Since selling off my '94 Toyota Camry V6 few weeks ago (after almost 200,000 miles, it was time), I'm ready to replace it something newer.

After test driving few cars and having a good experience with a Honda Fit, it will have to be another subcompact.

My wife will be a primary driver and she fell in love with a Mazda 2.

I read great reviews about it, but does anyone have any experience with it in a long run? I knew few people who had Mazdas (3, 6, 626, Protege ...) and none of them had a good experience with them over the long period of time, they were usually falling apart before 100,000 miles.

Any help is welcome ...

 

Had an 05 Mazda 6. Engine and transmission were great but I started to have a little trouble with the suspension at about 75k.

My mom has a 2009 cx9. Same thing but she had to get some things replaced at 40k.

 

My family owned a 93 and a 98 protege over the years. The 91 went for a bit over 200k before developing problems. Whena rock tore a hole in the rad, we sold it for $500. The buyer kept using it til he totalled it.

my uncle bought an identical 93 and drove it til 2002 or so, when he got an infiniti G20 (lol)

The 98 was less powerful, but other than that just as good a car. I think it snapped an alt belt once and that was the worst problem we ever had. I blew its tire off the rim the night before we traded it in for the Bullitt. it had 170k

Generally, I find Mazdas to not be very much faster than the other Japanese equivalents, but very fun to drive. Even with the 1.5auto in the 98, it was enjoyable to drive around. The cars never had smaller reliability issues (like devices/features not working)

Of course that means almost nil compared to their new cars, but I would say go for it.

And it better be BRIGHT friggin GREEN

edit: also I think chris (knight) has/had a CX variant for his family for a while, I might shoot him a pm as well

 

My wife's favorite color is blue so we'll be looking for a blue one.

I'm not crazy about Mazda 2, but I would rather have that than her two other choices (Nissan Juke and Chevy Camaro).

 

Dude... the juke is wicked cool

 

Agree. I like the thing. I've loved every Mazda I've driven, but the Juke has more power and can be bad with stick and AWD.

 

Helped my father shop for cars in '08 and he bought a new Mazda 3 which has never missed a beat mechanically. On the downside, the interior looked staid new and is borderline ugly now, and the dash attracts dust something fierce down in AZ where he lives. But it handles great and hasn't outlived its welcome.

Don't listen to the crazies...a Juke is just asking for trouble/mockery.

 

Yeah, if you compare it to Aztek ...

 

You dont like the focus or fiesta?

 

I do, as long as they're hatchbacks (I don't like sedans much).

But wife doesn't.