l on the highway with the 1.6, and around 7-8 km/l in the city if you drive it properly... the big problem is the long gearing of the 4AT, which means that you will be pressing the gas hard to accelerate when in traffic... which brings the economy down to 2.0 AT levels.

The lower end models actually ride rather softly, the 2.0 with the 17s is stiffer, but not unduly stiff compared to most cars. The 2.0 is worth it, but the 1.6 AT has the maintenance costs of a 2.0, nearly the same fuel consumption as a 2.0 and the weight of a 2.0 car without the benefits of value-added features like that nice sunroof, body kit, 17-inch mags, leather seats and that torquey 2 liter engine.

If you're looking at a hatch, the Ford Focus 1.8 liter hatch is much better than the woefully spartan Mazda3 1.6 hatchback. At least with the Focus 1.8, you have enough torque to get around easily.

[GTi]

If you are looking for an economic and sporty car, I don't think the Mazda 3 1.6 is the one for you. The handling may be excellent but the engine is both underpowered AND thirsty, so if you are hell bent on getting the 3, might as well get the 2.0 variant so that its only thirsty. So I'd suggest you get the ES Civic VTi-S instead. I find it to look appropriately sporty and somewhat luxurious at the same time. 130ps 1.6L VTEC 3 engine means that you get good gas mileage and performance at the same time.

Now, I'd suggest you practice your M/T driving more, its always good to know both. Enroll in a driving school for a 3 or 5 hour course and after that practice regularly for a month or so and your shifting skills should be good enough to drive in stop and go traffic in inclines. Also, in my own experience, diesel manuals are easier to drive since you don't have to shift too much due to the abundance of torque and it won't die on you easily.

[speedtrap]

Hi! many thanks again for the very informative responses and advices.
hindi ko na iquo-quote isa isa basta thanks talaga to all

so kung decided ako sa mazda 3, better if I can get the 2.0
average FC ng mazda 3 wether its a 1.6 or 2.0 is 7-8km/l in city driving
from what I researched, 1.6V is a higher model compared to 1.6S

actually I am still considering to get a used honda city idsi, civic vti-s, or jazz, even
toyota avanza. kaya lang I was adviced and from what I think, na pag used car, better to get an MT.

I think I'm decided to get an AT, para madali ko matutunan magdrive. I think
once natutunan ko na ng proper ang magmaneho ng manibela, dalhin ang car at calculation sa
sa daan, madali na sa akin mag drive ng MT. (I ride a manual motorcycle naman I think same lang
talaga ang use ng clutch and up/down shifting of gears, nabaligtad lang, instead na sa paa, nasa kamay hehe). At least while I'm learning how to drive, my attention can focus on the steering wheel, gas, and brake pedals without minding
a clutch and shifting of gears.

getting a brandnew car is still playing in my mind (hyundai accent 1.4 AT), however the thought of
having it crashed while I'm still learning to drive makes me think to get
a used car. also, from what I read, for a brandnew car, it is almost a must to
bring the car sa casa for its pms, which is expensive. then also the renewal of
comprehensive insurance yearly.

[GTi]

IMHO modern A/T's are much more reliable as compared to those ten years ago so I'm sure it won't die on you as long as you take good care of it. A well taken cared of A/T with regular change of ATF should live pretty much as long or even outlast a comparable manual transmission. The same can't be said about the CVT's though, at least not yet. These can't handle much power and repairs can get very costly.

As for M/T driving, wag ka lang matakot. The key is to practice regularly and it'll become second nature in no time.

[speedtrap]

thanks mga sir sa mga advices and info, as of now, I norrowed down my choices sa:

Mazda 3 1.6V AT(may nakikita akong priced at 330k to 400k, baka kaya pa tawaran)
Honda Civic 1.8S AT (may nakikita akong priced at 440k to 470k, baka kaya pa tawaran)

Hopefully yung 2006-2007 models, at makahanap ng not flooded at walang issues.

