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Going by his service records and MOTs, it's currently about 11k. Pre covid, more likely 16k to 20k so he might get back to that. His daily commute is about 20 miles each way, half motorway, half a/b roads. 2 x 4 mile each way trips to town each week, about 2 or 3 30 mile each way jollies each way a month.
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Going by his service records and MOTs, it's currently about 11k. Pre covid, more likely 16k to 20k so he might get back to that. His daily commute is about 20 miles each way, half motorway, half a/b roads. 2 x 4 mile each way trips to town each week, about 2 or 3 30 mile each way jollies each way a month.
A low annual mileage of 11k would normally be considered to justify the usage of diesel. The price of diesel at the moment is high and generally any problems with an older diesel is more costly than a petrol. Overall the thoughts of a Golf or A3 petrol seems the best option A 1.4 dsg should deliver 45mpg plus easily on his commute.
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Im not sure the amount of miles done overall (within reason) is as important as how those miles are done. 40 miles a day on fast roads is quite good I think.
I do think they need to lower the mpg expectations though. Lowering to even 40mpg would open up much more possibilities.
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Thanks for the input. He originally was wanting a golf til it was suggested they're a bad choice for his budget. He does like the A3 (absolutely hates the A1) but is again concerned about dsg reliability (same with the Merc).
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Where roughly do you live?
If I was hunting for a reasonably economical automatic used car this is probably what I’d be looking at. A bit more money takes him up a number of years and offers a low mileage car that’ll run reliably for many years. These are great things to drive and avoid all the reliability issues of modern diesels and small capacity petrol turbos often suffer from. It uses a conventional torque converter gearbox instead of an over-complex and less robust automated manual as many such cars use today and there’s no timing belt to worry about every five years or so.
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303305774307
If economy is everything then this is how you do it reliably. Again these have no real reliability concerns at all. They’re not as nice to drive as the Mazda but you’ll see substantially better economy. There’s also the 1.2 turbo automatic which is worthy of consideration also. It’s not quite as good on fuel but your money will get a newer lower mileage example as there’s strong demand from the taxi trade for the 1.8 Hybrid. That said, this means the Hybrid will be in greater demand when he sells it on.
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303305779073
Edited by SLO76 on 15/04/2023 at 10:47
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Thanks SLO, we're in the North west England and there's not many Mazda 3s around here (he point black refuses to buy online or pay for a transfer). I am edging him towards an Auris Hybrid, but its his experiences with his Lexus hybrid that's putting him off. He would take the warranty offered but most cars are nearing the 10 Yr or 100k limit and hes worried what will happen when thats exceeded (he is planning on keeping the car for a good few years). I'll look around for him though.
Thankfully he's not after a 'fun' drive. He's really fixated with the mazda6 2.2 as its ticking most of his boxes, but somewhat disconcerted by reports of failures in the diesel variant (I'm ready to take him out to test one and try a couple of others a dealer has in stock). He did like the citreon DS5 but they're like rocking horse poop.
He's getting a bit frustrated at the mo as he's finding cars that meet his criteria and have good reviews but being put off at reports of failures or unreliability. Though he's stopped looking for the Golf's, Merc A classes or any other dsg gears, he's still talking about them. I feel bad for him as he's torturing himself, but that's what happens with his condition :(
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Thanks SLO, we're in the North west England and there's not many Mazda 3s around here (he point black refuses to buy online or pay for a transfer). I am edging him towards an Auris Hybrid, but its his experiences with his Lexus hybrid that's putting him off. He would take the warranty offered but most cars are nearing the 10 Yr or 100k limit and hes worried what will happen when thats exceeded (he is planning on keeping the car for a good few years).
Well, in that case he would be out of manufacturer warranty (the main hybrid battery is covered for up to 15 years & the body for 12) - which tbh is where he would be with another make of car so no worse off.
& the basic suspension, engine & transmission system are very reliable (hence why in demand from taxi trade). As hybrids/EVs become more & more common, more & more garages will work on them.
As for a Mazda 2.2D, just say No! A 6 petrol, fine - but it won't do the mpg.
