20/06/2026 7:35 am
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My old civic literally died on the highway yesterday and I start a new job on Monday so I am in a massive rush. I found a 2018 Mazda CX-5 touring near me in Austin and the guy wants 19,500 for it. It has like 65k miles. Honestly I have no idea if that is a good deal or if I am getting totally ripped off, I have never bought a car on my own before and I am super stressed out. My absolute max budget is 18k but maybe I can stretch it if it is actually worth it? I need to tell him tomorrow. What is a fair price for this?
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20/06/2026 7:35 am
Honestly, 19.5k is too high. I bought my Mazda CX-5 2018 Touring AWD for 17k last year and im super satisfied. Offer 17.5k max to stay under budget.
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20/06/2026 8:40 am
Late to the party here but I wanted to warn you about stretching your budget. Do not do it, especially with a new job starting. A few years ago, my old car broke down right before I started a new gig. I panicked and almost dropped way too much cash on a newer SUV, stretching myself to the absolute limit. I backed out last minute and found a Mazda CX-5 Sport 2017 for about 15,500 instead. Honestly, it was the best decision I ever made. Going with the slightly older model and lower trim saved me thousands, and I still got the same reliable ride. If your max budget is 18k, buying a car listed at 19.5k is going to stretch you way too thin. You have to remember Texas sales tax is 6.25 percent, plus registration fees and the inevitable insurance bump. You could easily end up spending over 21k out the door. I would suggest walking away if he wont drop the price to 16.5k or 17k max. Be careful with sellers who know you are in a rush. They will use that leverage to overcharge you. If you need something reliable right now, maybe look for a Toyota RAV4 LE 2016 in the 15k range to give yourself a safety cushion.
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20/06/2026 7:50 am
To add to the point above, yeah, 19.5k is way too much. Unfortunately, the Mazda CX-5 Touring 2018 had some annoying cylinder deactivation issues that caused weird drivetrain vibrations. It was not as good as expected honestly. If they won't drop the price to 17k, maybe look for a Honda CR-V EX 1.5T as a more reliable daily driver.