I’ve been to look at a 68 plate RF this morning, black with just under 40k miles on the clock being sold by a BMW main dealer.
I used to work in the motor trade and I have always had very high standards when it comes to used car preparation, the car was priced at just under £13k, the condition doesn’t seem to match the mileage and price of the car! There were a number of chips around the rear and a few imperfections in weird spots.
Needless to say I didn’t buy it, but so frustrating!! Am I too fussy?
Spent all weekend looking at RFs all over the place. Couldn’t find anything reasonable. Started looking at some Mazda 6s (will eventually pick up a 2.0 petrol) but same!
I’ve looked at RFs up to £16k and Mazda 6s also around the £16k/£17k mark and still couldn’t find one with an actual full service history or a clean bodywork - seems like people are treating cars more and more as disposable (rather than a long term item), this would probably explain the lack of servicing and the frankly careless bodywork conditions I’ve come across during my search and dealerships must have really lowered their standards to explain why some of theses are even for sale in the condition they’re in.
Anyway, unfortunately my back up car/project car (Peugeot 107) failed its MOT on Saturday evening and it is uneconomical to repair so I am now in desperate need for a car. I thought perhaps going down the road of getting something cheap to run around until I get an RF… NO SUCH THING ANYMORE!! A ‘cheap’ car is now upwards of £3k! Mental.
Looks like I am most likely going to end up with the original black RF being sold at the BMW dealer. Dubious condition, but at least cheaper price and when a ‘cheap’ car is a few thousand pounds, makes no sense to throw so much money away. So I’m not getting the best RF, but I’m getting a decent enough example and most importantly I am getting into the platform that I love.
I’ve been out and about myself lately looking at replacing my daily driver. I’ve come to the conclusion my 10 year old SEAT is in better condition than some 3/4 years at the dealers. They also want silly money for them, I’m not after anything special either, it’s just how the market is.
I’m in no rush and biding my time, something will turn up.
I think that is a very accurate observation - I don’t know for a fact, but I have been saying for several years now that the more PCP/lease cars there are, the more the quality of used cars suffers. Whether that is right or not I don’t know, but I could see it being one of the causes!
Yesterday after lunch I was pruning the crab-apples and heard a car go past with a very flat tyre, maybe even metal to the road. It’s an awful sound.
Ten minutes later the flat returned and pulled into my neighbour’s across the close.
Being nosy I had a quick look and the only car there was the year-old Audi SUV. But no evidence of Mrs who usually drives it. All their bigger cars are PCP with personal plates except the little old Ka shared by the youngest kids.
Three hours later a mobile tyre fitter arrived, and soon left with the car still up on a pneumatic jack looking a bit like this.
My security cameras showed he was back at about 10pm with a new (or was it refurbished?) wheel and tyre!
Where does one find an Audi SUV wheel on a Sunday evening?
I spotted one dealers write up of their business model, they pointed out they don’t buy ex rental cars such as Hertz/Avis do. They are ex contract (PCP) cars. Probably ones that some dealers don’t want on their forecourts for reasons of condition or excessive mileage?
Firstly as you already know NDs are great cars and the issues they suffer I feel are overstated.
I have had mine for 5 years now and the only issue has been the Hub bushes which were replaced with the poly bushes last year. Easy to tell as it will clunk even when they’re a tiny bit worn.
My car is used pretty hard and is my daily car but I service it twice a year about every 6000 and it goes to Mazda for one of them.
It’s been under sealed with bilt hamber products which can be applied on a DIY basis and I try to keep it as clean as the weather and countryside allows.
It was bought at 3 years old with 3k miles and full Mazda history. I’ve put 45k miles on it now and it’s the best car I’ve owned.
At 35k miles I changed the oe tires for Goodyears and I replaced the discs and pads which were not expensive.
It’s had the diff and gearbox oil changed at its 4th service as the gearboxes are known to have issues but none that I’ve experienced.
Overall I’d say they have less issues than most modern cars. I’ve debated changing it for a fresher ND2 2.0 but can’t really justify it.
Mines a 1.5 soft top for reference, love the simplicity and it’s still comfortable for long trips.
Good ones are out there it might just be the time of year as a lot of the smarter folk will save selling it until the sun (might) come out
Thank you very much for your post, very nice to see someone who is as big a fan of the ND as I am - it really is a one of a kind car, especially when you put it next to other modern cars!!
I still haven’t found a decent enough ND, but instead found a very nice 68 plate Mazda 6 2.0 145. It’s a one owner car with about average mileage and actual full service history. I went to look at it and had to buy it. The condition even though not perfect (it is a 6 year old car after all) is actually pretty decent! No signs of carelessness, just signs of it being driven such as chips and light scratches which will most certainly polish out with a decent detail. It’s quite impressive that main dealers are selling cars in such awful condition for extortionate prices when this beautiful and honest example cost me several thousands less and it’s in much better condition and has an actual full service history!
We’ve been driving it all weekend and done close to 200 miles already, currently averaging 52 mpg which is pretty astounding and reinforces my argument of ‘who the hell needs turbos?!’, it also drives remarkably good and it really reminds me of my ND. It’s great to be back in a Mazda, however short lived it may be. Soon the wife will be taking this as her car and I’ll be back in my Scirocco R and the hunt for an ND will resume once again!
Just be careful reversing it! My work colleague had a Mazda6 saloon and it was on its fourth rear bumper by the time he sold it. It’s a very long car with atrocious rear visibility, unless you get one with a reversing camera.
I had the 165 version estate. It was a reasonable car but the adaptive headlights were weak and the iStop system was endlessly temperamental.
Oh yeah I’m very careful with it! It does have a rear camera which helps to get nice and close without touching.
Interesting comments about the headlights. I find the headlights better than average, and what do you mean about the iStop system? Anything to look out for? This one seems to work spot on so far.
I’m actually going to make a very bold comment - I’ve been lucky enough to drive many different thousands of cars through work (used to work in the motor trade) - from very ratty and cheap stuff to very expensive metal, and I would say this Mazda 6 is the most luxurious and relaxed car to drive I’ve ever experienced. I’m putting it ahead of very expensive BMWs, Mercs and Audis too!
My car had the Safety Pack with adaptive (matrix) headlights. Apart from brightly illuminating a useless part of the verge, they were worse than the halogens on my MX-5. Waste of about £1,500. The iStop system kept complaining of insufficient battery charge. In the end I found (as have many on here) that disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cures it for a while. At one point I bought a new EFB battery but the car also decided that was no good after 3 months. Anyway, iStop saved me £1.70 in petrol (based on the cumulative mileage gained) over 3 years, so that was worthwhile compared to £90 for a new battery.
I’ve got a 1.5ND soft top , basic model, one of the earliest ones, owned since new.
Only issues I have had are the inner front brake pads wearing very quickly and drain filters getting easily blocked.
