Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Almost 120,000 miles in 6 years!! - 2000 Mazda 626
  By CR - September 28 - 12:36 am

  Ive driven this car A LOT -- long road trips, extended periods of stop & go local driving, and commuting up a mountain and back 6 days a week for almost 2 years. It is very comfortable. The only downside is the tiny engine. Ive maintained my car well and it now has 163,000+ miles. I am finally in need of a new one. The struts are shot and so are my motor mounts. I think these issues may have been caused, in part, by my driving around for a month with a broken sway-bar link (part of the suspension). Ive never had a problem with my transmission, or engine. Id get my car fixed, but with 163,000+ miles it is hard to say how much longer the transmission will last...Ill miss my car :-/

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  Weak transmissions - 1998 Mazda 626
  By Fenderroads - September 26 - 4:56 pm

  I bought the car for my daughter in 1998 for her to finish high school and go off to college in. The car has never left her stranded, but the automatic transmission has greatly increased the cost of a higher education. Ive had the transmission replaced twice, once at 55K miles, and again at 120K. The clutch packs appear to be the weak link in the transmission. I had to change the heater coil in 2000. I made the repairs myself one week end. Ill never do that again.

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  2000 mazda 6 with 281k miles and still running! - 2000 Mazda 626
  By tamoshanter - September 23 - 8:17 pm

  i bought this car new in 5/00 with 16 miles. since then, i now have over 281,000 miles on it and its still running strong. A/C replaced 2 yrs ago, front axles replaced last year and transmission is going out (5 sp man), but with almost all highway miles, im going to drive it into the ground. otherwise, runs smooth, good pick up, comfortableand gets me there and back reliably! happy enough that we bought a 2009 mazda 6 that my wife now drives around!

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  Fun to drive, plenty of power, reliable - 1999 Mazda 626
  By Chuck W - September 22 - 1:10 am

  I own a 1990 Miata which has been bulletproof and a blast to drive. When looking for a family car, the 626 seemed like a logical choice. Its a great highway cruiser, the handling is fantastic for a mid priced 4 door sedan, and its been reliable. The gas mileage could be a little better, but it is a v6. From the research Ive done and the posts on this site, it looks like the Mazda made v6 engine and tranny are the way to go.

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  I love it - 1999 Mazda 626
  By stanley stoykov - September 16 - 2:36 pm

  Very reliable. Still running strong after 147000 miles. Around 27 mpg city, hwy 32 mpg. Broken AC at 130000. With good maintenance, gonna last til 200000.

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  Reliable all the way - 2002 Mazda 626
  By mazdamontrealer - September 8 - 10:03 am

  This car was highly recommended by a consumer publication in Canada provided it did not come with the automatic transmission. My car is a 2002 with the 4 – cylinder and manual transmission. The engine is definitely underpowered but if you don’t mind shifting down and revving a bit, you can use the ample torque at about 3000 rpm to supply a fun driving experience. The car currently has 200,000 km (120,000 mi) on it. I keep it very well maintained, even changing the shocks and springs which give it a better ride than when new. This also helped preserve the suspension components, which take a pounding on the winter-ravaged streets in Montreal.

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  Excellent Car - 1998 Mazda 626
  By Carbide - June 25 - 3:46 pm

  We have been driving this car for 9 years, now, and this was the best car decision we ever made. The car is now 12 years old, and most of the original parts still work fine, including alternator, power options, rad, water pump, steering components, etc. The only unexpected problems were with some replacement wheel bearings which didnt last as long as they should have. We live in a very wintry area with lots of road salt, and the body has held up well. I did a bit of research before we bought the car, so I avoided the automatic (Ford built) transmission of the 90s. Ours is a manual transmission, and it is still smooth as silk ; and the gas mileage is amazing. Basically, I love it!

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  Pull the Transmission - 2000 Mazda 626
  By Glynn - June 23 - 3:53 am

  Good vehicle in most areas except very poor experence with automatic transmission. Major transmission repairs at 70,000 and again at 97,000. Automatic transmisson is Ford designed and does not provide the same quality as Mazda.

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  delicious vanilla, no toppings - 1998 Mazda 626
  By dozier - May 24 - 6:56 am

  Great economical mid-size. Would reccomend it to anyone looking for a reliable car of this type. Was a little puzzled why the outer C-V boots failed at 60k miles. It has been my experience this usually happens after 100 k miles.

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  Mazda 626ES - 2001 Mazda 626
  By V Land - May 20 - 8:16 pm

  Outstanding reliability for 8 years. We did all the preventative maintenance as scheduled and changed oil every 5,000 miles. Fun to drive; responsive. Great Bose sound system. Still a great car after all these years.