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Comments
-juice
I guess direct injection is a more realistic hope.
-juice
That looks like the non-US 626 with enough stuff tacked on to keep people interested, though.
-juice
anyway, got this info off of automotivenews.com
626: The next-generation 626 is being developed off a global fwd mid-sized car platform Mazda is developing for parent Ford. The sedan arrives in fall 2002 and will be longer, wider and more
powerful than the current model. It resembles the Acura 3.2TL, with touches of Lexus IS 300 and Audi A4. ngine options will be a 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter V-6 with variable-valve timing, mated to a five-speed automatic. The suspension will be double wishbone up front and multilink at the rear, making it the most performance-oriented sedan in its class.
A wagon, similar in appearance to the Audi A4 Avant, is slated to join the lineup.
It mentioned that the new 3.0 V6 will have "variable-valve timing", I don't recall any Ford engine have that feature, so I'm hoping that this will be a Mazda's designed and built engine.
Now let us all pray and hope that is the case. Please God, Please.....
cheers
-juice
For whatever reason, the 3.0l Duratec (Taurus, Tribute) has been better than the 2.5l Duratec (Contour, MPV), so I say drop the 2.5l and beef up the 2.3l 4 banger.
The idea of cars sharing an engine with a truck doesn't sound so good, though.
-juice
Since we're all dreaming, what about a special edition of the 626 (25+ or 30+ year anniversary edition) with more hp (jstandfer's 280hp), more aggressive looks etc?
dayokayode... I would love to see a special edition 626!! However, I wouldn't count on one as 2002 will be the last year of the 626 and I'm sure Mazda would be better off spending the money on the replacement. But, with Mazda you never know what to expect!! It would be nice to see an MPS (Mazda Performance Series) version of the 2002 626 with the Millenia's 210hp/210lb-ft 2.3L DOHC Miller-Cycle V6 with suspension upgrades and a slight body kit...
Hey, I'd be happy just to see a Millenia S (or an equivalent) with a stick. I'll take care of the other add-ons if I need to.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
As much as like the Miller Cycle engine, US customers don't know enough about it. Mazda has spread itself too thin.
-juice
Correct me if I'm wrong, I hear the next 626 is going to be built on the Mondeo platform. This
was used for the contour which was a sleeper as far as handling is concerned. The mondeo is a good seller in europe and having drove a contour I think
this bodes well for 626, I hate to see the V-6 KE go away lets hope the next power plant is mazda design. If you want to read about the KE-KL 2.5 V-6 engine go to:http:/www.highlandsun.com/hyc/sae9206677/
Tom
I hope Mazda scores with the new 626. If they can create an attractive and powerful car, they may finally have a winner on their hands and get people passionate about the car once again (just look at the Protege boards!).
The 626 sketches look promising.
-juice
Last winter, I went to a car show and was generally impressed with the looks of both the MPV and the 626.
Then in May I took a test drive of the MPV. I ended up getting an Odyssey because the engine was just too small. I know they're upgrading to the Tribute engine in 2002, but I couldn't wait that long.
Yesterday I test drove a 626 V6. And again the engine is just way too underpowered.
This company will not be competitive until they can put something under the hood. And they're losing ground when Nissan has a 175 HP V4 and a 255 V6.
Although the Odyssey has more 'power', it looks like a tank and is probably more difficult to manoeuvre (no offence intended); handling is probably not up to the MPV's level. Whilst Nissan offers excellent v6 engines, I don't particularly care for their looks and/or handling.
To satisfy people who only care about numbers, the company is upgrading the engines in the 626, MPV etc. If you scroll through old messages, you'll see some of the planned changes for the 626's replacement.
When Mazda release their new 626 next year, it's going to have a 3.0V6 with roughly 210-220HP. Yes, it's not 255HP like the Altima has, but it would be more than enough to power the 626 to be a fun "drivers" car.
(I wonder how Volkswagen's W8 is going to play in Passatland?)
Also, note that Nissan originally called it 180hp, but had to back off when the cars were much slower than expected. They now claim 175hp.
I agree that the MPV really could use a boost, but I mean c'mon, it's a minivan. It's also several thousand dollars cheaper than an Odyssey. I've looked at both and one big difference is that the MPV's rear windows open. It makes other minivans seem like jail cells in comparison. I was also surprised to see a rather significant advantage in reliability for the Mazda, usually a Honda strong point.
Sorry to break your heart, but the Odyssey just got a 30hp boost itself, for 2002, plus rear disc brakes. Someone like you (who desires big HP) should have waited. Major bummer. :-(
-juice
The Mazda 2.5L DOHC V6 looks weak on paper but is a blast to drive and a model of smoothness. At least Mazda will allow you to mate it with a manual transmission, unlike most of its competitors who claim to be performance oriented but then fail to offer a proper transmission. The Maxima is the exception, but it is easily much more expensive than the 626. Nissan is doing a Ride and Drive next door while I am typing this. I was out watching them run Accord's and the new Altima around some cones. The Altima sure accelerates quickly, but handling is certainly not a strong point as I watch it slide through cones and cover my ears as the tires squealed everytime there was a slight deviation from straight in the cone course. Meanwhile, the 4-cyl Accord (yes, they're comparing a loaded V6 Altima against a base model 4-cyl Accord) isn't as quick, but handles much better through the cones and probably completes the course in the same amount of time.
Thanks for any help!
Bill
Try this page on Edmunds.com: New Mazda Vehicles. And keep checking back here for more conversation.