Edited by Heidfirst on 15/04/2023 at 14:18
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Cheers for that. Just dragging him round a showroom now and the 3 cars he wanted to look at aren't actually here despite telephone confirmation they were. He wants to look at a 17 plate civic 1.0 vtech turbo se cvt that they allegedly have. Fingers crossed....
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Cheers for that. Just dragging him round a showroom now and the 3 cars he wanted to look at aren't actually here despite telephone confirmation they were. He wants to look at a 17 plate civic 1.0 vtech turbo se cvt that they allegedly have. Fingers crossed....
Not one I’d have. Honda dealers are quoting a ludicrous £1700 to do the unnecessarily complex timing belt replacement. I fail to see the point of a belt in bath design if it doesn’t extend the life of the belt substantially. The cost suggests that it was never designed with changing in mind, this will be tested to destruction as few will pay the daft money they’re asking. Would you trust one that’s years overdue a timing belt? There’s also still a question mark over the durability of Honda’s CVT box. I’m not a fan of the way CVT’s drive.
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Well, in that case he would be out of manufacturer warranty (the main hybrid battery is covered for up to 15 years & the body for 12) - which tbh is where he would be with another make of car so no worse off.
But with non hybrid cars, there's a lot more options in terms of garages. Extremely few for hybrids if the problem has anything to do with the hybrid system, and far more expensive.
Bit of a frustration at FoW as the Mazdas weren't there. He did get to sit in the Civic 1.0 and it was a bit too big for him so at least he's happy knocking off a few other vehicles off the list. Given shortage of Mazdas in the area, he's going to try an Infinity Q30.
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He wants to look at a 17 plate civic 1.0 vtech turbo se cvt that they allegedly have. Fingers crossed....
I went over why he should not buy a Civic 1.0 turbo earlier on. If he can't stretch to a 1.5 turbo of that era of Civic (which, AFAIK, are chain driven), forget it. The previous shape Civic with the na 1.8 and t/c auto is fine though, very reliable.
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I see Infiniti Q30 has been suggested. The Review on this site’s home page awards it the lowest score I’ve ever seen on the site at 1 out of 5. Oh dear.
Although they are a sub brand of Nissan new Infiniti cars are no longer sold in UK or the rest of Europe.
Salesmen will probably give some assurance about spares support for 10 years but given spares issues occur for even current mainstream models I would consider it a major risk. It’s value will likely plummet once the car market returns to something approaching normal.
Avoid.
Edited by catsdad on 15/04/2023 at 16:20
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Ah, I didn't realise it was discontinued, thanks. He's not so concerned with resale value as he's going to keep it for some time, hopefully
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He wants to look at a 17 plate civic 1.0 vtech turbo se cvt that they allegedly have. Fingers crossed....
I went over why he should not buy a Civic 1.0 turbo earlier on. If he can't stretch to a 1.5 turbo of that era of Civic (which, AFAIK, are chain driven), forget it. The previous shape Civic with the na 1.8 and t/c auto is fine though, very reliable.
Apologies, he wanted to convince himself, which he has. Also ruled out a few other cars based on size.
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I see Infiniti Q30 has been suggested. The Review on this site’s home page awards it the lowest score I’ve ever seen on the site at 1 out of 5. Oh dear.
Although they are a sub brand of Nissan new Infiniti cars are no longer sold in UK or the rest of Europe.
Salesmen will probably give some assurance about spares support for 10 years but given spares issues occur for even current mainstream models I would consider it a major risk. It’s value will likely plummet once the car market returns to something approaching normal.
Avoid.
What the motoring press want out of a car is not necessarily what a buyer is looking for, so I wouldn't dismiss any car based solely on that (though other motoring press road tests do rate it higher). Owners reviews (not that there are many) rate it around 4.2 out of 5.
At some point there may be issues getting some body and interior trim parts, but as the Q30 wasn't withdrawn till 2018/9, I can't see that being an issue for at least a decade. The Q30 sits on the same platform as the Merc A Class and uses the same running gear (mostly Merc plus the venerable 1.5 Renault diesel), so I can't see any likelihood of not being able to get mechanical parts either.
