Im thinking of getting a new car, currently have a Mondeo Estate and TBH I hate it.

I’m looking a few different cars,, but I quite like the Mazda at present, it needs to be 4 seats (2 kids) and this seems to fit the bill.

So what should I look out for, the good points, the bad points.

So thanks again and fill me in.

Driven one a fair few times…for any performance it needs revved. It drinks fuel and oil in equal measures and the engine needs some part rebuilt semi-regularly.

Spacious and nice to drive but running costs are ridiculous.

I always wanted one, nearly brought one. Mechanic friends and people in the trade I know put me off, they need more TLC than most cars but not as unreliable as some would have you believe. High running costs means there’s some cheap second hand ones about. IIRC you can’t drop the rear seats so no good for bike lugging.

Minimum engine running time of 5-6 mins, so no moving it off the drive to let the wife out. It floods and it’s mr AA / RAC time. Appalling consumption of fluids and a bit gutless. Handling is great and look good.

There’s a reason they’re bargain basement prices

GF looked at buying a new one back in ~2006. Mazda dealer told us ‘cheap to buy, very expensive to run’. If a main dealer is telling us that about a new car, take ‘very expensive’ to mean ‘horrendously expensive’. Friend bought one and very quickly got annoyed by it’s quirks and ‘poor reliability’, though she did not believe me, tha AA man, or Mazda UK about the flooding issue if switched off cold….

Shame as it was a very nice car to drive, if you didn’t mind reving it’s balls off.

They’re cheap for a reason. Nice looking car but they do drink petrol bad and are a very thirsty car.

Ok I’ll bin the idea, cheers all.

I managed to get road and mountain bike in my RX8 boot with a bit of jiggery pokery. Never ever had the flooding problem (later ECUs sorted it) and running costs were bearable, never needed as much oil as claimed. I miss the car so much, a peach to drive and my lap of the Nurburgring in it will stay with me forever. It was made for corners.

Mate has rotary engined cars, one in an RX8 and one running 400hp in a 700 kg kitcar ( albeit with a turbo) loves them. The Rex does have a poor drink problem and he makes 20 mpg on it. If you do look at one then make sure the coilpacks and leads have been changed every 30k miles to solve flooding issues. If the car doesnt start when hot, run away. other than that , a rebuild is probably every 60 to 80k miles at £2k, but price that into what you can buy one for makes a lot of car for the money. Later cars hurt with over £460 a year road tax too, making them a bargain in the future or scrappage scheme sadly.

RX7 FTW

Just saw an article this morning that said Mazda was discontinuing the rotary engine for the time being.

eats, sleeps, drinks, eats, walks over, drives over, vomits and breathes OIL! Be warned, v expensive (Brother-in-law had one…..) 😐

I know a lad whose an Rx7/8 specialist !,he’s flatout,they require engine rebuilds like you wouldn’t believe!,£2800/3000 a pop,some under 30000 miles !.

When theyre running,they’ll pass anything apart from a petrol station ,& the oil consumption is horrific ..

By a Golf gttdi …

I can’t believe no one has mentioned they sound like a cheap leccy lawnmower.

Just get a 3 series or A4…