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Comments
is 7 to 1.Here it's the opposite!?! Why is
it our cousins on the other side of the
Atlantic prefer a clutch? I throughly enjoy
our left leg flexor,and love to choose the
rpms.I too am grounded by the Protenzas.
Here in the Midwest I should be looking for
better "snowshoes".Any suggestions?
The RE92's are your typical OE compromise. They're quiet and decent in the dry, but that's about it. If you break out a tape measure, and check the width of the tread, it's puny, not even close to 205mm (which is the section width), since the tire bulges out.
-juice
M/A ratio - yes I think the outrageous price of fuel in Europe is a big reason why. Friend of mine who's from Europe drove his first car with over 1.5L engine only after he's come over to Canada. To extract any kind of power from a small displacement engine, you really need to control your rev. Then again, our gas price here is slowly creeping up to the european prices .... OUCH!
Well, at least you don't get those big honking SUV"s with V6 or V8 engines over there .....
#17
I too chose the the car in part b/c of the 5 speed. I needed room for family, but didn't want to sacrifice the fun to drive factor: which disappears entirely for me in any car with a slushbox. Fortunately, I don't encounter much stop and go traffic, I don't own a cell phone, and I stop the car if I wan't to eat! My wife was a little uncertain about my choice (My last car was a Chrysler with a MT.. 'nuff said.), but once she tried out the light clutch and smooth stick she was sold.
skibry: Its a little odd talking snow tires in July but FYI I bought a full set of Nokian Hakkapeliita 1's. I have been VERY impressed with these tires. Traction in snow and slush is excellent. Most of the research I did indicated they will outlast the big name (Blizzak, Arctic Alpine) by a considerable amount. Price was comparable though. I got them mounted on a set of steel wheels to preserve my alloys from the horrendous amounts of salt they throw around here in the winter.
Snowtires - thanks for your input. I have a set of Nokia snow tires at home that i got for free, and I think they are Hakkapeliita (what a name)... so good to know they are good in snow. I had a set of Pirelli P190 before and they're very good in snow and slush as well ... but the tire wore out quickly and after 3 winters I found myself desparate for another set.
#17
I also got the hands-free kit to be able to continue driving a manual.
-juice
WHEN WE DRIVE IT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 65-80 THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SHIFT VERY ROUGHLY. AND THEN THE TACH. AND ODEM. STARTS TO GO CRAZY. BUT AFTER WE STOP DRIVING AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR A WHILE AND STARTS DRIVING FINE.
HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO CORRECT IT?
Maybe Mazda 1994 is particularly bad model...
My engine overheated and needed expensive repairs about a year ago at 44K and now at 51K the "cold-hot" gauge started behaving weird again. When going uphill 65-70 mph in hot weather it moves towards the middle and then OVER which really scares me and I turn AC off in panic, and the gauge comes back but then moves again.
DO you guys out there feel like driving 70 mph and having an AC for a long time is out of question (somehow overloads the electric system or whatever)? I will take the car to the mechanic of course one of these days...
#17
-juice
PS You can scribble double-posts, just click on the number of your post, then click scribble
In all fairness there are folks who're on their 3rd A/T tranny in the last 5 yrs .... I can't believe Mazda hasn't got around to fix the AT problem yet and it's 6 yrs and counting. It sounds to me more like a VW story .... = )
I have a 5sp, and (knock on the wood) from all I've heard the V6 5sp MT is a lot more reliable than the 4cyc AT. Then again, reliability is a lot like a draw from the straw.....
#17
I know some of you won't buy a Mazda again, but please let me attempt to change your mind. Mazda makes some of the most fun to drive, reliable cars on the road -- it's just that the 626 4 cyl. AT isn't one of them. The I4/manual and the V6 models, as well as the Protegé, Millenia, Miata, and possibly the MPV are reliable and great fun. Try one of those sometime. Also stay away from the B Series trucks, they are nothing more than Ford Ranger copies. Think "Ford Ranger" and you'll know the reliability of them.
Kind of silly, actually.
-juice
Most Mazda's are pretty reliable too, though they may not compare to Honda and Toyota. Here in Canada, Mazda actually offers a more superior warranty than H & T (3 yrs / 80,000km vs 3yrs/50,000 from both manufacturers. Better, Mazda Canada offers a 10 yrs warranty on drivetrain + engine after the 3 yrs b-to-b warranty's expired. I only found out all these AFTER I've purchased the car, another example of how Mazda under-advertises.)
