OP if that Civic at £5,500 checks out OK you won’t do better than that.
Good spot bbd, that was SLO76 quality. Hopefully he’ll be back soon.

Most dealers will put a new MOT on but obviously are not obliged to. You just need to check and confirm as part of the deal.

That latest Civic looks top price (although AT rates it as a good price) and it’s not in top condition. You can see dents in the rear door. It may be the light but the paint colour overall looks a different shade between front and back doors. The steering wheel and gear lever are worn and there are numerous scratches in the plastic trim. I know it’s nearly ten years old but it looks a bit tired for the normally robust Civic. The boot is mucky too. If that’s what’s visible in the pictures it will be even worse in the metal. It might well be good mechanically if the service history checks out but the cosmetic condition suggests to me that’s it’s had a hard life and that the dealer can’t be bothered to prepare the car properly. Who would leave in those worn out mats for example?

If it’s just cosmetic issues you might be able to use them as negotiation points on the price but personally I would steer clear.

PS there are a number of poor reviews on Trustpilot and elsewhere.

Edited by catsdad on 30/09/2022 at 04:46

Thanks for all of your wise words.

I've spotted the following 2016 Mazda3 2.0 SKYACTIV-G SE Nav for £5600

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210020333339?f...s

Decent mileage and with a good Mazda service history. The only caveat is the cosmetic damage that seller has openly stated (visible in pictures 18-20). The scratches don't look to bad, but you can see the dent on the lip of the bonnet.

It does look in great nick, I'm thinking if all checks out I would have some budget leftover to repair. Would this be feasible based on this car? Or does the damage look too much? I have no experience of repair costs for what is shown.

Without the damage the price is reasonable. With damage its a bit dear

Its very hard to judge from the photos but the rear damage looks as if it might touch up enough not to draw the eye. Assuming there is no hidden damage. The front bumper issue is also whether there’s hidden damage to the structure behind. If not, again you might get by with some touching up as it’s largely hidden.

Adam might be right re the bonnet but I am a pessimist when it comes to bodywork. I’d hope for a £100 smart repair but budget for a bodyshop and full panel re spray at (say) £300. It’s one of the most visible panels on the car so it needs care taken.

Same again if the front bumper needs replacing.

As someone once said…do you feel lucky?

I mean, it's only a few hundred (certainly less than 5) hundred quid's worth

I'm not sure that is actually the case (and the paint on the bonnet has clearly been broken). I remember a post not too long ago where I'm sure someone mentioned that the eye-catching metallic red used on Mazda's actually costs a small fortune. I could be mistaken, but I'd look into that before taking the car with the intention of repairing it.

But, given this has to accommodate a family of five, I'd also suggest that a Mazda 3 is not the best option. The boot is of only average size and rear seat space is of below average size.

I would want to know more about the service history. The last Mazda service was at 61330 but the odometer is on 86238. Has it been serviced since?

Just also noticed at least one of its replacement tyres is some never-heard-of brand, presumably a cheapo tyre to get it through the last MOT after the old tyre was worn down to the carcass. To me, that signifies someone who drove for a good number of miles on bald tyres, which isn't a good sign as regards maintenance.

Yeah, I did notice that and the advert claims two new tyres. One of the pics shows a rear wheel at an angle with what appears to be a new tyre. 'Rapid P309' can clearly be made out. I assumed this was a model name, but a quick search suggests Rapid is the make (never heard of it) and P309 is the tyre model. Couple of pics later there is one of a front wheel and on the tyre you can make out 'Torque' on the left side but I can't make out what it says on the other side. Starts with a T, second letter could be Q, O or 0, but the third letter definitely isn't a Y (otherwise it could have been a Toyo).

With the possibility of a missed service, the bodywork damage (which may cost a lot more to fix that expected), along with the cheapo tyres, it is starting to look a lot less attractive despite the low price!.

This is why the sub is so helpful.

Thanks for all your observations, things I genuinely would've missed. It appears the Torque TQ021 is the budget tyre from Asda, about £51.

As it's so close to me, I'll try to arrange a visit and will ask about recent service history. Worth a gander just out of curiosity. It may seem the current owner may have taken it to an indy last few years as a cost cutting measure as I'm sure the mazda services were much more pricey for the 2 previous owners.

The blue honda previously suggested just didn't check out either. Had that "feeling" after the test drive that something wasn't right.

This Mazda aside, the search remains on...

Thanks for all your observations, things I genuinely would've missed. It appears the Torque TQ021 is the budget tyre from Asda, about £51.

Surely a budget tyre from Asda should be called the Smart Price TQ21?

;-)

£51 for a 'budget' tyre?! I paid essentially the same price for each of my Michelin CC+ 4 years ago for my (much older) Mazda3. Inflation...((shakes head))

Admitedly the gen-3 (and 4) Mazda3s are now fitted with less common 205/60 R16 or equivalent 18in tyres, both of which are more expensive than my original 205/55 R16s or changed-to 195/65 R15s, but still...I thought that cheapo tyres are supposed to be...cheap.