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| 1996 Mazda 626GE Review, Kevin, From Houston, TX
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Mazda 626 LX, 4 Cyl, Auto
| | Model of the car: | Mazda 626 LX, 4 Cyl, Auto | | | General comments: | Note, this review is based on a four cylinder model and may or may not apply to six cylinder models.Purchased it used in 2000 with 60K miles on it. Bought the car because of its aesthetics and amenities, especially the interior, which was very comfortable and stylish. My wife simply loved it, although it was a little slow even for her. From day one the engine light was on and it didn’t run quite right. I do not count this against the car since we knew about it when we bought it. What I do count is the difficulty in ascertaining the nature of the fault and getting it fixed. Had it diagnosed three times at three different dealers at $70 apiece. The first diagnosis had us replace the mass airflow sensor for $160 resulting in only a mild improvement. The second dealer’s diagnosis was an inconclusive waste of $70. The third diagnosis had us replace a burnt up O2 sensor for a whopping $200 and also replace the entire exhaust system, including the cat, which, thankfully, was done under the separate emissions warranty. The cat had broken down, clogged the exhaust, and overheated the O2 sensor. The first two dealers apparently didn’t want an $800 warranty claim, so we spent $570 to fix a $270 problem. Other “normal” repairs and parts also seemed to cost more than they should. The automatic transmission was the biggest problem with the car. It never wanted to shift when I wanted it to and the lockup torque converter meant that the engine was usually at least 300 rpm behind. So if you were cruising at a steady speed and tried to accelerate you had to wait for the engine revs to catch up, then wait for the tranny to decide to shift, then wait while the shift executed, then finally experience what minuscule accerelation the car could offer. Around town I usually shifted it manually. But to be fair it was set up for maximum fuel economy, not performance, and it did deliver: we experienced 20mpg city and 28 hwy, which I think is pretty good for a 2800 lb sedan with an automatic. But it was the automatic that killed the car. At 91k miles it died suddenly and catastrophically. The “O | | | What things have gone wrong with the car: | automatic transmissionmaintenance costsautomatic transmission abyssmal power to weight ratioautomatic transmissionweak A | | | Previous car: | None |
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