1994 Mazda 323

memaw's getaround

By memaw (GA) on Saturday, July 21, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 221,000

Pros: "great mileage, fun to drive . . ."

Cons: "no cup holder, 2 door getting the babies in & out"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"my 1990 was a gift 2 years ago bc none of the 'kids' wanted it. I LOVE my 5 speed, LOVE the gas mileage and dependability . . . no power steering keeps my upper arms in shape;) did update the bucket seats ~ Georgia heat is not nice to the foam. LOVE this car 2nd only to the 89 Diahatsu Charade that got totaled by a suspended license driver . . . yeah, no cup holder ;("

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I'm on my second 323

By K mac (CA) on Tuesday, November 15, 2011

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 53,000

Pros: "Great gas mileage, cheap insurance."

Cons: "Not too stylish, but so what."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I had a 1990 323 many years ago and the car made it to 256k miles without an issue, until it got hit by a drunk driver in front of my house while parked. I would still be driving that little car today. Well, today I found the same car on a popular website for $1900. I paid the price in full just to make sure I got it. And this car only has 53,000 miles! No car payment, cheap insurance, I WIN! This car has the potential to be my daughters first car, and she's only 9 years old."

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Reliable and Gas Saver!!!

By teacherstoff (KS) on Tuesday, August 30, 2011

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 226,000

Pros: "Fuel Economy, peppy"

Cons: "no cup holder, manual, weak up hills."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I bought this car a year ago with 200,000 miles on it from a mechanic. It was his daily driver for 10 years until he bought a new 2010 Mazda3. He said the new car gets worse gas mileage. I get 33-35 mpg easily on highway. Dash is sun-cracked and paint is peeling, but after 25,000 and a hot summer in Kansas, AC still works!"

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Solid ride that has stood the test of time

By Kreez (Denver, CO) on Saturday, October 16, 2010

"My mom bought a used 323 with 2,000 miles on it back in 1992. It's still in the family to this day. Throughout the 90s and the early 2000s we used the car as a dog hauler, for road trips, a commuter, and as an around town errand runner. The car has braved it all. Although at 250,000 miles a vehicle transportation company employee damaged the car during a joyride (which he admitted), we were forced to swap out the original engine (which was doing great) for another. The 323s shared their engine with several other cars, so a replacement was easy to procure. The new engine is pulling strong and we plan on another 20+ years of service. Performance and Reliability This car is solid. First off, the engine is a workhorse. ‘Peppy’ is probably the best word to use. While it's not a straight line powerhouse, it's perfect for around the city. In fact it's geared so well that the first clutch job was at a very overdue 180,000 miles. Didn’t need to fix what wasn’t broken. Because of the small displacement, I highly recommend the 5-speed manual transmission so that you can fully utilize the engine. An automatic will just never get it right without simply flooring it all the time. The car has a solid and fairly comfortable ride for a car in its class. The Macpherson strut suspension and short wheelbase allows for a composed ride and nimbleness around the corners. However, the car’s OEM tire and wheel size is the bare minimum. Larger tires and wheels help improve handing immensely. For those that wish to make this swap. We started with the original 175/75 13 inch wheels and went to 195/60 tires with 14 inch wheels which fit perfectly. The old tires look like they’re off a bicycle compared to the new ones. The increased tire width definitely helps in the corners and the ride is a bit smoother as well. Even at highway speeds, the car is comfortable and with the right tires, it isn’t even that loud. Interior and Comfort The interior is what you can expect from an early 90s economy car. Gray and black plastics abound. While the interior isn’t the most stylish, the quality is actually pretty good. Almost 20 years later, the dash has no cracks and the door handles are original. Knobs, gauges, and all controls still work. The HVAC controls and radio are laid out thoughtfully and are easy to use. If you’re really into music while driving, upgrade the stereo. The OEM 40-watt speakers won’t cut it for most people. The 323’s interior is also roomy for this class of car. Most economy hatches are tight and have a bathtub feel. Not this car. We rented a Dodge Caliber recently for a road trip and felt as if we were on top of each other compared to the Mazda. I have plenty of headroom even at 6’3. I will complain about how close the pedals are. Fine for someone with smaller feet, but my foot swallows the pedals and I have to be careful so that the sides of my shoes don’t depress the wrong pedal. Exterior and Versatility Exterior styling is in line with other cars of the era, when the industry was moving away from boxy designs and into more organic and curvy profiles. While we all feel the front end has a good look and the rear suffers from the detracting light bar, prevalent on a lot of 90s vehicles, it’s all a matter of personal preference. I’ve found that hatchbacks and wagons aren’t as popular and “cool” in the U.S. as they are in Europe, but they are very handy in terms of hauling people and cargo. The 323 is no exception. Hatch opens all the way (the struts that keep the hatch need replacing by the ten year mark) which allows for easy loading/unloading. The backseats fold down nearly flat helping to increase space too. All in all a well a planned and well executed car. Recommended for anyone looking for a no frills straight forward ride that’ll get the job done. Whether commuting, or in need of a city street go-kart errand runner, the 323 will cover you."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Great Little Car

By Suze (western WA) on Monday, June 28, 2010

"I loved my little blue hatchback. It has been very reliable and just right for me. The back seat is very spacious for it's overall size and you can fit a ton of stuff in there when you fold the seat down. It's pretty fun to drive, though it's a little puny up steep hills. I drove mine to about 210k until it had a problem not worth fixing (but amazingly the AC still works!). I've had it for six years and I've replaced: radiator, front breaks, valve cover gasket, timing belt and another minor oil leak at the same time and then just maintanance stuff like tires and battery etc. That's pretty good for its age and milage. I got about 30mpg on it. It's supposed to get better but I guess it's efficiency deminished over time. That's still pretty good though. The paint is in bad shape in some spots, with the clear coat peeling off. I would recommend this car to anyone if you can find one with low enough miles that's in pretty good shape. But expect them to die around 200k because I have a friend who had one and his died around there too. Overall I have loved having this car. It's only flaw is its age and high miles and wear and tear that comes with that."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Great Little Car!

By White Lightning (North Carolina) on Monday, March 22, 2010

"I have owned this car for 5 years and I am only selling it because I bought a new car. It has 186,000 miles and I have had to do very few repairs. It gets great gas mileage and runs well. It was a great investment!!"

3 people out of 4 found this review helpful

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