Hello, I am looking to get my first car and i found a 2003 mazda 6 with 52,000 miles on it for $6350. It had leather interior and heated seats. The car was in excellent condition. Is this a good deal? Here are some pictures if they help.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...azda6front.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...chmentaspx.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...zda6inside.jpg

Thank you.

 

Hmmm... Well, based on what you posted it's not exactly easy to tell. Is it a V6 car or the 4 cyl. Judging from the tails (6i model?) I would guess 4 cyl. Is the owner willing to show you the maintenance and repairs that were performed? Did he/she keep good records?
How are you when it comes to doing your own automotive repairs and maintenance?

Pros as I see them:
1) 52K on the clock is good (low mileage) for an '03.
2) It looks like it was well kept. It's a good looking car based on your pictures.
3) 4cyl better than the V6 for most people.

Cons, as I see them:
1) '03 was the first year for the 6 in this country. It may have some glitches that are not completely worked out. The "first year" blues, as it were.
2) I hate leather interior, especially in a particularly hot or cold climate. It also requires more maintenance than cloth would.
3) The automatic/man-u-matic/"sport" shift/slush-box. Don't like 'em. Never have and never will.
4) Without looking, $6250 doesn't sound bad to me, but I would do some bargaining and see how committed the seller is to getting rid of the car.

 

Richard, take a look at the wheels and skirts. That's the base model. No ABS/TC I believe - to the OP: did you learn with or without ABS? Traction control ain't a big deal if you're an alert driver, but ABS can save you if you're inexperienced....which, since you're a new driver, you likely are.

No worries, we were all there...what more can you tell us about this car?

 

The man had all maintenance done, and had all of his invoices. I think he told me that it was a 4 cylinder. There was a small problem with the bumper sticking out from backing into a pole, but it wasn't bad at all. The man seemed to take great condition of the car, he kept under a roof with a cover over it. I'm going to test drive it tomorrow with my parents, so I will have more information about it then.
here is what the man wrote...
52k miles
all services performed
20,000 miles left on michelline tires
heated seats
new battery
all maintenance receipts
i won't be driving with my license for another 4 months but it seems like its a good deal and i don't want to regret sleeping on it.

Thank you.

 

I just checked the kelley blue book value, and it is around 7700.

 

I backed into a pole once with my 1996 Ford Probe. The trunk would occasionally fail to close properly and there was hidden damage in the bumper supports. Backing into something often pushes everything else forward, even as far up as the front fenders if you hit an object hard enough. Buyer beware.

 

I saw that too, but also it has leather interior??
So were the wheels changed or the seats? I don't think leather was available in the base model. ABS may have been an option in '03, but certainly not TC. I don't remember if TC was even available on the 6S then, but I doubt it. That's why I asked for more info.

To the OP (baseball9s,) the 6 series are very nice cars, but be careful. Look for evidence of body repairs, ill fitting body panels, bad door gaps, windows that don't open or close correctly, new paint, etc.
You might also consider getting a CarFax report, but also be aware that it may not tell the whole story. If the car was in an accident, and/or repaired privately, that will not show up on such a report.

 

The wheels were changed, I'm not sure about the seats.

 

Are they steel winter wheels? Does he have the factory wheels that go with the car?

 

If this car has no car accident before, the deal is not bad. Ask your local mechanic to check it before you buy it.

How is A/C? This is important for a car with leather seats.

I had 04 mazda 6i before. I think it is much better than 04 Toyota Camry.

If the owner took a good car on this car, the first year car is not a problem. Mazda dealers did good jobs on warranty repairs on my 04 mazda6i. If no a car accident, I will still drive my 04 mazda 6i.