Decided na kasi ako sa AT kaya limited choices. Kung MT, kahit sana yung mga Honda City and Honda Civic na 2001 to 2005 models ok siguro.

pero waiting pa rin sa status ng Hyundai Accent 2011 kung maayos na issues lalo na sa engine knock.

IMHO modern A/T's are much more reliable as compared to those ten years ago so I'm sure it won't die on you as long as you take good care of it. A well taken cared of A/T with regular change of ATF should live pretty much as long or even outlast a comparable manual transmission. The same can't be said about the CVT's though, at least not yet. These can't handle much power and repairs can get very costly.

As for M/T driving, wag ka lang matakot. The key is to practice regularly and it'll become second nature in no time.

[GTi]

Meron namang matic na 2001-2005 Civic ah. Yung may 1.6L VTEC3 engine. At AFAIK hindi yan makupad ah. IMHO, much better than the Mazda 3 in terms of performance. Pero kung kaya namang kumuha ng Civic 1.8S, eh di why not?

[speedtrap]

kita ko nga yun sir yun yung dimension body/ES di ba? kaya lang same price range kasi ng Mazda 3, for me sa looks mas mukang bago kasi Mazda 3 (haha sa looks ako nakatingin). Mag play safe na lang kaya ako 2003 Vios na lang?

yung Civic 1.8S AT, tingin nyo sir ok ang AT model nito?

Meron namang matic na 2001-2005 Civic ah. Yung may 1.6L VTEC3 engine. At AFAIK hindi yan makupad ah. IMHO, much better than the Mazda 3 in terms of performance. Pero kung kaya namang kumuha ng Civic 1.8S, eh di why not?

[GTi]

kita ko nga yun sir yun yung dimension body/ES di ba? kaya lang same price range kasi ng Mazda 3, for me sa looks mas mukang bago kasi Mazda 3 (haha sa looks ako nakatingin). Mag play safe na lang kaya ako 2003 Vios na lang?

yung Civic 1.8S AT, tingin nyo sir ok ang AT model nito?

Sayang nga kasi talaga ang Mazda 3 eh, it truly deserves a better engine. Every part of it is really good except for the most important part -> the engine. Tamo naman. 104hp*6000rpm and 145Nm*4000rpm tapos ang bigat nya at 1314kg (1326kg for hatchback) which makes for a rather dismal power to weight ratio of 79.15hp/ton (78.43hp/ton for the hatch) which is actually similar to that of the 1.3L Vios. And compare that to the Civic's 130hp*6600rpm and 149Nm*5000rpm, weight at just 1158kg for a power to weight ratio of 112.26hp/ton. Sure, we can say that the Civic makes the power at a higher rpm and that its just dead basic on-paper computations. But if you take into consideration na napakalaki ng agwat ng power to weight ratio ng dalawa. You will definitely feel the difference. Siguro kung Mazda 3 2.0R ang tinitingnan mo may laban pa.

Yes, the Civic 1.8S A/T is a great car. if not there wouldn't be so many on the road. Especially with this particular variant, which had the best sales performance. These thousands of people who got it couldn't have been wrong, right?

[speedtrap]

thank you talaga sa sir sa information. Hopefully pag may car na ako marami din akong matutunan pa
Gusto ko na kunin yung Civic 1.8S AT, kaya lang parang ayoko mag spend ng P450+K sa used car.
May nakita akong 2005 Mazda 3 1.6V, P335k daw last price nya, kaya lang parang sa Buy and Sell sya, marami kasi syang posted na cars for sale. Pero tempting ko na kunin. Meron naman 2007 Mazda 3 1.6V, kaya lang P400k.

MAZDA 3 V 2005 Philippines - 4060822
2007 MAZDA 3 Philippines - 4258602

parang gusto ko na kunin, then next year, pilitin ko na lang benta, then kuha na brand new (baka solved na issue ng Accent) or baka may new models na ng car na below 700k ang AT models.

Dami ko na nabasang threads na related to Mazda 3 dito, mukang wala naman akong nakitang issues sa AT transmission nito or any engine failures? So I think kung i-go ko na, siguraduhin ko na lang na hindi flooded makuha ko.

