Body Styling

The car is a lemon. 79K miles and on the third transmission. I spoke with Mazda USA and they admitted they have a problem with transmissions yet they offered no help. They were useless. First tranny went out at 32K. Some problems again this summer, now needs to be replaced ($2700). Buyer beware!!!

Stay away. Unless you want to replace the transmission several times over the life of the car.

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Toyota Tercel. Great car. Be prepared to have it a long time

good gas miliage. the sweeping vents tight when you turn very solid good accel. at 30mph to 80mph

110 hp and 0mph to 30mph have to floor it

i would recommend it if you get a 5 speed and what the others say about the auto transmision is true the engine sometimes doenst catch but if you are a decent drive you can feel it and all you have to do is ease off the gas about 20% and it will fix itself not a probalem

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infinity g20 5 speed much more durible and smoother but one is a stick so cant compare

It has good looks. The interior is well laid out -- love the swinging air vents. It handles well for it's class, and has a good engine. I believe it is every bit as good as a Camry, but for less money. In it's class, maybe the best car for the money?

The transmission feels like it came from a bad Ford -- very jerky at low speeds. Also, the tires are not up to snuff.

I have had a few problems since purchase (electrical shorts, headrest that has a steel bar push out), but from what I have heard it is specific to my vehicle. Lucky me, I guess. The dealers in the area wouldn't listen to me the first time I took it in, and their "fix" to a blown fuse took the entire electrical system out.

I have heard from many people, and have certainly experienced, the problematic transmission -- jerky shifts at low speeds. Also, the stock tires are downright dangerous in my opinion. If it has so much as sprinkled the night before, don't even think about exceeding the speed limit. If you buy the car, and do not live in southern California, get new tires.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you are looking to spend less than 20k and want a nice "near-luxury" sedan then this is the car for you. Other than the dealer induced electrical failure, I have had no serious problem with the car in the two years / 29,000 miles I have owned it. It is no Lexus, but then you are not paying for a Lexus.

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Pontiac Bonneville -- possibly the worst car in existance.
Cheverolet Baretta -- never had any problems with it, drove it 100k miles and rarely even had it serviced (after 100k it went south faster than a carpetbagger after the War).

It has a lot of space inside the car. The interior is clean looking. I like the "swing" on the vents. Gets good gas migage. My stereo is pretty good.

When I first got my car the engine light came on, then the over-drive light came on. Just a few days ago my gas line busted so we had to replace that. It seems like theres more disadvantages then advantages.

I would recommened it to a family. I would not recommened it to someone who is looking for a sporty car.

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This car rocks for a 4-cylinder car because when you floor the gas to the floor and the turbo kicks in the car runs in a dime, the max speed I had run the car to is 130 mph and no upgrades and also the beat on this car is good for 25 watts speakers.

The only problems I have is the paint and the turbo burn but no problems inside the car.

If you want to get a car from the 80's get this car because it is very fast and the look on the car is beatiful plus its kinda big inside for a sport car.

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Nearly everything. The leather, the sound, the performance (handling), I love the sound of the engine when I rev it up.

speed. I really need a faster car.

Its a good car. I put it to the test a few hours ago, and I was amazed. I was like, "Since when can you do this!!???"

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1998 Honda Civic, 1996 Nissan Maxima, 1995 Ford Probe, 1998 Yugo something

Smooooooth V6 with plenty of power out of a 2.5 liter rated @ 164 ponies. Excellent handling for a front drive. Comfortable seats. Well laid out dash board.

Cup holder placement. After 1995, Ford purchased most of Mazda and the price hasn't changed since. This has hurt the resale value if you bought it that year.

The 626-V6 gets a bad rap. It's been said that it has a terrible transmission...I have 97,000 miles on mine and it's still as solid as the day I bought it. The only thing I've had to do to it is replaces the O2 sensors. Both were under $65 and it cost me $40 to have them installed. (Don't take it to a dealer to have them put in...they'll screw you for $175 a piece and $100+ a piece to put in.) For the price of $23K loaded...nothing in it's class compares. A loaded Honda Accord $26K, Maxima $34K, Taurus $25K...you get the picture. Drive one, they sell themselves. I'd put my 626 up against ANY competitor in it’s class. I’m ready for another 100,000 miles!

