Stepping stone

June 26, 2019

Hey everyone..

I recently sold my old car and I've been looking for a 2013-2014 mazda 6 (preferably in that tasty red). I have however had no luck finding one so far and I figured I'll just get something for the time being. I don't really want to go back to driving an econobox and I can't think of anything that's fun to drive and (hopefully) easy to sell other than the swift rs. Hoping you guys could give me some more suggestions? My budget is around 4 - 4.2 mil for the "until I find a mazda" ride.

iRage · June 27, 2019

If you are looking for used ones:

There will be a Mark X for sale...which is fun..not an econo box and quite luxurious as well. I sold my Mark X within a few days...and then the guy who bought it busted the engine and resold it again in a few days...its a reare car and people are on the look out for a good speciment all the time. WIll be within the 3.5 - 4.2 mil budget

You could look in to a Vitz RS....fun to drive and has the Toyota badge.

I would say Aqua GR Sport (or even G Sport) but being a Hybrid you never know what the battery condition, etc...is like.

New cars for that price range are econo boxes no matter whow and hat you look at it...yes things like the Swift RS have some sporty feel to it but really is not performance or luxury oriented. They are econo boxes but a little bit engaging to drive.

Swift Sport, VITZ GR GR Sport are the hot hatches...

amsandun · June 27, 2019

On 6/27/2019 at 2:06 AM, iRage said:

VITZ GR GR Sport are the hot hatches...

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Are these available in SL? I have seen Vitz RS 2007/2008 like models of course. But that's not the GR right? I am yet to see any newer GR versions. If available, I wonder what price tag hanging on that. ?

iRage · June 27, 2019

On 6/27/2019 at 6:45 AM, amsandun said:

Are these available in SL? I have seen Vitz RS 2007/2008 like models of course. But that's not the GR right? I am yet to see any newer GR versions. If available, I wonder what price tag hanging on that. ?

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GRs are the newer ones

Even in the older Vitz the actual hot versions are the Turbo TRDs..there are two that I know of in SL.

The VItz RS...well with the P10 series the Vitz RS was a larger engined low end sporty variant with stiffer suspension and then 4 disk brakes and then had the option of a manual transmission for sportier option. The high powered and sportier Turbo TRDs were based on this.

When the P90 was introduced..things changed a bit. They kept the 1.5L large engined Vitz RS with stiffer suspension, elds and 4 disk brakes as a sporty variant. However, they also turned the RS in to a sports grade with a 1.3 engine. This just had body parts stuck to it to look sporty but had the same old 1.3 L engine had normal suspension, drum braked in the rear...within the 2007 - 2009 model years this is what you get mostly in SL. The same fate happened to the Fit RS and the March Autech/Nismo

When the 130 was introduced they went back to the original recipe of the RS being a bit of a sporty variant where they kept the 1.5L engine, disk brakes, stiffer suspension...again this was the base for TUrbo TRD limited editions

*NOTE : Stiffer suspension is mainly achieved through added strut bars and slightly stiffer springs.

Then with one of the facelifts for the 130, they scrapped the Vitz RS from the line up and replaced it with the GR Sport (least tuned), GR and GRMN (most tuned). With the GR sport they went a bit more hot hatch focused because (well for starters the Europeans started developing it and they were trying to spruce it up to go against the EUro hatches). So the GR Sport has stiffer shocks, extra welds, 1.5L engine...etc...and this is the base for the GRMN turbo charge variant. The GR Sport comes in Hybrid and gasoline forms. The Hybrid has rear drums whilst the gasoline GR Sport, GR and GRMN have disks all around.

Edited June 27, 2019 by iRage

iRage · June 27, 2019

The point is...I feel what you are looking at is just the RS grade (considering the vintage of the model and budget)...this ain't sporty....its just the standard econobox..a littleless econy and dressed up.

