[ryy89]

Hey everyone,
I want to preface my post by saying that i've been a long time Mazda enthusiast since I was a teenager. My first car was a Cranberry Red 99 Protege ES that bought at 17 and absolutely loved. I currently drive an Audi S3 and while it is an absolute rocket, it's NOT the most fuel efficient daily driver to have :laugh: hence why i'm looking at buying a 2nd car to have as my daily mode of transportation.

I took some time a few weeks ago to drive the main competition and found the the Mazda 3 to be the best drivers car by a long shot with a very German-esque interior that I felt very comfortable in. The Sentra was unattractive and was slower than a lawnmower, the Focus' interior didn't wow me, and everyone drives a Civic:sleep1: It really comes down now the new Elantra or the 3. I've been looking at several used 2014+ GS models but unfortunately they seem to be pretty popular and there aren't that many around me. I found one that I really liked but noticed some rust on the trunk (see photos below). The salesman shrugged it off as something very minor, but is agreeing to pay for the repairs assuming I purchase the vehicle. My main question is if I should even bother considering this particular car given the rust, and if the whole "rust" issue is something I need to concern myself with? It's a little bit disheartening to see rust on a 2014 model and I'm wondering if I buy one if i'll have to worry about it later.

Unfortunately i can't yet upload photos because of my post count but here's the imgur link to the photos

 

[decimalsanddollars]

If they're saying they're gonna pay to repair any rust on it, I'd get that in writing. But also, where are you located? Mazda doesn't have the best reputation in salty winter climates...

 

[sc489]

Ensure you are happy with the road noise on a test drive on rough roads.

 

[Rdrokit]

I find most cars will rust if they aren't taken care of. If you live in a harsh climate and leave your car out in the elements it will rust. Wash it when it gets dirty, store it in a garage with a car cover and you will not have a rust problem. I live in a humid wet climate and keep my 2014 Mz3 in a garage with a car cover and I have no rust after 3 and a half years.

 

[Studum]

Rust on spot welds of sedans was a known issue on early cars, but that's not what your pics are of.

If the rust is looking like that already it will only get worse. I'd walk from it (personally) unless they were willing to provide a written warranty on the repaired area and that it seems isolated to that area.

 

[Road Trip]

I restored a 1956 Chevy which had some rust, and after that restoration, no rust returned for at least the next 6 years (and I live in Oregon where we have eight months a year of rain and more rain). After selling it, I lost track of it personally, but it just was in Michigan's Woodward Dream Cruise, looking stupendous in a newspaper picture of the event -- ten years after I sold it.

Rust of your trunk can be fixed and remain a non-issue down the road for decades...

 

[ryy89]

I'm located in Ontario and so salty roads are pretty much the norm. Studum, after some serious consideration I decided to just walk away. I felt that even though they fixed the rust, it would likely only be a bandaid on a bigger issue. I'm a little bummed out because the car was perfect otherwise and the price was great (maybe due to the rust?). Either way i'll keep looking.