Mazda 323 2.0 TD

I bought this Mazda last November on an 'X' plate with 35800 miles on the clock. I have never owned a Mazda before nor driven a diesel car so I was a little apprehensive as to whether it would be a good buy but I was after a reliable car (for a change) and had heard good comments about this brand.

I also wanted air conditioning, power steering, drivers airbag, remote central locking with immobiliser and at least electric front windows ...
...wiper to wipe it off. Mazda must have thought that people would want to wash the rear window without wiping it for some strange reason.

This apart, I would have no hesitation in recommending this model to any future potential buyers. For sheer reliablitity, economy and comfort I do not think it can be beaten and look forward to many more years of happy motoring with Mazda.  ... more

I bought this Mazda last November on an 'X' plate with 35800 miles on the clock. I have never owned a Mazda before nor driven a diesel car so I was a little apprehensive as to whether it would be a good buy but I was after a reliable car (for a change) and had heard good comments about this brand.

I also wanted air conditioning, power steering, drivers airbag, remote central locking with immobiliser and at least electric front windows and I could not find another car at the price I paid with all of these as standard (price paid £5600). I took it for a test drive and instantly fell in love with it. The seats are comfortable and the interior is pleasing to the eye and everything seems to be in the right place on the instrument panel. The boot space is also good for a hatchback.

The external view of the car is also sporty looking and with no diesel badge on the car you would be hard pressed to tell that it was one. Although as like most diesels it is a little noisy when cold once it has warmed up (which doesnt take long) it is a lot quieter and its 2 litre 16v engine soon makes up for the fact that it is a diesel by giving good engine performance through the gears and enabling it to keep up with the flow of traffic without any problems. On motorways it drives along at a good pace and has no problems with hilly areas although it is not recommended to do under 30mph in fifth gear.

I drive a lot to Birmingham from Peterborough a distance of 160 miles on a round trip and the fuel economy is excellent. On a full tank (usually costing around £33-£35) I can go to Birmingham and back for around a quarter of a tank. I have done over 7000 miles in the car since last November and haven't had any problems apart from replacing a brakelight.

Servicing at a main dealer can be a little pricey as with a lot of japanese cars but if like me you are intending to keep it for a while a trip to a reliable independent garage can result in considerable savings on servicing and the service intervals of around 10000 miles are satisfactory.

My only reservation is with regards to the front window washer which seems to require a precise degree of adjustment on the control before it will wash the front window and work the wipers automatically and the rear washer which does not wash the rear window automatically meaning that you have to put the water on the window and then use the wiper to wipe it off. Mazda must have thought that people would want to wash the rear window without wiping it for some strange reason.

This apart, I would have no hesitation in recommending this model to any future potential buyers. For sheer reliablitity, economy and comfort I do not think it can be beaten and look forward to many more years of happy motoring with Mazda. 

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