All in all, I think most Mazda offer sportiness and reliability for very competitive price. (Honda too, except their cars aren't as competitively priced) Every car manufacturer would have lemons every once in a while, but Mazda is still way better than domestics and german cars in that regard.
#17
PS- btw B-series trucks are nothing more than re-badged Rangers. The Mazda truck department has been 'absorbed' by its big cousin several years ago.
The warranty Mazda offers here is also better than Honda or Toyota.
Finally, I don't think the Miata is overpriced, given the competition. And it just beat the new MR2 Spyder in a comparo.
-juice
The Miata has a MSRP of Cdn$26.9k MSRP, and that price does not include the hard top or other added features. The Honda Prelude, for comparison, is priced at Cdn$27.8k MSRP only. For sports car buyers the Prelude is only $1k more but offer more respectable acceleration, (1.8L engine producing 140hp on the Miata is very mediocre, and producing a 0-60 acceleration in the low 8sec range only. The Prelude is a solid 7.0 sec car), a lot more features like heated seats, heated mirrors, sunroof, CD, keyless entry with alarm .... all of which aren't stnd on the Miata. The Prelude is easily the best handling FWD car ever built, and for a non-professional driver it handles better than the Miata. For what it is, the Prelude offers a lot more performance for the $$. Likewise for the Integra GS-R (though new model is long overdue).
However, if you HAVE to buy a RWD convertible then Miata has the lowest price tag out there. I still remember when I was still in school Miata's started from Cdn$19k MSRP, which was a very resonable price though most things were options. Its price slowly creeped up as it sales did, and when I could finally afford a new car it was Cdn$24kMSRP, and doesn't even include A/C or hardtop. I eventually bought a del sol VTEC (cos I really wanted a convertible) which costed less and was much quicker in a straight line.
#17
Preludes aren't selling well, and Honda may drop or merge that line with the Integra. The Del Sol was already cancelled, yet Mazda continues selling the Miata.
In reality the S2000 is more of a competitor to the Miata, though at a higher level in both price and performance.
-juice
The S2000 is really in the league of the big boys (M roadster, Boxster, SLK, TT ... ) in terms of performance. As a matter of fact C&D even ranked it above all those, while costing almost US$10k less.
The Miata and MR Spyder are really in a class of their own as being fun to drive 'affordable' roadsters. The level of engineering sophistication shown in the S2000 is simply unmatched by Miata or MR spyder, which in essense are RWD cousins to the respective compact platforms (Protege and Celica).
RWD isn't necessarily expensive. When Nissan still had the 240SX its price was very comparable to its FWD competitors (Prelude, MX-6, Probe GT, Celica .... ). Likewise, Miata was very affordable when it first emerged. At least it was thousands less than the prelude SR-V, which is how it should be priced IMO.
Then again, I guess what is really driving up the price of these RWD convertibles is really low demand for sports cars these days, with the big hype shifting over to big SUV's ....
#17
130 hp is really not enough for the four-cylinder 626, and I don't care if it does weigh a couple hundred pounds less than the competition. (Then again, adding lightness adds flingability, nu?)
I've been on this topic and related ones for some time now, and undoubtedly it's occurred to someone to ask, "Doesn't this doofus ever have any problems with his 626?" The answer, I regret to inform you, is Yes. Even as I type, my poor little green bucket o'bolts is being fitted with a new, or at least recycled, ECU; its decision-making capability was becoming increasingly erratic, and the components for which codes were set tested fine on the diagnostic bench. I can't help but wonder how many putative transmission failures are actually the ECU gone nuts. On the other hand, a brand-new ECU costs about as much as a transmission rebuild. I tip my hat to the service crew at the local Mazda store, and I hope they've called this one correctly, or I'm going to be in great pain.
When it first emerged with a base price of $13,800 (I remember well), they were selling closer to $20k with options and dealer markups. Now I've seen them for as little as $17k with incentives and discounts. These are the good old days.
Sadly, I agree with you on the demand side. The Tribute will probably outsell the Miata.
-juice
I noticed one day that three long/thin streaks of paint on the hood appeared to have melted away as if with acid. I took it into the dealer and they said it was probably bird poop or sap and not covered by warranty. I didn't buy it becuase although I park my car outdoors, I make it a point not to park under a tree. Plus, any paint job worth a damn should be able to handle bird crap for a week without melting!
