1994 Mazda 626 LX review from North America
"Avoid the automatic"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The biggest problem is the transmission. It is jerky, and will jolt *hard* when shifting gears. You have to play with the accelerator to minimize this (accelerate, then let off the pedal right before it shifts). From what I have read (and my own experience), avoid automatic transmissions on these cars at all costs. The problem is well known, but Mazda hasn't changed anything even in recent models. The latest Consumer Reports mentions this, and there are numerous websites with mazda owners with the same problems.
The head gasket begins to deteriorate at around 60,000 miles, and oil will pool into the overly deep sparkplug wells. Watch out for that.
My distributor had to be replaced at 67,000 miles.
General comments?
Over all, this wasn't a horrible car, but I would suggest getting a manual transmission on it. They are less problematic.
The car handles good, and has a modestly powerful engine.
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| A fast, great handling, OK-reliable, Japanese version of Alfa Romeo |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1994 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2000 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 64000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 72000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 2nd August, 2001 |