Good luck.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
That's good and bad. The sketches I've seen show a gorgeous car, but reliability would be a concern. Also, the cars may get watered down if we just get handed down Ford powertrains.
IMO it's hit or miss. The MPV is a hit and reliability scores are better than the Odyssey. The Tribute, on the other hand, kind of bombed (in terms of quality, not sales numbers) at its launch.
-juice
For 2003, the 626 nameplate will be eliminated and replaced by a totally new vehicle. The platform is a brand new global mid-size platform designed by Mazda and will form the basis for Ford's global midsize vehicles such as the Taurus, Sable, Volvo midsize, Jaguar midsize, etc. The new platform is slightly longer and wider. It will be powered by the 2.3L DOHC Duratec I4 (designed by Mazda) which should produce about 150-160hp. The V6 will be the Ford 3.0L Duratec DOHC V6 fitted with Mazda's S-VT (Sequential Valve Timing, similar to Honda's iV-TEC, Toyota's VVTi-L, or BMW's VANOS) and other Mazda improvements. Its power output should be in the 210-220hp range. Both will be available with a 5-spd automatic transmission, and the 4-cyl will be available with a manual transmission (I have not heard about the V6). The 626-replacement will move slightly upscale to help fill in the slot left open when the Millenia is discontinued for 2003. The new vehicle should represent more luxury and performance than the Taurus and Sable.
The LS has had its share of problems, and Jaguar is no longer at the top of the charts (that was very short lived).
I was a bit surprised to see how well the MPV scored. It has the engine from the Contour, yet scored much higher than that model, or the Taurus.
I don't like to see Mazda watered down like that. If Ford lets Mazda take the platform and engine development lead, then maybe.
-juice
On an auto I'd suspect a problem with the trans slipping.
In either case, a fluid change is cheap and may help. The manual take 75w90 gear oil, and you could even go with synthetic. This is probably something you could do yourself. Check out the Miata.net garage; the 626 should be similar.
The auto uses ATF. A full system flush isn't expensive, but I'd let a shop do it.
-juice
Its the Ford trannies that can sometimes go early.
I currently own a Duratec 3.4 v8 and its stellar. I have also owned a Ford mod v8 4.6 and the original SHO engines. All these motors were bulletproof.
My guess is the tranny shifts smoothly once it warms up and the fluid thins out. So you may want to consider synthetic, which flows better. My guess is new fluid will make enough of an improvement over the brown stuff.
Robert: so you must have had the original V6 SHO, and the newer V8 SHO. Though in fairness, Yamaha had a lot of input, right?
-juice
Engine. The existing 2.0 engine is torquey and in lower gears accelerates very well. At cruising speed, passing can be a little slow and acceleration is OK. (auto transmission) My 2.2 Mazda engine is quite frankly a dream. It is a perfect weight to horsepower match. I get 30-34 MPG on the highway, and get furious if the city mileage drops below 23. This only happens when I have to put in Oxygenated Fuel. Both Ford and Mazda build excellent engines. My Mazda mechanic who is a specialist (20 years with a Mazda dealership) only buys the 4 cyl engines for his personal use. Much more reliable.
Transmission. While the automatic transmission has been continually improved over the years, this is frankly the car's weak spot. Many earlier models have had to replace transmissions. On my son's car, at 65,000, the first gear converter may be starting to weaken. Completely changing the transmission out and adding Lubegard for automatic transmissions fortunately eliminated the problem for now. If you get an automatic transmission, at least drain and replace the fluids every 15,000 miles. I would also recommend adding Lubegard. The manual transmissions are a bit notchy, but extremely reliable. My mechanic adds Lubegard to these also. The manual increases power, is very fun to drive. My Mechanic purchases manuals over automatics also.
Safety. The 626 has generally done well on safety tests. The newer model should be just as good or better.
Styling: The 2001 is at the end of it's life. But it is very stylish for a Japenese car. The pictures I've seen of the 2003 model are great.
The v8 SHO motor is an 8 cylinder version of the Contour's 2.5 litre v6 Duratec. Again, Yamaha participated in the cyl. head and intake but the basic engine is mostly a stock Ford Duratec with 2 extra cylinders.
So I don't think anyone need fear a v6 engine that is developed by Ford. I'm sure Ford could easily improve on its 4 cylinder motors though.
My brother in law will soon be approaching 110k miles on his 97 v8 SHO. Not one iota of engine or transmission difficulty.
It realy makes sense to have Ford and Mazda co-develop motors. Each has good to offer. And it adds checks and balances in the system. And it should reduce cost and improve qual-i-tay.
So 626 fans, no need to fear, I'm sure the new 626 when it comes out will have good solid motors.
Still, owners in the Escape Problems forum complain about failures, maybe it's electrical gremlins.
-juice
The two Ford Duratec engines used by Mazda (2.5L and 3.0L) have both proven to be very strong and reliable engines. It would cost entirely too much money for Mazda to develop its own engine for use only in Mazda vehicles that can compete against the Camry and Accord 3.0L engines. The 2.5L, although a wonderful engine, is getting too old and inefficient compared to the competition's new engines. The Duratec engine series is an excellent family of engines and Mazda should, and will, take full advantage of them to save money (of which Mazda has very little) and to keep up with the rapidly advancing competition.
Also, the most common complaint is the Ford tranny.
Nevertheless, my problem isn't that Ford is necessarily unreliable, it's that Mazda loses its identity if they let all their models become Ford clones. So you're buying a Ford with a longer warranty, but that's all.
Now, parts sharing can be done successfully. Look at the Golf and the Audi TT - big differentiation. So hopefully Mazda will take a page from that book.
-juice