Later this year I noticed what appeared to be watermarks on the passenger doors. Except they didn't come out after repeated rubbing. It almost looks like the paint is bubbling up.
The last straw was last week when I noticed more that the trunk's paint had several spots where the paint had turned palish white.
What should I do? Is it normal for such a new car to have it's paint job falling apart at the seams?
-juice
The timberline finish on my 97 ES still looks fantastic, except for the few locations which have been inflicted with 'parking lot rash'
have to be fast; that's what muscle cars do. The
Miata is about hugging curves and having pure,
unbridled driving fun. Look at the vehicles that
traditionally occupied this niche, and they weren't1/4 mile freaks."
True, I agree sports cars aren't just about going fast. Sometimes it's more fun to FEEL fast than just going fast. The LS400 is not a slow car but its acceleration is so isolated from the driver it's no fun to drive, and you might as well hire a driver to do it (and quite a lot of LS400 owners actually do). However, IMO sports cars have got to be reasonably fast, or else it loses its purpose. When Miata first came out, a 9.0 sec 0-60 time was pretty respectable, a 8.5 sec was considered FAST (the pocket rockets back then such as Civic Si HB, Escort GT, GTI ... were all in the ballpark). However, after all these years, the bar's been raised. Escort GT's been canned but the Civic Si(R) can do 0-60 in 7.4 sec, Integra VTEC in low 7 sec, GTI VR6 under 7 sec... But Miata is still a consistent 8-8.5sec car.
And there's nothing wrong with not being a powerful car. I agree Miata's all about hugging curves and handling, in which it does very well. However, you consider a Prelue which costs $1k more and can go fast and handle, and then there's the Miata which can only handle .... that's why I said it's overpriced for what it is .....
Then again, like you said, the Tribute will outsell the Miata and MR Spyder combined ....
my2cents,
#17
Back to the 626...
-juice
#17
Variable intermittent wipers
Seat height adjustments
Map lights (The only light in the entire car is the single overhead light)
The brakes squeak
They fixed the brakes for '99 and added some of the aforementioned missing features. In '00 they added everything back and gave it a nice-looking freshening up too. If you miss any of those features (And you will, you don't realize how useful they are until they're gone) you may want to spring for a used '99 or a new '00. I personally haven't had any of the O2 sensor problems (BTW, I have TWO '98 626s that I bought at the same time.) In fact, the only problems on both of them so far are the squeaky brakes that the dealer can't fix on either one.
Some of the nice interior features on the 00 include heated side mirrors (REALLY useful in the Canadian winter), windshield integrated antenna, height adjustable seats (I guess a lot of ppl complained about the low bathtub seating position on the 98), stnd CD player, keyless remote entry (but no alarm!!) .... I kindda like the black steering wheel and black shift knob on the 98 and 99's ... in the 00's the interior is just an endless sea of grey.
And yeah, they still keep that swinging air vent mechanism
#17
(barich1 - you bought TWO 626's at the same time?! You must be a real 626 fan!! = )
-juice
-juice
The earlier versions (i.e. mine) also have the nice black leather shifter and steering wheel combo.
p.s. 135 kph = 84 mph
The 93-97 Probe SE with the automatic, is the same engine/trans. People with those have had the same problems with the transmission. Some have had rebuilds, some haven't but it seems like the majority put the coolers on, and the trans. lasts longer and dont break.
Yes they already have a cooler, but it is built into the radiator, and not as effective. I installed one on my girl friends '96 626, and the shifts seem smoother, but after driving a while I feel the new cooler(I have it using both)and it is very hot. This is a $30 part and takes about 1 hour to do, watch the hose sizes though, and you want the fluid to go through the old cooler 1st come out to the top of the new one, and drain back into the trans from the bottom. Also get a Chiltons before doing this, so you know which line is in and which is out.
Finally, I heard the reason the trans. fails is the heat, these transmissions heat up, and as the fluid gets old/dirty it can't handle the heat as well, thus warping the brass components on the inside. So my advice - Trans. oil cooler and regular main. with mobil 1.
True .... well you pretty much have to be 130 to avoid being tailgated on the fast lane on 404 .... = )
But then, the 4th gear and 5th gear are so close I can hardly tell the difference. I keep thinking I'm in the 4th gear when accelerating at 100km/hr from 5th gear, because it is so powerful for a 5th gear. Meanwhile there are times when I'm cruising at 80-90 in the city on 5th and think I'm on 4th ....