For the most part same with the Swift RS if you are looking at the 1L variant

June 27, 2019

On 6/27/2019 at 2:06 AM, iRage said:

If you are looking for used ones:

There will be a Mark X for sale...which is fun..not an econo box and quite luxurious as well. I sold my Mark X within a few days...and then the guy who bought it busted the engine and resold it again in a few days...its a reare car and people are on the look out for a good speciment all the time. WIll be within the 3.5 - 4.2 mil budget

You could look in to a Vitz RS....fun to drive and has the Toyota badge.

I would say Aqua GR Sport (or even G Sport) but being a Hybrid you never know what the battery condition, etc...is like.

New cars for that price range are econo boxes no matter whow and hat you look at it...yes things like the Swift RS have some sporty feel to it but really is not performance or luxury oriented. They are econo boxes but a little bit engaging to drive.

Swift Sport, VITZ GR GR Sport are the hot hatches...

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Vitz RS sounds like its worth looking at.. thanks iRage!

iRage · June 28, 2019

On 6/27/2019 at 6:49 PM, 808 said:

Vitz RS sounds like its worth looking at.. thanks iRage!

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If you want a hot hatch then look for the Vitz RS with the 1.5L engine...that is the somewhat tuned one. The 1.3 is just a dress up package (true there are somethings about it that make it a bit more fun than the average Vitz but still has that econo feel). You could look in to an actual Swift Sport as well....they are around....

June 28, 2019

On 6/28/2019 at 2:27 AM, iRage said:

If you want a hot hatch then look for the Vitz RS with the 1.5L engine...that is the somewhat tuned one. The 1.3 is just a dress up package (true there are somethings about it that make it a bit more fun than the average Vitz but still has that econo feel). You could look in to an actual Swift Sport as well....they are around....

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The swift sport looks nicer but since I am looking to buy one only till I find a 6, the toyota might be easier to sell when the time comes?

iRage · June 29, 2019

To be honest...I think you should have held on to your old car until a 6 came up

You are not going to find an actual Vitz RS...most definitely a RS trim one with a 1.3 L engine but nothing else....Why not just buy a normal Vitz with a 1.3L engine (there are a few around) or another car and do some tasty mods ? Suspension, wheels etc...Even the plane old boring Axio can be made to be fun to drive (albeit without any major power upgrades)

Edited June 29, 2019 by iRage

July 5, 2019

On 6/29/2019 at 6:42 AM, iRage said:

To be honest...I think you should have held on to your old car until a 6 came up

You are not going to find an actual Vitz RS...most definitely a RS trim one with a 1.3 L engine but nothing else....Why not just buy a normal Vitz with a 1.3L engine (there are a few around) or another car and do some tasty mods ? Suspension, wheels etc...Even the plane old boring Axio can be made to be fun to drive (albeit without any major power upgrades)

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Got a good offer for the old one so I had to let it go

On the other hand, I found a couple of red Mazda 6's but both were badly cared for by their old owners.

Still on the hunt!

July 12, 2019

So guys I'm looking at a white 2015 Mazda 6. The 2.5l version. Has about 60k km on the clock. If you've been on ###### lately you've probably seen it.

Its had the front and rear bumper and left fender painted (but done well). There are some minor imperfections with panel gaps on the front. Scratches on the number plate indicate a collision of some sorts but doesn't seem to have caused any structural damage. I went to look at it with a friend of mine who said the car was good but he has no idea about prices here in Sri Lanka (he works abroad). According to him, the only things that i'll need to address are the tires (which are really bad) and possibly the hub bearings.

The owner did give me a price but what do you guys think would be a fair price for the car?

iRage · July 12, 2019

Is it the white one ? It did look rather sleek with the larger wheels...in the interior looked decent in the pics but the body does look rather knackered....so the 62,000km might have been rather harsh 62000kms...you have to wonder if it is the second set of tires that the car is running on..if not the original tires have been well..used to the bone... .

Did you see this one that is on Autolanka classifieds ?

http://www.autolanka.com/view/mazda/6/73774.html

Granted the 2.5L is much more fun to drive....and yes..as long as the the structure is in tact the outer panels can always be fixed up properly (get it checked properly at a car checking place or the agents...do not just go by what you see on the surface).

