... However, I will state that I am now the proud and pleased owner of my second Mazda 626. The first I bought from brand new and put 123,000 miles on it before regretfully parting with it. My second one was an S reg with 44,000 miles on the odometer. I have now owned, driven, and maintained ... Read review
Advantages: Smooth handling, great mpg, large storage space, plenty of space for all passengers Disadvantages: Rear Window Panels, Brake Pad replacements
...pleased owner of my second Mazda 626. The first I bought from brand new and put 123,000 miles on it before regretfully parting with it. My second one was an S reg with 44,000 miles on the odometer. I have now owned, driven, and maintained 2 Mazda's for a total of 8 years.
Disadvantages -
1. The panels just behind the rear windows are rather large and can prove awkward when trying to see in such cases as reversing. The view is ... ...recalls were handled professionally by Mazda and the local dealership. Service was handled quickly and did not make me dread getting anything else in the post from them. All services have been handled in a good business setting and I have always found those working in the Mazda parts and dealerships to be extremely helpful and eager to make sure that you are completely satisfied with your purchase.
What a car! What are the advantages? A much shorter list would be what are the disadvantages to the car. However, I will endeavor to give the good points as well as the bad as I see them. However, I will state that I am now the proud and pleased owner of my second Mazda 626. The first I bought from brand new and put 123,000 miles on it before regretfully parting with it. My second one was an S reg with 44,000 miles on the odometer. I have now owned, driven, and maintained 2 Mazda's for a total of 8 years.
Disadvantages - 1. The panels just behind the rear windows are rather large and can prove awkward when trying to see in such cases as reversing. The view is not the best particularly in the newer 626 styles. The older styles did not have such a big issue and had a greater view. The rear window is not extremely large making reversing more of a chore than I found when test driving say the Mondeo or Astras.
2. While a service is not necessarily cheap (approximately £100-225 depending on type of service) every 6 months, the lack of breakdown makes it well worth the peace of mind that comes with regular servicing. The mechanics have confirmed several times that the only major achilles heel that the 626 has is the brake pads and discs tend to need replacement quicker than average. I had this problem on both of my 626's and it tends to run £180-215 for full replacements. For some reason, this only tends to affect the front more so than the rear.
3. Styling of the car is considered a little outdated and is not thought of as being in the same class as other vehicles in the same price range.
Advantages 1. Reliability - As previously alluded to, this car is the tops and has received great reviews year after year. I have never had it breakdown, nor have I known of any to breakdown provided they are regularly maintained.
2. Safety - They have received good marks in the safety aspects as well over the years. Very firm cars.
3. Spaciousness - Excellent for all including driver. However, those who have a larger frame may find it difficult or a little uncomfortable to fit under the steering column. The column does allow for some adjustment, but probably not enough for some.
4. Comfort - Really could not say enough here. All the styles and models that I tried before finally settling on one were comfortable in any position. Unlike the Vauxhall range, even the middle seat will comfortably take an adult, although for long distance road journey's it would probably become tiresome or wearing. The seats seem to conform to the body, particularly in the front and the enveloping feel adds to the joy of driving this car.
5. Handling - The car hugs the road quite well and corners in a satisfactory manner. The wider body style lends itself to easy maneuverability with either in-town or motorway driving. Reversing (apart from the view) is easy and the car will turn and stop with plenty of room to spare. The 5 speed gear box is smooth, but tends to like higher rpm's in 1st - 3rd gears. It seems to like 3500-4500 level and moves up quite quickly. The top end gears are a little more sluggish and a driver wishing to make a quick lane change would probably want to opt to move either to 4th or even into 3rd on a smaller road. Having said that, the top end of the speed will easily with very little road noise and no strain will move the car up to 100mph in a matter of seconds.
6. Customer Service - The recalls which have been few (can only remember two between both cars) were minor adjustments that needed to be made. Neither really affected the handling or the safety of the vehicle. Both recalls were handled professionally by Mazda and the local dealership. Service was handled quickly and did not make me dread getting anything else in the post from them. All services have been handled in a good business setting and I have always found those working in the Mazda parts and dealerships to be extremely helpful and eager to make sure that you are completely satisfied with your purchase.
7. Security - The central locking system from the driver's side door with key or with the remote control is smooth. There are no annoying beeps to signal the alarm system has been set. The alarm when it goes off is a steady horn sound but not the shrill annoying type. Another feature is that if the car's alarm system is set off or somebody breaks in, everything shuts down and the car's engine will be disabled. Without the proper key, the car cannot be started and driven away.
8. Looks - WHile I like the looks of the car, alot of people don't and think it resembles more of an older, sedate family style. However, it washes and waxes up very nicely. Is easy to reach all aspects of the car when cleaning either inside or out. One small hitch with the width of the car is that it may not fit inside all garages.
9. Features - These include a fairly decent stereo system. You can get it standard with cd/radio or cassette/radio. Electric windows with the driver's side window able to be lowered at just one touch of the button. For safety purposes with small children, the rear doors come standard with safety locks and the windows can be locked into set positions from the driver's side console. Each instrument is easy to read and all features are easily reached without unnecessary movements or anything that would distract your eyes from the road.
10. Fuel Consumption - Intown driving and use of higher rpms will reduce the mpg to the 25mpg range while constant motorway use will easily find 35-38mpg even with a full passenger load. They will easily tow a caravan and with the wider body style the views down the sides of the caravan are easily managed without additional mirrors.
Conclusion Overall, I am extremely pleased and would never hesitate to buy another one used or even new provided I knew it had a good service history. Great family size and with Mazda's reputation, recommend this model to anybody desiring a classy car with a good ride, smooth handling, and a real joy to own.
Test one for yourself and you too will be a believer!
