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Ive been in the market for a second hand car with a budget of around 8-9 k and have found 2 options I like the look of. Both are top of the range mazda 6s. I actually bought one recently but it was faulty so I'm in market for another. It comfy, well speced, meant to be reliable and I really like the look of them.
Car 1 - petrol 2013, 45k on clock. It s absolutely mint condition externally, however the dealer has no service history other than 3 dealer records up until 2016. This could be because service records are meant to be done online via a digital record and some garages can't update it. It doesn't have a book you can put stamps in for example. Or it could just be it's never been serviced...
Car 2. This one is a diesel estate from 2014. Again mint condition, this one has a full mazda service history. Being an estate is a big plus for bike lugging and the dog
The issue with car 2 is it's a diesel and I only do around 3-4k miles a year. It would probably get a 30 mile round trip once a week on the motorway to go biking but other than that there will be lots of short journeys of a couple of miles. Everything ive read says avoid a diesel unless you are doing big miles due to the dfp. However Pretty much every 2nd car I see on the road is a diesel and they can't all be doing big motorway miles...is the dfp really as big an issue as everyone makes out?
So..Would anyone buy either of those cars considering the downsides attached to both?
if you only do 3-4k pa I would buy something newer and higher milage, then after 5 years it'll be average milage..
My Mate had a 6 Estate said even tho it was a Diesel it wasn’t good on Fuel
Look up Mazda Diesel engine woes. Petrol bland but reliable, a bit like an Avensis but nicer looking. Regarding the oil burner I’m sure there will be people saying it’s all sorted now, mine has been fine etc etc. They never got to grips with the DPF regeneration even in the later cars. At least they never run out of engine oil as it’s topped up from the fuel tank. Petrol all the way with these.
if you only do 3-4k pa I would buy something newer and higher milage, then after 5 years it’ll be average milage..
TBC there isn't that much out there for that money that takes my eye, especially newer. Lots of cars with basic specs, but none really appeal. And looking at the big German saloons and estates they are crazy money for anything 3 or 4 years old.
I don't see saving on fuel costs with a diesel a deciding factor given how few miles I'll be doing but I had read that round town diesels aren't any more economical that a petrol car.
And looking at the big German saloons and estates they are crazy money for anything 3 or 4 years old.
Prices of secondhand cars have shot up recently, partly because of the shortage of new cars, but also because the new online dealers like Cazoo are grabbing the better cars before they go into auction.
I've had a '10 plate diesel 6 for eight years now. it's been much more reliable than the Passat it replaced. Driving wise it is great, cornering in particular is vastly better than the B5 Passat. comments about the diesel made above are all valid however: regen happens at set intervals and if the engine is not hot enough it sprays diesel at the dpf and the gunk then drains back into the oil sump. You have to check the oil level every couple of weeks if you're doing a lot of town driving or it'll get to high and trash the engine. I also had the injector bolts come loose which caused a whole lot of issues.
If I'd known I would have got the petrol version, it is barely more thirsty than the diesel one.
I have a 2015 6 saloon with the 2.2 diesel. For low mileage I would go petrol - the fuel consumption figures are not remotely accurate (something to do with being able to quote figures for a lower PS engine because it’s the same displacement - mine is the higher power 2.2 and I get 8-10mpg less than quoted in normal motorway driving).
I will probably run into the service history issue when it comes to sell. My first three services were done by Mazda and are on the digital record. The rest I have just kept invoices for in the hope that is enough. Does the seller of car 1 not have paperwork to show services completed?
It’s a great car regardless. In nearly 6 years of ownership I have only had 1 issue with the infotainment. Not actually sure what the problem is as I’m barely driving it right now but I doubt it will be too expensive a fix as parts seem fairly cheaply available.
Does the seller of car 1 not have paperwork to show services completed?
Nope...it's from a dealer who has nothing. Interesting you said you don't have any service record past the first 3 either. From what I can see a few are like that..ie service though mazda to cover the warrenty and then nothing.
