1992 Mazda Efini MS-6 review from Australia and New Zealand
"Fast and cheap, but absolutely rubbish reliability"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Automatic transmission started to break down badly before I sold it. Seems to be a factory defect. Started to creep incredibly slowly when in gear, jumped around between gears, it couldn't figure out what gear it was supposed to be in on hills.
CV joints wore out quickly, made nasty whirring noises when accelerating.
Air conditioning system spluttered and made grinding noises. Climate control display bulb blew, and was so hard to replace I didn't bother.
Cooling system didn't work properly. Some parts of motor overheated, but the actual block stayed at okay temperature. Pipes smelt like burnt rubber.
General comments?
Very cheap and lots of parts available.
Very quick, DOHC V6 motor. Frightening fuel consumption for 1.8 litre. Good performance for a pretty ordinary looking car.
Steering felt like it was made from wood and pieces of string.
Transmission needs no introduction as it was perennially abysmal.
Probably a good car if you could find one with a reconditioned transmission and radiator. All electrics worked perfectly.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1992 |
| Year of manufacture | 1992 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8i DOHC V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 158000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 161000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Accord |
| Date of Entry | 24th June, 2009 |