Review - Mazda 626 GXi

Mazda 626 GXi 

 

The Mazda 626 was always intended to be little more than a sensible family saloon that played a decent second fiddle to the Mondeo offered by parent company Ford. Whether equipped with petrol engines, diesel engines, or even a V6 engine, in saloon, hatchback or estate guise, the 626 was a reasonably priced well spec-ed car in the Mid-Sized-Family Saloon segment.

In this review we will be giving you a flavour of what this now extinct car is like to drive, use and own. We’ll also try to suggest why the model was cut completely when it was replaced in 2005 by the Mazda6 before we leave you with hopefully a better idea of what this Mondeo alternative is like as a prospect.

So firstly, why the GXi? Well the GXi was a mid-range model that came with various options such as Air-Con, CD-Player and alloy wheels as standard or easily negotiated into any deal. The mainstay engine of the 626 was the 2.0l petrol engine, which featured in most GXi’s.

So firstly a brief history on the 626 model we’ve found. In 1998 Mazda launched the completely redesigned 626, the fifth generation of the model code. It ran on the same platform as previous 626’s and various other front wheel drive Mazda’s and Ford’s and in fact the current Mondeo and Mazda6 use an evolution of the platform the 626 was based on. The current platform is coded by Mazda as ‘GH’, the 5th generation 626 used the ‘GF’ platform.

The ‘FS Series’ engine, a 2.0l naturally aspirated, four cylinder engine, like the base chassis, was an evolution of the engine that had equipped all previous versions of the 626. It is a typical iron block with aluminium head and has equipped a raft of Mazda’s and Ford’s including several Mazda pick-up trucks and the Ford Probe and Mazda MX-6 front wheel drive sports cars. The block continues to be used as the diesel engines that power the current Mazda6 but has been totally superseded as a petrol engine in favour of more powerful and far more efficient engines.

Power wise the 626 is roughly average for its age. The Naturally-Aspirated, 1991cc 16v DOHC four-pot develops just 116bhp at 5,500rpm and a rather chunky 135 lb/ft of torque at 4,500rpm. We agree that it is the sign of a refined but lightly stressed engine when it develops more torque than power, it also implies that the engine will pull well, which the 626 does, in fact it may surprise you with a 0-62mph of 11 seconds, a time that is pretty reasonable. Ok it is behind the times now, but this is a car that is anything from 5 -12 years old now. The top speed of 123mph suggests slightly high gearing but for normal use, in particular on motorways, the 626 is perfectly happy.

Handling is never going to be the 626’s strongest area, it is after all a car that started out costing around £13k in 1998. However, MacPherson’s on all four corners means the handling is predictable and while it was never a BMW, the 626 does grip well.

This is helped quite a lot by a comparatively low weight, the 626 weighing in at just 1280kg, despite the engine being an over-engineered iron block that is able to be used reliably as a Diesel powered block.

Steering feel is also good, mostly because the steering is hydraulically assisted set-up rather than electric that most modern cars use and suffer numbness and remoteness. However, again this isn’t a sports saloon, but you can feel the bumps and the steering gives plenty of feedback which means you have the confidence to stick it through a corner if you’re feeling particularly brave.

The car is helped on the ‘fun’ front by an oddity that has afflicted many a Mazda through the years; it’s engine characteristics. As we’ve seen, the torque arrives at a very reasonable moment, but it’s the delivery that surprises. Most cars have a small surge when they hit peak torque however the 626 has a very noticeable change in G-Force as it gets going and the noise becomes quite deep and loud, where before it was quiet and civilised. This affects many Mazda’s including the 323 hatchback of a similar vintage to the larger 626, the MX-5 with it's very peaky motor that needs a good thrash to find its top power and the rotary-engined RX-8 which is a high revving nut-job of an engine.

It doesn’t detract from normal driving and actually adds an artificial level of fun to the 626 as you feel the car shove you into the seats and the engine starts to find its voice.

The only problem we had was the amount of road noise that penetrates the cabin. This is all tyre-roar and means you’ll be turning the radio up to hear it on motorways before thinking your hearing is going at low speeds.

The 626 is most at home on motorways though, despite the road noise. The 626 engine, like a lot of modern mid-sized capacity engines is designed to be at its best when cruising at 80mph and the motor is quiet and civilised in most circumstances, although part of that may be the amount of afore mentioned road noise.

All in all, the 626 is exactly what it is; a reasonable family saloon. It never tries to convince you it’s even remotely sporty but it just means you never hold that against it.

The 626 is a fairly Plain-Jane affair on the looks front. For the most part the front end looks discrete, sensible and mature with very little badge going on and a small grill and disguised mouth, pretty typical of ‘90s saloons. Nothing offensive but nothing to excite the blood. The rear end is the same, again very little badge-work going on, with the Air-Con system getting most acknowledgement with the ‘I-AC’ on the rear of models equipped with the ‘Intelligent-Air Con’, a self adapting system somewhere in between basic Air-Con and climate control.

The rear end also features an integrated ‘spoiler’, a bump at the boot-lid which has the third brake light. The standard wheels were steel wheels, but 5 spoke, 8 spoke and multi-spoke alloy wheels were all available as options.

The integrated mud-flaps are useful, keeping huge amounts of crap off the bodywork and the wing mirrors offer excellent visibility. Beyond the subtle lines in the bonnet, the 626 has no real stand-out features on the looks front to excite. We’re not bothered by that, in fact discrete on this level doesn’t exist any more, with many cars having huge badges on the front grill.

