Mazda demio

wizid, Feb 20, 5:36pm
hatchback 1340cc auto . some info on these please
are thay any good thanks
tamarillo, Feb 20, 6:16pm
Have a look over past few weeks at posts about car buying etc, there has been heaps of discussion about them. Simple reliable though rather old fashioned design. I think some one mentioned to check for rust somewhere, though odd for cars to rust these days. Go back through posts.
kazbanz, Feb 20, 6:41pm
The NAME demio has been applied to three generations of car.
In my opinion all of them in their day were/are a good car.
The first generation was a bullet proof belt drive. A bit tinny but in its day pretty standard. came out in 1996 and still made right up to early 2002
Second generation is the DY series. came out in 2002 and made till 2007
The only thing it shares with the first model is the name.
It has a chain drive engine,normal auto gearbox and is more robust than the first generation. VERY roomy in the back.
The third generation came out in 2007 and from memory is still the current model.IT uses the same engine as the last generation but has either an auto or CVT auto box.
All have proven to be robust
wizid, Feb 20, 8:26pm
thank kazbanz. sorry I forgot to put the yr 2005 . that's good to hear we are off to buy 1 next month from wellytown .its going to be a slow drive back
kazbanz, Feb 20, 8:33pm
wizid--That car must be super extra special if you are going all the way to wellington from Whangarei to buy it.
Incidently. The 2005 "1300" cc version is only available in the cosy version. Ie 1300cc with normal auto or manual gearbox.
But there are some that come fitted with a factory body kit. The body kit is straight off of the 1500 sport model--side skirts,spoiler and different front bumper as well as usually a set of alloy wheels.
One annoying feature with the DY series Demios is that in the centre of the dash top they often come with the GPS screen mounted. Its a moulded in mount. Easy fixed. by removing the whole center dash box and fitting one without the mount fitted.
andy61, Feb 20, 9:29pm
Check for 2 common faults, broken engine mount on right side of engine(as viewed from sitting behind steering wheel), and common for rust on underside of spare wheel well where the reinforcing strip is spot welded on.Be warned these Demios are not all that economcial, in fact they are rather hard on petrol(we use to own one and have hired 2 on holidays.The newer shape Demios are much better on fuel.
westwyn, Feb 21, 12:57am
Fourth generation Demio has been released in Japan last year (September) and has been a big sales success so far- carries on the styling cues seen in the new Mazda Axela (Mazda3) and the Mazda Atezna (Mazda6).
westwyn, Feb 21, 1:55am
And not to be a details Nazi, but the 2005 Demio "facelift" with the bigger headlights, did not come as a Cozy model. The Cozy was a higher-specification 2002-2004 (and a few early pre-facelift 2005) model with the light brown cloth interior, usually audio controls in the steering wheel etc. For the 2005 facelift model, there are two basic specifications- the Casual which is the base model, and the Casual AeroActive which has the "Sport" styled bodykit and nicer interior trim, usually (if not always) trimmed in black, plus factory alloy wheels. This is the one to have, if you have a choice, since they look a lot smarter (there's no mechanical difference) and down the track, resale probably a bit better. There's also the Sport model, which was a 1.5-litre with the 4-speed TipTronic automatic (also available in manual), full bodykit plus larger alloy wheels.

They're a little bit coarse, but very reliable and overall good value in the small car segment. Underbody rust can be an issue- although it's a compliance "red flag" and should have been picked up and properly treated / sorted before registration can take place.

There's a 4WD version of the 1.3 (both Casual and AeroActive) but I do NOT recommend these- apart from the fuel-sapping drivetrain complexity, these tend to have come from "snow" climates and have a habit of rusting out around the wheelarches as a result- plus the other rust issue as above.

Cheap and cheerful- and as a bonus, plenty of useable space inside.
wizid, Feb 21, 4:11pm
its cheap . only got 40k on the clock . and we get it at brothers rates . he owns the car yard. so all good .
kazbanz, Feb 21, 4:17pm
Then make sure he gets the japs to throw a flat centre console box into the car. Color isn't too importand as you can change the color.
Also there are about 1 in 100-200 that come with a "normal" radio.
Worth getting as those ones you can fit a kiwi radio in.
before he ships it I'd be sure a decent ramp check gets done.
wizid, Feb 21, 4:18pm
also he flying us down .and we get a holiday out of it. thank people for all your input . it really helps . much appreciated .
peric, Feb 22, 12:03am
Recently imported one for own use as a city car. Need the high seating and it has amazing carrying capacity with rear seats folded. It's a 2005 1340cc manual. Gutless under 3000rpm. Good visibility and a great go kart drive. Would not want to venture far on the highway as road and wind noise at speed is high. In other words would recommend as a cheap shopping basket.
wizid, Feb 22, 1:51pm
yes iam not looking forward to driving it home . . its for she who must be obey. and a round town car . so all good
kazbanz, Feb 22, 2:50pm
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
jessebird, Feb 28, 1:58am
I am looking at Mazda Demo 2 2009, 19,000k, suppose that has rust too ?.
gabbysnana, Feb 28, 2:15am
after seeing the amount of demios involved in accidents just recently has put me right off small jappers.
wizid, Apr 12, 6:46pm
i was . not a mazda fan . but i was impressed. wellington to waihe to whangarei.$130.its good to get good advise thks
kazbanz, Mar 16, 10:46am
Glad to hear it