1992 Mazda MX3 1.8 V6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Sweet, small, sexy, sassy V6

Faults:

Only things that have gone wrong are spark plugs oiling up (new plugs and HT leads) and the water pump kept leaking.

General Comments:

The MX-3 is a extremely rapid and fun car to drive, the V6 engine is very strong and tweakable (aftermarket parts are hard to find) if you don't mind searching for parts or doing a bit of home maintenance (making a cold air induction kit).

It is also nice to have a car that is not recognised instantly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th December, 2000

1992 Mazda MX3 V6 1.8 V6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A gorgeous looking motor, but with a price for maintaining it...

Faults:

Well,

HT leads (£120 for Magnecor leads instead of Mazda leads).

Exhaust backbox rusted.

RHS CV joint (£400).

Distributor (£400).

CV boots (£50 a time).

General Comments:

Wow. It's a great car, the V6 engine sounds absolutely gorgeous with a decent backbox and a proper air filter.

MPG is terrible. Don't believe any figures in the magazines -- you'll get around 20-25mpg on average!!

It's a car that loves to be driven though. Insurance is group 15, which is horrendous compared to other sports coupes in its class.

The seats are comfortable, but not for any long distances and the room in the back is obviously poor.

When looking for an MX-3 make sure you get a FSH, as parts are *very* expensive. Third party support for these cars is minimal.. don't expect to find a lot of add-on goodies to make your car stand out from the rest.. thankfully these cars seem pretty rare on the road compared to the Calibra/Puma/Megane coupes, so dare to be different!!!

The cars are cheap enough to buy in the UK, so it's probably best steering clear of imports and paying a premium on your insurance as well as having a hard time reselling....

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th September, 2000

6th Jun 2003, 12:19

Hmmm, I've owned my 1994 MX3 GS (1.8L V6) (US) since it's birthday, and have never fallen below 25MPG, even when in rough city driving... I average around 26MPG on a weekly basis, and if I drive any distance at all on the highway, that average jumps to near 30-ish. On cross-country (1000 miles all highway) trips, it averages between 32MPG and 33MPG. It sounds to me like something may be out of whack with the poster's model. Also, the engines on this car in particular do NOT like having their intake or exhaust systems altered... nearly any modification (as simple as a high-flow air breather/filter) will DROP horsepower. So modified intake parts and exhaust parts as this poster listed, very well could be the source of the low MPG... there is a very specifically tuned flow-volume that the engine is designed for (a split low and high end powerband range that are optimized with the systems)... altering that flow significantly throws things out of whack, especially the timing and computer systems. It might sound better, but it won't work better. The best solution for more power is a new engine (the 2.5L Japan spec V6 (KZ-ZE or something like that, don't have it in front of me), which gives it a monstrous gain, with only VERY slight modification required to fit in the bay (why they never sold it with that engine is beyond me, that'd be a monster value pocket rocket). Anyhow enough rambling from me.

Chris.

1992 Mazda MX3 1.5 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Definitely recommend an import!

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This car looks great, drives great and is an ideal choice for anyone who previously drove a Honda Civic as all controls are basically in the same place! Had to reluctantly part with mine due to relocation but I'd definitely buy another one again. The air conditioning was a very useful plus along with all the other various extras that a Japanese import provides.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th June, 2000

23rd Jan 2001, 17:52

I have a mazda MX-3, 1993, automatic, 6 cylinder. Love the car, love the speed and love the look.

Right now going through hell because of it. In the 9 months that I've owned it, I had to fix it 5 times, little things, $50 here, $100 there. Now the worst fear of all came true. Transmission blew. Can't find an old part, rebuilding it is even more expensive. Everyone gives me 20,000 km waranty. Anyways I am looking at $2000 in repairs. So this cute little car has turned into a nightmare. As a student who has to pay for school, rent, books etc, I have to come up with almost $2000 to fix the transmission that has been fixed before, and from what I've seen, I'm not alone when it comes to these Mazdas.

1992 Mazda MX3 1.8i V6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Performance from a very sporty looking car needs attention.

After market go-faster stuff hard to come by.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th January, 1999

25th May 2001, 16:08

Just bought new rear bearing in Scotland UK, cost £120.00 and it includes the hub.

My car has just passed 82,000 miles, still runs like a dream.

Slicked the engine and gear box, also the ignition system makes a big difference. Back droplinks are also expensive, they go quite often especially if you fit 17 inch wheels, better with 16 inch wheels, give a better ride, suspension is also good with these wheels.

See ya all,

Bobby Lawson, Scotland, UK.

1992 Mazda MX3 V6 1.8 24V petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

I had to have a new set of HT leads, apparently this is common on this car, and they were expensive (£120). However, the dealer made up for this by fitting them at one days notice even when they said they were fully booked for 2 weeks.

General Comments:

It drinks petrol like you wouldn't believe (18-25 mpg) depending on how I drive and yes I have had the dealer check it out but they found no fault. Despite the above it's great fun and looks very stylish, it's a nice car to be seen in and it sounds great with that V6 rasp!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd March, 1998

8th Jul 2001, 05:31

I own a 1996 24v V6 and I have noticed that the plugs do foul up a bit, just put in one stage hotter and it's a dream. It also helped in the cold starts and was needed when I changed my exhaust and intake, and I haven't had a problem yet.

1992 Mazda MX3 V6 1.8 V6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

In 114,000 the only fault has been fouled plugs in traffic once.

General Comments:

Dealer Service good but expensive.

Engine loves revs and so so smoooooth.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th February, 1998