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My daughter is looking at buying her first car. Its a 2009 Mazda 2 Classic, its done 120,878km. 1498cc 5 door hatchback, manual, one owner. She mostly wants a car for about town in Auckland but also for heading out of town on longer trips over weekends. How does a small car like this fare on the open road being 1498cc? Is the 2009 version a good model? It's also a grassy green colour. I have some reservations about the colour from a visibility perspective on the open road when you're out in the countryside? And say a bit more about safety ratings, this one has a 3 star safety rating compared to the Toyota Corolla she currently drives which only has a 1 star safety rating. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi there,
This car is not a bad choice, 4-star ANCAP when new, 3 star UCSR which is better than 1 star, so definitely a step in the right direction as the budget allows.
Mazda are traditionally reliable, and because it's a small car the engine size is perfect for both round town and trips. The smaller engine might be a little sluggish if the car is loaded up though. We've not heard of green being a particularly dangerous colour choice.
I recommend a Pre Purchase inspection to eliminate any unwelcome surprises about the vehicle condition.

Thanks Cade,
Yes we've said we would like a Pre-purchase inspection done. Pricewise they're asking $5995. We're thinking around $5400, does that sound fair for the age of the car?

Hi there,
Both prices are on the good side of what we would call 'Market' value or private sale price. So yes, it would seem a pretty attractive price point, not ridiculous that you would think there is an issue which is good.

Thanks again Cade. Is there another model of the Mazda, of a similar vintage that you would consider a better option....given you say the Mazda 2 Classic is not a bad option? I really appreciate your time.

Hi there,
The Mazda 2 is NZ new and for the size there is not really any other NZ new Mazda alternative. The Japanese import version is called Demio, but as with most Japanese Domestic vehicles, the features and spec may not compare to NZ new.

Fabulous, thanks Cade!