At the end of the day...a sparingly used 2L is always better than a harshly used 2.5 at a higher price

GK_007 · July 13, 2019

On 7/12/2019 at 1:01 PM, 808 said:

So guys I'm looking at a white 2015 Mazda 6. The 2.5l version. Has about 60k km on the clock. If you've been on ###### lately you've probably seen it.

Its had the front and rear bumper and left fender painted (but done well). There are some minor imperfections with panel gaps on the front. Scratches on the number plate indicate a collision of some sorts but doesn't seem to have caused any structural damage. I went to look at it with a friend of mine who said the car was good but he has no idea about prices here in Sri Lanka (he works abroad). According to him, the only things that i'll need to address are the tires (which are really bad) and possibly the hub bearings.

The owner did give me a price but what do you guys think would be a fair price for the car?

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I saw that advert. No idea what he quoted but I think asking price on the ad is bit too high, (subjective).

Are you ok with the color white for a 6 ? Just I think, white sort of hides this cars true beauty. Check for wearing on steering wheel and the hand brake handle outer material. The material used by mazda in those two areas tend to wear off pretty fast.

Its almost unavoidable to get few scratches after 50k+ driving in sri lankan roads. :) As Irage pointed out, if the guy has been still running in original tires after 60k+ gives an indication user has been bit ignorant and not on time when it comes to maintenance.

As Irage said, get it properly checked. Also saw 2 more cars in dark blue and red.

July 13, 2019

On 7/12/2019 at 6:18 PM, iRage said:

Is it the white one ? It did look rather sleek with the larger wheels...in the interior looked decent in the pics but the body does look rather knackered....so the 62,000km might have been rather harsh 62000kms...you have to wonder if it is the second set of tires that the car is running on..if not the original tires have been well..used to the bone... .

Did you see this one that is on Autolanka classifieds ?

http://www.autolanka.com/view/mazda/6/73774.html

Granted the 2.5L is much more fun to drive....and yes..as long as the the structure is in tact the outer panels can always be fixed up properly (get it checked properly at a car checking place or the agents...do not just go by what you see on the surface).

At the end of the day...a sparingly used 2L is always better than a harshly used 2.5 at a higher price

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Yeah it's the white one. And I think you're right. The car does look a bit tired. The owner wasn't exactly a car guy. I remember looking at the headliner and thinking how the hell does somebody get the headliner dirty of all things ?

Ah yes, I saw the blue one. Seems to be ok but it's in Kandy and it's a little hard to find time to go all that way

On 7/13/2019 at 12:48 AM, GK_007 said:

I saw that advert. No idea what he quoted but I think asking price on the ad is bit too high, (subjective).

Are you ok with the color white for a 6 ? Just I think, white sort of hides this cars true beauty. Check for wearing on steering wheel and the hand brake handle outer material. The material used by mazda in those two areas tend to wear off pretty fast.

Its almost unavoidable to get few scratches after 50k+ driving in sri lankan roads. :) As Irage pointed out, if the guy has been still running in original tires after 60k+ gives an indication user has been bit ignorant and not on time when it comes to maintenance.

As Irage said, get it properly checked. Also saw 2 more cars in dark blue and red.

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The owner is willing to let it go at a lower price but it needs new tires which are probably gonna cost over 200k.

I dunno I think white looks pretty nice on that car but that's subjective. Generally red is the preferred colour I guess. There was a tiny bit of wear on the steering wheel. This one has the electric parking brake. The interior is in generally good condition (except for the headliner).

I was hoping to find the red one but there aren't any good ones for sale. The one on sale on i.k.m.a.n has been repaired and it's been done badly.

Anyway thanks for your advice guys! I'm still on the fence about it. Will give you an update if anything happens ?

RWD · July 13, 2019

strangely enough when I owned the Mazda3 and used the visit Colonial for services there were always loads of 6's in the body shops which had gone through very bad crashes. I am not talking about regular dents and dings, but high speed damage. I was surprised considering its not a really an out and out sports car and the kind of profile who buys these cars are hardly the boy racer types. I guess the 2.5 skyactiv is eager enough to want to give it some go and people get into trouble with their generally mediocre driving skills which are exposed at high speeds and state of our roads and traffic conditions.