Having said that, I don't believe for a minute that any Q30 would be as reliable as a CT200h (also disliked by most of the motoring press)
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Well, in that case he would be out of manufacturer warranty (the main hybrid battery is covered for up to 15 years & the body for 12) - which tbh is where he would be with another make of car so no worse off.
But with non hybrid cars, there's a lot more options in terms of garages. Extremely few for hybrids if the problem has anything to do with the hybrid system, and far more expensive.
Bit of a frustration at FoW as the Mazdas weren't there. He did get to sit in the Civic 1.0 and it was a bit too big for him so at least he's happy knocking off a few other vehicles off the list. Given shortage of Mazdas in the area, he's going to try an Infinity Q30.
If there's a shortage of Mazdas, how many Infinitys is he going to find? I suspect the 'shortage' of Mazda cars is more that most diesels have been palmed off now and most petrols, whilst not the quickest of best on mpg, are (like most non-rotary Mazda petrol engined cars) well liked and most owners (like yours truly) hold on to them. that and because they handle very well. My 3 still does and its 17 years old.
The 6 is a great looking car - even with the latest Mazda3 being very pretty, the 6 is still the best in that department in the range, especially after the interior was significantly improved to the same style as the current CX-5 etc mid way through its life (the 6 now not sold new in the UK).
Worth the effort trying to find one.
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Right, after yesterday I've sat him down and had a good long talk about what he's seen. He's now accepting he won't get the MPG he wants without some compromise. I've also gone through his budget and the daft sod has increased most of his outgoings by almost half "just in case", so he actually has a fair bit more to spend than he thought.
He's going to see if he can get a newer lower mileage Auris, but meanwhile has seen a 69 plate Mazda3 skyactiv 2.0 (petrol) G Lux which were going to view tomorrow (plus there's a 6 version as well, but he thinks it may be too big for him after seeing the size of some cars yesterday).
As for Fords of Winsford.... half the cars looked like they'd been lived in by Worzel Gummidge, at least two had flat tyres and about a third didn't have the QR stickers on (pretty sure they're supposed to have an actual price but heyho). Cars were not on site when they said they were, they couldn't find one car that was supposedly there and for another they couldn't find the keys. Pretty shambolic really.
Edited by RDavies on 16/04/2023 at 12:59
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Right, after yesterday I've sat him down and had a good long talk about what he's seen. He's now accepting he won't get the MPG he wants without some compromise. I've also gone through his budget and the daft sod has increased most of his outgoings by almost half "just in case", so he actually has a fair bit more to spend than he thought.
He's going to see if he can get a newer lower mileage Auris, but meanwhile has seen a 69 plate Mazda3 skyactiv 2.0 (petrol) G Lux which were going to view tomorrow (plus there's a 6 version as well, but he thinks it may be too big for him after seeing the size of some cars yesterday).
As for Fords of Winsford.... half the cars looked like they'd been lived in by Worzel Gummidge, at least two had flat tyres and about a third didn't have the QR stickers on (pretty sure they're supposed to have an actual price but heyho). Cars were not on site when they said they were, they couldn't find one car that was supposedly there and for another they couldn't find the keys. Pretty shambolic really.
He won't go far wrong with a petrol auto Mazda 3 or 6 (mind you, I'd have said the same re the CT200h in terms of reliability). There isn't actually as big a difference in size as it might appear, possibly a trick of the styling department to make the 6 look sleeker along with it being both lower and wider. But in reality, the extra 40cm of length represents less a difference of less than 10% over the 3.
Yes, the presentation of cars and the general professionalism of some dealers can leave a lot to be desired.
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Cheers. Just passed a dealership that had a mazda 3, it's an MHEV which I understand to be mild hybrid. Is this one to be avoided? He absolutely loves the car btw!
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Cheers. Just passed a dealership that had a mazda 3, it's an MHEV which I understand to be mild hybrid. Is this one to be avoided? He absolutely loves the car btw!
Nope. All good.
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Oooh
Stuck between a 21 plate with 9k for £21k or a slightly older one with 40k on clock for 6 grand less...he's pushing his limits with the newer one
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Personally, I'd take the cheaper one. I am not one to live on the edge.
