Mazda 3 MPS owners here?

[SixTwoSix]

Car is back on the table, I didn't have to help with the financial issues of a family member and have money again

This is the one I looked at on Saturday and on the verge of getting it. The seller won't budge a penny and has only offered to add a 6 month warranty or up that to 12 months for another £100. Standard warranty that covers mechanical and electrical.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201806227750915

I have no plans to mod anything right now and it's completely standard which is fine for me, it feels like a fair price, would just like some other opinions.

 

[SixTwoSix]

whats the reg to check mot history?

69k miles, so if it's like the mk1 and 6, the VVT/chain could do with a change if you have no evidence to suggest it's done - so budget ~£600-700 for parts and labour (or over a k from Mazda).

I've done the history check, all the bits on the most recent one have been remedied and I can visually see these as well as having receipts present.

There's no excessive rattle on the chain, sounds the same as my old mk1, obviously noisier than a belt but nothing bad.

I can't find any conclusive info whether the mk2 suffers the same actuator/chain stretch issues the mk1 did, I know it's the same engine but i think it was remedied, maybe someone else knows.

 

[SixTwoSix]

The MK2 does suffer from he VVT fault like the mk1.

The vvt actuator has three versions. The A, B and C models.

The 59-11 plates have been shown to have the A Actuator. So that's the same. Which a little common sense says the rest is too.

At 70k, it's due. No matter if it's rattling.

Balls, that changes things a little, thanks for the info.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Phoned around a few dealers yesterday, enquiring about cars and asking if there was evidence of chains being done, figure may as well get that point out of the way prior to viewings. Not one of the 4 of them were willing to concede the chain might need doing and drop some of asking price and that basis. They were all 60k-90k examples.

This is going to get frustrating.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Does it have to be from a dealer mate?

Lots of MPs for sale on the Facebook group. Most if not all will have the chain done too

I've been on the groups, still have access to the private one as well but nothing has taken my fancy or if it has its an absolute trek to get it.

Almost everything in my price range within 150 miles is from a dealer.

Personally unless it was a cracking price/condition I'd prefer to buy this type of car from an owner that's looked after it.
When I sold my 6's they always had FSH, a shedload of receipts and proof that the chains had been changed (other than my first one where I think they just added a chain lol).
Without proof of the VVT being done then I'd expect any potential buyer to offer ~500 less than my asking unless it was priced appropriately.

I agree completely, maybe I'm just unlucky with location that there's not a lot of choice in the vicinity. Then again, not a huge amount for sale overall.

 

[SixTwoSix]

I Flew from Newcastle to Exeter and drove back to get my last one
When I sold my 2nd one the chap flew from Ireland and drove back
My first was sold to a lad who flew up from Essex and drove back

If you find the right car it's worth travelling for Any owner will be more than happy to give any pics/videos you could ask for.

Wow, i've never actually considered travelling that far, basically because i'd feel totally obliged to buy the vehicle even if there was something apparently wrong when I got there.

Perhaps I need to change my thoughts in regards to distance.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Frankly the model itself sounds like a total liability, why would you buy a car with such a critical design flaw?

Been trying to come up with an intelligent witty reply to this but you're exactly right.

However rational thought out the window as I can't help but want one, love the handling, power delivery, the looks, the toys and if i can find the right one, i'd probably be willing to have the chain done as a preventative measure.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Heart over head, picked up a 2009 plate mk2 at the weekend, 36k miles on it, fairly well looked after, FMSH and all the gubbins.

Elephant in the room...chain sounds normal, no excessive rattle but considering getting it done as a precaution regardless.

Interior is a world apart from the Megane R26, actually feels like everything is put together correctly and not held together by sticky tape Nice extra is the bose sub in the boot fitted as standard on all MPS models, does mean i've had to sacrifice a spare wheel though. Sat nav, heated seats, heated screen, parking sensors, all as standard as well.

Handling wise after a few days, much heavier in corners as the R26 was quite nimble but a lot more torque and power delivery out so makes up for it. It's only 26 more HP but feels noticably faster than the R26 both on acceleration and top end motorway cruising.

Looks wise, more understated than the megane, I had so many people wanting to play traffic light grand prix when driving the megane as it stands out, hasn't happened in the MPS yet.

Needs a couple of new back tyres, how important is it to match the brand/tread with the fronts? The fronts are Pirelli Zero Nero GT, don't know much about them.

Obligatory just got it home pic...needs a really good clean.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4Gr94j11wWKev7ni8

 

[SixTwoSix]

The general advice when driving the MPS that my mate gave me is to only go WOT after going past 3k rpm to keep the longevity of the rods which i'm sure you're aware of their weak rods owning a mk1 before.
The interior rattle hasn't started yet but being a japanese car it will start somewhere eventually lol, when I bought mine with 78k, after 82k the whole dashboard has now started rattling somewhere.
Congrats on the purchase, it looks tidy.

Not sure what WOT means?

However, i've read that not to go over 2.5k revs until the cold engine light goes off and when accelerating at speed, as you say, wait until the revs are over 3k before really giving it any significant power.

I've had a few renaults and fords so i'm used to rattles, i'm sure they'll appear here too and my ocd will kick in to eliminate at all costs.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Wide Open Throttle or heavy right foot or full throttle..whichever term haha.
With cobb Accessport installed, I tend to wait until the coolant temp reaches above 75C before going crazy now. The temp will generally hover around 75-85C on a good cruise with no stop/start traffic and even going wooo psssh.

