1998 Mazda 626 LX review from North America
"A real sleeper a Tux"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
CV joint on passenger side seems to start cracking.
Front Link Kits squeal a bit when hitting bumps.
Nothing really major has happened yet.
General comments?
Well I bought the car looking for performance first, and I was not disappointed.V6 with manual transmission is a great combination. The engine is smooth and is taken directly from the MX-6 sports car. It will rev to 7500 without a sweat and break a 0-60 time in the low 7 seconds. Beware of Automatics, they are Ford Trannys that's why they bust all the time.
Acceleration kills anything with a 4 banger. Handles like a sports car. Very stable and comfortable car.
This is my second 626 and I have made the reliability test, they are reliable cars. You need to get a manual tranny, seriously, the automatic is a whole different car. Its more a Ford than a Mazda. This is why some people have had tranny problems. I have 244 000KM and the car purs like a kitten. I have checked the compression ratio, still like new.
This car has Zoom Zoom written all over it, but looks like your average rental car. Love the sleeper aspect. The car also looks elegant, so it tends to keep the cops away :)
Love the car, Love Mazda, would not buy anything else.
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  | Quick, Slick and Reliable |
| I give it a 6 out of 10. It's a good, reliable, but temporary vehicle |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 V6 Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 242000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 244000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Mazda 626 |
| Date of Entry | 28th March, 2006 |