It's a bit of a gamble but the car is prwtty much immaculate on the outside at least so it doesnt appear to have been abused.
Not worried about selling value. I'll be keeping it for 4 or 5 years and after that it won't owe me anything.
regen happens at set intervals and if the engine is not hot enough it sprays diesel at the dpf and the gunk then drains back into the oil sump.
I thought regen only happened when you drive for lomg enough to burn it all off. Are you saying the car some how automatically cleans the dpf even if you only do short journeys?
That seems a very high price for that age of a Mazda to me. For either car obvs.
Perhaps I'm just out of touch though?
Had a look on autotrader, it looks like there are way more diesel estates available than petrol. Your option 1 looks quite pricey.
I have bought 2 cars 2nd hand with very low miliage but service histories. Both 4-5 years old but owned by older people and used locally. Both had engine failures that could have been partly down to lack of use. Never again, I'd always go for something that had been used normally. I know not a scientific study but I got sucked in by the shiny bodywork and perfect interior when which counts for nothing when your stuck on the A19 at 9pm with 3 kids.
If only doing low mileage I would avoid the diesel as you will have problems with DPF and EGR which can become costly.
I’ve just had a look on autotrader a few Peugeot 308sw’s about, Skoda and Astra’s within price.
£9k for what looks like a very iffy service history which tends to point to the displayed (and TBH suspiciously low for a 7 year old car: take a close look at the pedals, gearstick and steering wheel for wear) milage being a possible issue.
Unless the dealer is willing to give you a gold plated warranty then its best to steer clear.
Perhaps I’m just out of touch though?
Probably, take a look at s/h bike prices - blow your mind.
if you only do 3-4k pa I would buy something newer and higher milage, then after 5 years it’ll be average milage..
Save up / borrow some more and buy that 320d in the Classifieds, it’ll go on for many, many years.
Second hands will have absorbed the additional purchae cost of a diesel, and the low annual mileage is not the issue. The real issue is if you won’t / can’t do to odd hour plus long trip once a month the clear / clean the DPF if required. I say if, becuase for obvious reasons these things only start to clog more with age and continued short journey use. Even then, an after market replacement (Ford for example) is just £300 fitted after say 80-100k miles. We have no issues with our Kuga DPF 13yo and 80k miles used for school runs, it does get the odd motorway journey.
May not be relevant but we have a Mazda 2 with the 1.5 115bhp Skyactive engine, i love this car, so much fun to drive, i sold our GR Yaris because it was as dull as ditchwater once you got used to the ballistic speed.
I've owned a few Mazda's over the years and rust is the one thing that rankles, saying that the GR Yaris had rust on it the day i picked it up
I would not spend 9k on a car that may not have been serviced. It's not that hard to keep hold of receipts - good odds it simply hasn't been done.
At that budget I'd be spending 3-4k and keeping the rest for possible repairs. It's a no-mans land budget - not new enough to guarantee reliability, not old enough to be cheap.
Something like this...
I would not spend 9k on a car that may not have been serviced.
I was going to say the exact same thing.
For you annual mileage, a petrol, no brainer. But find one with service history. surely the used car market hasn't gone so mental that a 2013 Mazda 6 with limited service history is one of the best £9k options???
I would go half the price you are looking at and keep some of the rest for any repairs. I don’t think there is any advantage to spending more than £5k on a car unless you can get a new warrantied car. Cars are so much more reliable nowadays so if you pick a reliable make and model with a decent history a 12yo car can be just as good as a 6/7 yo car, and any fixes are likely to be cheaper anyway.
I'd at least review the DVLA's MOT history on car 1:
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history
Paying particular attention to the mileage between MOTs, and any recurring advisories.
Yes It's low miles for a 13 plate after 8 years, but perhaps just 'low-average' for a 13 plate back in 2019? Considering the last ~18 months you may be looking at something that's not left the drive more than a handful of times between it's last 2 MOTs.
It's probably an 8 year old car with about the mileage it had at 6 years?
