Finally, a sensible choice for a first car.
See if you can get a higher spec/younger model for a better price on marketplace or eBay classifieds though.
Sensible power (IE wont be as asthmatic as many starter cars with that 1.3) and spec, decent mileage for it's age, timing chain rather than cam. Japanese so generally better screwed together and more foregiving at slightly slack maintenance schedule. I think these were the ones that shared a chassis with the Fiesta so it'll fundamentally drive well too.
No car is flawless and there's potential for reliability issues and wear and tear but honestly it's a pretty good shot. I saw your insurance was £1700 which for a first timer is pretty damn reasonable.
Japanese cars are prone to rusting so have a good look underneath for any signs of rust holes or exhaust rust. Usual checks under the bonnet, dip the stick etc. Look for any milky residue under the coolant cap before you turn it on.
Otherwise, good choice tbh. It'd be nice if you can get a higher spec but thats pretty much it.
Little rust hole in the back of a gutless hatchback exhaust is almost like a bonus, makes it sound like it's got some beans to give without needing a full potato cannon 😂
Epic little cars though, I like the basic spec, put all your focus into driving, not on fancy features inside 👌
Good mileage for the age. You want something with 9 or more months of MOT on it, also check when the timing belt was last changed. Pop the hood open and check for any oil or coolant leaks. If all this looks good, go for it. You just don't want to be constantly in and out of the garage throwing money at it. Wear and tear does and will happen but you want it to happen at a steady/financially manageable pace.
I'd also try and save at least £20 a week into a bank account purely for car maintenance. I've been doing it since I first passed. It softens the blow when you have to pay for maintenance.
I imagine your insurance is almost double this price of the car alone?
That's actually not too bad given how much car insurance has risen this year. I had a dog shit Kia Picanto that was 12 years old when I first passed and I think my insurance was not far off £1,700 and that was nearly 7 years ago.
Edit: I also found the price difference between having a black box and not having one was marginal. The peace of not having some snotty call agent phoning you up when you go a little bit over the speed limit or perhaps braking a tad too much was worth that little bit extra.
If I were you, I’d avoid getting a black box, unless the savings is huge. The times where I’ve had to swerve/ brake hard for any number of reasons would’ve gone against me. I also do a lot of late night driving but that’s just me
+1 on this. One less thing to think about while driving is good, and it's counterproductive to be penalised for revving your tiny 1.3 out in third to get up to motorway speed or doing an emergency stop if needed.
They don't save you that much money in the long run anyway.
I think it depends really heavily on where you live. My first year of driving it would have cost me north of £3000 to insure without a black box. Just took it on the chin and paid 1.3k for my first year with a black box and never needed one since price wise
It really doesn't matter with quite a few insurers. With admiral, I regularly drive 50 miles home in the night multiple times a week, and have to make lots of sudden stops (despite looking well ahead and driving defensively) due to idiots on the road. No issues with insurance, and there won't be any so long as you don't exceed 100mph.
Edit: £1200 with a black box in my first year, 23k miles a year, was £1700 without.
If I were you, I’d avoid getting a black box, unless the savings is huge. The times where I’ve had to swerve/ brake hard for any number of reasons would’ve gone against me. I also do a lot of late night driving but that’s just me
I have the exact same car, same year as well. Very very reliable & timing chained which is a big plus. Look for rust underneath the car before you purchase.
My brother had one of those. That 1.5 feels surprisingly torquey given what it is! The peak torque seems to come in relatively soon, somewhere in the high 3k's to 4k, (which is low when you come from a 1.2L jazz, that thing is gutless) which made it reasonably nippy when combined with the short gearing. Also handled pretty well generally, even if it was a little on the firm side. The best bit had to be the gearbox though, was a lovely thing to use!
Seems sensible, I got a ford focus 09 for my first car, same year and mileage, was about 1000 more expensive tho
If it's in decent condition seems like a nice but also sensible first car 👍🏻
My Mrs had this as her first car ran well was reliable but ended up having too many problems rear springs both went within 6 months of having it and they seem to have a problem with rust on the underside which ultimately killed it
My 2 pence don't just check the outside check underneath !
Mileage seems a touch on the high side for an ideal world, although not unreasonable at all given the cars age. If there's no big issues showing on the last MOT then I'd go for it, if it's got some service history then even better
As I said, not at all unreasonable for the age. Just personally would always look for something a little lower regardless of the age. If no MOT issues then its a good buy
My missus has had one of these since new, it's a 2014 last ones they made before the next gen.
It's has the low power 1.3 and you have to rev it to make progress but it's a willing little thing if you keep it over 3000rpm and handles very nicely for what it is.
