Tips on Buying Cars: Mazda Mx3, mazda mx 3, mazda mx3

Question
Hi again,

Thanks a lot for your response, it definitely helps with my search. Did not expect that good of a response. I actually went to look at one CRX today. I am emailing you now though to ask your opinion on a different car I came across... or to compare against the older Hondas/Integras we were talking about. It is a Mazda Mx3 (v6 Special Edition), which seems to also fit my likes/needs very well, and is not as old, in better condition and relatively the same price. This is a brief description of the car:

"1993 Mazda mx-3 v6 Special Edition (one of 2500),5 spd, only 189 000km, This car comes with full leather, cd player,tilt, power windows, power sunroof, all wheel abs,4 fairly new tires, car comes e-tested and ready to drive , drives like a new car will not be disappointed."

Since doing some research and with your help as well, I have been looking more at hondas/integras because of their reliability and ease of fixing. Do you have any tips on what cars are best for mileage and reliability while keeping close to what I like/can afford? I have read up that this mazda is good but at 189,000 kms is that ok?

Any info on this again would be great, but no rush at all

Thanks a lot,

Ryan
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi,
I'm looking into buying a used car and am very interested in the Honda CRX. I like a small sporty car, manual transmission, relatively reliable, and not too expensive on gas and insurance. This all seems to fit with the CRX except that it is pretty old. I have found a few different sellers, but I'm not too sure whether it's worth going after... They are old cars (I'm looking at a few 88's or a 91), so I'm not too sure. I have found a few with relatively low km's (190,000 and 182,000) and they seem very well kept. Any info/opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ryan
-----Answer-----
The CRX isn't a bad car at all, although you may wish to opt for a slightly newer 92-95 civic hatch back if reliability is a big issue and the money permits - the CRX has a huge parts bin and after market backing so if something does break it won't cost too much to fix.  They are reliable but any 15+ yr old car will have problems... Just make sure you get one that hasn't been modified or ragged out... and older honda's usually burn oil so check around the head gasket for a leak and around the exhaust tip for an excessive carbon buildup (black stuff) - if the car doesn't smoke - is completely stock - and isn't burning oil - you should be pretty safe... check out the civic too though - and even 90's model integra's - can't hurt.. and the slightly newer car may not cost much more - overall though they are pretty good cars.. i've seen many go well over 200,000 miles... i hope this helps you decide.. if you have any other questions just ask - thanks!

Answer
Mazda up until recently was always in the middle ground for reliability... not as poor as ford, chevy, etc... and not as good as honda/toyota... The mx-3 is a decent car, it may not be AS reliable as the crx - it really depends on how each was cared for... it will be larger, worse on gas, but probably more fun to drive and more luxurious... Other cars to check out are probably... :civics, mx-6's, integras, toyota mr2, corolla, camry, nissan 240sx (180sx, s13 silvia), honda prelude.  
Now depending on your location you may have even more options.. due to your reference to Km's rather than miles... if you are anywhere out side of the US you have options that  I have no experience with and cannot comment on...

When you get into the 180km range or so.. it can really come down to 2 things... how well it was cared for, and how new the car is... a well maintained car no matter who made it will be more reliable in age and use... the newer car will have newer parts and those parts will be likely to last longer... so check the cars out.. or have some one check them out that knows cars.. you can usually tell if a car was well cared for... if the honda and mazda were both cared for.. the honda may end up being more reliable but it would be by much... I say when looking at cars that close.. get the one you like the most.... I hope this helps and feel free to ask anything else... thanks!