1989 Mazda MX6 LX review from North America
"Reliable, with some issues"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
This car was already 7 yrs. old when I got it, so I don't know what was done to it in that time, but it was in great shape when I actually bought it.
All these problems were between '96-'00, between 106,000 and 150,000 miles:
I had to replace the alternator twice in 3 years.
The engine light went on and off mysteriously and I took it to 5 mechanics who found nothing wrong with any of the engine parts.
The dash lights and heating/vents lights went out on the right side of each and were never fixable, even by Mazda dealership.
The antenna stopped going up and down entirely, but still worked.
The driver side seatbelt stopped coming out and the panel had to be pried off to fix it. But it was fixable and it never happened again.
The turning radius and the acceleration are not particularly good.
And much later on, like 190,000 miles, I had a hard time getting the AUTOMATIC gears to shift between Park, Neutral, and Drive.
General comments?
This car was very reliable. I had it for over 7 years and drove it cross-county 5 or 6 times.
It's a fun car, easy to drive, and comfortable for long or short trips. (In the front. The back is short on leg room.)
The paint and interior were still looking brand new 14 years and two college-girl owners later.
Even after hitting a freeway wall at 50 mph, it was drivable.
Absolutely, it's the safest car I've driven.
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| 1989 - MX6 GT Turbo 2.2L 12 valve Six cylinder power on a four cylinder budget |
| A very reliable and inexpensive car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 106000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 198000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Sunbird |
| Date of Entry | 17th February, 2004 |