Advantages: comfortable Disadvantages: A bit to long in the length
Well I've bought a Mazda 626, six months ago and I must say that there had been no problems with the car. It's the old style M reg and its georgous. The fuel consumption is very good considering its a 2 litre. It has all the modcons such as, power steering, Fuel injection, ABS, Twin airbags, air conditioning electric windows and mirros on both front and back doors and many other gadgets. The seats have been moulded so that you sit very comfortable ...
hornny 14.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mazda 626 2.0
Advantages: Smooth Engine, Good Ride, Excellent Mileage, Loads of Gadgets Disadvantages: Absolutely none that i can think of
I recently purchased my first mazda a 626 2.0 litre GXI after many years driving a range of makes including Toyota Fords and Vauxhalls. I have to say that after 3 months of driving this car it is definitly the best car i have ever driven. The engine is smooth it holds the road like glue and the power steering is a dream without doubt one of the lightest steering colums i have ever used and because of this it is also despite its size very easy to ... ...air conditioning , ABS, traction control and a reliable engine to boot. You can pay £1000 more for the GSI fot this you get a leather steering wheel and gear knob and a CD autochanger and an upgraded bhp to 136 from 115 its up to you whether you consider this worth £1000 all i know is that in terms of acceleration there is very little difference and with the GSI you get worse mileage and higher insurance, having said that you do get excellent mileage ...
ktt37 30.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mazda 626 2.0
Advantages: VERY reliable, good mileage, high specs for price Disadvantages: Expensive servicing and parts, perhaps not the quietest
I have had my Mazda 626 P reg 2.0L since August '98 as a second owner. I bought the car from a Mazda dealer with 7k on the clock and priced just over 10k (which I managed to haggle down a bit). Here's the story do far...
Now nearing 90k, with a year of driving between London and Cambridge everyday through all four seasons, a 5k miles trip in Europe, two trips to Scotland and numerous motorway journeys and a fair bit of city driving. So far have ... ...have had it serviced through Mazda dealers throughout and that has had a bit of a premium I have always felt. But then again, I saved on cost of repair due to breakdown. Have also averaged 14-15 km/liter on the motorways and ca 12 combined. It is a reliable car and comfortable for driver and passengers. The car came fully loaded - electric everything with a/c and a sunroof and I just could not find another car with these specs at the price. Wholeheartedly ...
SingleMalt 24.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mazda 626 2.0
Value for Money
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Quick review of Mazda 626 2.0
An excellent all rounder family car. Reliability is brilliant, ride although a bit soft is still good and comfortable, and the engine is a good all rounder. Dont expect high performance figures or excellent handling as this IS a family car. But if you want good levels of standard equipment, a very comfy journey, and a good family tourer, this is the ideal car. Good overall MPG averaging at 35 to the gallon which is around average for a car of this weight and size. When buying, look for service history, oil leaks on engine and any signs of wear and tear on brakes. Also some models have a problem with rear handbrake sticking when the discs are wet. ...
Blade-Daywalker 14.04.2008
Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mazda 626 2.0
Advantages: High MPG, Reliable car Disadvantages: none
Like the most japanese cars, this one also is a Solid car. Good for a small sized family. It runs quite good, good handling brakes. Also fantastic standard extra's although this might be a ancester of the new 6 series. Some disads:
side panels located behind the rear passenger windows are large and have proven a little awkward while trying to reverse. This is particularly so in the newer 626 styles. The older saloon and hatchback styles did not ... ...greater view. Compared to say the Ford or Vauxhall mid-range family size cars, the rear window is not extremely large which again makes reversing more of a chore.
Getting the vehicle serviced is not necessarily cheap (approximately £100-225 depending on type of service) every 6 months, the lack of breakdowns I have had made this a worth-while investment and gave me great peace of mind. My mechanics confirmed several times that the only major achilles ...
Faizan87 09.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mazda 626 2.0
Value for Money
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Advantages: Excellent Build Quality Disadvantages: Steering & No Stereo Controls On The Seats
Searching for a new company car we stumbled upon a mazda garage, greeted by a cheerful salesman we sat down and had a chat. The 626 was actually inside the showroom so we could have a look round, the car was nice spacious and comfortable so we decided to go ahead and buy one.
We took a test drive and nearly mounted a roundabout, THE STEERING WAS JUST TOO LIGHT it was unresponsive, it felt like we were driving on ice, not being put off by that we decided to purchase a 626 Sport (SIMILAR TO THE GXI TD).
Becuase of the steering, the road had no feel to it you literally would SNEEZE AND CHANGE LANE on the motorway, for us it really took the fun out of driving because instead of gripping the wheel with two hands and throwing it round the corner, you could ease it round with your little finger.
Whilst on the subject of the steering ...
Tonez-4-Phonez 02.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mazda 626 2.0 TD
Advantages: Easy to live with, controls are light, excellent visbility, good performance when your going for it, excellent handling and road holding. Disadvantages: Fuel consumption, electrical problems with Engine Management system, short gearing.
My girlfriend is Belgian and we have a house in the Ardenne region of Belgium and in the UK and do a lot of travelling between the two. Our car was a Mazda6262.0L supercharged diesel ( it was never imported into the UK so you will probably not have heard of it before ).
The Mazda was very fast, easily able to eat an Audi A4 130, and give the hot hatch brigade a run for thier money and also very ecomonical, average was 42 mpg but on a long run well over 55 mpg was easily achievable and it would pull 140 mph before hitting the rev limiter in top gear.
Anyway, one evening someonone pulled out on me on a dual carriageway in the UK and the Mazda became history as it was written off. Being Belgian registered and having Belgian insurance, we knew we would be in for a long wait for the insurance payout and not having cover ...