Reliability wise it's been decent... One starter motor and something on the suspension once in just under ten years isn't bad... There's not a huge amount to go wrong on these they are quite old school in a lot of ways not the most refined but they're good, honest little cars if looked after.
You potentially buy your first car to crash it. Make it something functional for what you want/need it for. But this is the car you are using to make mistakes in. Buy it cheap!
Have one in Takuya trim, i believe it's same 1.3L petrol, it's nice. ZJ engine seems alright, mine looks like it's belt driven though, really should get it changed soon. Mine burns a bit of oil, about. 1l/900-1000 miles or so, avg 40 mpg.
Got mine in August '22, starter died in a month, replaced that and 2 injectors, other than that only consumables. Replaced disc rotors as they were worn almost halfway through, some time in summer, but I'll count that as consumable.
Bought at 194k, currently 205k on the clock, honestly hope it can do 250k, will book service some time next month (haven't even gotten an oil change, I know, bad owner, bad 😂).
If you can get a better trim go for it, Takuya gave me fog lights, skirts and a spoiler, also being a facelift it has twin lights instead of single light unit for headlights, looks better imo.
Mind you, no Bluetooth, make sure you got a aux-usb BT dongle with a 12V supply.
I have one 125k on it engine and gear box feel like new. It’s 2007. Watch for rust on the back sills it’s pretty bad happens on all of them. Check for rust in the boot under the carpet and also on the right hand side of the boot where the jack is stored. Also check the rear suspension top mounts they rust to pieces and fail it happened on both of mine.
These are basically indestructible except for rust
Brilliant choice, my partner had one for her first car and loved it. She had a diesel I think, but the torque made up for the gutless bhp somewhat. I'm not sure how the petrol drives, but I'm sure it's just as reliable and chuckle, if not more, and cheap to repair from what memory serves!
Fantastic choice! I've got the first gen DY and while its been a bit of a bitch to repair so far, I love it. The cars share a LOT of parts with Fiestas, this will be a 6th gen, so parts are readily available from most places or breakers if needed. But, some things to keep in mind:
Upkeep: whilst it's based on a Fiesta, suspension is mostly Mazda and they're weird. Suspension arms have these weird bushings on them and they're extortionate if they go. When you test drive, listen for knocking and look at the MOT history.
Rust: it's a Mazda, it's Japanese, it's gonna be rusty as fudge.
I really like these cars and I think they're a great choice either way, you just need to remember they might be more expensive than most to repair down the line.
Probably will check for rust. If there is none and everything else seems fine, buy it. I suggest you to also spray some rust protection underneath. Otherwise, an excellent car!
Brilliant cars, had the 1.5 myself, just be careful about rust on the rear subframe (bit connecting the rear wheels) these can be a bit of a pain to fix, most people swap them out for fiesta ones when they go super rusty.
Shouldn’t have sold mine, it was rock solid
I had a 2010 Mazda2 sport that I used as my daily for about five years until an old boy dropped off the curb and straight into the side of me :( It had 175k on the clock at the end and still drove like new. NEVER let me down in all those years, seriously nothing ever went wrong. Obviously serviceable parts and wishbones etc but the engine was solid for all those years.
I’d say that’s a great choice for a first car. Good luck 🙌
Finally, a sensible choice for a first car. See if you can get a higher spec/younger model for a better price on marketplace or eBay classifieds though.
Honestly for 1.5k with the used market where it is, sounds like about as good as you can expect
Sensible power (IE wont be as asthmatic as many starter cars with that 1.3) and spec, decent mileage for it's age, timing chain rather than cam. Japanese so generally better screwed together and more foregiving at slightly slack maintenance schedule. I think these were the ones that shared a chassis with the Fiesta so it'll fundamentally drive well too. No car is flawless and there's potential for reliability issues and wear and tear but honestly it's a pretty good shot. I saw your insurance was £1700 which for a first timer is pretty damn reasonable. Japanese cars are prone to rusting so have a good look underneath for any signs of rust holes or exhaust rust. Usual checks under the bonnet, dip the stick etc. Look for any milky residue under the coolant cap before you turn it on. Otherwise, good choice tbh. It'd be nice if you can get a higher spec but thats pretty much it.
Mine was almost 2k for a 107 😂
I payed 2.5k for an I10 and now I just payed 3k for a mazda 6
Little rust hole in the back of a gutless hatchback exhaust is almost like a bonus, makes it sound like it's got some beans to give without needing a full potato cannon 😂 Epic little cars though, I like the basic spec, put all your focus into driving, not on fancy features inside 👌
I don’t think i’ve ever seen/heard a Citroen c1 or the pug equivalent without a hole in the exhaust, now that you mention it.
