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Is it time to dispose of my car?
I have a 2011 Mazda 2 TS2 which has covered only 29,000 miles. I have owned it since 2014 and am the second owner.
I recently had it serviced by a Mazda specialist who I know and trust. He recommended Dinitrol treatment at a cost of £350 if I was going to keep the car otherwise I would have corrosion problems underneath e.g. to the rear chassis. The MoT is due in January and I think it will pass but I am reluctant to spend £350 in this way on a 10-year old car.
We can afford to change it for something newer and have mainly bought low-mileage cars or demonstrators in the past.
Online valuations vary between approx. £1,600 and £3,000. The car runs well, has a new Varta battery and good tyres. There are one or two dents - should I have these rectified before selling or trading?
What would you recommend as a replacement? Prior to owning the Mazda we ran a Skoda Fabia 1.2 HTP and a couple of Volkswagen Polos.
I have looked online so far at Skoda Fabias, SEAT Ibizas and the smaller Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii and Volkswagen Up. I have also looked at Suzuki and Toyota (Yaris). I won't buy anything French.
Used prices have "gone through the roof" it appears. I would not want to spend more than £12,000 (less whatever I receive in part exchange or by selling privately).
We own two other cars - a 2011 Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE Roadster Coupe and a Skoda Yeti 1.2TSI SEL. We are both in our 70s and don't do much mileage in any of the cars.
If only we could buy a small car with the handling of the MX-5!
I recently had it serviced by a Mazda specialist who I know and trust. He recommended Dinitrol treatment at a cost of £350 if I was going to keep the car otherwise I would have corrosion problems underneath e.g. to the rear chassis. The MoT is due in January and I think it will pass but I am reluctant to spend £350 in this way on a 10-year old car.
We can afford to change it for something newer and have mainly bought low-mileage cars or demonstrators in the past.
Online valuations vary between approx. £1,600 and £3,000. The car runs well, has a new Varta battery and good tyres. There are one or two dents - should I have these rectified before selling or trading?
What would you recommend as a replacement? Prior to owning the Mazda we ran a Skoda Fabia 1.2 HTP and a couple of Volkswagen Polos.
I have looked online so far at Skoda Fabias, SEAT Ibizas and the smaller Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii and Volkswagen Up. I have also looked at Suzuki and Toyota (Yaris). I won't buy anything French.
Used prices have "gone through the roof" it appears. I would not want to spend more than £12,000 (less whatever I receive in part exchange or by selling privately).
We own two other cars - a 2011 Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE Roadster Coupe and a Skoda Yeti 1.2TSI SEL. We are both in our 70s and don't do much mileage in any of the cars.
If only we could buy a small car with the handling of the MX-5!
Asked on 6 December 2021 by Roger Hulme
Answered by
Andrew Brady
A shortage in new cars means used car prices are inflated at the moment. As you've found, this means you might be surprised by your Mazda's value. It also means a replacement might be more expensive than it would be otherwise. If you really want to cash in on the current situation, perhaps you could sell the Mazda 2 now and use one of your other cars until prices of newer models drop? It's difficult to say when this will be, however.
It certainly sounds like a good time to sell your Mazda if a specialist is warning you of rust issues. Don't bother repairing dents – no one expects perfect bodywork on a car of this age.
As a replacement, take a look at a Ford Fiesta. It handles very well (if not quite as well as your MX-5) while there are lots available on the used market. We'd also recommend the latest Volkswagen Polo. If you like Mazdas, the current Mazda 2 is well worth a look, too.
It certainly sounds like a good time to sell your Mazda if a specialist is warning you of rust issues. Don't bother repairing dents – no one expects perfect bodywork on a car of this age.
As a replacement, take a look at a Ford Fiesta. It handles very well (if not quite as well as your MX-5) while there are lots available on the used market. We'd also recommend the latest Volkswagen Polo. If you like Mazdas, the current Mazda 2 is well worth a look, too.
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