1996 Mazda 626 DX review from North America

So far I only needed to replace all fluids, filters, spark plugs and a tune-up and the car is running good.

Burns some oil in cold starts, but after I added oil for high miles engines (Castrol) and an oil stabilizer the problem seemed to disappear.

The engine shakes when cold.

The engine starting is slow, but always start at first try.

Suspension is too soft.

The car feels floaty at 100+ MPH.

The gear changes are not solid when gearbox is cold.

Has little funny noises coming from some plastic parts in the inside.

The windshield defroster is so weak it can take more than an hour to defrost it.

Despite the minor issues when the engine is cold, when it reaches the normal operating temperature on engine and transmission everything works fine.

Just wish Mazda had done a better job with the damper and spring rate, feels to soft sometimes. But the geometry and layout of the suspension is very good.

The engine is enough to manage a manual tranny, it offers adequate acceleration and fuel economy, but could do better for a 2.0 liter, and it is not as smooth as expected in this category and size.

The brake pedal is spongy, despite the pads are new and the brakes were bleed, but has good stopping power.

Couldn't ask more for the price, year, miles and condition of the car. The paint looks very new, also the interior and the materials are mostly good quality.