Found a great deal on a speed3, help me know what I'm getting myself into...
 

So, I'm car shopping right now and I found a 2007 speed3 w/ 33,000 miles that's going for $14.5k...

From the research I've done online, it sounds like a steal and I've been wanting a speed3 for some time now, but I have never owned anything like one and hence I came here seeking advice on if it's a smart buy.

What's the maintenance costs like on these cars? I'm a college student on a limited budget so I want to make sure I'm not getting in over my head. (> _ <)

How does the 2007 model compare to the rest? Is it a year that's better avoided?

When I go to the dealership to check out the car, what common problems does this model have that I should keep an eye out for?


Thanks a bunch!

Check to see if it has been/was modded. If it was, don't buy...it was prolly beat like a redheaded step child.

READ HERE:

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...i-look-125030/

Very informative, saved me a lot of headache when I went to purchase my Mazdaspeed.

Get a vin number. Also if you can post the ad for the car.

I looked into the history of the car on carfax and I do notice a reported accident. Is that a sure sign its a salvage or could that also just have been a minor moving accident?


Here's the original ad I found:

https://usedcars.truecar.com/car/Maz...BK34M971687002


After sending them a message I found the actual dealer listing:

2007 Mazda Mazda3 Mazdaspeed3 Sport Monterey Park , California | Topline Automotive, Inc.



They have a picture of the engine on there too, clearer in the second link.


Perhaps the price was too good to be true? Or do you think it's worth a chance?

I'd say it was probably modded at one point. Stay away!

Let the car idle for 5 minutes or so if it is smoking out of the exhaust... Don't buy. Permitting the car is warmed up after the five min.

Too good to be true, stay away. Price in relation to mileage alone doesn't add up. Not to mention it already has the ms cai on it, you know it's been modded, and adding it's reported an accident you know it's been driven hard for those 30k. Be patient, you get what you pay for.

is that an upgraded top mount? or is it stock, missing shroud?

it has definitely been modded, but some people mod cars and are super anal, it may be in good condition. and 1 accident may not be a big deal. he may have backed into something or whatever.

you just may need to look deeper.. see if you can get a service history on it, i.e. what warranty work and the like has been done. any mazda dealership should be able to do that. check the link posted above and go from there.

awesome, thanks guys! :D

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Fuck it, drive it hard and see what happens. Strange that the price is so cheap, they know it's a speed3?

The hose behind the tmic looks like it has a worm clamp, thats not oem which makes me think that it had a upgraded tmic and he tossed the oem shroud. The mazdaspeed cai is a very well known pile, it causes the maf sensor to meter incoming air incorrectly causing the engine to want to run lean and it hangs low to the ground and has a 5 star reputation for sucking up water from small puddles and hydrolocking the motor. Engine hydro locking is covered by insurance as water damage.

The oem tmic does not cool properly without a shroud. You can pick them up easily on the forums here for cheap though.

Take the red oil fill cap off and check that the timing chain isnt super loose, if it is, walk away.

Ask the dealer if they will warranty it.

Take it to a mechanic and have them do a compression test, if all 4 are 175-180psi your ok, if not then run.

Take the power steering fuild cap off and see if the fluid is black, cars that are tracked alot can boil the fluid and the pump is never really the same.

Check the front brakes for wear, at 33k it could be on its second set of brakes.

Take the vin to a dealer and pull the warranty history.

If it sounds to good to be true. It most likely is.

I don't think the price is necessarily low. It's probably average for the age.
It has been modded, so there is a risk factor regarding abuse.
It doesn't have the original wheels, so you don't know if they were simply swapped, or replaced due to damage...and wheel damage doesn't stop at the wheels.
It looks very clean, but I'd be wary.

Late to the party, but it also has a shitty turbo timer shoved into the wallet holder to the left of the steering column.

Engine bay picture, is it me or are the overlap/wear/bolt heads clean, shiny and showing less wear on the passenger side? It has the speed cai and what look like zip ties on wiring, did the gen 1's come with the battery fully covered or is that a gen 2 'enhancement' ?


But it isn't respectable. It's mildly terrifying. And that actually makes it quite appealing. - Mazda 3 MPS review, Matthew Jones, Top Gear.