Mazda CX-5 - Car buying help if over 100k miles? Is it safe? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum (2024)

Mon 27 May 2024 20:02

If you want a dependable SUV at that budget and in a similar area, I'd look at these for starters.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403267968926

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404038246558

Tue 28 May 2024 14:35

Don't buy a diesel Mazda.

To be fair, a well-maintained high mileage diesel would likely be a better bet for reliability than a low mileage one, as the chances of the former doing essentially all longer trips where active DPF regens aren't required will be many magnitudes higher, and thus many reliability issues associated with repeated short trips from cold (and thus likely interrupted active DPF regens) will be minimal.

Essentially the car has been doing 20,000 miles per year. I would thus hope that the car has been serviced more often than just once a year, assuming the manufacturer's interval is 12,500 as their petrol cars (I haven't checked - please confirm).

I don't think they ever had an 'extended' service interval requirement like many of the German makes. IO would certainly want to know if (especially over the last 2 years) whether the car has been doing short trips regularly - I've come across some cars over the past year years doing astronomical mileage under its first owner (hire car?), then almost nothing on the next. That would mean for certain diesels that DPX / fuel dilution problems would be now emerging.

It might not have been so bad for a one-owner older car (I mean early 1st gen car, not the 2nd) with a proven, complete usage and full service history / evidence of high TLC ownership along with a low selling price. You could offset the risk via the lower purchase price.

Still, I'd much rather go with a gen-2, 2L (SA-G) petrol (shame they never sold the 2.5L SA-G in anything other than the 4WD top-spec version) for [reliability] peace of mind - too much of a potentially very expensive risk on a diesel.

Tue 28 May 2024 11:13

"... the Bose sound system means you have a silly sub in the boot and no space for a spare wheel..."

Really? The Bose sound system in my CX-5 (2014 reg) has no speaker in the boot. And there's no spare wheel anyway - just a powered tyre pump and a can of goo.

Tue 28 May 2024 11:23

"... the Bose sound system means you have a silly sub in the boot and no space for a spare wheel..."

Really? The Bose sound system in my CX-5 (2014 reg) has no speaker in the boot. And there's no spare wheel anyway - just a powered tyre pump and a can of goo.

Yep. There's a photo of it in the ad.

Tue 28 May 2024 13:15

Update on the above, in case anyone's interested.

Just got the car back. As I thought, it was the front anti-roll bar (aka front stabiliser), though not mountings as such - they have "links" with bearings that have now been replaced on both sides. Surprisingly cheap - parts 2 x £20, plus labour £60.

As this (plus the rear disks) has been the only repair involving non-consumables in nearly eight years I'm pretty pleased.

Tue 28 May 2024 14:38

Update on the above, in case anyone's interested.

Just got the car back. As I thought, it was the front anti-roll bar (aka front stabiliser), though not mountings as such - they have "links" with bearings that have now been replaced on both sides. Surprisingly cheap - parts 2 x £20, plus labour £60.

As this (plus the rear disks) has been the only repair involving non-consumables in nearly eight years I'm pretty pleased.

Was that done at a main dealer or indie, using OEM or pattern parts? Seems like a great deal on price there, and worth a shout out either way.

Tue 28 May 2024 15:51

"Was that done at a main dealer or indie, using OEM or pattern parts?"

As I said further up, it was my trusted indie who did the job. He and his father are a small outfit kept pretty busy by locals among whom they have a good reputation. They have serviced my cars for years and I trust them completely.

I don't know, but I assume the parts were not genuine Mazda, which I might have been unhappy about if the repair had involved something more critical.

Wed 29 May 2024 11:41

"Was that done at a main dealer or indie, using OEM or pattern parts?"

As I said further up, it was my trusted indie who did the job. He and his father are a small outfit kept pretty busy by locals among whom they have a good reputation. They have serviced my cars for years and I trust them completely.

I don't know, but I assume the parts were not genuine Mazda, which I might have been unhappy about if the repair had involved something more critical.

TBH I was wondering about the price than quality, as I've been offered 'pattern' parts at my main dealer and indies (for my car's clutch change some years ago) when they had shortages, some of which were Bosch, which would be perfectly fine in terms of quality.

A good indie can certainly have vast benefits. A shame that Mazda main dealers tend to be so variable in quality on the post-sales front.

Wed 29 May 2024 13:10

A shame that Mazda main dealers tend to be so variable in quality on the post-sales front.

Can that not be said about all makes though?

Tue 28 May 2024 15:40

Edited by Ian D on 28/05/2024 at 15:46

Wed 29 May 2024 11:53

Edited by FoxyJukebox on 29/05/2024 at 11:54

Wed 29 May 2024 13:05

"... I can see the sense in changing 6 yr old discs and pads together."

Yes and no. I had my rear disks changed because they were scored and had a large rust "rim". If you fit new disks you usually fit new pads as well. But changing the disks if they're undamaged and still retain their required thickness - no, I wouldn't.

And it's not unknown for garages to suggest superfluous work.

Edited by FP on 29/05/2024 at 13:05