Hi all. My names James, 21, from Stafford and iv recently been looking at the possibility of buying a mazda 3 MPS. It was between a Renault Megane R26 and the 3 MPS and having test driven a 3 MPS yesterday and being thoroughly blown away my mind is made up! I'll be looking to buy in March (for insurance purposes) when i will be selling my current pride and joy, a 2002 Volkswagen Lupo GTi. The GTi truly is a fantastic car i think i'm just ready for something bigger and faster!

Hello & was it a mkI or mkII you test drove ?

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Eco warrior lol

Was a mk1 mate. True red, Aero. Funds wont quite allow for a mk2 and i quite like the sleeper look of the mk1. Apparently i was the first person to look at it as they only got it on new years eve and the salesman that took me out hadnt driven it yet. Gave him a bit of a fright when i nailed it off a roundabout in 2nd. Its blisteringly quick compared to my Lupo and iv embarrassed enough people in that!

what year & price was it ?

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Eco warrior lol

2007 with 25k on the clock, factory condition throughout other than the gearknob, could tell the guy was married cuz his wedding ring obviously made a mess of it. Was up for 8.5k so reckon i could haggle down to 7750/8000. Not a bad price i thought!

Yeah not bad but better if you can get the price down

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Eco warrior lol

Hello and welcome.

If that's a mazda main dealer with warranty then thats a good price.

If not then the price is ok but I would make sure you have a good warranty in place just in case, or get the car checked over by an expert (if you are not of course)

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Useful threads and FAQ's (members only)

Make sure if it has had the vvti actuator pulley changed if was a car made before revised one.

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BHP wins sales, torque wins races...

How would you know / check that?
Should they have changed this as part of a normal service routine?

When was the revised part integrated? Its not a mazda main dealer and i didnt get far enough down the process to ask about warranty. To be honest i dont have much intention of buying this precise car because i wont be buying until march, i just want to make sure its the car i want before it gets to march so i can make the transition as smoothly as possible!
So far the potential problems seem to be the vvti actuator pulley and the rear engine mount. Anything else i should be looking out for that has a habit of cropping up on the 3s?

Sorry I am on my phone at the moment but managed to find this thread of mine I think tells u which cars are affected

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2687

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BHP wins sales, torque wins races...

Don't assume that the noisy top end of the MPS on cold start up is the vvti issue, but get it checked out because it is an expensive fix. The big issue on a 2007 is turbo smoke. Let it idle when it's warmed up for 10 minutes (don't blip the throttle). If you see white smoke with a blue tinge then walk away, unless a replacement turbo is offered. Damned expensive fix.

Hello and or you could do the sensible thing and buy a 6 mps

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Asuka Racing alloys 225/40/18 Kumho rubber.2.5in Power Flo cat back,BBR Hybrid Turbo,BBR Downpipe (200 cell cat) 3 port boost solenoid Upgrade TMIC, HPFP, Simota SRI & Tip, Forge re-circ dv. colder plugs. Front and Rear DBA slotted discs braided lines & Hawk Pads.H&R springs & B8 Bilstein shocks.Rolled archs, debadged.Corksport front strut brace.CP.E rear engine mount Barone stage 2 short shift plate & bushings & heavy shift knob.LED tinted rear light cluster.Oil temp Boost & oil pressure guages Tinted windows Carbon Fibre badges and interior

well said

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Mazda 6mps...gone but not forgotten

Thanks alot for all the help. Will definately keep an eye out for all of the problems mentioned! And I think I'll respectfully decline on the 6, at my age a hatchback is always more appealing!