I see. Then can you enlighten us any advantage for buying in branch over dealer?

SA tells you 2.6% but ultimately it is up to the banker to decide. So some SA give worst case interest rates, while some SA give best case interest rates.

Ultimately, it is the SA job to perform his magic to get you the lowest interest rates. Try a few branch and see which SA performs better magic show, since the booking fee is refundable.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 4 2015, 10:49 PM

Try other dealer, since you are orang KL, buy in KL and visit your family at the same time too. Do coating and tint one day or two, then drive back up Ipoh. You can do service in any Mazda SC so long you have the service voucher embedded in the service book. The SC will tear out one for every free service. It is not dealer SC specific. Cheers!

If I am not mistaken a person here bought in KL but collect car in KK.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 5 2015, 08:15 AM

Yup. I got that feeling too when I walked into Honda showroom at OKR before. All of them playing with their phone downstairs, see me walk in, one reluctantly layan me when I ask, then he asked me to look at the car first, later on he layan another uncle and then another aunty. Wasting my time there. LoL! Straightaway decided not to buy there, just use their City (E spec only) as comparison with Mazda 2 later on. I once walked into Mercedes Benz showroom to ask price for an uncle back to settle from overseas, they all greet and layan me right away, no dog eye look down on people. Honda OKR

Normally by cheque. Imagine buy car with credit card...

But then card got extra charge 3%.

RM90k x 3% = RM2.7k

But the points you earn can change... Don't know whether the redemption points can cover the additional RM2.7k or not.

I heard some say yes worr.. Pay downpayment, then got accumulate point, change DSLR.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 5 2015, 08:16 PM

Welcome to the world of M2!

This weekend mother's day! Any recommendations for lunch? I know dinner time very tightly pack everywhere.

I live in KL. I think I will get a reservation in some restaurant here.

I came from KK so most probably want to try some western cuisines as KK doesn't have many.

Professionalism and enthusiasm. Customers walked in and SE not greetings is not a good sign to buy from that dealer/branch, no matter what is the brand. In Malaysia, there is no such thing as monopoly for car brand, apart from those exclusively expensive certain super-sports and ultra-luxurious car brands. You can always call other dealer/branch from other place.

Else as below:

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 6 2015, 03:45 PM

Going for 1st service this Saturday, so will know how does it compares to my old City.

I am going to pester the SA until she calculate for me the whole maintenance cost for free service, include brake pads and absorbers, lower arm, absorbers top rubber mount, disc brakes, tyres, and battery. These are the ones that are wear and tear and my old City usually have to change the whole set once every 3 years. Maybe the clutch in the transmission torque converter as well?

Include labour charge if possible of course.

Either one will do.

VW Polo 1.2 TSI cost more than Mazda 2 price tag, hence, cannot be directly compared this way.

Only VW Polo Sedan or Polo 1.6 MPI can be compared directly.

1.2 TSI engines are twin-charged engine, will produce a lot of torque for pickup because it is super+turbocharged, and pairing that to 7spd DSG transmission, you get superb acceleration feeling, like a sports car. Drawback is it is not suited for our hot climate and traffic jams.

However, looking back at VW's dark history with their 7spd DSG transmission, faulty engine and hidden 2+3 years warranty cover, a lot of potential customers shy away from VW. 2nd hand value of the car dropped 50% in first 2 years after the manufacturer's warranty expires, and from then onwards is warrantied by an insurer, hence, whether to accept repairs cost of the car is up to the insurer's discretion. Clutch pack cost RM4k/change (VW give 50% discount so now RM2k) almost every or every two years. Repair waiting period is phenomenally long, as there are a lot of other cars had the same problem.

VW had a lot of reliability issues.

Being RM90k car and CBU Thailand, I guess it wouldn't cost a lot more than Vios I guess, I believe slightly would be better as Toyota concept of cost cutting is trying to match parts with different car model, hence can increase production quantity, which in turn drive cost down. Mazda 2 1.5L might not have similar parts with 2.0L, even 2.0L and 2.5L visually the same, but size both different. As scaled up model.

I think they didn't change it from dry clutch to wet clutch, instead just change to mineral oil based transmission fluid, and have to change the transmission fluid often as mineral based oil don't last long than synthetic oil, like Honda clutch-type CVT gearbox, new SC recommendation change every 30K km.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 7 2015, 04:40 PM

It is a Japanese made car, and it is made to compete with their local market as well, hence, the maintenance of the car shouldn't be off too much. Even if it cost more to maintain, but there is still a ceiling.

Of course, don't count those design defects or design underestimation in, Honda City too has this problem once before, as well as VW 7spd dry clutch DSG. That one is purely up to luck and with new technology, it is a gamble we owners are willing to take the risk.

In terms of regular maintenance cost, it should cost about the sam as H and T.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 8 2015, 03:09 PM

What battery is that? If we know what brand and manufacturer, or at least the spec for the battery, maybe outside will be cheaper. . I know it is high density battery.

