Mazda 626

A damned reliable great buy!! – I needd an inexpensive car to get around in for 4 -5 months as I currently live overseas. Many years back i bought an old Ford Telsar for peanuts and drove it more than 250,000km with very little maintenance. As a consequence i looked around for its sister manufacturer, Mazda, and found a 1996 one owner, fully serviced from new, (yes a lady… Read more

owner!!!) 626 Hatch V6. It had 195,000km on the clock, reversing camera, GPS, Bluetooth, and i paid her $1800 - had to fly down to Sydney to pick it up. Drove it back to Brisbane - nev missed a beat!! Since then i have spent about $400 on it to fix a leaking power steering pump line and a routine service. Have done just over 5000 km and simply love the car. Has all the modern refinements ( air cond., cruise control, electric sunroof, etc etc) and feels like a $10,000 car. The V6 jumps to attention - handles really well, has a good turning circle - one of the best cars i have owned for the least amount of money!!!

Great car but expensive to keep on road – I had a 626 97 for about a year and a half that I had purchased second hand at high miles over 200,000km nearly up to the 300,000km mark and after its last service it unfortunately failed on me with 5 major parts one by on very quickly went and was a $3000 fix more then the car was worth so it went to another that had the $ and passion to fix it.… Read more

The car was great to drive very low to the ground very gutsy and powerful a but not so great and fule, it is also a beauty to park and turns well. If you are looking at getting a 97 be willing to invest $ in it as it maybe cheap to bye but not in the long run.

Zippy fun car – I have a 1996 Mazda626 Deluxe (Manual). I bought it second hand in 2010 with 176000 kms on odo. Now odo is 212000 Kms. I did not face any problems with the car except for once I had to get the fuel pump changed. I service it every six months (Oil, Filter). I am very happy with the performance and the dynamics of this car. This car does not have… Read more ·  1

ABS or traction but if you are a good driver you would know the limits of your car. This car communicates with the driver in a good way and is a perfect balance of dynamics and comfort. Very Happy with it...:-) Driving Dynamics, Hydraulic Steering, Fuel Efficient, Very Light, Spacious boot and interior, Simple to work on Nothing

Average car in all aspects – I have three of these 626 1997-2002 with a GF 2L engine, yes 3 mazda 626 cars and another one is parking in my garage as spare parts. The older 4Cy 2.2L was much better than this 2L GF model. The GF model has an average age less than what any 4Cy in any other Japanese car should do, mainly due to bad valves design, bad piston rings and walls or… Read more

bad quality. This lead many of the 626 1997-2002 to smoke (black smoke), due to oil passing through valves or cylinder walls. Because of the many troubles I had with these 626 GF engines, I can fit a new engine in few hours so I bought one engine and now I also have a complete car with another engine ready to be swapped in any of the 3 mazdas once the black smoke comes again. I think the Japanese do not make good engines anymore and let other other nearby countries (e.g. China, Thailand) to produce these engines, hence low manufacturing quality. At the end it is a good car to use for a short time, not powerful though. BTW, I had the chance to inspect more than 10 626 GF Mazdas 1997-2002, all have the same black smoke problems. All have the same engine. I only recommend it for someone who doesn't drive much. Cheap, energy efficient Bad GF engine which blow smoke in just few years or after doing a couple long trips

mazda 626 gf – I own a 2000 626 classic hatch manual.2.0l. Great car overhaul.very affordable these days 2nd hand ,and usually well taken care off by mature drivers, the build quality is still there, (was a 30000$ + car at the time) Well equiped, as cruise control, climate control, dual airbags, ABS, alloys... many features that are still not available… Read more

in most of todays 20000$ + cars.

the boot is huge , really big and the folding seats allows large items to fit in the car.powerful headlight for night drives.

very reliable car, had no problem in a year and half and over 35000km.everything works perfectly on the car.easy to service yourself and parts are cheap...

the engine is not quick or fun revving , it is the sort of cars that don t really enjoy being pushed hard ( as it is not exciting )even thought it can, therefore, it is a great buy 2nd hand, as drivers are usually mature i found.

the car as enough power for long trips , if you do need to shift down from 5th gear to 4th, the car will easily gain speed and overtake.not like a car with a smaller engine.

i found the fuel consumption very good , i always use the A and B trip meter ( When the fuel light comes on and when i refill) and put exactly 30l at every refill. i get around 400KM with 30L , so around 7.5 L/100 in Canberra (no CBD driving type). this is great in regards to the car size.

on long trips, the consumption is even better , i recorded many times 6.5L 6.6L/100 and close to 900km with a full tank.

also, the speedometer is really acurate , i compared it to several GPS actual speed. so if you are driving at 100KM/H your speed is exactly 100km/h

style is ageing , of course, the car is 12 year old...

i am looking at upgrading but i find it hard to justify it ;).it is very roomy , ultra reliable and fuel efficient for its size.

looking at all the newer car reviews , i come accross so many issues and defects on the users reviews, and generally not much better fuel economy for the same size cars/ the 626 is not an exciting car , but keeps on going , i thinks well looked after , this car can reach 300000km without major issues.

i thought this could help someone hesitating on buying one. i think people are better off buying a used quality car like this one than cheaper made smaller ones for the same budget...

if u can find a well looked after 626 gf ( i think the manual version is a better buy) with service history , i think you can make a smart and safe buy.

regards ;)

Good – The 626 is a good option for anyone looking for a cheap, reliable second hand car to fit in a small family, or for carrying moderately sized loads in the wagon version. The only real downside is the handling. Due to the weight distribution, and the fact that there is quite a bit of the car overhanging the front wheels, the car will over steer… Read more

quite badly if pushed hard into a corner. In fact, the only time I've had the back end out on the Mazda was with two mates in the back and the handbrake on. Plenty of space on the inside. Decent fuel economy if driven gently. Good list of features on the top of the range model. Big boot given the size of the car. Cheap to service. Replacement parts are cheap and readily available. Easy to service yourself if you are so inclined. Seats are well shaped and very supported. Design is getting a bit dated. Under steer can be a problem. Non-standard sized speakers and head unit means extra work to fit replacements. Not the most exciting car ever made.

Good – Just love this little car!!! For a second hand car it offers all the mod cons of central locking, air cond and other comforts that I didnt have in my much older car. A terrific reliable little vehicle. Fuel economy, light power steering, get up and go!!! Its a bit of a plain jane and the centre console is in a really silly place right above the hand brake....? A bit smaller than I expected once you put 2 baby seats in. Show details