1989 Mazda 626 GT 2.0L 16v from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Great car in every way

Faults:

Radiator split on top and had to be replaced. This I did myself and found it easy to replace.

Oil cooler had to be replaced. Didn't know this model had this attached as the library manual I looked at didn't show this cooler in any of it's diagrams. I replaced the head gasket, thinking it was the problem first.

Have had the clutch plates replaced twice in the time I have owned it.

General Comments:

Great reliable car, as you can see from the kilometers I have done.

The has good performance. You can fly along on the open road at a great number of knots for hours at a time.

Petrol consumption is excellent except when you really put your foot down. I mean when traveling at 140 K's plus.

Full electrics and a sunroof make it very nice to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th May, 2003

1989 Mazda 626 2.0i 16v GT 2.0i 16v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Goes like a whippet on ginger, cheap to run and insure and a fantastic buy

Faults:

Water. I lost three water pipes in six weeks, putting the car off the road for majority of that time. Easy to fix, but getting to the dealer was a pain.

Eastgate Mazda service superb. Had the parts the next day.

Brakes are vague and need new pads.

Windscreen slipped and had to be reset.

Paint's faded badly.

Rust!

General Comments:

Fantastic car. Despite the above, I've given it a 7 for reliability because it has been running some silly temperatures with the water problems, and the engine is fine and dandy and feels like it will go on for ever.

It's fast, fun, comfortable. Doesn't handle brilliantly, but does the job.

I intend to use this as a project car - do the pads, wheels, air filter mods, etc. then plonk it on a race track for some real fun.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th July, 2002

11th Aug 2002, 17:18

Is the American guy talking about the 2.0i engine or the 2.2 engine. I'm sure the top speed on the 2.0i is 130m.p.h.

I have recently acquired a 1991 GTi 2.0 DOHC 5 door Hatch Manual gears. Paid just £400, it is in excellent nick, only the air conditioning is dodgy and I can live without that for now. The seats are rally style and it is a truly excellent free revving engine that can pull away from most other cars with ease. 135000miles on the clock. I rate this car highly, it is wolf in sheeps clothing only the twin exhaust gives a hint that it is something special. Steve.

3rd Nov 2002, 18:19

Well, my "project" came to an abrupt end last Thursday. I'd replaced the alternator, battery and the solenoid between, but there's something else afoot making the battery run down to nothing after a couple of weeks.

Having spent about 1.5 times what I paid for the car, I've sadly decided enough is enough and it's on its way to car heaven. Which is a damn shame... but I just don't have the cash.

Still, she was 12 years old with 156k (miles) on the clock. Not bad.

1989 Mazda 626 LX 2.0-12 V carb from Finland

Summary:

Never again

Faults:

During my two years of ownership, the auto-choke would never work correctly. No matter how many times it was in various shops it still ran too fat for too long.

It died on the motorway, the ignition module was at fault. This was fixed very quickly and it wasn't even that expensive, but I still don't like it when a car breaks down on the motorway.

One year later it started running really bad all of a sudden. Turned out it was nothing more than the ignition leads, although this was very expensive to fix.

Then once a rear wheel bearing went (suppose that's normal) and two weeks later a component in the rear suspension failed, causing the same symptoms as the failed wheel bearing.

Radiator was doomed at 215000 km.

But the car's worst problem is rust. This car rusted very fast once it got started. The rear wheel arches completely disappeared in two winters. Also the sills rusted. But miraculously, the doors never showed any sign of rust.

General Comments:

Bumpy suspension, but a quick car that was quite good to drive.

I bought this car to get a cheap, reliable car. However, I have to say I was disappointed. I know it's an old car, but still. I thought the reliability would compensate for the lack of character, but I was wrong.

So I sold it (very hard to sell), and now own a Citroen XM instead. At least, it doesn't rust!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th April, 2002

11th Oct 2010, 12:33

If you have trouble with any vehicle shooting a wheel bearing every year, then your only option to fix that would be to replace the spindle. I'm assuming you drove it for a while with the bad wheel bearing, and it wore down the axle on your spindle. It's really a common problem with any vehicle if the maintenance is not kept up, such as packing your wheel bearings every two or three years for city driving, and every year for off road driving. And greasing all fittings, if equipped with grease fittings.

I only say this because my buddy owned a car exactly like yours, and on the way through the desert in Cali, his bearing went out. He replaced it, but it went out again shortly after that. I took a look at it, and it was quite obvious that the axle had been worn considerably. It's all about preventative maintenance.

1989 Mazda 626 GLX 2.0 12 valve petrol from Caribbean

Faults:

AntiAfter burn valve needed replacing.

Cooling hoses replaced.

Oil leaks from engine.

Shocks changed.

Poor braking.

General Comments:

It is a very lovely car that I don't intend to sell. However parts are very hard to come by, especially on the net.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 1st August, 1999

2nd Jul 2001, 12:46

I bought a Mazda 626 diesel wagon in 1992 and it's the best car.

I even have now in 2001, it has 210,000 miles.

It still has the original Panasonic battery.

I never had any engine trouble beside the regular maintenance.

I want to say thank you. Mazda should go on building cars like this one.

1989 Mazda 626 GLX 2.0 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Sticky central locking on passenger door, passenger door lock seized, rubber cowl around gear stick split.

General Comments:

Very reliable car with plenty of poke for what is essentially a family car, but not very economical on fuel. Also performs well as a towcar for pulling a caravan but, as before, fuel economy is not too clever.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th August, 1997

17th Jan 2004, 16:45

You say it doesn't get good fuel economy? I have an '89 626 with almost 300,000 miles, and my last all highway trip I averaged a little over 35 mpg... and it usually gets about 28 or 29 in the city.

28th Feb 2022, 22:47

Yup, this is a good car. Had a 626 back in the day. Those figures are correct MPG for a 2.0 petrol engine in any car from this time period.

I think the original reviewer means the car is not good on fuel towing a caravan, which not many cars are.

Unrelated but another small point - this must be one of the oldest reviews on here (1997!)