Hi Ian,

I no longer have my MX-3, nor all the manuals, but I can remember
some things.

I think all the V6s after 1996 had aircon included, to try to boost
sales. Mine certainly did. I've driven both the 1600 4 cyl and the
V6 and I found the former very disappointing (even compared to a 1600
cc Rover), so I opted for the V6. I used to get between 28 and 32
mpg, and the average was 30.3 mpg.

I would choose to go for the youngest I could get, because they are
hard to work on and parts are not cheap, so an older one could work
out to have higher cost of ownership in the long run. Having said
that, my 96 gave me 3.5 years with only one wheel bearing to replace.

I hope that helps.

--- In mazdamx3ownersuk@..., "Ian" <i_d_johnson@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi all
>
> I've just joined the group as a potential owner and have a few
> questions.
>
> First of all a bit of background.
>
> I have wanted an MX-3 since the 90s but never felt it was an
option
> for various reasons - financial, practical - family & kids come
first
> & all that. Now I think it might be time to indulge myself. I've
had
> several, well 4, Honda Civics (N-Y reg 3 door - not the recent
Focus
> clone) which I've been happy with not least from a comfort point of
> view. Someone kindly wrote off my last one a few weeks ago and I
> started thinking about the MX-3 again. I test drove one and liked
it.
> It's comfortable enough but it lacked air con which I'm used to now
> after 10 years. I do a lot of miles and thought the MX-3 would be
> thirsty on petrol as well as being much more expensive to insure -
> group 13/15 vs. 4 for the Honda.
>
> However, I read somewhere on the web that fuel economy is good for
> the MX-3 and when I did an online insurance quote it came out as
£390
> for a 2000 Honda vs. £370 for a 1998 MX-3. So now I am considering
> the Mazda again. My options are:
>
> 1. Stick to the Civic which is easier to come by & easier to get
with
> air con, may be cheaper to run & more reliable being a bit newer
>
> 2. Get an Mx-3 as late a model as possible and fulfil my ambition
at
> last before they become even harder to find
>
> 3. Get the Honda now and after I move house in the summer,
depending
> on my finances which are in a state of flux, get an older MX-3 as
> well for fun/occasional use, not necessarily with air con.
>
> If anyone can offer any advice and specific answers to the
following
> questions I'll be grateful.
>
> a. Was air con standard on any models - did it only come on the 1.8
> or was it optional on all? How easy is it to find - I can find very
> few that have it - and is it still likely to work after 9 or 10
years?
>
> b. How economical are they to run? If I have it as my main car I'll
> be doing mainly motoroway driving but not hammering it.
>
> c. How reliable are they? Are there any known faults to look out
for?
>
> d. I've seen references to them in caribbean blue. I thought they
> only came in red, white, black, silver & green as standard, can
> anyone tell me what shade of blue this is? I did a quick search
> online but couldn't find any pictures.
>
> Thanks to anyone who reads this & offers any advice
>
> Ian
>