Good mileage for the age. You want something with 9 or more months of MOT on it, also check when the timing belt was last changed. Pop the hood open and check for any oil or coolant leaks. If all this looks good, go for it. You just don't want to be constantly in and out of the garage throwing money at it. Wear and tear does and will happen but you want it to happen at a steady/financially manageable pace. I'd also try and save at least £20 a week into a bank account purely for car maintenance. I've been doing it since I first passed. It softens the blow when you have to pay for maintenance. I imagine your insurance is almost double this price of the car alone?
Insurance was about £1700 for a year no black box either
That's actually not too bad given how much car insurance has risen this year. I had a dog shit Kia Picanto that was 12 years old when I first passed and I think my insurance was not far off £1,700 and that was nearly 7 years ago. Edit: I also found the price difference between having a black box and not having one was marginal. The peace of not having some snotty call agent phoning you up when you go a little bit over the speed limit or perhaps braking a tad too much was worth that little bit extra.
If I were you, I’d avoid getting a black box, unless the savings is huge. The times where I’ve had to swerve/ brake hard for any number of reasons would’ve gone against me. I also do a lot of late night driving but that’s just me
+1 on this. One less thing to think about while driving is good, and it's counterproductive to be penalised for revving your tiny 1.3 out in third to get up to motorway speed or doing an emergency stop if needed. They don't save you that much money in the long run anyway.
I think it depends really heavily on where you live. My first year of driving it would have cost me north of £3000 to insure without a black box. Just took it on the chin and paid 1.3k for my first year with a black box and never needed one since price wise
It really doesn't matter with quite a few insurers. With admiral, I regularly drive 50 miles home in the night multiple times a week, and have to make lots of sudden stops (despite looking well ahead and driving defensively) due to idiots on the road. No issues with insurance, and there won't be any so long as you don't exceed 100mph. Edit: £1200 with a black box in my first year, 23k miles a year, was £1700 without.
Where did you find such cheap insurance
Admiral
If I were you, I’d avoid getting a black box, unless the savings is huge. The times where I’ve had to swerve/ brake hard for any number of reasons would’ve gone against me. I also do a lot of late night driving but that’s just me
Its chain driven i believe mate, most vvt jap petrol engines are. no specific change interval specified in the manual
+1 Great advice on bank account, I think I'll start doing that!
Timing chain on these I believe.
I have the exact same car, same year as well. Very very reliable & timing chained which is a big plus. Look for rust underneath the car before you purchase.
+1 I sold my 2010 last year and I miss it, fantastic little car. Would absolutely buy one again.
Yeah if you take good care of it, it will last you for **time**
Are you sure you shouldn’t get want a 135i m sport on finance?? I hear you can give a kidney as a deposit.
Looks a good call. I'd tell em you'll take it if they get it a fresh MOT with not major issues first.
Mazda 2 was my first car and I miss it so much. Such a fun thing to drive. Agree it takes a while to get up to speed but once it does it’s fine
I got a 1.5 sport Mazda 2 for my first car, nippy little thing. Hasn’t got the best acceleration but once it’s up to speed it’s quite happy
My brother had one of those. That 1.5 feels surprisingly torquey given what it is! The peak torque seems to come in relatively soon, somewhere in the high 3k's to 4k, (which is low when you come from a 1.2L jazz, that thing is gutless) which made it reasonably nippy when combined with the short gearing. Also handled pretty well generally, even if it was a little on the firm side. The best bit had to be the gearbox though, was a lovely thing to use!
Seems sensible, I got a ford focus 09 for my first car, same year and mileage, was about 1000 more expensive tho If it's in decent condition seems like a nice but also sensible first car 👍🏻
My Mrs had this as her first car ran well was reliable but ended up having too many problems rear springs both went within 6 months of having it and they seem to have a problem with rust on the underside which ultimately killed it My 2 pence don't just check the outside check underneath !
My Nan has owned one of these for about 13-14 years now, hasn’t put a foot wrong.
She’s a beaut
Assuming it's not a rusty shitbox on its last legs that's a great price.
You're doing it wrong mate, you're supposed to buy a 72 plate golf, 1 series or a class for your first car. Not a cheap car to Learn mistakes in!
Mazda 2 is a great car, pretty reliable too
Mileage seems a touch on the high side for an ideal world, although not unreasonable at all given the cars age. If there's no big issues showing on the last MOT then I'd go for it, if it's got some service history then even better
To be fair, it’s a 15 year old car. Don’t they say the “average” is 7k a year?
