1988 Mazda 323 SE Hatchback review from North America
"An athletic sport compact all the way!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The car wasn't in the greatest shape when I bought it (for $500), but for about $700 and a few trips to the shop, it was all fixed up. I ended up getting new front struts, new rotors, oil sender, and a few smaller things under the hood.
The seats were pretty worn, so I had a friend resurface them, the interior in general was in rough shape, but I found a good parts car in the junk yard and it was a pretty cheap fix-up.
General comments?
I love the Mazda, it's fast, cheap, fun, and was great in the snow! It has great acceleration, performance tunes very well, and cleans up very nice.
The interior is small, but spacious, it feels like a much larger car from the inside than it looks like on the outside. The car is great on the wallet, some-what sporty if you fix it up, and is very reliable. With the cold nights we have in the winter I was surprised when I ROARED to life in the morning at -20 degree temperatures.
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| The Amazing Hundred And Twenty Five Dollar Car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6L DOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 158250 miles |
| Most recent distance | 198004 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Corsica |
| Date of Entry | 1st June, 2001 |