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1993 Buick LeSabre - too heavy and no fun to drive.
1996 Honda Civic - rides like a tank and NO power!

Overall styling, V6 with stick shift has plenty of moxie from idle to 100+ mph, handles well in the twisties &, decent mileage, comfortable bucket seats (non power),roomy trunk, fairly quiet on highway even with high performance tires. Few minor mechanical problems since purchased new,dealer handled most without me getting ill with them. Easy access to spark plugs for do it yourselfers. Good value, price paid was tax in.

Needs a 6th gear for manual trans. Highway mileage would be better with lower RPMs at 70MPH. Will purchase with power seat next go round for more flexibility, stock AM-FM Cassette is just ok, I've upgraded entire audio system. Required premium fuel is costly. From all I've read and heard the automatic transmissions are VERY trouble prone...glad I got a 5 speed. Outside mirrors a tad small, larger size would help reduce blind spots. Five speed trans. a little notchy for my taste. Air Conditioner a little weak for south Texas heat. Back seat not suitable for large adults.

I've been (and still am) quite pleased with the purchase, will probably buy another in the future. Good bang for the buck. It is a fun car to drive and the V-6 makes the difference. Four cylinder a little puny for me. Have 68K on the odometer and plan to see many more miles.

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Prior to purchase drove Camry (too much$$$, non sporty handling), Ford Countour (too new in '96..no track record), Accord was nice but no 5speed available with V6.

I liked the body style.

1. Transmission 2. Transmission and 3.Transmission. Did I mentioned the transmission? The transmission on the 1994 Mazda is absolutely defective. I had to replace the transmission in my car at 40,000 miles. Actually, the car I have now is not the original car I purchased in 1994. The transmission in the original car I purchased in 1994 died on my way home, the night I bought the car. I had to have my brand new car towed back to the dealer. They couldn't find anything wrong with the car, so I picked the car up. On my way home, the car stopped in the middle of the freeway. I called the dealership to let them know, I was leaving their car on the freeway. They towed the car back to the shop and found out the transmission was bad. They wanted to repair the transmission and give me back the car. However, after a very heated debate the owner of the dealership decided to let me have another car.

Overall my 1994 Mazda 626 has turned out to be a lemon. Originally, I was drawn to the car because I thought I was getting a fairly decent car for around $15,000. At the time, the Toyota Camry was selling for about $17,000. I wish I had bought the Camry, because the money I saved on the front end of the deal has been spent many times over in repairs. Next year, I'm planning on purchasing a new car. I will definately not be looking at any of Mazda's products. This time I will pay a few extra dollars for a Honda Accord. Also, I tell everyone I know who thinks the new Mazda's are very stylish that looks can be deceiving. I explain to them the headaches and nighmares I have experienced, since I purchased my car in 1994. Finally, I am a firm believer that Mazda should do the right thing and have a major recall on the 94 626, since there have been so many complaints, (see the coonsumer reports), about the overall workmanship of the car, but more specifically the automatic transmission.

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I owned a 1986 Nissa Pulsar for 10 years. The only time the car was in the shop the first 6 years was to have the oil changed or the brake pads replaced. After the six year period there were some minor repairs, but still nothing major.

This car is beautiful on the inside and out....I like the swing air conditioning....keeps me occupied. This car drives great as well. I also love leather...the interior is really nice.

The only thing I don't like is the speaker on the left blew already..but the system is amazing. Needs to be a little faster.

I really would recommend this car to anyone...it is great for someone who wants a really nice car without being terribly expensive. It's pretty affordable. Its a good car for traveling as well...its very comfortable and is a very smooth ride.

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98 Ford Contour, 94 Ford Ranger, 95 Saturn, 92 Chevy Cavalier...my Mazda has great pickup but believe it or not, my Cavalier blew everyone away.