Wiper blade as in the whole wiper or just the rubber part? I know Honda change just the rubber part, while Mercedes change the whole wiper.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 8 2015, 04:38 PM

According this this website from MazdaUSA, it should have at least 3 years warranty no?

http://mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/parts_serv...a_batteries.pdf

Thanks! Well... If they recommend to change the battery every 80,000km means the battery should be working for at least 4 years? Any battery change included within the free service maintenance?

RM720.80 doesn't look like a big number if it spread over 4 years or 80,000km, but I take worst case scenario 3 years or 60,000km, ngam2 car warranty finished .

If according to RON95 price now is RM1.95/litre (8/5/2015),

RM720.80 ÷ RM1.95/L= 369.64 L ≈ 370 L

So, we must save 370 L over the course of 60,000km using i-Stop,

370 L / 60 (,000)km = 6.167 L/1000km

So we need i-Stop to help us save 6.167 L/1000km in order to break even the cost for that Mazda battery.

Considering the fact that crude oil is over-supplied now (according to market analysts), so petrol price might go up in the future. If petrol price do increases, then the target for amount of fuel to be save per 1000km will decrease, cannot say the relationship is linear as petrol price increase, price of everything increases except our salary .

Check your i-Stop calculator and see whether the amount of fuel saved by your car can break even with this or not? Then we can make informed decision on whether replacing back with Mazda battery gooding or not .

Another way of indirect savings is from the fuel saved by Skyactiv engine. My old City VTEC engine gives me real world consumption of about 14.5 km/L (70% highway and 30% city) constantly (~6.9 L/100km) mark. So any lower in your car computer is saving for your pocket (unless Honda and Mazda cheats in their fuel consumption computer).

*Note: Normal car also need to change battery, this calculation haven't factor the price difference, RM720.80 - RM250? (estimate) = RM470.80 which gives about 4.024 L/1000km i-Stop target according to calculation above.

Any extras in saving is for you to enjoy life or for rainy days. Cheers!

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 8 2015, 05:40 PM

Time would tell...

USA and UK give 3 years or 36,000 miles (~60,000 km).

As with the industry norms here.

The recommended battery for i-Stop stated in the owner's manual is Q-85 or N-55 (S) standard.

According to:
https://www.gs-yuasa.com/gyin/en/topics/pdf/20120828e.pdf

Q-85: This is a lead-acid storage battery for idle-stop vehicles as stipulated in specification S0101:20006 released by the Battery Association of Japan, with Q referring to the outer dimensions category, and 85 referring to the performance rank. The outer dimensions and electrode specifications conform to the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) for D23 batteries.

http://www.baj.or.jp/e/car_battery/car03.html

So we can start from here?

Q-85 battery manufacturers:
GS Battery Thailand http://www.gssales.co.th/page.php?a=2&n=120&c=74&ac=1&p=83 (Use translate page to English unless you know Thai)

Bosch Australia http://goodchild.com.au/brands/bosch/90d23...ch-battery.html
*Note: Can try call local Bosch car battery dealer and ask whether they got this one or not.
In Japan Bosch Hightec Premium 115D23L, they stated can be used with 55D23L 65D23L 75D23L type too.
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/autowork/4969655113991/

http://de.bosch-automotive.com/en/parts/pa..._agm_1/s6_agm_1

Panasonic battery
CAOS N100D23L/C5
http://www.panasonic.hk/english/products/l...n100d23lc5.aspx

GS Yausa battery? Japan has it, not sure local has it or not.
ECO.R Long Life Series" Automotive Battery
http://www.gs-yuasa.com/us/products/index.html

Century Battery
Australia, not sure the same Century with the Malaysia ones.
http://www.centurybatteries.com.au/resourc...der/product/q85

ACDelco
SQ85D23LEFB
Australia
http://www.acdelco.com.au/PDFs/Catalogue_A...o_Batteries.pdf

According to the rakuten website:

N-55 standard
1. 75B24
2. 80B24

Q-85 standard
1. 95D23
2. 100D23
3. 105D23
4. 110D23
5. 115D23

** [UPDATE: Q-85 means Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) 90D23L, it will have a Q-85 mark on the battery, and will mention it is for idle-stop or start stop vehicle use! Do not confuse with normal battery, Ca-Ca battery, and UHPB battery!]

Bosch Japan gave 18 months or 30,000km warranty for the battery for idle-stop cars (Mazda 2). So 30,000km is a good prediction to start looking for battery?

This post has been edited by RicoT: Mar 27 2016, 10:26 PM

It sells for THB2150 (baht) or ~MYR230 for one maintenance free battery.
GS Battery Thailand Q-85

http://www.sakchaimotor.com/14495489/%E0%B...B8%9B%E0%B9%8C-

Translate to English

And it is the same brand as our OEM lead-acid battery.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 9 2015, 04:04 PM

Yes this battery can support start stop. So the battery is not as expensive as we thought. I can go kawan2 with the SC and ask them to help install this battery when the time comes.

Sorry, previous post wrong. 55D23L cannot support i-Stop.

This post has been edited by RicoT: May 9 2015, 07:04 PM