Mazda 323 (1998-2002)

Reliable Daily Driver – This is a car you drive and don't have any problems and now in 2018 they are very cheap to buy. They are made in Japan and are very well made, i change the oil my self and i almost never need to bring the car to mechanic, nothing ever goes wrong with these. You can get upto 650km from 1 tank of fuel, the older models (pre-2000) are lighter so… Read more

you will get better performance and fuel usage.

Manual is a better option if you want to save fuel, but auto is better for getting off lights faster since it will makes the engine rev harder. There is no modern variable value timing here, just dual overhead cam timing, so you will need to change belts every 100,000km.

On the manual the cluck is every light and very easy to drive, but will need to be rev'ed hard to get decent power, You only get decent Power above 3000rpm.

If you have problems with misfiring or rough idling change spark plug leads, sometimes they short out onto the engine, this is a common issue. Changing the coils and cleaning the injectors on high km engines improves power. Some times just resetting the computer fixes most issues, but there is no universal obd port on the AU version of this car, except for the sports version.

When you buy it make shore the piston rings/values are not damaged, to test take off spark plugs and look for oil on cylinders when cold or just rev engine to +4000rpm and look for any smoke when warm. If they are damaged the computer will keep the car running fine but you will use lots of oil and will have lower power output.

Good reliable car – Bought it in 2012 with 80k Timing belt every 100k or 5 years, though the original lasted 15 years. My back was hurt from putting child in middle of car, but now that he walks is all good. Power, I have 1.8l auto and it is awesome. Ride is good. Beware the stock tyres for 1.8L must be 185/65/14 or 195/55/15, anything else check they meet load… Read more

rating on the placard on driver door.

Easy to service.

6stacker CD

Fuel economy average for 1.8L.

In a crash, not very good maybe.

When overtaking trucks in rural areas be sure to use hold button(third gear)

Roomy in the front though I've hit my head getting in at 178cm.

Boot is huge in sedan, stroller and lots of shopping fits fine.

Easy to park, turning circle not so good but not a real issue.

Air con when running doesn't affect the engine idle in peak hours etc.

Mine lacks anti lock brakes though I don't mind.

Lacks cruise control which I only need for long trips.

It is our only car. I should have bought a bigger and safer car, but for someone needing it for commute it will be very suitable.

Gearbox is/works great, engine feels New.

On average we use 40 litres fuel every 2 weeks/2 people driving it so we should have bought bigger. Although wife benefited from small size of this car as she was new to driving.

Great car – I bought this car from a private seller who gave me a detailed history, and it was well taken care of. It's the 1999 auto model, though I always forget if its 1.6L or 1.8L. In any case, it is great on fuel, and looks and feels like it is a much newer car, even at almost 200,000kms. I've only ever had a Hyundai Excel before this and the transition… Read more

was almost luxurious. I agree with other users who say the suspension is a little hard and you need to be cautious going over bumps, and on roads that aren't too smooth it can get quite bumpy and things vibrate at a fairly loud volume around the dash. But along with a pretty large turning circle, those are my only complaints. Plus I need new tyres at the moment, which I have found helps smooth out the ride again.

It's a zippy little car that will do whatever you ask. We drove it from Perth to Newcastle, loaded with as many possessions as we could fit in the back (love the folding back seats!) and on a roof basket, and it EASILY handled over 130km/hr speeds when push came to shove, and cruised on 110 the rest of the way without a single complaint - air conditioning running full blast and all! And the front seats are very comfortable, so driving long distances is a breeze.