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Oooh
Stuck between a 21 plate with 9k for £21k or a slightly older one with 40k on clock for 6 grand less...he's pushing his limits with the newer one
If he can afford those he could get into a corolla hybrid - it's a newer platform than the ct200h or auris & a big improvement. Pretty sure that the Mazda 3 won't get even close to the same mpg that the corolla hybrid will.
Edited by Heidfirst on 17/04/2023 at 13:47
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Oooh
Stuck between a 21 plate with 9k for £21k or a slightly older one with 40k on clock for 6 grand less...he's pushing his limits with the newer one
If he can afford those he could get into a corolla hybrid - it's a newer platform than the ct200h or auris & a big improvement. Pretty sure that the Mazda 3 won't get even close to the same mpg that the corolla hybrid will.
It's a decent car (I would consider one, especially for the reliability and the supposedly excellent ride quality) and is a much better looking and driving car than its predecessor, but IMHO the (4th gen) Mazda is a much better driver's car on the handling front and is a step up again in the styling dept.
With the mpg, I suppose it depends upon whether most of the OP's brother's driving is urban or not, as the hybrid engine's big advantage in town isn't anywhere near as much on faster flowing roads and motorways. The 2L version is, I think, a decent improvement over the 1.8L, but you're paying quite a bit more to get one, about 5-10% more than the equivalent Mazda3 (2L SA-X).
Still, more than worth a look if they can find one (a 2L Corolla). I prefer the estate version for practicality.
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Oooh
Stuck between a 21 plate with 9k for £21k or a slightly older one with 40k on clock for 6 grand less...he's pushing his limits with the newer one
If he can afford those he could get into a corolla hybrid - it's a newer platform than the ct200h or auris & a big improvement. Pretty sure that the Mazda 3 won't get even close to the same mpg that the corolla hybrid will.
It's a decent car (I would consider one, especially for the reliability and the supposedly excellent ride quality) and is a much better looking and driving car than its predecessor, but IMHO the (4th gen) Mazda is a much better driver's car on the handling front and is a step up again in the styling dept.
With the mpg, I suppose it depends upon whether most of the OP's brother's driving is urban or not, as the hybrid engine's big advantage in town isn't anywhere near as much on faster flowing roads and motorways. The 2L version is, I think, a decent improvement over the 1.8L, but you're paying quite a bit more to get one, about 5-10% more than the equivalent Mazda3 (2L SA-X).
Still, more than worth a look if they can find one (a 2L Corolla). I prefer the estate version for practicality.
I have a customer who went from a (3rd gen) Mazda 2 to a current shape Mazda 3 (hatchback). There is something about the rear sides that doesn't work for me, too much bodywork and not enough window. Looks great from the front and front quarter though, and I was impressed by the sensibly sized (205/60 x 16) tyres.
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Oooh
Stuck between a 21 plate with 9k for £21k or a slightly older one with 40k on clock for 6 grand less...he's pushing his limits with the newer one
If he can afford those he could get into a corolla hybrid - it's a newer platform than the ct200h or auris & a big improvement. Pretty sure that the Mazda 3 won't get even close to the same mpg that the corolla hybrid will.
It's a decent car (I would consider one, especially for the reliability and the supposedly excellent ride quality) and is a much better looking and driving car than its predecessor, but IMHO the (4th gen) Mazda is a much better driver's car on the handling front and is a step up again in the styling dept.
With the mpg, I suppose it depends upon whether most of the OP's brother's driving is urban or not, as the hybrid engine's big advantage in town isn't anywhere near as much on faster flowing roads and motorways. The 2L version is, I think, a decent improvement over the 1.8L, but you're paying quite a bit more to get one, about 5-10% more than the equivalent Mazda3 (2L SA-X).
Still, more than worth a look if they can find one (a 2L Corolla). I prefer the estate version for practicality.
I have a customer who went from a (3rd gen) Mazda 2 to a current shape Mazda 3 (hatchback). There is something about the rear sides that doesn't work for me, too much bodywork and not enough window. Looks great from the front and front quarter though, and I was impressed by the sensibly sized (205/60 x 16) tyres.
