Ask an expert

I have approx $13,000 to spend on a station wagon and have narrowed it down to a Mondeo or Mazda6.

For my money I can get a 2005 Mondeo travelled 80,000km's or a 2002 Mazda6 that has an odometer reading of 100,000km's.

Is the Mazda significantly better?

Also what do you think of NZ new v Japanese import?

Francis

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 12 September 2009

The NZ new v Japanese import answer first.

It does come down to a matter of opinion, somebody's personal experience or what people in the trade have seen or heard about. There have been many good experiences with imports and there are many sad tales to tell.

If you are in the trade no doubt you talk more about the bad things you have seen or heard about rather than the good.

Imports, mainly from Japan, have been coming into NZ for many years now and history would strongly suggest the servicing history on a high percentage of them is very poor. This has in some cases lead to major engine problems due to lack of oil changes. Only yesterday I spoke to an owner of a relatively new import who had encountered this exact problem and was preparing themselves for a large repair bill.

Also, it is not always safe to assume an import is exactly the same as a NZ new make and model. There can be differences in engine size, electronic engine management programmes and transmission types as an example. This can cause problems with repairs at times when parts and expertise / product knowledge are not always readily available.

One positive aspect of imports is they are required by law to undergo and pass a certification process prior to registration in NZ which includes an in-depth body and safety check. I like the way Toyota deal with imports through their Signature range of vehicles for example. The cars are carefully selected and all go through a reconditioning programme prior to sale and Toyota tend to stand by their product very well if there were any problems.

Not every NZ new car is bullet proof however, but you have a better chance of finding one with a proven service history and in most cases parts and information about the vehicles are easily available. I always encourage people to visit the new car franchises and check their used car stock as a first step when buying. Often these dealers have vehicles which they have serviced in the past themselves or were sold by them new and owners have updated to a newer model. I believe this a good place to start and then gravitate towards other options.

Mazda6 v Mondeo; Three years and 20,000kms difference between the two vehicles is a lot if the prices are similar. I have to say however, I have become a real Mazda fan of late and think the '6' is a great vehicle.

The Mondeo has been a big seller for Ford and I am not aware of any major issues with them. From my experience the Mondeo drives and handles exceptionally well.

My head is saying the later model with less km's is the better option but ....

It may come down to price negotiation.