Hi,

 

Gonna invest in a car fairly soonish, and have been looking at the Mazda 2 since we want a fairly small car with nice interior. What's your experience of it in Thailand? Is it worth it to go for the lowest-specced version with the larger engine (680,000 baht) or is the fully-specced version with the smaller engine (670,000) more bang for your buck?

 

Also, the wife has heard horror stories from a friend with a Mazda about how it takes very long to get anything fixed/changed, since the parts are rarely stocked. What's your experience of this, and have you encountered problems where smaller mechanics can't get it fixed (as opposed to Toyota and Honda, which pretty much anyone can fix)?

 

On a related note, where is generally the best place to actually buy the car – at the official Mazda dealership or through some other dealership? What can you expect in terms of discounts and extra equipment? As you can tell, I've never bought a car before ???? I'm obviously going to have a look around myself at different dealerships, but only after we've moved provinces.

My Thai friend has a new M2, she is a bit pissed off as it spends a lot of time at the dealers...

1 hour ago, transam said:

My Thai friend has a new M2, she is a bit pissed off as it spends a lot of time at the dealers...

Hmm, that's a shame. Might be worth going for the Jazz or Yaris instead then. Cheers.

Interesting thread... as I was looking at getting small run-around for the days I don't want to sweat on the motorbike or when its raining.... 

 

I was considering the Mazda 2 as I did like the interior and spec. 

 

We also have the Mazda CX-5... no issues whatsoever with it.

 

I think the car industry in Thailand is pretty awful full stop... the dealers never stock parts and if you have an accident or something fails you can spend weeks waiting for spares to be ordered. 

I recall waiting a month for the motor for the electric windows (on a CRV). 

18 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Interesting thread... as I was looking at getting small run-around for the days I don't want to sweat on the motorbike or when its raining.... 

 

I was considering the Mazda 2 as I did like the interior and spec. 

 

We also have the Mazda CX-5... no issues whatsoever with it.

 

I think the car industry in Thailand is pretty awful full stop... the dealers never stock parts and if you have an accident or something fails you can spend weeks waiting for spares to be ordered. 

I recall waiting a month for the motor for the electric windows (on a CRV). 

Thanks for the input, Richard. That balances out things somewhat. I was under the impression that Honda specifically was easy and quick to get fixed, but perhaps that's not the case (at least to the extent I imagined).

 

Were you out in the sticks when trying to get the CRV fixed, or a larger city? My wife's friend with the Mazda lives in Chaiyaphum, so perhaps she would've had less of a problem getting it fixed in one of the more developed provinces.

Bought a Mazda 2 secondhand ( 2017, 10K on the odometer ). Still a year's warranty. I was cautioned by a mechanic spare parts could be a problem; however, I think that's true of most brands. I had test driven a Yaris, Almera and Attrage as well as the Mazda. The Mazda engine at 1.3 litres is slightly bigger than the 1.2 litres in the other brands. It does require 95 octane.

I think it is a great small car. I especially like the ability to swap from automatic to manual gears in the hills, and it seems to have a bit more grunt for overtaking than the other brands/models I have mentioned.

I am still wary of the CVT transmissions on the Yaris, Almera and Attrage. Their reliability long term is unproven, and one would need very deep pockets if a CVT gearbox breaks down. Admittedly they do improve fuel economy. However, due to the very tight clearances regular maintenance with premium oil is critical.

I 've stayed with the six-speed torque converter gearbox on the Mazda 2, which is a proven technology over decades.

You might also want to consider the Mazda 3? Consumer reports rates them very high. I have a 2018 mazda 3 and there is a big difference in handling and power! It's a fun car to drive! It had over 24,000km put on it during the last year and zero problems.

2 hours ago, onekoolguy said:

You might also want to consider the Mazda 3? Consumer reports rates them very high. I have a 2018 mazda 3 and there is a big difference in handling and power! It's a fun car to drive! It had over 24,000km put on it during the last year and zero problems.

Yeah, I've definitely had my eye on it, but it's a bit more expensive that I'd like, as we're also saving money for a house. If I were to raise my budget to that level, I'd might go for the Honda Civic instead.

The Mrs. got a 9yo (or maybe 10?) Mazda 2. Higher end and spec model. Overall, no complaints, and no real plans to change it even. The main highlight was (as someone said above) the gearbox, especially after a bad experience during a test ride on the Jazz.

 

The car itself, even being of the "high end" variety is no frills, no super bonuses. It's just solid for the price paid. Outside noise might deter some.

 

So long as the car is under guarantee, and buying from a reputable (check feedback online) dealership, expect no issues with parts and service. Or at least, not worse than other brands. We got ours at the Lat Phrao branch of Wearnes, and the car was initially serviced at their garage. Post guarantee and out of Bangkok, our local guy is great, and there's an okish "official" dealership/garage as well. No worries.

 

There was one part, some sort of plastic grill for the AC, that at the time (years back) wasn't available from dealers - but easy enough to get hold of independently, I think since then it comes with the car. Other than that, nothing special beyond the usual delays (happens with other brands, more so with older models).

 

One thing to take note of is that the AC system ought to be checked around the 5 year mark. Some parts are officially due replacement. Many dealerships delay this a bit, then car is out of guarantee and meh. It doesn't mean the AC will stop working, just that future maintenance is more complicated, and results can vary.