All in all... I am very fond of this car, and feel its very reliable. Looks and feels newer than it is, still running smoothly and efficiently at 200k on the odo, no engine faults or breakdowns so far, comfortable driving, reliable, easy to drive and park Surprisingly large turning circle, a bit rough on the suspension but nothing major, dash area vibrates a lot on rougher roads

Great car – Had it for 3 years put 75k on it bush bashed it raced it crashed it and fixed it This car is unkillable it has to be one of the best little cars on the market for the price you pay Wouldn't get anything else crap fifty words is hard to make up  Show details

perfect – bought my car second hand has lasted me a long time. although, i did recently have a head gasket problem, however it was an easy fix due to a good family mechanic and well manufactured motor. this car runs so smooth and will last you years. has done well over 260 000 kms and i have never regretted it. good on fuel, and can be a pocket rocket if you want it to be  Show details

Great car! – It is a great car, can't fault it with anything. I changed nothing on it, never let me down. Fuel economy is OK, but it could be done heaps better. Noisy, very noisy, and high revs. Mazda should improve on NVH and fuel economy. A sixth gear would have been a must back then. I strongly recommend Mazda to copy some top European cars past models.  Show details

Could not fault for the first 100,000 then all downhill – I own a 2001 model Protege and it seemed to be bulletproof reliable. After 100,000kms the problems started and didn't stop until I traded it in. The cost of fixing minor issues was mind blowing and when the suspension went at 132,000km enough was enough. Other problems include TX valve going in the AC over $600 to fix and Mazda doesn't stock the… Read more

part in AUS.

Oil leak at the based of the cam belt. Because oil was on the belt it cost $850 to fix.

Front suspension went and the quote came to $2300.

Minor electrical fault with the interior lights. $280. The list goes on.

Total repair bill over last 30000km came to over $2400 excluding the suspension.

This car was serviced throughout its life at a Mazda dealership, with the servicing cost very high, so I didn't expect these problems.

The car felt as though it would last forever, then something else would break.

Mazda cars drive great, but a don't know if I will go there again following my experience. Felt great to drive and looked as though it was well built. Expensive. TX valve in AC went and Madza didn't stock a part in AUS. $600 to fix. Front Suspension $2300

Bad – I personally wouldn't purchase another one as my heart belongs to old Mercs but it's certainly a fair car for someone wanting simple and economical travel. Compact parking capabilities with a good turning circle. Tidy storage compartments and a fair sized boot. Repair and maintenance is affordable and the vehicle seems to fit up to 4 people… Read more

comfortably. The fuel consumption s very good and its easy to get on for quite a while on just one tank. The suspension seems to be a bit of a problem. The stereo has good sound but the dials have deteriorated and volume control is almost impossible. Also the cover over the spare tyre in the boot is not very strong and has bowed. Despite fitting up to 4 people comfortably take great care when driving over speed bumps... even at your lowest speed this car sits quite low. This model also has only 1 air-bag ... none for the passenger.

OK – Does have most of the features in a old car which is good but performance wears off quite quickly compared to other cars It's good to drive, a little low in ride height, good little pocket car that is economical and Performance over 5 years just makes it groggy and it doesn't feel good anymore, the body is very light making crashing worse looking Show details

So fun i may go to prison – I have a manal 323 sp20 mazda 2001 and its super reliable and has 270,000kms on it.... only expensive repair was brakes being re-machined as it is disc breaks all around being the sport model.... absaloute beast of a car, fun to drive and i have aquired many fines as it accelerates very fast and im probly going to prison shortly to be honest....… Read more

just about every interior feature is blown.... electric windows, speakers and light bulbs... but car starts and drives every day very well.... i jammed an empty beer carton under my power windows to keep them up and keep the weather out and its worked fine. All problems u would expect from a 20 year old car with poor service history and years of abuse.... extremely reliable though i must say.

Perfect First Car – I just purchased a 2000 model Mazda 323 Astina with my son as his first car, it is fantastic on fuel, I didn’t expect such brilliant fuel economy. It has plenty of power for a n/a 1.8 litre with 5 speed manual. It sits on 3,000 rpm at 100 km/h and 3,300 rpm at 110 km/h, which certainly doesn’t stress the engine at all or effect the fuel… Read more

consumption Remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, dual airbags, air conditioning, power steering, powerful 4 wheel disc brakes, fog lights, 15” alloy wheels and this particular one has cruise control. Handling is like driving a go kart, suspension is firm but not uncomfortable. It only has 171,000 kms on it, so plenty more left in it. Also gets a thumbs up from my mechanic who says that they’re great cars with little known issues.

