1998 Mazda 626 ES V6 from North America

Summary:

Awesome!

Faults:

Nothing yet except some interior replacements. The sun visor was trashed and the headrest had the inner bar sticking into it. The drivers side Bose speaker was completly blown out. Got replacements for these, the speaker at a Mazda dealer and the other two from a junkyard.

General Comments:

This car is aweome. Zoom Zoom! Very fast car and the ride and drive makes driving fun again. Good interior for the most part except the roof design isn't great quality. I've been able to fix it, but I may get it redone by a professional. Everything else besides that is high quality. It feels like I'm driving on air on this car, it's great handling on turns, great suspension. Nice pickup on the V6 and great amount of power. Has better pickup then a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord by far.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th November, 2005

1998 Mazda 626 LX from North America

Summary:

Fine!!!

General Comments:

Score!!! I just pup this Mazda 1998 for a little more (dollars really) than half of the book value. I took it for a complete inspection at my local Mazda dealer (which is free, courtesy of Mazda). Other than needing a right front axle, the car is in mint condition. Now... it those have the clicks on it, but considering that I bought it as a second car, ine that I can drive to the ground, I could not ask for better. I run over 400 miles/week. I first considered buying a Hybrid (Toyota Prius), or, simply a car with a high EPA, such as the Toyota Echo. But truth be told, the ROI is not worth it. Although I would have immediately felt the savings at the pump, once you factor in the cost incurred for buying either of the latter car, I really would only have seen a real savings in 9 years!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th October, 2005

1998 Mazda 626 LX 2.0L from North America

Summary:

Excellent with lots of room

Faults:

I had to break suddenly once and after that the check engine light came on. When I checked it seemed to be a problem with the Oxygen sensors.

General Comments:

Other than the normal wear and tear there has been nothing wrong with this car and I am pretty much happy with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd October, 2005

1998 Mazda 626 LX 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A nice-looking hunk of junk

Faults:

One week after the purchase, the alternator went out. It cost about $700 to replace at the dealership. Then, at about 92,000 miles, the brakes began squeaking. I had to replace the CV boots, rotors, and brake pads (another $800). Then, it jumped time. I had to replace all the belts in the engine ($600). It still hasn't been running well. Now, not even a year after my initial purchase, the transmission has blown. It will cost $2500 to replace. The car is only worth $2750 as a trade in, so replacing the transmission is a waste of money.

General Comments:

I purchased this car from a private party. The guy was a mechanic and said the car was in great condition. I paid $5000 for this car. The car is still in excellent condition, as far as looks go, but that just doesn't matter when it doesn't run. And I only bought this car because I was rear-ended in my Accura Integra! It has been the worst car decision I have ever made.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th July, 2005

8th Jul 2005, 12:08

Yeah the 626 auto tranny isn't the most reliable of units. However, if you're on a budget, why are you getting simple things serviced at a dealership? Things like Alternators, CV boots, and brakes are dirt cheap at regular garages (in comparison). You could have even traded in the alternator for a rebuilt unit at one of many alternator shops. The tranny is a different story, but nevertheless, don't throw money down the drain needlessly. A problem with my car would have to baffle every mechanic in town before I'd leave it with a dealership. Even if that were the case, I'd seriously consider rolling it off a cliff as a viable alternative.

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