1996 Mazda 626 LX review from North America
"Despite the mechanical errors, I love this car because of its amazing handling and speed"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The previous owner had much work done on the car including transmission work, replacement of alternator, and parts of the exhaust system.
Since I have had the car (about 8 months) I had trouble shifting out of first and second gear (manual transmission), but a quick adjustment of the clutch fixed the problem. A few months later the clutch became very stiff, and I ended up having to completely fix it (not too cheap).
Just this past week, I put in a new battery, and after not being able to start it the third day the new battery was in, I returned it for a new one. Since then, I have had to be jumped twice, and am not looking forward to the possible alternator failure.
General comments?
Although I have had quite a few problems with it, I LOVE it when it runs the way it is supposed to! I have never owned a car that has wanted to get up and go the way this one has. Merging onto a fast highway is no problem like my last Toyota Corolla. The smooth gear box makes this even more enjoyable.
The seats are comfortable, and have held up well despite the care of the previous owners.
The climate controls are conveniently placed and easy to use.
The CD player is frustrating, however. My car has a single disk CD player, and the place where the disk is put in and taken out is just a few inches above the cup-holders, which is annoying when you have coffee in the morning (it can be dangerous also).
Recommended reviews
| Good performance for its class, but bad transmission and computer chip |
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| A very dependable car, but only because I was fortunate enough to buy it with the manual gearbox |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L V6 5 speed Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 84000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 96000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Corolla |
| Date of Entry | 25th December, 2004 |