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| 1997 Mazda 626GE Review, George, From CT, US
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4-cyl 2.0 LX (Auto, 4)
| | Model of the car: | 4-cyl 2.0 LX (Auto, 4) | | | General comments: | I'm 17, and this 626 was my first (and current, though hopefully not for much longer) car. I'm pretty good with cars (having rebuilt a number of engines and done a good deal of mods on other cars with my friends and father), but when I was picking the car that I wanted I was in the market for something that was more comfortable than powerful and that I wouldn't really ever think about modifying. Mazdas were an obvious choice. Honestly, however, I wasn't really prepared for how underpowered this thing was going to be.Yes, I realized that I was getting a 2.0 4-cyl auto engine, but a good small engine can pull its weight nicely in a smaller car. Unfortunetly, this wasn't the case with the 626. I checked the car out, but since I only had my permit when I got it (last year) I wasn't able to test drive. My mother (big mistake) test drove it instead, and, well... told me that it was fine. Everything was fine with it for the first few months, since I still had my permit and hadn't really gotten a chance to accelerate fast or get to high speeds......well, let me tell anyone who's looking for a car that has a bit of power to avoid the 626 (at least the newer models) at all costs. Even the more powerful 170hp 6 cylinder engines have very little power behind them. The transmission is extremely rough and occasionally it refuses to shift into 3rd unless you slam your foot down onto the gas. Mazda insists there's no problem with the transmission. Even worse, the actual acceleration seems to vary on a daily basis. On one day I could be going uphill on a ramp from almost a complete stop and hit 60 in about 7 seconds, and the next day it'd take the car almost 30 just to reach 55. Stopping power is pretty good, but the factory brakes are extremely noisy.And speaking of noise, that's another huge problem that plagues this car. Cabin noise is horrendous. The engine, which sounds disappointingly weak to anyone on the outside, can sometimes drown out blasting music inside the cabin. The car is also surprisingly low to the ground, which means that rough road surfaces create a lot of noise. Finally, there seems to be a "leak" in the cabin. I'm constantly bothered a sound like air rushing in (as if a window or the sunroof had been left open a bit), but I'm unable to determine the source. I've checked the lining on the doors and windows myself and even had Mazda look into it - to no avail. Having seen someone else report a similiar problem in their review, I'm forced to believe this is an inherant problem with the vehicle.Now, even though the majority of this review is negative I can't say that the car isn't without its strong points. The 626 I own is loaded down with features. Leather trimmed interior and seats, power everything, power sunroof, full lighting package, 4-speed auto, full instrument package, etc. I installed the CD-player and 12-disc changer myself, so I won't comment on those as they're not factory. The sound system itself (which I haven't modified) is really great, though and most people who've been in my car are convinced that it can't be factory. Now, all of those features together add up to make a car that's really luxurious and a lot of fun to be in (besides, of course, for all the cabin noise). The 626 also provides a nice, smooth ride that's about comparable to a Camry or Galant, so no complaints there. The car also handles extremely well on cold and hot roads, in rain, and even in snow. At high speeds (which are 65-70mph for this car) the car still handles great, though there's a bit of vibration.So, is a 626 really right for anyone? Maybe. If you're not overly concerned with speed and power and are in the market for something like a Camry or Galant, I'd suggest getting the 626. It's comfortable, has nice little extras, and looks much better than most of the other mid-sizes. However, if you're looking for a car with a lot of interior space - this isn't it. The 626 is about on par with mid-sizes as far as actual space goes, but no larger. If you're looking for a car that gives you a sense of speed, power, or that just has good acceleration - avoid the 626 at all costs! | | | What things have gone wrong with the car: | Acceleration, power, speed, transmission, cabin noise, engine noise, interior a bit small for a mid-size | | | Previous car: | I haven't driven any other similiar mid-size cars that I could compare it to, but having driven Hyundai Elantra and Subaru Legacy wagons I can definetly say I prefer the 626. OTher cars I've driven include a heavily modified 1990 Mustang and a an unmodifi |
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