The hatch has a very 'Alfa Romeo' look to it, especially the rear / quarter view. The rear visibility on the hatch (large C pillar) isn't great, but then most cars these days have poor rear visibility, probably why so many 'have' to come with parking sensors / cameras (£ker-ching!).
TBH its why I would be seriously cosnidering the CX-30 myself even though I love the exterior styling more for the 3 hatch and especially saloon, as it combines the best elements of both in terms of practicality and ergonomics, albeit costing a Grand more and not quite matching the handling and performance due to its elevated stance.
Those 16in tyres with 123mm high sidewalls (there may be a 215/60 R16 version for it or the CX-30) are a decent compromise between the 205/55 R16s and 195/65 R15s my old thing can have and stil look fine.
I think they went that route to reduce the cost of variant testing (two tyre variants instead of 3 before) on the emissions / MPG, and it doesn't appear to affect handling in any significant way by all accounts, compared to those shod on 18in tyres.
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Cheers. Just passed a dealership that had a mazda 3, it's an MHEV which I understand to be mild hybrid. Is this one to be avoided? He absolutely loves the car btw!
It's fine - though you need to differentiate bewteen the two types of latest gen Mazda3 petrols:
1. The 'standard' Skyactiv-G (at 120PS []power output]), which is a non-turbocharged direct injection engine and generally well proven, if not exactly quick on the latest (4th generation) Mazda3. The gen-3 car has a very similar engine, just without the 'mid hybrid' element that 'powers' the car's electrics on the gen-4 cars and improves the mpg / emissions to a small degree.
The gen-3 car had a 0-60 official time of around 8.9 sec for the manual, the gen-4 car around 10.2 sec. From some accounts in the real world, you may find they aren't anywhere near as 'different' and maybe around 9.5 sec to 60. The (TC) auto version comes in at about 10.5 - 11 sec to 60 - smooth, just not that quick, but fine for everyday driving for most people.
Real world mpg at about mid 40s for the manual and around 40 for the auto.
IMHO stick to mid-spec (trim) SE-L (Nav) (including the Lux variant) shod on 16in rims and sensible tyres rather than 18in rims and lower profile tyres - the ride is far better and as its a very good handling car anyway, the drive barely suffers on the smaller wheels.
2. The newer (since 2019) Skyactiv-X, which uses a unique 'diesel-like' tech to improve fuel economy and performance, though seemingly in the real world not as much as Mazda might have you believe. Again, no turbo, though I think it does have a supercharger that you won't notice. 180PS power. All are 'MHEV' mild hybrids doing the same function as the other engine type.
Official 0-60 time around 8.1sec for the manual and 8.5sec for the auto
MPG - roughly add on 10-15% on the Skyactiv-G versions, but ONLY if you drive them the in the same manner!
Thus far, no glaring reliability issues with the engine design, but it is unique and only 4 years into production. Still, I would certainly consider one myself (and would buy one or the CX-30 equivalent) had I the money (Mazda3 4-door saloon / CX-30 5dr hatch Skyactiv-X SE-L / Lux Auto). Stylish looks inside and out.
Likely with your brother's budget, he won't be able to afford a gen-4 car unless buying via some 'payment plan' (be careful) rather than 'cash'. The gen-3 cars are fine, not IMHO as good looking as the latest version.
Note that the saloons (fastback) are better looking, but quite rare, have less trim variants and (as I discovered for my own gen-1 saloon car, a limited boot aperture - not a problem for suitcases (the boot is around 50L or so bigger than the hatch) but gettiong large boxes in can sometimes be impossible!
The hatch's boot is ok on size, but note that the gen-3 and 4 cars have raised boots floors (unlike my car) less less heigh available, even more so if a space-saver wheel and tyre is fitted (not standard and last time I checked, cost £400) as the floor needs to be raised to accommodate it. Note that trim variants with 4WD and/or top spec audio often have no ability to add a spare wheel/tyre, making the owner rely on the useless 'tube of goo'.