Sayang nga kasi talaga ang Mazda 3 eh, it truly deserves a better engine. Every part of it is really good except for the most important part -> the engine. Tamo naman. 104hp*6000rpm and 145Nm*4000rpm tapos ang bigat nya at 1314kg (1326kg for hatchback) which makes for a rather dismal power to weight ratio of 79.15hp/ton (78.43hp/ton for the hatch) which is actually similar to that of the 1.3L Vios. And compare that to the Civic's 130hp*6600rpm and 149Nm*5000rpm, weight at just 1158kg for a power to weight ratio of 112.26hp/ton. Sure, we can say that the Civic makes the power at a higher rpm and that its just dead basic on-paper computations. But if you take into consideration na napakalaki ng agwat ng power to weight ratio ng dalawa. You will definitely feel the difference. Siguro kung Mazda 3 2.0R ang tinitingnan mo may laban pa.

Yes, the Civic 1.8S A/T is a great car. if not there wouldn't be so many on the road. Especially with this particular variant, which had the best sales performance. These thousands of people who got it couldn't have been wrong, right?

[istan]

"parang gusto ko na kunin, then next year, pilitin ko na lang benta, then kuha na brand new"

Uhm, bat mo naman gagawin yun? Sayang pera mhen. Just buy what you can afford, then stick to it for a couple of years. Just my 2 cents.

[GTi]

thank you talaga sa sir sa information. Hopefully pag may car na ako marami din akong matutunan pa
Gusto ko na kunin yung Civic 1.8S AT, kaya lang parang ayoko mag spend ng P450+K sa used car.
May nakita akong 2005 Mazda 3 1.6V, P335k daw last price nya, kaya lang parang sa Buy and Sell sya, marami kasi syang posted na cars for sale. Pero tempting ko na kunin. Meron naman 2007 Mazda 3 1.6V, kaya lang P400k.

MAZDA 3 V 2005 Philippines - 4060822
2007 MAZDA 3 Philippines - 4258602

parang gusto ko na kunin, then next year, pilitin ko na lang benta, then kuha na brand new (baka solved na issue ng Accent) or baka may new models na ng car na below 700k ang AT models.

Dami ko na nabasang threads na related to Mazda 3 dito, mukang wala naman akong nakitang issues sa AT transmission nito or any engine failures? So I think kung i-go ko na, siguraduhin ko na lang na hindi flooded makuha ko.

Kung ako naman, just get the FD Civic and stick with it already. Like bro istan said, its not worth buying a car then selling it the next year just to get a brand new car. And if you do save up for a brand new car siguro hindi rin kasing ganda ng FD Civic. And 450k is pretty reasonable price for this car, IMHO.

[speedtrap]

thank u sa advice sir naisip ko lang kasi kung sakali mabebenta ko ng same price or let say kahit 5% less, ok lang siguro then kuha na ako brandnew in which i-keep ko na for let say 10years...

"parang gusto ko na kunin, then next year, pilitin ko na lang benta, then kuha na brand new"

Uhm, bat mo naman gagawin yun? Sayang pera mhen. Just buy what you can afford, then stick to it for a couple of years. Just my 2 cents.

[speedtrap]

May nakita po ako na Civic 1.8 S 2006, yung isa P440k (100,000 mileage na) pero well maintained and first owner/personal car daw.
Then may nakita rin ako Civic 1.8 S 2006, last price daw nya P380k lang, modified yung front bumper sa 2011 Civic, then Octagonal shape yung rear tail lights, 2nd owner daw sya, then na flood yung kotse (Ondoy) gamit nung unang owner. 1 year na raw nya gamit now wala naman daw problem. Hindi raw nya alam kung gaano kalalim na flood ni Ondoy.

Kaya lang parang gusto ko na rin kunin yung Mazda 3 worth P350k. From what I researched mukang gas consumption lang ang downside ng Mazda 3, saka mas cheaper maintenance yata compared sa Civic.