The interior of the 626 is reasonable in quality at best but is, in fact it is a very comfortable place to spent large amount of time, particularly in the front seats. Now as you might imagine, we spent a lot of time in a lot of car seats and we still maintain that the front seats of a Mk IV 626 are some of the comfiest and supportive seats ever. They’re just perfect. Leg support is excellent and the foot well, particularly the passenger foot well is deep, the head rest are perfectly aligned to support both neck and head as required and the seat back itself offers back support like almost no other car.

A top spec Rover 75 isn’t quite as good and the sports seats in a BMW MINI Copper S come damn close. Ok the 626’s seats aren’t designed for sporty in any way but over long distances they are brilliant, we spent two years doing regular trips from Swindon to Norwich and never once did any of the seats cause any discomfort. Perfect.

Rear leg room can be a bit lacking when the front seat is set for a tall driver but a 6 foot passenger can use the rear seats in a fair degree of comfort and the rear seats are pretty supportive and comfortable too. The centre seat has a full seatbelt although with three passengers in the back, room to place feet becomes tight. The rear seats have a 60:40 folding arrangement but don’t fold completely flat, even with the head rests removed.

Boot space is pretty good at 503 litres. It was hardly class leading in it’s day, a situation that hasn’t changed, but it does mean the 626 is a pretty practical car, able to easily ship a family of four around along with a months worth of shopping load and the rear doesn’t unacceptably squat when it’s loaded up.

The material quality is a little disappointing, around the time of the Mk IV 626, Mazda was rated as one of the best Japanese manufacturers for build quality and reliability, but the centre console is pretty cheap. It isn’t poorly built but it does have a feel minor creaks and the stock radio unit isn’t very durable or long lasting. A CD-Player was still an optional extra so don’t be surprised to see a radio/cassette player.

There a wonderfully convenient cubby hole in the centre console next to the clock that acts as a good place to put a mobile phone or cigarettes. The Air-Con controls are a bit low down but are very simple and easy to use, a long way from the confusing mass of buttons of cars today.

The gear stick on the pleasant and accurate 5 speed gearbox has a fairly long throw but is very naturally placed and is clear from disruption by the handbrake or centre console, an obvious thing that manufacturers, particularly of cheaper cars, sometimes forget.

The steering wheel is pretty big but is lovely to grip and very adjustable. The clutch is light and predictable with a reasonable length and a very neutral, gradual bite point, the throttle is much the same, and the 626 is a very easy car to drive at low speeds although long periods of clutch work will make for a tired ankle due to the length of travel. The brakes are strong and predictable thanks to vented discs at the front, solid discs at the back, a nice touch considering cars in this segment did still come with drum rear brakes.

As we mentioned, visibility is fantastic and the windscreen wiper has a wind-deflector that is perfectly placed so that when it is lined up with the verge or edge of the line you’re in via the Driver’s line of sight, it lines the car up perfectly in the centre of lanes, quite a wonderful coincidence if nothing else.

The dash itself is also slightly surprising; with the big centre Speedo with the rev counter clanking one side and the fuel and temperature gauges on the other side. This makes for a rather classy set-up that is clear, communicative and easy to take in completely with an instant glance.

Warning and indicator lights are hidden when not active, and so make the dash look very neat and tidy. It is in fact a well designed, well sorted unit. The backlight is the only disappointment, being a rather uninteresting green but it does light the dash well, ensuring it is still easy to take in at night as well as during daylight.

Because the 626 was in a hugely competitive market, there are plenty of well looked after examples. We found plenty of year 2000 (W reg, Y reg etc) examples, some with a raft of extras like Air-Con, CD-Player, Leather, Air bags, alloy wheels and all the usual extras you expect on a new car today with around 60,000 to 70,000 miles on the clock starting at just under £1,700. That’s a road worthy, taxed and equipped family saloon for just £1,700! You can spend much more if you like, £2,500 will get you a fully kitted GXi. Because the 626 has so little value you can beat a dealer up and haggle well, you can earn yourself an absolute steal.

And it’s not like running costs will hurt your pocket. The 626 GXi we’ve been looking at here is placed in Insurance Group 10, making it very affordable despite the 2.0l engine. Fuel economy is also pretty good, with electronic fuel injection, a modern head and a light state of tune means the 626 can achieve 35.8mpg combined. This is fairly easy to achieve too at normal cruising speeds.

Car tax will hurt quite considerably compared to brand new cars, the 626 emits 206 g/km of CO2 which means the 626 will cost north of £250 a year in road tax, high enough that it could become a justified deal breaker.

Conclusion

The Mazda 626 GXi is a very competent car, easy to drive, good for long distances and spacious. It’s a modern enough car to have all the things the modern car buyer expects in their family saloon and is reasonably efficient for a decade old car. It’s easy to see why Mazda dropped it in favour of the far more modern looking and better driving Mazda6 in 2005 but that is simply because the consumer wanted a more modern and stylish car to fulfil the role of family saloon. The 626 is an inexpensive, competent and decent looking why to ship four people and their luggage around in comfort. A good measure is seeing if it’ll make a good taxi and plenty of 626’s are used by private taxi firms.

Mazda 626 2.0l GXi 

Engine: 1991cc DOHC 16v In‐Line 4 

Power: 116bhp @ 5,500rpm 

Torque: 137 lb/ft @ 4,500rpm 

0‐62 mph: 11.0 Seconds 

Top Speed: 124mph 

Fuel Economy: 35.8 mpg  

MD