Faults:

Despite having had only one owner for the preceding ten years, the car showed many signs of neglect. The oil, air and pollen filters were filthy and the coolant a rusty brown. This was quickly rectified.

Because of the lack of oil changes, the famous Mazda piston ring weakness is present. Oil consumption is around 500 miles per litre, with a big cloud of blue smoke on a cold start up. Not worth fixing, so I just top up regularly.

Mazda rust! The rear wheelarches have required repair, and I suspect the rear suspension mountings will need welding at the next MOT. The rear shock absorbers had also rusted, so were replaced with good secondhand parts.

The air conditioning did not work when purchased, but was revived with a £50 recharge.

The front-to-rear coolant pipes rusted out, causing a leak. I bypassed the rear heater at the matrix.

The alternator and power steering/air conditioning belts seem to stretch quite easily, or the adjusting bolts do not stay tight - they require regular tightening or they squeal under load.

The general rarity of the car means getting anything other than service parts is a problem - a blowing exhaust required a custom-made replacement, because there is no aftermarket support and a dealer part would have been over a thousand pounds.

General Comments:

The car was very cheap (£400 with a full MOT) so a lot of the faults can be overlooked.

This car is rare in the UK (but very popular in the US) - despite this I was able to locate a secondhand sliding nearside door in the right colour easily enough (accident damage was one of the reasons it was cheap to buy).

The car is larger than the Ford/VW/SEAT and Citroen/Fiat/Peugeot triplets - a similar size to a Chrysler Voyager. This means you get seven seats that can be used by adults, and a reasonable boot with all of them in place. The five rear seats all come out for a cavernous loadspace.

Despite only having 118 BHP to move nearly 2 tons, performance is better than you might expect. The engine is smooth and willing to rev. Handling and ride are fine. Traction in the wet or out of uphill junctions can be a problem. I have averaged 30 MPG over the last 10,000 miles, which I think is pretty good for mixed use.

Such a shame that Mazda does not galvanise their bodywork. Mind you, the car is 14 years old and has hardly been cossetted, but we have been spoiled by anti-corrosion advances, mainly from the French manufacturers.

Faults:

Clutch - I had to have my first clutch replaced after 22,000 and a costs of £800 (Initially the dealer quoted £1,200!)

Clutch - I had to have my second clutch replaced after another 15,000 miles. This time it was priced at the original £1,200, so I got it fixed by a local company at a cost of £500. This clutch has been fine.

Engine - After 72,000 miles the piston snapped and I was quoted £8,000 for a new engine! After lots of discussion the dealership agreed to repair the engine at a cost of £3,100. After working on the engine they said I needs a new clutch Fly Wheel at a cost of £538.

When I initially complained to Mazda they said it was my driving (I am 50 years of age and have never had a clutch go on any other car I have owned). When I complained the second time the clutch failed they wanted proof. I sent them the clutch and they lost it!

I am now trying to get compensation for the engine failure, but I do not expect anything from Mazda.

The car is unreliable, after sales is poor, in fact they are aggressive and rude.

I would never buy another Mazda.

General Comments:

To be honest I like the car. I enjoy driving it but the cost of keeping it on the road is crippling.

Faults:

To early to say.

General Comments:

Bought this MPV at the end of September, part-ex-ed it for a Citroen Berlingo 1.4 petrol, after needing a spacious 7 seater. We got 12 months warranty, 4 new tyre's, a broken wing mirror replaced, and the majority of scratches removed by the dealer. So far the car has been excellent, it's very well built, hard wearing interior, and the 136 bhp diesel pulls very well, even with 7 people on board. Only gripes I have, is it takes a few seconds for the turbo to kick in, but once it does it powers along motorways very well, with little body roll in sharp bends. The rear view is not very good, and I will be having rear parking sensors fitted soon. There's no parcel shelf in the back so any belongings are on display, as the glass seems to lack any kind of 'tint'. Hopefully next year I shall have privacy glass fitted to. I understand that the cam belt will have to be replaced in the next 2 years or so, again, another expense. Apart from that the kids and dogs enjoy having loads of space, rear air con, and good stereo system, and sun roof. Forget your Ford Galaxy's and Espace's, this is a serious alternative, with Mazda's reliability, this MPV will last!