Anyway, before October ends, I need to make up my mind

Kung ako naman, just get the FD Civic and stick with it already. Like bro istan said, its not worth buying a car then selling it the next year just to get a brand new car. And if you do save up for a brand new car siguro hindi rin kasing ganda ng FD Civic. And 450k is pretty reasonable price for this car, IMHO.

[payps21]

Looking at your posts sir I'd have to say na mukhang inclined ka na sa 1.6v mazda 3 na 2nd hand due to it's low price as compared to the 2nd hand FDs na nakita mo. However, I haven't seen any inclination from you to get the top of the line 2.0R Mazda 3 which has been recommended over and over by tsikoteers, yung price range naman nung mga 2005 models na 2.0R is almost the same sa mga 1.6V counterparts niya, and you get a lot of toys with the 2.0R variant (rain sensing wipers, automatic headlights, projector lamps, 17" sporty wheels, spoiler, body kits, fog lamps, top notch leather seats, orange backlit gauges which are in my opinion very awesome) Plus, you get a better power to weight ratio.

[speedtrap]

thanks po sa inputs sir actually kino-consider ko din yung 2.0L, from what I read the same lang ang fuel consumption ng 2.0 sa 1.6V. Eto po yung 3 choices ko, same prices po kasi mga last price nila sakin:

http://www.**************/index.php/...MAZDA+3+V+2005
http://www.**************/index.php/...zda+3+for+sale
http://www.**************/index.php/...05+Mazda+3+2.0

Pero I'm leaning dun sa Red na 1.6V, kutob ko lang kasi, totoo sinasabi nya na first owner sya and no issues sa car. Parang gusto ko na kunin bukas. Yung sa 2.0, parang di ko gusto design ng fog lamps nya (ang babaw ng reason ko), pero best choice po ba talaga yung 2.0L kung used Mazda 3 ang kukunin ko? Feeling ko lang if in case need ko ibenta, parang kokonti naghahanap ng 2.0L.

Kaya lang parang ok nga din ang Honda Civic 1.8S
eto sana yung choices ko:
http://www.**************/index.php/...nda+civic+2006
http://www.**************/index.php/...nda+civic+1+8s

Eto yung nabaha daw sa Ondoy kay first owner, pero 1year na raw sa kanya wala daw issues. Tempting yung last price P380k
http://www.**************/index.php/...nda+civic+2006

[GTi]

Yung na-Ondoy... Hindi kasi talaga safe eh. Hindi natin alam kung ano mangyayari. Pero in fairness, there are Ondoy'd vehicles na tumatakbo ng maayos na maayos ever since lumabas ng casa. My ninong's converted Prado 3.0TX, '05 Fortuner 3.0D4D, '08 Grand Starex CRDi, and '08 Mazda 6 were all Ondoy'd but have been running perfectly since inayos. Yun lang... Di talaga natin alam...

The Civics would be thriftier kasi. Both give very high performance. Nasa sayo na kung saan ka mas trip (obviously leaning towards the Mazda 3 by reading your posts). Get the one you truly like, pang matagalan yang relasyon mo sa iyong kotse. The Mazda 3 2.0L is a great performer, I just find the Civic better practicality wise (and also performance wise, kung Mazda 3 1.6L tinitingnan mo).

[payps21]

Sir in my opinion, if you still intend to sell your second hand car (by then would be 3rd hand), don't go for the mazda 3 nalang.

Why? kasi as a buyer for a 2nd hand vehicle you would benefit from the low resale value of the Mazda 3, kasi mababa mo siya makukuha sa seller. But put yourself in his place, as you would be reselling it afterwards now a 3rd hand vehicle, mas mababa mo pa lalo yan mabebenta in 2-3 years time, much much lower than what you'd get if you were to sell a 3rd hand Civic FD.

When it comes to reselling the 1.6v vs selling the 2.0r, halos same lang yang magiging resale niyan talaga as far as the ads in $uli+ go, so to answer your question kung best choice po ba talaga yung 2.0L kung used Mazda 3, for me it's a definite . because you would be getting a lot more for your money with almost the same gas consumption as the 1.6V. Yun nga lang, stick with the car nalang muna, imo parang sayang kung ibebenta mo lang din agad.