I'd not choose a diesel for infrequent, low mileage use, unfortunately late 00s to early 10s means 'peak diesel' everyone was buying the buggers. I'm still driving an 08 plate diesel and waiting for the inevitable 🙂
Edit: oh and barter, it's not worth the asking price...
Mazda service history is all done digitally so you'll very rarely find one with an old-fashioned wodge of paperwork.
Find one with the 2.0 Skyactiv engine in, and a manual, and rejoice. Much, much more fun to drive than a Passat/A4 etc - all the Mazda range is set up a little more joyful than their competitors.
If you get an SE-NAV or an SE-L with the larger screen, a Mazda Dealer can upgrade it to Android Auto/Apple Carplay for a couple of Hundred quid. Some may have already been done, was a nice sweetener for the dealers.
They are a very good option for a used buy.
Try and find a soul red one if you can!
And if you want an estate, beware you'll pay a big premium. Worth it - IF you you need it.
It seems to me that you aren't particularly enthusiastic about either so keep looking would be my choice.
Car 1 – petrol 2013, 45k on clock. It s absolutely mint condition externally, however the dealer has no service history other than 3 dealer records up until 2016. This could be because service records are meant to be done online via a digital record and some garages can’t update it. It doesn’t have a book you can put stamps in for example. Or it could just be it’s never been serviced…
In 2016 I bought a petrol Mazda 3 that was about 7 years old, had 45K on the clock and (it turned out) had basically not had a service since 6K miles.
I gave it a full service straight away, it needed new spark plugs, and it's been perfect ever since 🙂
Thanks folks
If the car had a service history then for 9k or would actually be decent value. It's in immaculate condition, lowish miles and top spec. But I agree the lack of service history steers me away from it. It does come with an 18 month warranty but what that's worth I have no idea.
For comparison I've viewed a few cars of the same model for slightly cheaper in last few weeks and all have really looked their age and have had slightly older mileage.
Don't have any interest in buying a car in the 4-5 k range. All the ones I looked at either really looked their age, or have been fairly low spec if in better condition. I could pick up something like a pug or insignia for cheaper for sure (I could also pick up a newer mazda 6 in lower spec for less) but having sat in them they are a bit uninspiring.
Ring a Mazda dealer, pretend you just bought the car (without saying so if you like) and ask what service it needs next and when. Ask them what it's had in the past.
My mercedes has a digital history, there is a website you go on (mymercedes), enter the VIN and a few details and you can see / print out the history.
A service book is way too easily faked, so never believe them anyway.
I wouldn't worry too much anyway, a car of that value will have been serviced, and anyway if it hasn't it will still be fine, I know of taxis going 80k between services....
The Mazda 6 is basically a mondeo underneath, should be a good buy. Older models had rust problems.
Try and find a soul red one if you can!
The one I was Intested in is the 2l sport nav in soul red. Really is a lovely looking car
Wow, when I was looking at Mazda 6 estates in 2018 you could get a 2014 model for 11k
Mazda service history is all done digitally so you’ll very rarely find one with an old-fashioned wodge of paperwork
The digital record will replace the old style service book but even so I'd expect to see an invoice for the service.
Wow, when I was looking at Mazda 6 estates in 2018 you could get a 2014 model for 11k
I can get a 2017 Mazda 6 now for 11k. But it's the lower spec version which imo is not nearly as nice.
The issue with the digital history is apparently some garages can't update it (see bassmandan's post above). The car has no receipts at all, which does seem odd given it must have had some cash spent on it having looked at the mot history. The tyres on it look virtually new as well..
The car has no receipts at all, which does seem odd given it must have had some cash spent on it having looked at the mot history. The tyres on it look virtually new as well..
from a dealer this does not surprise me at all. Assuming the car was PX'd at some point, I wouldn't be too worried about tipping in my big folder of receipts to them. And if I did, I wouldn't imagine they'd stay with the car once it's been through multiple rounds of auctions/dealer trading.