GREAT LITTLE CAR – It is a great little car, it requires no maintenance other than normal stuff such as tyres, brake pads etc. I liked that it was zippy, responsive, with power when you need it. I bought the car in its early life about 88k and sold it at 220k due to an accident. Never replaced the timing belt, I wasn't going to do it at all. Never. Ever. Had. Any.… Read more

Issues. Whatsoever. There are two things I disliked: the NVH levels were too high (Mazda, c'mon, you can do heaps better than that) and the high revs: 3k at 100km/h. Too much. It definitely needed a sixth gear back then. Low fuel consumption, reliable Japanese engineering, great little car overall.

Well worth the money – Bought my car in 2002, brand new and she’s still going strong. Little bit heavy on the juice, but still in really good Condition. Services don’t cost anything like the new models. Electrics still work fine, only had to replace the CD unit. Will consider only upgrading next year for safety reasons.  Show details

Good cheap run around – This car is an excellent cheap run around. I've neever had any mechanical issues with it. The stereo was really hard to get out however when I replaced it. Its super cheap to run. I'm not sure if its a common issue but mu bonnet wouldn't close properly unfortunately. Get one.  Show details

Zoom Zoom Zoom – Great little car! Amazing economy. Performance- Build quality - quite luxurious for a 1.6 sedan. Ride comfort is really good. Appearance - solid, nice, great, eye-candy. Great little commuter or for long travels, hasn't missed a beat the whole to me owning her. Due for a service now, but still running strong! Pros: Looks Cons: Noise  Show details

Great family car – The driving experience of this car is great it's not noisey and feels quiet smooth to drive, it's spacious and comfortable for long drives. It's cheap to run and fix it hasn't let me down so far and as mine is manual and I'm learning to drive manual I find it an easy car to learn to drive manual in  Show details

Great reliable car – The car is reliable, I have a 2003 model, it's the 1.8 litre it's ok on fuel I get like 400kms to a tank, that's all city driving though, get much better mileage on the highway. It had 88,000kms when I bought it, now it's got 140,000kms. Nothing's gone wrong with it, costs me about $170 every 10,000kms to get it checked over and change filters flush engine etc. I would get Mazda again for sure  Show details

GREAT CAR! WITH ENOUGH FEATURES AND SPACE – I bought 2001 model for $2400 with 170000 kms on it nd now it is 208000 kms. After a year i spent $500 on rear shockers and timing belt and now it is running great. With 17 inch tyres and exhaust it is still Very fuel efficient and easy to maintain. i am going to sell it now but i dont want to sell it.  Show details

Mazda astina 323 2002 – Only purchased this car in 2016 and had less then 86,000 very reliable good value for money I only spent $4,000 from privet seller only bad problem I had with it was the transmission would make a weird sound but got that fixed and still runs till this day and doesn't cost to much to service  Show details

Not the perfect car but close – I bought my 2001 Protogue last year with 40 thousand on the odo which was a bargain. Overall, it's a fantastic little car which fills up on $40 but the only issue was no AUX port, I know 2001 is a few years ago but that long ago?  Show details

Great reliable town car and packhorse – Cheap to run, easy to park. Only thing that broke in 124000 km was a light bulb. Last service I got timing belt replaced (original one still looked perfect), brakes done (original pads, yes, original pads were finally near the end of their life!). At 124500km I had to replace the clutch. I had a VT Commodore for four years also and it cost three… Read more

times as much to maintain as my 1.8L Astina did for 10 years plus. I will not be selling it anytime soon. It's still a great little car. Room for tall people both front and back, reliability, economy and versatility

A joy to own – I bought mine brand new and never had a problem in 9 years. It was the last 323 before they brought out the Mazda 3. It was silver with standard alloy wheels and looked like a much more expensive car than it was. Interior was classy, comfortable and roomy, and the rear seats fold flat. Performance very good for a small car, very easy to drive… Read more

and park. Very fuel efficient. Serviced regularly and never had any problems. Very reliable, comfortable, fuel efficient No ABS

