All hail today’s Mazda. Not because it looks like it’s been through a hail storm, but because it sports a long roof and a stick shift. Could those factors outweigh its golfball aesthetic?

Think about all the things Korea has accomplished over the years. There’s delicious Kimchee, energetic K-Pop, and the wonderfully quirky superstition of “.” It’s truly the country that keeps on giving.

Among Korea’s gifts was yesterday’s luxury sedan. That Caspian Black halo car not only had paint named for two seas, but at $8,900 it was also able to overcome a well-worn odometer in earning a narrow but decisive 58 percent Nice Price win. Let’s celebrate by listening to some Monsta X and eating some tasty fermented cabbage.

Before we do however, we have to size up today’s , and by size-up I mean see if we’re down with its price. This is a fairly unique ride around these parts as it is a wagon of compact dimensions, powered by a V6 engine and carrying a manual transmission. You don’t often find that combo and that makes this something that we should investigate further.

Unfortunately, getting up close and personal with the car reveals a couple of issues right off the bat. Those are a pair of prominent dents on the hood along with what looks to be significant chipping on its leading edge. What the hell happened here? Was it weather related? Maybe a vindictive Ex taking out their anger? Aliens? I’ll bet it was aliens.

Whatever the reason, that hood is messed up. The rest of the car looks to be in decent shape, although we don’t get a shot of the roof so we can’t tell if whatever damaged the hood continued its reign of terror up there.

The paint is black and that carries through to the leather-swaddled interior. We see some more issues inside where the passenger seat seems to losing its upholstering. The leather on the outside of the squab looks to be puckering up as a result. I suggest not kissing it.

Again, the rest of the interior looks to be in fine fettle making that one problem stick out all the more. A plastic liner protects the load area in back, while another plastic piece—the one covering the center stack tray—looks to have gone missing up front.

The ad notes a clean title and modest 104K in mileage. That’s pretty much it. We can fill in the details a bit. The engine here is Mazda’s 220 horsepower 3-litre V6. These have four cams and those are chain-driven so you don’t have to worry about the age of a belt. Instead you’d probably want to listen for any noises that might indicate chain guide wear. Hey, it’s always something, right? The V6 is paired with a five-speed manual and power goes to the front wheels.

If you glance at the ad you’ll see that the dealer selling the car is not only appreciably brief in their description, but are also not interested in any of your shit. The say “Cash Only, No Trade-Ins, and No Finance.” Geez, I wonder if they kick you in the ass as you’re walking out too?

I guess any dealer that curt and straightforward is not about to go to great lengths to prep a car—replacing missing parts or fixing those dents—when the asking price is low.

That price here is $2,499 and it’s nowincumbent upon you to decide if that seems to be a fair asking for this Mazda as it’s presented. What do you think, could this flawed but foxy wagon command that much? Or, are the dings and interior demerits just too much?

You decide!

Dallas, TX , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to mazdaconvert for the hookup!

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