1993 Mazda MX6 LX V6 from North America

Summary:

Many problems someone help

Faults:

The car idles very hard (I took it to a dealer to be looked at. They replaced the intake hose it still does it. If anyone knows what causes this please let me know)

Car idles like it will die when I am stopped.

RPM jump around on occasion.

Makes loud noise, almost like belts slipping.

Low profile tired replaced 3 times in month! Alignment of car never straight.

No A/C this sucks!

I think the steering column is going out.

General Comments:

If I could get a newer one I would.

Body is seriously ahead of its time.

Needs lots of work.

Whole engine replacement needed to make it run effectively for any model.

I see why this was discontinued.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st June, 2004

21st Jun 2004, 15:54

Try shifting into neutral when you're stopped for whatever reason. I have a '93 Mazda Protege and it also tends to vibrate a little bit when idle. Normally it's not too bad, but when it gets on my nerves shifting into neutral solves the problem.

22nd Jun 2004, 11:23

Replace the motor with a Japanese KLZE 2.5L, 200 hp V6. You can buy them with about 50,000km for around $1000 CDN. well worth the money for an extra 36 hp over North American stock.

14th Jul 2004, 21:21

The loud idling noise is could be caused by the friction gear located in the back left of the engine near cylinder #1. I have the same problem, but the dealer told me to not get it fixed unless the noise tends to increase. Bought it at 56,000 km it has 117,000 km now and still runs like a dream. It may also be the cam springs that need replacing. Just a bit of information.

28th Apr 2005, 21:32

I have this car now, but I had the MX-3 GS with the 1.8 liter V6. It also had a rough idle when coming to a stop. It was a simple fix. It turned out to be a cracked spark plug wire. But I will have to agree with the V6 swap. I had mine swapped with JDM version. Cost me $1200, but this was after my engine failed at 170,000 miles on it. Not bad if you ask me for a stock engine that was driven aggressively. Hopefully this helps if you still have the car.

1993 Mazda MX6 LS 2.5 V6 from North America

Summary:

Looks like a butterfly and stings like a bee

Faults:

Considering its age and mileage, very few.

Spark plug cables needed replacing every 80k km or so - the only reason for engine misfiring.

Valve cover gasket leaked oil into spark plug wells.

Power window switch spring broke.

Hand brake cable needed replacing around 150K km.

That's about it.

General Comments:

When the car was new as well as today, it has been one of the best looking cars on the road. It was a trend-setter in its time, and I believe the first one to sport those sexy eyes. Its look has a certain timelessness to it, making people not familiar with the MX6 often surprised that it is actually 11 years old. If it is not becoming a classic, it should be. I only wish that there is a model car made after it. I'd buy a dozen and give them to my Honda and Toyota friends.

It is a common car in Vancouver, BC, but rare in the east. Drive one into Washington DC and it would be a head turner.

It was her looks that made me buy her, but driving it is to know what a sport coupe should be. Her V6 engine is silky smooth, her power evenly distributed over the RPM range and at 180K km, is purring the way she did when ten years younger, and giving the same gas mileage - about 550 km per tank. All I did was to change oil regularly, and sometimes not too regularly, and put in engine treatment once every few tanks.

It has a great 6-speaker sound system.

Its suspension is somewhat stiff for someone used to driving a Rolls Royce (not me), but it can hold the same curve at twice the speed. All the way to skidding, body lean is minimal.

Its ergonomics, at least for me (5'9") is superb.

Her straight line performance is superior to those of her counterparts in Honda and Toyota, which are usually 4-cylinder machines.

Its gear ratio makes the engine rev a little too high at highway speeds for my liking - e.g. at 100 kph (about 60 mph), the engine revs at about 3200 rpm, with the engine having all kinds of power to spare. While the lower gears are fine, they could have spread out the gear ratios over a broader rpm range so that the engine revs at below 2700 rpm at 100 kph.

Her horn sounds a little reedy. But with looks like hers, she never needed to blow her own horn.

I wish her alloy wheels look more refined to match the refinement in the rest of her.

All in all, I love this car. I used to change cars once every two or three years. This one has kept me for over a decade.

It is a sad loss to the auto industry for Mazda to discontinue the MX6 line.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2004

5th Mar 2006, 19:25

Thank you for the praise you give the MX-6! I have been in love with this car ever since I was in high school and I am at the moment trying to locate a clean, low mileage example here in Victoria. So far all the one I have seen are too beat up for my tastes, but the longer I wait the more money I will have to purchase a super clean example.

Eagerly looking forward to own one.

A.