Reliable, lovely little car – My parents bought this for me as my first car at 97,000 km. I had it for two years and got up to almost 130,000 km before I got t-boned and the car was written off. The car never had any issues (except for idling high when I first bought it, the dealership did a tune up and it was fine). A bit powerless when going up hills but did well overtaking… Read more

over a few long trips - I think learning how to get the power up helps. Reasonable on fuel and easy to park, nice to drive and quite roomy for its size. I was most impressed with how it handled the accident, the rear passenger tyre took the impact, stopping the other car from going halfway into my car. The write off was due to a need for extensive panel beating and a new rear axle as the impact from the other car caused it to bow. I was devastated at the loss of such a reliable and nice car. Reliable, spacious and solid for size, safe, no problems Sometimes felt a bit tinny and weak

Oh my little YOGI – 3 rd car I've ever had, and the first one I'm so sad to see go. I bought her last year and am now getting a Yaris (I need small). I would love to keep my YOGI (named after number plate ygi) she's a 2003 323 Protege shades, bought her when she hadnt even done 80,000ks and now traded her in at 95,000 ks. She's the first car I've had a good… Read more

connection with, I know it sounds silly, but she has been a beauty to drive, and I'm so upset I'm saying goodbye today.

I thought I needed a small car, but believe me, I now wish I could go back and not have signed that contract, she has been an absolutely beautiful car to drive, an absolute dream, haven't had one problem with her. Reliable, inexpensive, great on fuel, easy to park, has a bit of power for a small car, such a breeze to drive

Good – This is a GREAT car! We love it and will upgrade to a 626/Mazda 6 next (family car). If you are looking for a good value, reliable, good-looking car then you have found it! This is a very fuel efficient car that holds it's value really well. It's very hardy, not needing big services and the parts are cheap to replace. They also have a very… Read more

reasonable sized boot and are very comfortable both front & back seats. You really need to get a manual as they don't have much 'guts' to them and if you had an automatic you'd really find that they don't get going fast. The manual however is fine, we really love our car!

Fantastic car, just keeps on going – A terrific car, after nearly ten years of use it is still running extremely well. Excellent performance from the 1.8 coupled with manual transmission teams really well. Add excellent handling and stopping, all of which makes a great drivers car. With good fuel economy using premium unleaded, a terrific sound standard radio and easy to use… Read more

instruments make this an easy car to live with. My Mazda has factory fitted power windows, mirrors and cruise control all of which make this a relaxing tourer. Save for the average headlights, and noisy interior the 323 is definitely the best small car I have ever owned. I just don't want to part with it. I still enjoy driving it after all this time. Engine/Transmission nicely matched, great handling great brakes, classy interior Headlights needed upgrading, bit noisy and suspension a little hard but I can live with that

Excellent – It's my first Mazda and it's the best car I've ever owned. Fuel economy. Easy to park. Great sound system. Nice exterior and interior look. Totally love it. Side effect: it makes me very hard and very very picky in choosing for my next car after this one. EXCELLENT CAR FOR THE PRICE. This is absolutely the best car I have ever owned. 110%… Read more

reliability with fair enough performance. Bought it from a private seller at 145000km and still using it at 155000+km now, haven't had one thing wrong, only changed the engine oil once and added a bit of water to the coolant. Travelled great long road trip distances around WA, and QLD and now in NSW. UNBELIEVABLE! It's also amazing how much I can fit in it, me, my wife and a 3-yr old daughter, with lots of luggages and pram etc. Almost none, except for the noise in the cabin while doing 100-110km/h motorway.

I love my Mazda!! – I haven't had a major problem with this car yet. It's my second one, I couldn't go past buying another one based on sedans he too many pros this car had. It's engine was great, it looks good inside and out, it looks like a sedan but drives like a sports car. Petrol usage is awesome with just enough grunt (2.0) however this. Vehicle is NOT popular… Read more

with my 6 foot one husband who always hits his head going in & out of the car. He looks like he has his knees around his ears when driving & always accidentally hits the wipers when driving.

