Mazda 323 Inquiry....

[m_slow]

Good day enthusiasts! I'm planning to buy a mazda 323 2nd hand car... i've got some questions in mind... tnx...
1. why is it cheaper? are the parts more expensive compared to other brands?
2. are there surplus parts? are the parts easy to find?
3. is it a good buy? does it perform well like a lancer or a corolla?

tnx.. bros! hope someone answers! tnx again!

[niky]

It's cheaper because people think all Mazdas are junk. The sudden death of Mazda dealerships back in the 90's did little to change those impressions.

There are surplus parts, they're not that hard to find, but obviously not as common as Corolla or Civic parts. You can find shops listed and discussed at www.protegetech.org, home of protegetech philippines, the local Mazda club.

As an aside, many PTP members swear by Kia Pasay. This casa services older Mazda vehicles, but for some parts, it's better to buy outside to save some money.

As for whether it's a good buy, it depends what you want. The 323 has a nice looking interior, great handling and good looks. It's a fun car to drive, and the engine is quite peppy. Ride is a bit on the stiff side, but the handling and vehicle dynamics pay off in dividends.

On the negative side, gas consumption is only so-so for a 1.6.

There are some minor maintenance problem areas, but these are usually easy to fix. Actually, all cars have their "issues" (Nissan's MAF, Lancers IACV, Civic's shocks, etcetera), and it's to be expected of any secondhand. Again, a trip to protegetech.org and/or Kia Pasay can fix all this.

The only real issue with the Mazda I know of is the fragility of the Automatic Transmission. Not all owners experience this, but there's an outside chance of the tranny failing altogether (it's happened to my cousin's 3 year old 323, another board member's Lynx, and a couple of other people). If you want a 323, get the manual.

[M]

niky hit it right on the mark (as usual)

drop by www.protegetech.org for any inquiry about the car.

look out also for rust building up in the rear fender (a common problem).

replacement parts and aftermarket parts are not as common as toyotas and hondas, but it's there, you just have to know where to look. (we've got a database on that if you need it)

it's a good car. especially if you like to drive.

[orly_andico]

niky,

alam mo it seems the "curse of the Mazda" is still upon us.

meron akong nakitang 2004 mazda6 (i assume ito pa yung lame 2.0L version) with 10,000km on the odo, going for 880,000 sa Buy and Sell.

so unless na-total yun and the insurance company is trying to get rid of it at a low price, that's a heck of a depreciation for a less-than-2-year-old car!

based on the oft-stated (on this forum) "buy a 2-year old car so that the owner has absorbed the initial depreciation" that Mazda6 would be a GREAT buy! and for the price of a mazda3..

now where did i leave that 880,000.. hmmm.. time to dig in the sofa for coins!!!

[oldblue]

in the case of mazda6, ganyan din ata nangyari sa ibang higher end sedan like accord/camry. hirap na ibenta ng over 1M kahit halos bago pa.

[orly_andico]

yeah.. it seems people in the market for accords or camry's can afford brand-new and turn up their noses at slightly-used.

that, or na-piss off yung mazda6 owner sa makupad na 2.0L engine (lalo na lumabas na yung 2.3L version)

[niky]

It's really hard to sell midsize "japs", as people who want the prestige usually go brand new. It's only when their prices hit rock bottom (200k plus or minus) that kids start buying them, stripping them and souping them up... like what's happening with old Corona EXSIORs, Altimas, 626s, Galants and Accords.

See, 880k ain't bad for a Mazda6, but add a little more, and you can get a Mazda 3 2.0R...

Let's see... no coins in the sofa... how much can I sell the sofa for?

[nugundam93]

since nasagutan na yung others...to add na lang...

3. is it a good buy? does it perform well like a lancer or a corolla?

familia ba?

-it is. best bang for the buck with a lot of gizmos that the competitors didn't have (or only had some) for the same price rance. and it handles nicely. heheh.

[m_slow]

tnx guys for your replies! i really appreciate your quick responses! I'm looking forward to own and drive one! thanks again for your help!

[pitbullz]

daming parts ang mazda. just be sure na hindi ex TAXI yun makukuha mo. mura din ang parts kasi ang dami nga naging taxi nyan. the only problem i hear from people na naka 323 is gas economy.