As for diesel/petrol - I'd avoid diesel for such short journeys as the main use. There's more than just the DPF to go wrong, EGR valves get gummed up when they don't get hot etc... and it takes quite a while for diesels to warm up generally. During that phase, fuel consumption is not at all good. Also the car doesn't know when you're doing a short or long journey, so could start a DPF regen which gets cut short when you stop on your short journey. Aside from that, I've spent a fair bit of time line side on engine manufacturing plants.. the difference between petrol and diesel engines is striking particularly at the sort of age you're looking at.... the sheer number of sensors, actuators, pipes, gaskets etc... on a diesel is frightening! Current petrol engines are going the same way but mid 2010's were simpler IMO.
I’d expect to see an invoice for the service
Assuming the car was PX’d at some point, I wouldn’t be too worried about tipping in my big folder of receipts to them. And if I did, I wouldn’t imagine they’d stay with the car once it’s been through multiple rounds of auctions/dealer trading.
I actively remove all previous receipts when trading a car in unless explicitly asked, as it avoids random phone calls 12 months later from a new owner who found your details on an old receipt.
neither - the petrol has gone a long time without a service record to risk. The diesel is not suited to those short journeys, even without dpf you will get dpf and other fouling issues.
with reference to the dpf - Mrs Sims Passat which I now use for 30-40 mile commute every day has dpf issues because I can't give it enough welly in traffic to fully warm the engine at these times
Daft question but if you don't service your car what are the implications, assuming it's petrol.
I'm assuming the key issues are the oil hasn't been changed which will goose the engine. But would all the other stuff not been done cause permanent damage?
Most of the cars I buy I just run into the ground, but i do keep on top of oil changes, oil filters etc etc. How nesecary are all the other checks they do?
The oil will retain some of its lubricity but will become acidic leading to corrosion, also it will exceed its carrying capacity for contaminants leading to blockages in oil galleries and breathers etc. The oil filter may clog leading to bypass therefore no filtration exacerbating the above issues.
Suspension components and other parts may become corroded leading to increased bills over time when replacing (later than recommended) because of extra stress on related parts - the MOT checks should pick up any dangerous issues.
But mostly if they cba to service it, how badly was it treated every day - could lead to big bills further down the line.
Is it worth having a look at the petrol if it's close and pulling the dipstick/checking the colour of the oil and the feel of it between your fingers?
Don't know my way round Mazda's but can you pop the air filter cover easily and see if there's a date on it?
Petrol. Marginally cheaper fuel. Less ‘grumbly’ in the noise.
was the Mazda 6 a Mazda mondeo?
Just to go back to the diesel dpf regen: yes, it happens every 200kms (I think) regardless of what's happening with the engine. You can be sitting in traffic with lots of pedestrians around and suddenly you'll have clouds of sooty smoke coming out the exhaust , completely defeating the object of having the ruddy thing in the first place. Mazda recommend you keep the revs above 2000 rpm whilst driving, again pretty hopeless in the town (that's barely into second gear in a 20 zone!).
I'd go look at the petrol. Check the mot history and find out the mileage of the last service at Mazda.
Get the dealer to service it and haggle on price.
A petrol Mazda is pretty bomb proof and it's not like it's done 100k miles since the last service (assuming mot history checks out).
I've just had a look - car prices are daft at the moment...! Our V70 - we've had it 2.5 years/30k. There are a few on Auto trader in identical spec /year / similar miles - within £1k of what we paid for ours... There's a couple a bit less, a couple even more.
Crazy.
It's just had a full service from the dealer. There is no history or receipts covering 5 years or 20000 miles
Appreciate the point about if it's not been serviced how do i know it's not been thrashed, however visually that doesn't appear to be the case.
toyotas now have a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty, if you get them serviced at toyota. so i'd be looking at somehting like this https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103120068866?onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&make=TOYOTA&radius=1500&include-delivery-option=on&fuel-type=Petrol&price-to=9500&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=bn68ff&body-type=Estate&sort=year-desc&page=1 if you want an estate
Our Alhambra just had a service- it’s a digital record but we still got a receipt.
I’d be tempted to look at the shed of the week that’s on pistonheads this week