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Hi there, My daughter is looking to buy her first car, a manual Mazda Demio Sport 2008, manual 1.5L. I have been driving NZ new Toyota Corollas for years and two cars have done over 300,00kms. I have never heard of Mazda Demios lasting that long. What sort of life expectancy does the Mazda Demio have, broadly speaking. This car had done 108,000Kms when it was imported into NZ (which sounds on the high side) We would get it AA checked before we went ahead, but interested to hear what you say.

Many thanks.

Hi the manual Mazda Demio isn't a bad choice, you could reach 200,000km plus with adequate maintenance.
I think it would be a good idea to book a PPI to ensure the vehicle is sound...
https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/buying-a-car/car-buying-guide/pre-purchase-vehicle-inspections/

Thanks Ian. We have already booked a PPI but I was hoping to get a more informative response. When you say "...isn't a bad choice..." are there comparable models of cars of a similar age you'd recommend we consider. "...to ensure the vehicle is sound...." you could make that comment for any car...or is there something else implied here that I'm not getting. Separate question, why are Mazda Demio's amongst the top cars stolen in Auckland. Are they particularly easy to break into...? Thank you.