'99 Mazda 626 anyone?

[entropy]

Well, I've been driving the Uber Van for almost a year now. It's sad, but it's time to move on. I can actually afford something now, and now a great option showed up in the paper.

But does anyone have any first-hand experience with these cars (or something similar)? I don't know mileage yet, as they'll probably call sometime tomorrow, and I'm not sure about the engine size (4 or 6 cylinder). From what I can find online, it looks to be a great car, with pretty good mpg, too (hell, anything is better than the 15 or so I get with the van ;D).

[Nightwolf]

I have no "experience" witht he car. Just that its realll ugly. If it is a V6 they're tiny i think like 2.5L, so i'm sure you'd get good gas mileage.

[TheBaron]

626's are great cars. you should enjoy it

[entropy]

I have no "experience" witht he car. Just that its realll ugly. If it is a V6 they're tiny i think like 2.5L, so i'm sure you'd get good gas mileage.
It can't be any more ugly than a '92 Chevy Van. Yeah. That's what I drive now. :(

And I'm 17 - I can't afford to have a great-looking car for myself, and we're not rich so I don't expect one. Same with engine size - I won't be drag racing it, so I really don't care. If it's got enough pull to go, then I'm fine (and gas mileage > speed anyday, especially now).

[Zanthian]

Info off of Edmunds.com
NHTSA Ratings
Passenger: Excellent
Driver: Good
Side Impact Front: Average
Side Impact Rear: Average
Rollover Rating: Not Tested

IHS Ratings
Crash Offset: Acceptable
Bumper Bash: Acceptable

The 626 has been Mazda's bread-and-butter car for over 10 years but, unlike most sedans in it's class, the 626 offers more than just people-moving utility. In typical Mazda fashion, the company has injected a bit of soul into the 626 that helps make it a blast on twisty roads while still providing excellent interior accommodations and roominess.

This mid-priced sedan has seen a number of upgrades with the most recent coming last year. Changes included a larger interior, a more powerful engine, an improved transmission, and standard traction control on V6 models. In size and price, the 626 competes with a wide range of cars in the U.S. market, but offers more solid engineering and sporting performance than most.

Buyers can select from three trim levels: entry-level LX, uplevel LX V6, or top-of-the-line ES. A 125-horsepower four-banger motivates the LX, while higher trims get a 170-horsepower V6 engine. Either motor can be mated to your choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

A CD player is standard on all models. Other goodies include antilock brakes, fade-out interior lighting and engine-speed sensing rack-and-pinion steering gear.

The 626 (built in Flat Rock, Mich.) was the first Japanese-branded sedan to be called a true domestic by government agencies, yet it remains as reliable as a Timex. With an upscale image and nimble handling manners, our favorite model is the ES V6 with a five-speed manual transmission. Order the ES Luxury Package and you get 15-inch alloy wheels with 205-60R 15 tires, a power moonroof, map lights with a sunglass holder, six-way power driver's seat, and an anti-theft alarm with engine immobilizer. It's the perfect grocery getting/entry-luxury/sports sedan for those who like to drive, but require the talents of a mid size car for day-to-day living.

[Buddy J]

It's a stretched Probe. I'm not a fan. :thumbsdow

[Nightwolf]

It's a stretched Probe. I'm not a fan. :thumbsdow
Reminds me of a taurus!

[Clutch]

I have known of others with a 626, and from what I have heard, no problems out of them. Anything will be better gas mileage than the van however. I never have been a mazda fan myself, but I cannot say it is a bad car either. If the insurance is good, price is good, and it is a good upgrade from the van I say go for it. I mean even if you keep it for a couple years, I'm sure you will get your money out of it.

[empty]

if u dont mind me asking how much is it their is a very nice car for 17k brand new a scion tc. Well made car and has great reviews. heres a pic it would be the car i would get if i could. It also gets good gas mileage, and also it comes fully loaded sunroof 17" rims power everything.

