1993 MAZDA 323 Consumer Reviews

This is a meh subcompact, but a huge improvement over my 1996 Dodge Neon. I did not own this long (March 2002-December 2002), so if I’m missing a flaw, tell me. I likely can’t remember.

I had the car for over two years now and put on 40,000 Kms on it, so far only replaced front tires, front pads, battery and left tire rod/lower ball joint. Its been with us on two road trips from Vancouver, BC to Edmonton, AB and vice versa, the following year from Vancouver, BC to San Francisco, CA, USA. It went all the way non-stop except for loading of gas, eating and other stuff. The car is my daily driver thru rain, shine or snow and had never let me down. The only down side is its a bit under powered specially going up hills as it struggles in the Coquihalla Highway. But top end power can be achieved on flat specifically of Interstate 5 where it can keep up with the speed of traffic. Over-all, this is one of the best car I've owned.

Model year is actually 1991. Purchased December 1990.Car has served me well since purchase. No accidents. One driving vacation per year. Majority of mileage is from commuting to work and home.

I bought such car in France in 2013 for $1200 with very low mileage, and it was really good deal! The car is old, it's not that comfortable, does not have latest technologies, but it was still better than e.g. new Peugeot 206! The clutch pedal is little bit stiff - that's actually very good, like in sports cars, and the gearbox was in perfect condition (never repaired), and I was able to shift gears within less 0.4 seconds. My muffler was missing small rear pipe, so is sounded like a real sports car. If you want just to have 4 wheels that will serve for a long time, I would definitely recommend this car. But don't expect to have a 20-year old car in perfect condition. Fixes are required (I made some by myself, like changing the timing belt, having no mechanics background).

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 ;(

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.

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!

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.