Faults:

Front wheel drive axle boots dried out and cracked from storage rather than driving.

General Comments:

I love Mazda's, especially those from 1988 to 1991. I have owned, operated, and sold several.

The car is economical to drive and extremely fast if you want to keep BMW's at your rear. Most of my miles are in business at interstate speeds.

I have found the car to be extremely comfortable, and to handle extremely well regardless of weather conditions. Seating position is excellent. I am 5'9" and weigh 160#. Plenty of leg room and can drive with my arms extended for comfort. The seats have more than adequate support and are easy to enter and exit. All the controls are easy to reach.

The environment is comfortable any time of the year. I enjoy the open air of the sun roof during the spring and fall, without the chassis flexibility of a convertible.

Economy of operation is excellent as I experience 25 mpg around town, and up to 32 mpg at interstate speeds. The best performance and economy is achieved on premium fuel.

The four wheel disc brakes are excellent and stop repeatedly without fade. With the rear seats folded flat, I can transport a king size headboard!

Faults:

I had to replace the CV Boots because they had dried out and cracked from non-use!

I also had to replace the front discs and rotors because they had crystallized from non use over time!

General Comments:

It is fantastic! I found the car on EBAY with 16,000 one owner, non-smoker miles. It was owned by a retired fireman who collected cars. He had several other older cars in his inventory and several newer ones as well.

I like the car for it's versatility! It is economical and easy to drive but, when you want to run, it will scream. I have no trouble outrunning/passing BMW five series on the interstate. They cannot keep up with me when the engine is running over 3000 rpm.

I find it extremely comfortable for city driving and interstate travel as well. I am 5'9" and can get comfortable behind the steering wheel without any problem.

Compared with the newer versions, I find this car more to my liking. It is a Touring Car with performance that you can pay a lot more for without receiving the reliability of Mazda Engineering. The ergonomics are perfect for me. Everything is easy to reach and control. I love the fresh air vents for those days when heat or air conditioning is not required. Combined with the sun roof, I enjoy the open air that can be achieved in a convertible without the sloppy handling of a convertible attributable to chassis flexibility.

This is not the first Mazda of this generation I have owned but, it may be the last. I have been unable to find another of this vintage that is in this condition, mileage and upkeep. Compared to the other 626 GT in my garage, a 1988 with an automatic transmission, I have a car at my disposal for any situation. Both cars provide me with sheer driving pleasure with safety, economy, and performance when required!

Faults:

Lots of leaking hoses. (expected for it's age)

Auto seat belts work 75 percent of the time.

Wiring shortage in wipers.

A/C compressor went out at 175000 miles.

General Comments:

Not a bad vehicle to get you from A to B. Daily driver of 90 miles a day. Avg. 28 MPG. Roomy interior. Handles O.K. Generally Parts are not very expensive. Bought car for $300 and spent $800 (torque converter) on transmission to get it going. Overall not too bad for a fixer upper. Transmission doesn't have a good rep for this model. Hard shifting but still going.