Colonial's body repairs were not the neatest and I am sure you will be able to spot the imperfections so do your research with the agents before you buy. I was looking for a used 6 myself last year, the 2.5 one but the asking prices were a bit too much and I was not satisfied with the condition of many of the cars that I saw. Agreed with what some of the other members said, the steering wheel, hand break and gear shift material wears out very fast so don't worry if those parts look a bit tired. Its more a material issue than owner neglect.

iRage · July 13, 2019

The newer Mazdas have an interesting thing that makes it feel "Zoom Zöom". It first came about with the 6 in the early 2000s. Even whenit is riding slow if feels very active and sporty and without even knowing it you are actually speeding and zooming around. It sort of died down with the Hybrid Axela (because of th Hybrid trying to be conservative)

iRage · July 13, 2019

On 7/13/2019 at 4:57 AM, 808 said:

Ah yes, I saw the blue one. Seems to be ok but it's in Kandy and it's a little hard to find time to go all that way

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Hmm..in the good old days we had AL members living in far off areas (or going through far off areas) check cars out for other AL members who were looking for cars. You know..kind of do the initial inspection to see if it is worth for the buyer in Colombo or some other place to make the visit and start moving things along.

matroska · July 13, 2019

On 7/5/2019 at 5:41 PM, 808 said:

I found a couple of red Mazda 6's but both were badly cared for by their old owners

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that's a rarity - I've usually found Mazda owners to be the ones who care for their cars quite well compared to other brands. Maybe that's all changing now.

GK_007 · July 13, 2019

On 7/13/2019 at 5:50 AM, iRage said:

The newer Mazdas have an interesting thing that makes it feel "Zoom Zöom". It first came about with the 6 in the early 2000s. Even whenit is riding slow if feels very active and sporty and without even knowing it you are actually speeding and zooming around. It sort of died down with the Hybrid Axela (because of th Hybrid trying to be conservative)

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Well I agree Hybrid Axela is not as exciting as a gasoline 6. And it is not quick as my GP1, have to push hard to takeover.

But still it has some of the mazda genes IMO its better than a Hybrid Axio or a Prius, specially when it comes to handling department.

I think Mazda has eliminated some of the weaknesses of Prius by mating Toyota Hybrid system to SkyActive 2L. e.g. The breaking is not jerky as in the Prius.

July 13, 2019

On 7/13/2019 at 11:09 AM, matroska said:

that's a rarity - I've usually found Mazda owners to be the ones who care for their cars quite well compared to other brands. Maybe that's all changing now.

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I think it is actually a rarity. I don't think any of the Mazda 6 owners who have good cars are interested in selling them .

I saw a red one on Marine drive today (looked like a 2014 or earlier 2.5L) and it looked absolutely fantastic!

July 26, 2019

Hey guys I finally found a car! And a red one at that!

RWD · July 26, 2019

congratulations! that soul red paint is beautiful! please share the driving experience and more details...

GK_007 · July 26, 2019

Congratulations ! Absolutely a beauty. ❤️

sathyajithj99 · July 26, 2019

On 7/26/2019 at 8:38 AM, 808 said:

Hey guys I finally found a car! And a red one at that!

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Soul red beauty ? That's a choice you'll never regret man.

K.o.N.o.S · July 26, 2019

On 7/26/2019 at 8:38 AM, 808 said:

Hey guys I finally found a car! And a red one at that!

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That is an absolute beauty. You should stop talking, admire and sing now. " Red red wine, you make me feel so fine,You keep me rockin' all of the time" COngratz!!

Edited July 26, 2019 by K.o.N.o.S

July 26, 2019

On 7/26/2019 at 6:23 PM, K.o.N.o.S said:

That is an absolute beauty. You should stop talking, admire and sing now. " Red red wine, you make me feel so fine,You keep me rockin' all of the time" COngratz!!

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Haha been going to the garage far too many times today