really need some help here guys, my 99 fiesta has started to smoke and its looking like i am going to have to get rid soon, been looking around and quite liked the reliability i have been reading about of the mazda 626 , i am needing a bigger car as the family is growing up ,i do about 8k a year mostly daily 6-10 mile journeys plus the odd family day out , i need to know which engines are reliable 1.8/2.0 also reading hjs review he states in the bad points ( High 8 point death rate from accidents in this model.) i have looked on the ncap site but its only the newer 6 thats listed does this 8 point death rate mean the car is unsafe hence me not wanting to put my family in it ,i have only £1500 to spend , dont want another ford any ideas
thanks for your help
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With only £1.500 to spend you should be looking to buy on condition and size first, rather than on model.
In other words, if you come across a decent Toyota Avensis or Honda Accord at the right price, one of those might be a better bet than restricting yourself to a Mazda.
I wonder if there's some value to be had in something Korean at this money.
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I agree with the above reply, I have had a 626 for 7 years and had only 1 problem a broken clutch at 82000 but for £1500 they will all be pretty old and have highish mileage . They are not that common and it might take a lot of time to track one down .
The one thing that lets these down are thre rear whell arches where rust takes hold. I dont think its acceptable in this day and age.
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thanks for the replies, i can get a 626 fsh for 1500 y/51 plate with about 60k ,my problem with the avensis is they had a problem were the liners fitted were the wrong ones so they burnt oil, i dont want to go down that route after having the oil burning problem on my fiesta,honda is out my price range looking at civics etc with galactic mileage for the sort of money i have my main worry is the high 8 death rate from accidents,i dont understand what this is ,is it passenger or pedestrian
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A word of advice. Don't.
Neither a pleasure to drive nor own, neither reliable nor frugal.
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no one seems really happy about the 626, i am not after another ford as the fiesta has been using a litre of oil a month since i got it 6 years ago (22k)its now around (77k) car was family owned from new and i know it was not abused from new, i have looked at the passat,octavia,seat ibiza all seem to share similar problems , honda too expensive, toyota as mentioned above,want a change from ford,nothing french for obvious reasons , was considering nissan but have heard timing chains can be problematic and expensive plus since renault parts have started to be used , quality is not as good
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If you are not put off by the looks (many are apparantly), a pre 02 Nissan Primera.
The 2.0 is the better option over the 1.8.
All except the diesel (poor performance and economy) have a cam chain.
40+ mpg on a 70mph motorway cruise. The engine really gets going at 4K revs
I have had an X reg 2.0 Sport for the last 2 years/40K and previous to that a 1.6 97 for 4 years/75K.
No major problems with either of them. Both had wiper motor (£30 used) and CV joints replaced (Around £65 a side at an independant)
Not to everyone's taste fortunately but they do the job very well IMHO.
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will start looking around for a pre 02 primera,seems to tick all the boxes size,reliability etc ,should look out for rattly timing chains and rust on tailgate anything else to look out for ??? does anyone know how much road tax is and anyone know any decent indys in liverpool
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For this money you need to go for the best conditon mileage. A mainstream Ford etc and with some sort of history ( if your lucky).
If you are too specific you will lose out.
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,, ,I own a 626 so my tuppence worth...
Bought 2 years ago after 3 successive Subarus. I fancied a change and was trying to source a nice 530 Touring or similar, and bought it from the Classifieds on this site as a 3 month stop gap!The fact that I have kept it speaks volumes. In 2 years it has cost me £300 for 2 annual services, one of which included a precautionary belt change. A further £100 upgrading the stereo to a 6 disc CD, and £300 on a recent full set of Michelin Energy's which have improved the average (brim to brim) mpg to 38mpg. I consider this excellent considering it is a 2.0 petrol 5dr with 134bhp.
I paid £995 for the car, SE spec includes leather, cruise, digital climate control, panoramic glass sunroof etc etc. It has proved to be 100% reliable.
After almost 40 years motoring, and owning in excess of 45 cars, it is, apart from my 2 Legacy estates, the best 'all round' car I have owned. These have included all manner of cars...it does not handle as well as my Elise, does not go as well as previous Saab Carlssons, is not as solid or grippy as my UrQuattro 20V (which will always remain the best driving car I shall ever own) but for sheer day to day practicality, cheapness to run and value, it is excellent. However, I am very pedantic and bought the car because, as the third owner, I had the cars full service history, including lease company print out, from day 1.
If you have not sourced your replacement by Xmas, keep a watch on HJ Classifieds, when I intend to replace it with a folding hardtop MX5 or 350Z, or, the joker in the pack, a Spec B Tourer, once prices ease !
Good luck with your search.
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