I guess I wouldn't mind a short 5th gear as much if gas is not as expensive =(
#17
ABS is a must, IMHO. If not now, try reselling a car without it. Same with the newer, less forcefull air bags.
The 626 is FWD with an open diffy, so traction control is a huge plus. It does more than just control wheel spin - it makes sure that both wheels are getting power.
Ours does not have it, and the wife has twice driven the car off the edge of the driveway, high-centered with one wheel off the ground, and she was stuck. Kind of pitiful, I know. The wheel in the air leaks all the power and you simply can't move. Same could happen on ice or snow, too.
Get it, everything on there is useful.
-juice
#17
There isn't an expert driver in the world that can overcome a frictionless surface, and all it takes is a single tire on ice for that to happen.
If you think about it, it makes more of a difference than ABS. Brakes work on all four wheels already, ABS just prevents slipping. But there is still stopping power being sent to all four wheels.
An open diffy puts power to two wheels only if both have traction. On ice, it's 1 wheel slipping, 1 wheel with no power (because of the open diffy), zero traction. Traction control means 2 wheels get power and neither will slip.
Too bad Mazda doesn't offer a limited slip differential. It's the mechanical alternative.
OK, if you live in SoCal where there never seems to be bad weather, it may be overkill.
-juice
The A4's Quattro uses a Torsen center diffy, and both front and rear axles limit slip (i.e. they are not open). That's the ideal - if any single wheel (out of four, not two) on the A4 gets any traction whatsoever, you can pull forward.
-juice
Unless you're going to South Padre Island, on the sand
-juice
If you like the way they look, though, it's a small investment.
-juice
Anyways, first of all, V-rated tires should not be used in winter. Good all season or winter tires are way better choices for snow / slush, and will prove to have more effects than TC w/ V rated tires ...
True that no driver can launch a car in a completely frictionless surface, but neither can TC do anything in a frictionless surface. : )
To get to the root of the problem - why do tires slip? IN physics termsthere are two kinds of frictional forces - kinetic friction, and there's static friction. Kinetic friction is the frictional force between 2 surfaces when the surfaces are moving relative to each other, which is the case when the tires are skidding. Static friction, OTOH, is the frictional force between 2 surfaces when the surfaces are not moving relatively, which is when the tires are not slipping (contacting tire is static relative to the road. Thus the tire is pushing the car forward. The moving part relative to the road surface is the car, not the tire surface). Static friction is much greater than kinetic friction, thus the car can launch much faster when the tires are not slipping.
What causes tires to slip, is when the friction required exceed the maximum static friction threshold that can be supplied by the 2 surfaces. Obviously that depends on the 2 surfaces - tire surface (i.e. gripper tire have higher threshold and are tougher to slip), and the road surface (slippery surface such as ice or rain, which has a low frictional coefficient). When you slam on the gas on a slippery surface / when the tires are not grippy, you are exerting a force on the tire that exceeds the maximum static friction threshold that can be supplied by the contact surfaces, turning the frictional force to be kinetic friction, and causing the tires to slip.
At this moment, if your car has TC system, it'd electronically apply ABS to 'pump' the brake, thus retarding the power to the road, lowering the required frictional force, and trying to re-establish the static friction. Some systems will also retard the gas, thus lowering the force you can exert on the tires, until the tires do not slip anymore.
Without TC system, if you keep your foot on the pedal, you'll launch under kinetic friction, which is lower and will cause your tires to slip, and car to accelerate slower. Worse, if one driving tire slips while the other doesn't, or doesn't slip with the same amplitude, your car will move toward one direction, could utlimately cause you to go off the road ...
Can that be avoided without TC system? Yes. As you can see, slipping is caused when maximum static friction threshold is exceeded. If you do not exceed that, then your tires will not slip. There are 2 ways to accomplish that- 1/ be easy on the gas! And in the case you sense slipping, stop applying the gas for a sec for the tires to re-acquire static friction, then slowly apply the gas again. 2/ Increase that maximum static friction threshold - since you can't do anything to the road (that's government's job, by spraying sand and salt over road surface), get better tires!
So all in all, traction control helps, but by the same token that knowing how to brake safely on slippery surface is more effective than an ABS system, the same applies to sensible winter driving and traction control. Obviously, if you can have both then that'd be ideal. But if I am to choose either one, I'd rather sit in the car with a sensible winter driver w/o TC.
#17