1994 Mazda 121 GLX review from UK and Ireland
"Not Nippy or Economical by Any Means!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing has actually gone wrong with the car at all in the sense of anything breaking or failing
- only routine items like replacing corroded brake lines have been necessary.
The brake disks/rotors have had a habit of warping though - these were replaced a few years ago, but have warped yet again. They were warped at 16,000 miles when I bought the car!
General comments?
The car is very cute and distinct - probably the reason my mother does not want to get rid of it!
I think the fuel economy is terrible for a car of its size and performance.
The car averages 31 MPG and is normally driven very conservatively.
The gearing seems to make the car sluggish unless you are absolutely thrashing it.
I had the car checked out at one of those Bosch engine diagnostic centres assuming that something was wrong with the car - the technician said that the engine was running like new and everything was as it should have been when it left the factory.
Personally, I am not convinced as it does not feel like a 75HP car at all.
It may well be the Automatic gearbox making the car feel more sluggish, however the previous two automatic cars she owned were very responsive indeed and averaged around 40MPG - that was a Honda Civic (1335cc same as the one Bruce Willis drove in Pulp Fiction!) and a Nissan Sunny 1.6SLX. She also had a 1000cc Mini Automatic which was also economical and nippy too.
If anybody has any information on whether or not 31MPG is normal for a 1.3 Mazda 121 Automatic please drop me a line at gav_davidson@hotmail.com.
According to the used car guides it should be doing 38-51MPG! I'd really like to get to the bottom of this as the car is so reliable otherwise :)
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A good car for first driver and small family, but too small for a big family | |
  | A fantastic little car that's got loads of character, is super reliable, and is great for students |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.3 16v Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 16000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 47000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan 240SX |
| Date of Entry | 24th February, 2004 |