It's why if I bought a new one (gen-4 car), I would stick to the fastback/saloon or better still, buy a CX-30, which has a boot much closer to the size of the fastback/saloon of the Mazda3 but with a useful hatchback opening. Gen-4 mazda3s or CX-30s are NOT cheap - new or second hand.
I realise your brother likes hig spec / luxury versions, but the SE-L type cars are generally well-equipped (both gen-3 and 4) and good value in comparison to the 'Sport' models. Harder to find, as most sold are Sport trim models and shod on 18in rims. You may be (if you REALLY want one) able to downsize the OEM 18in rims/tyres to 16in (check to see if they can fit over the brakes - I think they should even on Sport models), but there will be a cost to change except on brand new, factory ordered cars.
Hopefully this will be of some iuse to you both.
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We have a winner! He's bought the newer Mazda and he's happy as a pig in muck. Settled into it really quickly and already seems as if he's been driving it for years -definitely a good decision for him. True, he might have got a better car for the same money, but if he was exposed to more choice hed get worked up and he'd never buy a car - It was hard enough getting him this far (I need a drink...). As it is he's now genuinely content with the choice and isn't looking back.
Got to say, the car is extremely impressive - might get one myself! Not so impressed with the dealer over some matters, I'll be speaking with head office and Mazda tomorrow about some issues that arose.
Thank you everyone for your input and advice, it's very much appreciated.
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Well done both of you. Mazda dealers aren't the best, but at least they're not VW or BMW
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So often threads from newcomers just peter out. It’s good to see one rounded off and reach a conclusion. Good luck with the purchase.
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Was it the newer one or the older one though?
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Was it the newer one or the older one though?
"We have a winner! He's bought the newer Mazda and he's happy as a pig in muck. "
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We have a winner! He's bought the newer Mazda and he's happy as a pig in muck. Settled into it really quickly and already seems as if he's been driving it for years -definitely a good decision for him. True, he might have got a better car for the same money, but if he was exposed to more choice hed get worked up and he'd never buy a car - It was hard enough getting him this far (I need a drink...). As it is he's now genuinely content with the choice and isn't looking back.
Got to say, the car is extremely impressive - might get one myself! Not so impressed with the dealer over some matters, I'll be speaking with head office and Mazda tomorrow about some issues that arose.
Thank you everyone for your input and advice, it's very much appreciated.
One the problems with Mazda IMHO - like with a good number of Euro and US makes, the main dealership quality varies quite a bit. He needs to find a decent one (some are excellent) he can use for servicing etc.
Our owners' forum site unfortunately isn't so well used any more (sadly more common across most makes of car aside the modded variety), but you might feel it worth them joining to ask questions, look at any resource info, get tips and opinions upon who may be a decent dealership within their reach and who may not be.
Just don't get too enthused as its a bit quiet there nowadays (it used to be far busier 5-10 years ago), so responses may take a while:
www.mazda3forums.co.uk/
Free to join, just like here. They can even take and upload a photo of their shiny new thing for their avatar.
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“ We have a winner! He's bought the newer Mazda and he's happy as a pig in muck”
Good choice. Good to drive, good on fuel and reliable too. No worries here.
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Just thought I'd update on this. The car is now back at the dealership for the third time for battery drain issues. Cause is unknown - keys are well out of range and in a faraday box,, nothing left on or plugged in or connected yet almost every day without fail the car needs a jump start, even with a new battery. The car is driven almost daily and they're not short trips. I've had the car a couple of days myself to make sure it's nothing he's doing, and the same things are happening to me. Worse, twice the car has nearly caused an accident - once when it decided to do an emergency brake when a cyclist emerged from a side road well away from the car and another time when it decided to try and ram me into a parked car rather than let me straddle a lane marking (even though I'd indicated). It's by far the worst car I have seen and the technology on it is b***** dangerous.
He's regretting buying the thing now and I'm fighting his corner in getting the vehicle rejected. Mazda Assist have proven to be the absolute pits. The technicians who respond are OK, but the rest of the outfit is an absolute joke. Twice now he's been stuck at the dealership waiting for a courtesy car that Mazda said they'd arranged but hadn't, and when it was arranged, the either sent the wrong info to the hire company or sent it to the wrong branch and me or my partner have had to finish work early to pick him up after he'd been left waiting for 5 hours. When he did get a car (over a day later), it was an Aygo or Yaris. Bit of a comedown from a Mazda 3, but hey, at least they started and could be driven. The only reason it's not happened a third time is because my partner has not needed his car and has let my brother use it.
