1992 Mazda Efini MS-6 1.8i DOHC V6 from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Fast and cheap, but absolutely rubbish reliability
Faults:
Automatic transmission started to break down badly before I sold it. Seems to be a factory defect. Started to creep incredibly slowly when in gear, jumped around between gears, it couldn't figure out what gear it was supposed to be in on hills.
CV joints wore out quickly, made nasty whirring noises when accelerating.
Air conditioning system spluttered and made grinding noises. Climate control display bulb blew, and was so hard to replace I didn't bother.
Cooling system didn't work properly. Some parts of motor overheated, but the actual block stayed at okay temperature. Pipes smelt like burnt rubber.
General Comments:
Very cheap and lots of parts available.
Very quick, DOHC V6 motor. Frightening fuel consumption for 1.8 litre. Good performance for a pretty ordinary looking car.
Steering felt like it was made from wood and pieces of string.
Transmission needs no introduction as it was perennially abysmal.
Probably a good car if you could find one with a reconditioned transmission and radiator. All electrics worked perfectly.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th June, 2009
25th Nov 2020, 00:48
Very similar to my own experience. The automatic transmission was just as bad after an overhaul. Horribly laggy and never knew what gear it should pick when the accelerator was pressed. On top of that it had almost no acceleration until it hit about 3500RPM, then took off like a rocket.
The climate control system would frequently lock up requiring the car to be fully turned off and on again just to operate the fan.
So many blown dashboard and instrument lights.
Fuel consumption was horrific, it drank more than a 4 litre V8 at race day.
Handling was comparable to a whale.
It's one redeeming feature was the A/C vent pointed directly at the driver's crotch. It made the ride surprisingly comfortable on a hot day.
25th Nov 2020, 21:28
The transmission should be fine after an “overhaul”. You should fire the mechanics who “worked” on it, assuming they actually did anything on it.
12th Sep 2012, 08:38
Obviously it is possible for the occasional "lemon" to fall through the cracks in quality assurance, as in this case, but I have a 1993 Mazda Efini MS-6 with the 1.8 V6, and have had no problems whatsoever with the auto transmission.
As it is a fairly wide car, I find the handling at speed to be at least more than adequate.
As stated, the power from the smooth little V6 can be alarming (not huge torque, but quick revving and smooth, with in my experience, a slick auto, and it is easy to find myself 30-40 kph over the speed limit if I don't pay attention).
Roomy inside, deceptively quick, FWD safe, and cheap to run; ticks most of the boxes for me.