Value, Solid road feel, Stereo, pretty good engine for price,

High engine revs (feels like it needs a sixth gear, 3400rpm @ 70mph), boring looks (ain't picking chicks up in this car!), gas mileage (26 hwy)

Paid $19,200 with leather, alloy wheels, cd & cassette, sun roof but no ABS. Comparing against Accord and Camry this is the very good value though certainly not as "sexy". 40k miles with no problems. As stated engine revs very high, I need to research to see if this is a defect. Mileage an unremarkable 26mpg when driving strictly highway. Very good stereo, seat comfort not bad (I'm 5'10", 200lbs). Pretty good engine power and a well matched manual transmision and handling typical for car type. Very cool cooling/heating. I would recommend for someone not concerned about having a sexy car and wants a good value, certainly less expensive than it's Japanese rivals.

My value rating is based against cars in it's class. Overall rating is based on the pleasure I've had, as well as what a car is: transportation.

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traded in an '90 Integra. I sure miss it...

Lots of room, I'm 6'3 and I fit in with plenty of space. Good truck room. Nice smooth ride. Great stereo system. Nice leather seats. Very comfy.

Little jerky in 1st and 2nd gears (auto transmission). Accelerates modestly. Top speed is average, could be a little higher especially with the V-6. Little shaky while going 75mph on Interstate.

For $4500 with 100,000 miles, the car gets the job done and gives me good gas mileage. My next car will most likely be something other than a Mazda. It really doesn't impress me a whole lot.

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1992 Bonneville, 1990 Toronado, 1988 Mark VII, 1992 Grand Am. As this being my first foreign car, it beats all my cars but the Toronado.

Gas milage: city 30 mpg, highway 34mpg.
5 speed tranny.
Strong engine.
Good dasg controls.
ABS works very well.
Mazda dealer service has been very good.

Seats not very comfortable on long drives 3 or more hours.
Manufacturer parts seem a bit cheap.
Exhuast, brakes, rotors, weekness, expensive to replace.

Paid $8995 in spring of 1997. Had 70,000 miles on it. Now has 130,000. Car came loaded, great value. The engine is very strong, runs perfect. Cruises at 80mph with 34 mpg. 5 speed trans at be great. Parts around the motor and tranny seem cheaper and don't seem to last as long as other cars and the price to fix is more expensive then other vehicles. Would recommend, make sure you get the 5 speed.

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Altima
Saab 900

the gas mileage is great especially for a v6, the leather interior feels really nice and the air conditioner blows all other air conditioners out. the price on the car was great at 7,500$ for a 96 model with only 32,000 miles

the slight jerking on the automatic every now and then. the acceleration is no good especially if your in a hurry. parts are expensive, but they last

i would recommend the car and this is the only time my new car will be the same as my current car. the car is great for a college student or someone with a small family. if u look around u can save alot of money if your interested in a 626

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used honda accord and save alot more for the dollar on the 626

It hauls when tuned up real good. Great handling,, (82' rear wheel drive)

WEAK Spark............ too many gizmo's.. like power windows and power locks... to advanced for its time...

wanna buy it?? I will sell it.... I WANT A TRUCK!!! 600 canadian....

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None

This car flies! The 6 cylinder engine is VERY smooth and very potent. It's hard to find a driver's car in a mid size sedan that isn't an automatic, unless you're opting for the more expensive German fare.

The road noise can get to you when driving on the highway for long periods of time. The antenna doesn't go down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to unscrew it every time I go to a carwash. What were they thinking????? :)

The car was very worth the $16,700 I paid for it. It has a very tight body structure, and it handles extremely well. The materials used don't have a cheap feel to them. Even the basic stereo that came with it sounds awesome. I love the interior ergonomics. This may be the first time that my next car will be the same as my current car.

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Ford Taurus, Honda Accord. Much better quality than the Ford, much more bang for the buck than the Honda.

-reliable, always started up, never left me stranded.
-looks better than all other square 1988 model cars out there.
-awesome steering
-awesome airconditioning
-very roomy
-very quiet interior
-5 speed manual made great use of the 2.2 L engine
-I got 500 miles off a tank a gas going to Las Vegas
-all power accessories worked perfect
-nifty occilating center vents on dash!
-tires last forever, good suspension, dampened out huge ruts in a dirt road
-perfect height for car to get in and out of
-solid construction

When pushed hard to get on freeway fast, the engine showed that it wasnt the most powerful thing. But that is a rare situation. Engine ran cold, heater wouldnt put out heat for a good 10 minutes. The brakes were good , till you used them really hard, they would fade. The stock radio and tape deck were great, but the whole set up was replaced for a smaller and better sony unit for 400 bucks, great sound from stock speakers. The power anttena quit working and it was suck in the up position. UM...the center hubs on the wheels turned yellow. See? Nothing important was wrong w/the car.......oh yah! whenever I turned the fan on, leaves would shoot into my face!