Ah ok, cheers.

This is totally standard and don't have plans to change it, more than enough power for the driving I do. Have to rely on the cold engine light for now

Grats on the purchase, looks lovely from the photo with arctic grey alloys

With such low mileage and serviced on the button I wouldn't worry too much regarding the chain.

First i've seen with these alloys in person, one needs a slight refurb but the other 3 are mint.

From what i've read the last few weeks and it's been a lot, there were a few ECU changes to make this model less prone to chain issues, although they may occur.

Looking at the mazda service history, this was serviced up to 3 times a year in some cases.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Can anyone tell me what colour these alloys are, kwik fit damaged it during repair and their approved repairer is having a problem confirming the colour.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mF5ADCfApfRth2kW9

I'm not sure if they're from a later model gen 2 or a previous owner had them recoated.

Guessing either anthracite or gun metal grey?

 

[SixTwoSix]

They don't look standard.
Probably anthracite.

I would get them all redone haha

Not an option as kwik fit will only pay for repairs on the alloy that was damaged but now chips away (their approved repairer) is saying unless I can provide the original paint code or colour, they won't do the repair.

Also if I give them a colour and they come out and it's wrong, I will need to pay £40 +VAT for the missed appointment.

 

[SixTwoSix]

@SixTwoSix How are you getting on with your MPS? I'm looking at trading in my Clio 182 and a Mazda 3 mps is only my list of possible replacements.

I actually went from a clio 172 to a 3MPS mk1 a few years back.

As a previous mk1 aero owner my first and strongest piece of advice is get a mk2.

It's great tbh, ticks all the boxes I wanted and has a great blend of comfort and performance. It's hard to expand on that without knowing specifics of what you'd like to know as I could ramble on for ages without actually telling you much.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Haha, please ramble away

When I've been researching somebody described the MPS as fast, practical and reliable. Exactly what I'm after plus all the toys will be nice
It's actually my second 182, 1st one I traded in for a Meg R26, then I had a 370Z, then when I got the commitment speach from the boss I sold the Nissan and bought another 182. Had it nearly 3 years and it's time for a change, only do around 6-7k miles a year so no need for a diesel, want something with a decent amount of poke.

Ok, a few parallels here in that as I mentioned, I went from a Cliosport 172 to a 3MPS mk1. My recent change to the mk2 was from a Megane R26.

I'm going to do my 3 main comparisons with the R26 as that's the most recent car I had.

Handling - R26 wins out in corners and twisties but the MPS puts down the power a lot better as you come out and on the straights. Not to say the MPS is bad in corners, just after the R26 it feels a lot heavier. Also the torque is higher in the MPS so while heavier, the acceleration just feels better.

Looks - I know the MPS mk2 is a bit marmite with the smiley face front but overall for me, it's just a better looking car and still looks quite modern. The R26 while distinctive is not holding it's looks well. They also both have a big ass

Cabin & Toys - R26 is like a soviet era lada in the cabin compared to the MPS. You get heated seats, heated windscreen, BOSE stereo system with cracking audio quality (with bluetooth interface, priceless for me with spotify), reverse parking sensors, blind spot overtake warning, auto dim interior mirror, adaptive headlights...all of which are absent on the R26 which is only a year or two older.

There is a lot of noise online about chains in the MPS being a problem. While the mk1 and mk2 have the same engines, the chain problems are almost exclusive to the mk1 as ECU changes and restrictions in the mk2 have pretty much sorted them. You'll struggle to find people who've had chain issues with the mk2. However that might be due to increased visibility and people pre-emptively changing the chains. It's generally regarded as something you should do around 70k.

I've had it about 6 weeks now and have zero regrets, it's ticking all my boxes and can't find anything to complain about. Normally after a month of ownership with any car i've had, i'm finding things I want to change or annoy me, this hasn't happened yet.

If you've got any more questions, just ask away.

 

[SixTwoSix]

How's your experience with the car so far?

Only done about 2.5k miles since I bought it but as a daily driver it's great. My commute is only a few miles but spend a lot of that stuck in traffic so the creature comforts are good. Heated seats and windscreen have been a godsend through the winter.

It's easy to drive economically but the power is there and delivers well when you want it.

One thing that seems to get overlooked is just how damn good the stock BOSE stereo system is, good range of sound and punchy bass due to the sub in the boot...again as standard. Bluetooth automatically pairs to my phone within 30 seconds of sitting down and then plays spotify which is controlled via steering wheel controls, so that's nice

Absolutely zero regrets, nice low mileage example that won't go up a lot so with regularly services and a bit of looking after, hope it won't lose too much value.

 

[SixTwoSix]

How did you get your Bluetooth working for Spotify? Mines only working for phone calls

I did the initial pairing so it saved my phone then needed to wait until I saw a musical note icon on the right of the info screen. Then press the Aux button and it'll play audio from your phone.

Now I get in the car with phone Bluetooth on, it auto pairs and resumes Spotify from wherever it last stopped. The caveat here is that spofity needs to be in my recent apps list or I need to manually start it.

Let me know how you get on.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Yeah audio pilot is pretty good, I think it's enabled as default though...so you should have been using it, even without realising

In terms of things I only found out about after having the car a while was the adaptive headlights, never had that in a car before and didn't even know it was a thing. Was driving dark country lanes by my mums in the middle of worcestershire and was shocked when my headlights were moving with my steering. For a 2009 car, I think it was quite ahead in terms of "toys".