THE Mazda 626 LX comes with a choice of a 2.0-litre DOHC 16-vaive, four-cylinder engine or the heftier 2.5-
litre DOHC 24-valve V6 variety. Both feature a boost in horsepower over last year’s models.

Mazda blends fun with the practical

From page 34

percent from 164 horscpow-
er.

Though it has more
horscpower, the 626 hasn’t
kept up with its competitors,
many of which offer 150
horsepower on their base
models and up to 200 horsc-
power on their V6 models.

This shouldn’t dissuade
you from considcring this car.

In my opinion, the 626
has plenty of horsepower for
the type of car it is — a prac-
tical, family sedan.

When it comes to. more
important features such as
roominess, quictness, ride,
accessibility, and case of oper-
ation, the 626 shines.

In fact, my test car, an
uplevel V6-powered ES sedan
was roomy cnough, quiet
enough, and luxurious
enough to be a luxury sedan.

FRONT or REAR
fncludes pails ot shoes,
imachizing sotors or drums (mast 2nd cars)

A noticeable improvement
in ride comfort and interior
noise this year is due to more
sound insulation, new triple
door seals, and a stiffer body.

1 often wonder why luxu-
ry buyers will pay five or 10
thousand dollars more for a
similar type of vehicle with a
luxury nameplate.

There’s really no need.

All 626 models now come
with a standard AM/FM
radio and CD player or cas-
sette player, and the
redesigned dash includes
rotary dials for the fan and
temperature controls instead
of sliding levers, and a 25%
larger glovebox and console
storage bin.

The ventilation system
continues to use Mazda’s
unique oscillating vent slats.

Centre rear passengers
now have a new three-point
lap and shoulder belt. 60/40

rie

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On the road, the optional
V6 engine is generally very
quiet, giving a muted, sporty
roar under acceleration, but
rolling back to a relaxed
2400 rp.nt. at a steady 100
km-h.

The ride is excellent,
helped by the longer wheel
base, and the handling is very
stabie and predictable,
though a little less nimble

fore. h the
nder engine is less
ase model is
more fun to drive, particular-
ly with a manual transmis-
sion,

Because the engine is
lighter, the front to rear
weight distribution is better,
and the car weighs less overall
than the V6 model, improv-
ing handling dynamics.

A new traction control
system is now available on
ES-V6 models. When loss of
grip és detected in the ing
wheels, the system automati-
calle reduces the throttle
until traction is regained.

Photo submitted

split fold-down rear seatbacks
are standard, but they cannor
be locked. This can be a
problem if'a thief gets into
the car because they can then
access the trunk.

For safety, the 626 o
dual front airbags, three-
point seatbelts, adjustable
front head restraints, and
built-in, non-adjustable rear
head restraints.

The traction control sys-
tem can be disabled by a bur-
ton on the dashboard.

Both four- and six-cylin-
der engines can still be had
with five-speed manual or

1998 Mazda 626 ES technicai data

Price as tested (ES): $30,930
Base price (DX): $20,140

Type: four-deor, five-passenger

sedan
Layout: transverse front engine
drive

Engine: 2.

Torque: 163 @ 5000 r.p.m.

All wheel drive
ABS
Air Bags

5 litre V6, DOHC, 24 valves
Horsepower: 170 @ 6000 r. p.m.

Wheelbase: 2670 mm (105.1 in.)

Length: 4745 mm (186.8 in.)

Width: 1760 mm (68.3 in.)

Height: 1400 mm (55.1 in.)

Fuel consumption: City

(23 mp.g.) Hwy —

(33m.p.g.)

Warranty: Basic — three years/80,00 km;
Powertrain — five years/100,000 km

mid-si

80 watt AM/FM cassette

Sport Rack
Fog Lamps
165 H.P. engine

Power windows & locks

Power heated mirrors

four-speed automatic trans-
Mission any sedans no
longer offer a manual trans-
mission with V6 engines.
The automatic transmis-
sion is responsive and shitts
smoothly, but PE noticed a
slight transmission whine in
first and second gears,
ure is a hands on/alt
irive button on the

are standard on four-
models, bur anti-loc

are no Jonger available as an
option on the tour eyliader
626,

It would appear that buy-
ers are not convinced about
the benefits of ABS. V6 mod-
els still have standard four
wheel disc brakes — anti-lock
brakes are optional on LX-V6
models and standard on ES-
V6 models.

The 626 offers good out-
ward visibility, but the rear
edge of the car is invisible

¢ driver’s seat, making

ulr to judge distances
when backing up. In addition,
the third rear brake light par-
tially obscures rear vision
through the rear-view mirror.

Base 626 models start at
$20,140, and top $30,000
when well-equipped — that’s
a little less than an Accord or
Camry, and a little more than
an Alnma.

The 626's basic warranty,
three vears/80,000 kilome-
tres is better than Honda and
Toyotas’ three vear/60,000
km warranty, and the same as
Nissan's warranty.

The 626 is a practical car
that is also fun to drive —
something that can’t be said
of all family sedans.

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