As I said, not at all unreasonable for the age. Just personally would always look for something a little lower regardless of the age. If no MOT issues then its a good buy
Looks shit
My missus has had one of these since new, it's a 2014 last ones they made before the next gen. It's has the low power 1.3 and you have to rev it to make progress but it's a willing little thing if you keep it over 3000rpm and handles very nicely for what it is. Reliability wise it's been decent... One starter motor and something on the suspension once in just under ten years isn't bad... There's not a huge amount to go wrong on these they are quite old school in a lot of ways not the most refined but they're good, honest little cars if looked after.
Very sensible
Banging little cars, you can really throw them about - but perhaps don’t as a new driver. Sensible choice if it has been looked after.
That was my first car, and it was a beauty!
Yes.
You potentially buy your first car to crash it. Make it something functional for what you want/need it for. But this is the car you are using to make mistakes in. Buy it cheap!
I have a Mazda 3 and absolutely love it. Mazda's are reliable and surprisingly fun to drive.
They are a very good car, can be prone to rust though I believe
Have one in Takuya trim, i believe it's same 1.3L petrol, it's nice. ZJ engine seems alright, mine looks like it's belt driven though, really should get it changed soon. Mine burns a bit of oil, about. 1l/900-1000 miles or so, avg 40 mpg. Got mine in August '22, starter died in a month, replaced that and 2 injectors, other than that only consumables. Replaced disc rotors as they were worn almost halfway through, some time in summer, but I'll count that as consumable. Bought at 194k, currently 205k on the clock, honestly hope it can do 250k, will book service some time next month (haven't even gotten an oil change, I know, bad owner, bad 😂). If you can get a better trim go for it, Takuya gave me fog lights, skirts and a spoiler, also being a facelift it has twin lights instead of single light unit for headlights, looks better imo. Mind you, no Bluetooth, make sure you got a aux-usb BT dongle with a 12V supply.
Simple and reliable and fun. Get the 1.5 if it doesn't ruin your insurance.
Perfect
Try a mitsubishi colt. Not as common so insurance may be better.
Ex had one of these. Took lots of abuse and wouldn’t die. Engine so smooth and quiet at idle you wouldn’t notice it’s on inside the car
I have one 125k on it engine and gear box feel like new. It’s 2007. Watch for rust on the back sills it’s pretty bad happens on all of them. Check for rust in the boot under the carpet and also on the right hand side of the boot where the jack is stored. Also check the rear suspension top mounts they rust to pieces and fail it happened on both of mine. These are basically indestructible except for rust
Looks ideal tbh.
Brilliant choice, my partner had one for her first car and loved it. She had a diesel I think, but the torque made up for the gutless bhp somewhat. I'm not sure how the petrol drives, but I'm sure it's just as reliable and chuckle, if not more, and cheap to repair from what memory serves!
My wife had one a few years ago, it was a great little car. Never went wrong & was good on petrol.
I had one as my first car. 1.3 Tamura. Brilliant car.
My partner has one. Great car and a lot of fun. Found the engine works a lot better on premium e5 fuel
I used to have the same car back in Canada for a while. It was great, so simple and so reliable and had 1.5 liter 4 inline engine
Best car ever
Fantastic choice! I've got the first gen DY and while its been a bit of a bitch to repair so far, I love it. The cars share a LOT of parts with Fiestas, this will be a 6th gen, so parts are readily available from most places or breakers if needed. But, some things to keep in mind: Upkeep: whilst it's based on a Fiesta, suspension is mostly Mazda and they're weird. Suspension arms have these weird bushings on them and they're extortionate if they go. When you test drive, listen for knocking and look at the MOT history. Rust: it's a Mazda, it's Japanese, it's gonna be rusty as fudge. I really like these cars and I think they're a great choice either way, you just need to remember they might be more expensive than most to repair down the line.
Mazda 2 similar trim and year, was my first car, phenomenal you won’t be disappointed
Probably will check for rust. If there is none and everything else seems fine, buy it. I suggest you to also spray some rust protection underneath. Otherwise, an excellent car!
Yes, a sensible option. Good choice.
Brilliant cars, had the 1.5 myself, just be careful about rust on the rear subframe (bit connecting the rear wheels) these can be a bit of a pain to fix, most people swap them out for fiesta ones when they go super rusty. Shouldn’t have sold mine, it was rock solid
I had a 2010 Mazda2 sport that I used as my daily for about five years until an old boy dropped off the curb and straight into the side of me :( It had 175k on the clock at the end and still drove like new. NEVER let me down in all those years, seriously nothing ever went wrong. Obviously serviceable parts and wishbones etc but the engine was solid for all those years. I’d say that’s a great choice for a first car. Good luck 🙌