I would HIGHLY reccommend this car to someone who needs good transportation. It is not for someone who doesnt take care of their car tho. This thing would fall apart if not regularly maintained. I paid $600 to my aunt who bought the car orignally for like $14,000. I remember when it was brand new, I was 12 years old. It looked better than any new car out there at the time! The car is VERY reliable, paint was excellent, except for a key scratch :o(, was always parked outside and washed regularly all the time it was in the family. Long trips were very comfortable. I felt safe in the car even though it had no air bags, and the front lap belt placement looked strange. I could adjust the seat to any position I wanted. There was 310,000 miles on that car, before I got $400 for trade in toward a used Toyota Tercel.....not one problem w/ that car, CV joints were original inspected. I felt bad for trading in the old 626 w/ all my stickers on the back window, the 'fast-food'smell of the interior....and that brand new CD player i put in...whata wise choice I made! not! It saddens me to see those beat up 626's but I had the best '88 in So Cal. It was a great car.

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1960 Chevy....my primary car still, I inherited the 626 from my aunt. The only thing I couldnt do in the 626 was take corners fast.
1996 Tercel.....A major downgrade, but its newer and has a warranty and I wanted a new car

Looks, powerful than cars at same price range.

fragile body in accident.

I did not own this car. My civic was hit by this car (a Hertz rental car) which was hit by another Camry (another Hertz rental car) in the parking lot. The camry hit this car from the right side, smashed the entire right side of this 626 as well as all right side windows of it. The right-front door was located right beside the clutch after the hit! Guess if somebody was there we will see compressed human burgers. My car's right side was hit by this 626 under impact and some damage to the frame at the front and also in the back. Guess what happened to the camry? Nothing! Can see a tiny crevice on the right headlight, no scratches, no nothing. And Hertz had been the biggest ******* I have ever seen in my life and they have tried everyway trying to avoid paying me for the accident. And they even challegned me to sue them. And I am doing exactly that now. I really hope Hertz Rental a car went chapter 11 ASAP.

Mazda 626 looks better than camry for sure. And I heard it handles better too. But it seems it is not a safe car in an accident.

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tercel, corolla, celica, civic, accord, camry, maxima

extremely dependable, superior gas milage, cost much less than the accord, camary, Etc. . . great car for the money. Bought the car in 97 with 101+ and is still a great car with 160+ miles.

poor acceleration

i can't believe how reliable the car has been. i get 30miles per gallon on the highway and 24 in the city. I have only had to replace the battery and a squeaky belt.

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sunbird-please

The 1988 Mazda MX-6 LX is an attractive car. It is the sister model of the Ford Probe of the same year, but has far cleaner lines and styling. The trunk of the car is extremely large and spacious. The back seats fold down as well. Car has good interior construction. The interior of my car was immaculate when I sold it. I suggest thoroughly cleaning the floor and seats every six months. It definitely saved the interior of my car. The 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine is LX model is responsive, but not very powerful. I really suggest looking for a MX-6 GT. The engine is excellent. Excellent stereo head unit and equalizer on my model. Speakers were cheap and need to be replaced. The 5 speed manual transmission is very responsive and I never had any problems with the clutch. The brakes are pretty good, but no ABS! So, the brakes do lock up on wet surfaces if you mash them. Excellent high beam headlights. The interior gauges were placed well. The power steering works well and does not make noise, like many competitors. Fairly large glove box with lock. Middle console holds about 7 tapes, but doesn't lock. Good seatbelts. Headliner was nice. No sagging or running at all. The interior held up great. The seats in front and rear are comfortable. The rear headroom is excellent. The front seats are firm and have lower lumbar support as well as elevation control. The seats are manual...but, I'm not a fan of power seats anyway.

The alloy wheels are attractive, however he metal coloration on the hub covers faded in less than 4 years. This was common for mazda factory wheels in 1988. The low beam headlights are horrible. I suggest purchasing hyper white bulbs and adding additional foglamps/lights. The air conditioning in my car was great. It was ice cold. However there was no pollen/dust filter when you switched to Fresh Air. I hated getting a face full of pollen and dust when I switched on the air in the spring.
The sunroof worked great and did not leak. Although friends with the same car had some trouble with the sunroof leaking in heavy rain. The power windows worked great, but the motors weakened as the car aged. The factory rear speakers are horrible. If you are a tall driver, nobody will be able to sit behind you. The rear legroom was atrocious. But, it's a 2 door. OH YEAH! I must have torn 4 pairs of CV boots. Replace them because the repairs are far more expensive if you don't replace the boots.
There is no door unlock button on the door except for the handle itself, so the driver has to push his/her door lock up to open the other door.
I did not have any problems with rust, but I kept my car washed. I have seen other 626's and MX-6 with severe rust though. The white paint on my car did fade, however I believe that was the fault of the original owner not taking care of the paint. The trunk lid paint did fade though.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this car. It drove well and held up fairly well.
Good value for young driver.
If you like power, get the GT. The 4 cyclinder is for grocery getting.
If you are over 6feet or extremely heavy, you may feel a little cramped.
Great touring ride overall.

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1993 Ford Probe GT, 1988 Mazda 626, 1993 626 LX-V6, 1988 Ford Probe GT, 1988 Probe: The Probe of the same year, had a less appealing exterior and interior. I liked the pop up lights. Handled about the same. Probe GT drove much better. The 1993 Probe GT and 626 LX-V6 were far more spirited. The manual transmission in 1993 was smooth and the V6 was great. The 2.5L V6 was very powerful. 170 HP with good torque.
The 4-door LX-V6 was a great find at a CARMAX in Laurel, MD. I've suprised a few Integras and Prelude. 4 doors are very convenient.