Hello,
I'm looking for a daily driver Mazda 3 or 6, maybe MS3 or MS6.

I'm a long time owner of RX-7s and have always liked 3s and 6s.

I know very little about them and I want to get rid of my current daily driver. I have a company car so my personal car will not see a lot of miles. Mostly just on weekends or the occasional errand after work.

I'm looking for reliability and easy maintenance. I already have a modded RX-7 convertible I've swapped a turbo rotary drivetrain into, I don't want a 2nd modded car. I want a manual transmission and it seems like a Mazdaspeed might be the only way to find a used Mazda that isn't automatic....or at least that is true in my area. All I find are automatic practical cars and modded Mazdaspeeds which are suspect how healthy their drivetrain is.

If anyone can point me in the right direction to learn what to look for in Mazda compacts. What are the problem areas. What should I expect once I own one...well I would greatly appreciate it.

 

All years of the Mazda3 are pretty dependable vehicles with no big issues. There were also a lot of manual cars sold. A big East coast dealership had 50 manual Mazda3s on their lots 4 years or so ago.

I would bet that the average non Mazdaspeed3 would be better maintained and treated better than a Mazdaspeed. While I have not looked for one, they should be out there.