Bubs is now part of our family & although I love this car placing the stroller in the boot can be a challenge with not a lot of other space left over. The same goes with the interior when the capsule is in place. Great performance, looks good inside & out, not too juicy with petrol Not a great amount of room for tall people or those who have a growing family

Excellent car, very reliable – Owned one of these for 10 years and still got a good resell value. Good points: - Extremely reliable - Easy to drive - Fuel economy was great - Hatch model was excellent when moving houses, fold down rear seats could fit a large double door fridge - Being a Mazda, cheap to service and maintain - Surprisingly spacious - Easy to park Bad… Read more

points:

- It's a small car (1.6lt version), so power was not the best.

- Simple features, no power windows or cruise control

Other than that, the car was a great little runner. Fuel efficient, easy to drive. No power in the engine

Excellent – I paid $6000 for this car about 3 years ago and it had 130k kms on it. It now has 170k kms, and apart from replacing a coil pack and services every 5000kms, nothing has been done to the car. I have a 1.6l manual hatch and while performance isn't anything special, I run it on premium unleaded which gives it a bit more oomph and great economy.… Read more

Awesome storage with the rear seats down, it's really like a little ute. LOVE my Mazda!! Everything! Not much... great car for the money

Good – Great runabout car. Would make a perfect first time buyer car or a 2nd car for a family. Reliable and consistent performer and good on petrol. Great car for the right price. Good honest little car. Great fuel economy as well. Have never had any major complaints with this car. Not the best sound proofing from road noise. Can be a bit gutless when going up hills. Show details

Good car – Mine is actually a 1999 model, the very first ones. I bought it as a second hand when it had already done 167.000km. I was a bit concerned but that was what I could afford with my budget at the time. Believe me or not, I have no issues whatsoever, the coil was replaced at 200.000km and that because the previous owner had missed a recall for that… Read more ·  1

part. I replaced the front rotors, but that at 240.000km. Now the odo shows 250.000km and still working faultless.

Probably I'm just a lucky guy. Reliability

Excellent – I drive 80K a day on motorway, and in town - fun car to drive - but next time I would buy the 1.8 or 2L version (I have 1.5L). Top value for it's class! Built to last - and apart from regular oil changes this car will serve you well. No maintainance issues and parts are inexpensive. Fuel - 13.5>14km - Liter is good on fuel. Slowish on uphill… Read more

sections when more than 2 people - but this is only with 1.5L version. 2nd gear engine brake is very strong, I use Drive gear engine brake a lot. Diffcuilt to replace is the engine oil filter - in the engine. Replace only every 60,000km. Other filers OK

Good – A great car my first daughter still talks about it being her favourite car too. It did take premium unleaded - which is part of the reason I got rid of it - it cost me too much to fill with the fuel prices going up all the time. It has a rolling gear box - which makes it a very smooth gear change. When my kids are out of car seats I will be… Read more

looking at Mazdas again - and my teenager wants a Mazda for her first car. I bought the Mazda 323 Protege - limited sports edition - 2002. It looked like a WRX - same colour. It drove like a dream (since traded it in) and looked fantastic inside. It handled extreamly well and could not fault it I've owned 15 cars now (yes it's my weakness) and this has been the best car. It does not have much grunt in the top end - so if you plan to over take - you need to leave heaps of room - coz after around 105ks it struggles a little. When it is cold the gear box can get a little hard to put into reverse.

Good – Overall, I love my car and am happy with it. It is easy to maintain and easy to drive. I have noticed that it is much lower to the ground than other cars and there isn't a lot of leg room, so if someone is near 6ft, they may have some trouble getting in and out. Overall, a good car that would suit anyone who wants a comfortable ride. This is the… Read more

first new car that I have ever bought. It is a small sized car which I think is convenient with its features and basically works pretty well. I have not had any problems with it. When I bought it, there was the 1.6 and the 1.8 enginre, I should have bought the slightly more expensive 1.8engine just for more power. This car is small, so going up on any incline, it does a bit of a grunt and strains a bit, thats just something I have noticed.