The one good thing that has come from all of this is his move away from the aesthetics of a car, so he'll be buying something more reliable and trustworthy. It certainly won't be a Mazda.
Edited by RDavies on 24/05/2023 at 07:16
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Strange, outside of the known problems with the 2.2 Skyactiv diesels I’ve never encountered a problem with any Mazda I’ve owned, sold or recommended until now. You’ve been unlucky, this car clearly has some sort of electrical or software issue and if the Mazda dealer themselves can’t solve it you should aim to return it for a refund. Don’t let it put you off Mazda, I know loads of people with modern Mazda’s and none complain of any issues with the crash avoidance systems or non-starting. Does go to show that even the most reliable models can go wrong, there’s just too much tech in them today.
Edited by SLO76 on 24/05/2023 at 23:05
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Just thought I'd update on this. The car is now back at the dealership for the third time for battery drain issues. Cause is unknown - keys are well out of range and in a faraday box,, nothing left on or plugged in or connected yet almost every day without fail the car needs a jump start, even with a new battery. The car is driven almost daily and they're not short trips. I've had the car a couple of days myself to make sure it's nothing he's doing, and the same things are happening to me. Worse, twice the car has nearly caused an accident - once when it decided to do an emergency brake when a cyclist emerged from a side road well away from the car and another time when it decided to try and ram me into a parked car rather than let me straddle a lane marking (even though I'd indicated). It's by far the worst car I have seen and the technology on it is b***** dangerous.
He's regretting buying the thing now and I'm fighting his corner in getting the vehicle rejected. Mazda Assist have proven to be the absolute pits. The technicians who respond are OK, but the rest of the outfit is an absolute joke. Twice now he's been stuck at the dealership waiting for a courtesy car that Mazda said they'd arranged but hadn't, and when it was arranged, the either sent the wrong info to the hire company or sent it to the wrong branch and me or my partner have had to finish work early to pick him up after he'd been left waiting for 5 hours. When he did get a car (over a day later), it was an Aygo or Yaris. Bit of a comedown from a Mazda 3, but hey, at least they started and could be driven. The only reason it's not happened a third time is because my partner has not needed his car and has let my brother use it.
The one good thing that has come from all of this is his move away from the aesthetics of a car, so he'll be buying something more reliable and trustworthy. It certainly won't be a Mazda.
The problem is that lots of modern cars have niggling / anoying electrical / gadget faults (including so-called 'safety' systems) in comparison to the 'old school' faults cars had 15+ years ago that had far less of them and where those systems were not (in my view) rushed to market with reduced R&D). You could've had the same problem with almost any make and model of car - just bad luck.
The other issue, as I've said on this forum on numerous occasions and as a long-term Mazda car owner (17+ years and counting) is that the post-sales experience can vary widely, because the quality of dealerships vary a lot and (if you don't get any joy from them) Mazda HQ (UK) aren't that helpful either.
It's why you always need to do your homework prior to even thinking of purchasing a car - Mazda or otherwise - to check to see how well owners rate the main dealerships in your region (i.e. accessible to you) for post-sales customer care.
IMHO, there's no such thing as a make of car that has excelennt / very good main dealerships for post-sales care. Some, like Toyota / Lexus, Honda and Subaru, are generally regarded as the best of the bunch, but because dealerships are franchised, it depends on the quality of the franchisee almost as much as how well the UK arm of the manufacturer ensures post-sales customer care is decent.
If I realistically only had the choice of using one main dealer that was reasonably accessible and they were of poor quality, I would avoid that make of car - Mazda included. I've read similar complaints of new cars going wrong from all manner of makes - including those I listed as being at the top of reliability and customer care scores, just because of all that extra tech fitted.
It's why I will endeavour to buy a lower-mid spec car with the bare minimum of gadgets.
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