[orly_andico]

It's really hard to sell midsize "japs", as people who want the prestige usually go brand new. It's only when their prices hit rock bottom (200k plus or minus) that kids start buying them, stripping them and souping them up... like what's happening with old Corona EXSIORs, Altimas, 626s, Galants and Accords.

See, 880k ain't bad for a Mazda6, but add a little more, and you can get a Mazda 3 2.0R...

Let's see... no coins in the sofa... how much can I sell the sofa for?

well, i would personally go for an 880k Mazda6 (even a 2.0L version) rather than a 1M+ Mazda3 2.0R :P

call me a grandpa but the bigger car feels better for me.

one really ironic thing is, it's easier (though not cheaper..) to buy a new car, particularly if you don't have 880k from the sofa. Buying a new car is much more hassle-free credit-wise than buying used.

[pitbullz]

you also get that peace of mind

[caloyski5]

gas economy is not a problem as long as hindi a/t na familia ang kunin mo ;) im only doing 6-7km/l on my a/t

[pitbullz]

wow thats a lot of gas

[niky]

Pero kahit yung MT, acceptable lang yung consumption rather than good. That's been an eternal problem of the 323... and has even carried over to the newer Lynx (same basic engine/chassis architecture). The Lynx 1.6 MT has merely acceptable fuel consumption also.

Puwedeng ipag-yabang yung consumption dito? Just finished a full tank test, 8.56 km/l average from the Lynx RS. Listed all my trips (grabe... 427.5 km and 49.93 liters! puno yung phone memory ko!), and as far as I can break it down:

10 km/l highway (puros 120 km/h+ kasi... in cruise mode at 80 km/h, should do 11-12)

8 km/l city, with some trips at 9 km/l in light traffic.

7 km/l... stupid (high revving) driving...

That's after factoring in idling time (full AC and very hot outside) and start-up gas. If I disregard start-up gas and idling, that's merely an additional 1.7 liters.

I love manuals.

[orly_andico]

problem of the mazda's is that nahuli sila sa VVT-i.

even the mazda3 returns consistently poorer fuel mileage than the class-leading (here we go again) corolla and civic.

i guess mazda was busy toying with wankel engines kaya the best innovation they could cough up in piston engines was VRIS :P

that plus the B-series DOHC engines have a large valve angle (similar to the 4AGE, unlike the 4AFE). kaya mas malakas talaga sa fuel.

compare that to the FS which is a narrow-angle DOHC and it does get decent mileage for an engine of its size and age (very similar to the 3SFE). i'm now consistently getting 7.5/12 km/L city/highway although admittedly that city driving is 50% on C5.

[basti08]

323 Familia has the best engine sound of all 1.6's i've heard (save the Lynx)...

i had a 626 AT before, never had problems with the tranny, i got used to the shift shock mostly at when shifting to 2nd gear...after getting past that, it's a great tranny with the remarkable HOLD function... be gentle on the gas though coz it guzzles if driven otherwise.

also, Mazdas have great handling, parts not are as abundant as Toyota or Honda... its comparable to Nissan when it comes to pricing. resale sucks, but you're buying a 2nd hand car its great for 2nd hand car shoppers. resale shouldnt be a big factor in a car that has already lost alot of its cost.

[slyfox]

i used to have a mazda familia. it was the best ride i had so far. lotsa power, spacious interior and the coolest a/c so far. i had to sell it tho coz a damned rat ate my electrical wiring and sum1 just happened to come along and offer me cash on the spot. gas consumption isn't that bad. it's far from a honda city but imo better than the civic lxi. only prob i had was with the water pump and the conking out of lights in the ac/stereo panel. otherwise it's a great catch. that's why now i want a tribute hehehe

[deedoc101]

For me, I still and will always love my 96' 323 Familia. It's just so fun to drive. And I find the car very responsive. If there's anything I don't like about the car, it's the hard pedals. But nothing serious I must add. From what I noticed, my gas consumption goes for about 7-8 km/L city driving (M/T).

[mazdamazda]

1. why is it cheaper? are the parts more expensive compared to other brands?
>>> nope. comparable ang price ng parts to mitsu/nissan

2. are there surplus parts? are the parts easy to find?
>>> yup. we never had a problem with this. brand new parts can be bought from karmelcon or fordland in banawe.

3. is it a good buy? does it perform well like a lancer or a corolla?
>>> yup. just watch out for rear fender rust, busted engine support & erratic idling.