[entropy]

Just took it for a test drive. Was slightly underwhelmed. It's super nice (and it has a sunroof!), but... hm. It's a small car trying to be big, which would be okay, especially if it has just a tiny bit more oomph. The 4 cylinder was pretty weak, and really loud (small car-ish). Also, the antenna made a lot of noises, and the struts (I guess) in back were terrible.

Oh, and I can't afford much more than $4,000 tops ;D So yeah... I'd love a new car, but no, not for me.

[Clutch]

So the 626 is a no-go? I can understand about the engine, I mean if you needed to get around traffic, or something like that it couldn't do the job.

[entropy]

Exactly. My grandpa got kind of nervous when I pulled out... I knew I could make it, but he's like, "...might wanna step on it a little..." and I said, "I am!" ;D

Well, this one had 115,000mi on it, which isn't terrible. We looked at a '00 626 today also, with 171,000mi of highway on it, which still isn't TOO bad. It ran just great, too. But I think I'm just going to wait. I need one before winter for sure, but I've still got a month or so (hopefully).

[Nightwolf]

I'd say if the 626 is no good, find an older toyota or honda. I have friends that have civics in the 350 to 500K mile range.

[Clutch]

Yeah Toyota's last forever and a day. My grandma had an old Toyota, and it never had any problems, it is still alive and kicking this day and it is like an 80's model.

[JChretien]

There are still toyotas here for sale from the 60s... the Landcruiser FJ40. still commands a 5digit pricetag if its in decent condition.

[entropy]

Well, I'm not getting either probably. I drove 5 more cars today, and they're all quite a bit better.

I took out a '97 Chrysler Concorde - that sucker was NICE. It's an old-people-mobile, but it's super nice. Only problem is, while we were sitting there looking at the engine (down the road a bit), it started smoking really bad. So yeah, not so hot on that one.

Then we drove an 95 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and a Pontiac Grand Am. Eh.

The other nice ones were a '99 Sunfire (5-spd manual, so I'd have some learning to do), and an '01 Chevy Cavalier. The Sunfire was great, and he's bringing back a four-door that we can tool around in tomorrow. I think I'm probably gonna get one of them (plus it has a sunroof, and I'm a sucker for gimmicks :D)

[Nightwolf]

Well, I'm not getting either probably. I drove 5 more cars today, and they're all quite a bit better.

I took out a '97 Chrysler Concorde - that sucker was NICE. It's an old-people-mobile, but it's super nice. Only problem is, while we were sitting there looking at the engine (down the road a bit), it started smoking really bad. So yeah, not so hot on that one.

Then we drove an 95 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and a Pontiac Grand Am. Eh.

The other nice ones were a '99 Sunfire (5-spd manual, so I'd have some learning to do), and an '01 Chevy Cavalier. The Sunfire was great, and he's bringing back a four-door that we can tool around in tomorrow. I think I'm probably gonna get one of them (plus it has a sunroof, and I'm a sucker for gimmicks :D)
First of all, DO NOT get the sunfire or cavalier. They have the worst crash rating of all cars. I have a good friend chelsea who didn't listent to me when i told her than and got i think a '00 or '99 Sunfire. She got hit from the side and the whole thing caved in on her. She lived but wasn't in great condition. The smoking concorde could've just been burning oil off the block if it hadn't been drivin in a while or wasn't kept real clean.

[entropy]

Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind.

And it smelled like burning syrup, which (I guess) is antifreeze, but it wasn't. It came from right up in center, like beneath the dash kind of.

[Nightwolf]

Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind.

And it smelled like burning syrup, which (I guess) is antifreeze, but it wasn't. It came from right up in center, like beneath the dash kind of.
syrup, transmition oil maybe.

[GHoosdum]

It could have been leaking coolant around the heater core. Bad idea to mess with that.

I, too, would highly recommend against the Sunfire or Cavalier. Very poor interior materials quality.

If you're looking in the 4K range, see if you can get an '01 or '02 Hyundai Elantra. They really started ramping up quality in that range, and some of them might still have a residual left of the 100K warranty (if the prev owner bought extra coverage the warranty is transferrable). I'd say they're comparable to Toyota now, but they haven't quite been out long enough to get many 300K examples... OK I'll say it: I think that they're comparable to Toyota now. :thumbsup:

[Gargoyle]

I, too, would highly recommend against the Sunfire or Cavalier. Very poor interior materials quality.
I'll go a step further and say the cars are outright crap. A friend of mine bought a brand new Cavalier, and it was constantly in the shop after it was about 6 months old.

For the price they want for one of those, you could probably get a Corolla, and it'd be less likely to be a flaming dissappointment.

[GHoosdum]

That's a good point, Garg. If you're looking above 100K miles, you can pick up a Corolla in your price range - I saw one here in Cincinnati on Craigslist for $2200, a '97 with 156K on it.

[Buddy J]

A 'rolla with over 100k miles is a great buy. It's almost broken in. ;D Replace the water pump and timing belt and you're good to go for another 60-80k miles.

A Corolla (Geo Prism) or Camry would be a good choice. So would a Civic (gag me) or Accord. They're safe, have good fuel economy and will be dependable. The Hondas tend to retain their value more and will be more expensive. They're also not as fun to work on, in my experience.

A 240 or 700 series Volvo is a good choice, especially if you find one from, like, '87 or newer. Early 80's ones had electrical issues but aside from that, they're bulletproof. A BMW 318 or 325 is also a cheap car now that should be good for you.

I'd stay away from the plastic domestics. They aren't worth the money you save in buying one when you factor in the repairs and lifespan of the car. My first car was a Toyota Tercel. It was a gutless wonder but got me through high school and four years of college without a hitch.

[TheBaron]

if you're thinking cheap and long lasting, you should really only be thinking honda or toyota. get yourself a 4 banger with a 5-spd (the manual tranny makes up for the extreme lack of power, by making the car actually fun to drive)

[Buddy J]

Yep. Stick shiftin' is where it's at. My dad's 5-spd 2000 Corolla can be quite fun to drive :D

[entropy]

Well, the guy is letting us bring the Sunfire all the way here, and then I can drive it back. It's the 4-dour version, and we'll see if it's manual or automatic. The one my mom drove yesterday was stick, though.

I can sort of drive stick, but not well enough that I'd take a car I don't own out (just yet). I'm really considering the Sunfire, though, because we've had very good luck with Pontiacs here.

[Gargoyle]

American cars are hit and miss. The odd thing is, most people I talk to either get all hits, or all misses. I'm an all misses guy, myself. Even if your family has had all hits, know that a Sunfire will fare worse statistically than a lot of other cars. If I were you I'd look harder. Don't buy it just because it's convenient, and the best you've seen so far.

And remember that the Pontiac badge means nothing, it might as well be badged "GM."

Edit: An MSN review gave the 2005 model a 3.5 out of 10. The Consumer Reports description on the page is equally scathing. Link (http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/ConsumerReportsSnapshot.aspx?year=2005&make=Pontiac&model=Sunfire)

[Buddy J]

Agreed. Unless they're paying you to take it, don't bother. Just cuz a car exists doesn't mean you should buy it. I passed up a very nice Porsche 944 with 190k miles for my beater Supra because I knew the Supra could take another 100k miles without a rebuild. While the Porsche felt fine, looked fine and is generally regarded to be a decent car, the car isn't known for lasting forever without extensive maintence. All the US made cars you've listed are about the same. They may be nice now, but they don't last and unless you're independantly wealthy, taking a risk and buying a car thats iffy isn't wise.

[Clutch]

Well, the guy is letting us bring the Sunfire all the way here, and then I can drive it back. It's the 4-dour version, and we'll see if it's manual or automatic. The one my mom drove yesterday was stick, though.

I can sort of drive stick, but not well enough that I'd take a car I don't own out (just yet). I'm really considering the Sunfire, though, because we've had very good luck with Pontiacs here.


Don't worry about not being able to drive a stick well. When I got my 5 speed stang, I didn't know how to drive a stick. But with some practice, within 1 day I was driving everywhere I normally would, just a lot more fun. I'm sure a sunfire would be easier to learn on than a stang though.