’86 Mazda 323 DX 1.6 in front of 50’s ranch house.
(first posted 8/13/2016) In August 1986 I packed my stuff including my race bike and flew to Des Moines, Iowa, via Chicago O’Hare airport.
But let’s step back to April of that year. The Heidelberg crew was attending a workshop at the University of San Antonio. I purchased a ticket for Delta Airlines that allowed me to fly anywhere in the lower 48 states on a stand-by basis for a whole month. I used it to fly to Des Moines, IA; Knoxville Ky; and La Jolla CA. I took a train ride to San Fransisco and flew to new York, NY, and from there back to Germany with another airline. That was a trip of a lifetime, getting to know my future homeland.
While in Knoxville, the TV kept showing the fallout of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster.
Imagine a wide eyed tourist, taking in the myriad of impressions that are inundating him. Things that stuck in my mind were the Chevrolet’s slogan: “The Heartbeat of America”, the incredible size of 18 wheelers, and a NASCAR race where Rusty Wallace was two laps down and still made them up to finish near the top. At the end, in New York, I was too tired to really enjoy myself. The noise in downtown Manhattan was unbelievable, and that’s what I associate with the “Heartbeat of America”.
The Mazda 323 was a success in Germany as well.
I was in America for a new job. The jump across the pond included also a jump in income. I got some advice from my new colleagues: “Don’t buy an American car, they are all junk”. One of them helped me with a few test rides during lunch hours. I definitely wanted a hatchback because they are so versatile. We drove a Honda Civic hatchback that was very strong and fun to drive but also too expensive. A Toyota Corolla was alright, then I tried the Mazda 323 DX hatchback. I liked it the best, and bought it with a bank loan.
It was an ’86 model, a demo car, but deemed to be new for the loan officer’s purposes. It was blue with gray velour interior and DX trim. DX is supposed to stand for Deluxe. Yeah, right: crank windows, no A/C, but the rear windows tilted out. The cruise control was added by the dealer. It did not even have that small digital clock in the center pod on the dash. It had a decent Stereo Cassette Radio. It had the 5 speed manual transmission and 1.6L, SOHC with Bosch Fuel Injection producing 85 hp.
Except for the FWD, I thought it came pretty close to the specs of my teenage dream car, the BMW 1600. Even though it was not a BMW it was so much better than the VW 1302 I left behind. It was lightweight, so it did quite well on the straight line. It had fully independent suspension and it did well in the handling department too.
Then I flunked the DL test because of my European driving style. I Americanized my driving for a week and then I passed the test.
Of course FWD made it understeer if I overcooked a corner. I did that once but I saved it – or it saved me – without going agricultural. Another time I was forced to perform the moose test: on an undivided 4 lane inner city road this high school student in the oncoming lane was turning left in front of me. I was in the far right lane, swerved into the cross road and out into my lane again. All under heavy braking. My heart was racing. I got out of the car and ran after the student. She ducked inside the car and kept going. At least I did not crash like in 1975.
It was an exciting time with new challenges. The English language would be one of them. Immersion is the best language teacher. The second best are the ads on TV because they repeat so often. And once I understood Johnny Carson’s jokes on the Tonight Show I knew I was pretty well acclimated.
https://youtu.be/6R-gJAbxyYI
The hardware store vocabulary was kind of difficult to learn. I kept mail order catalogues around for reference.
Elmer’s Hardware: ‘I want one of thingamajigs! You know what I mean, a doohickey!’
Actually, I was looking for watchacallits.
I found nifty little cassette holders that I mounted under the dash. I had always 12 cassettes handy. Some of them were radio recordings from back home: SWF3, Baden-Baden. Yes, I was listening to the German radio announcer reading a long list of closed alpine passes while on the road to North Carolina in the July heat. And, no, it did not make up for the lack of A/C.
If you don’t have A/C, you have flies in the car. They gather at the door seals and as soon as you open they are in the cabin. My girlfriend was busy swatting them for the next 10 miles after we opened a door. I was too cheap to have the dealer install the A/C. It would have been $800.00 and well worth it. To deal with the heat we bought a cooler to have fresh cold water handy and took frequent breaks.
Cute wedding carriage
Pretty soon I heard some strange noises. They did not come from the car though. They were wedding bells. In 1988 the Mazda 323 DX became our wedding carriage. It was quite unusual as the typical wedding carriage would have been some Cadillac or Lincoln. But my new family decorated it nicely. It got a lot of “cute!” comments.
The trip to “Mama ‘n them” in North Carolina became a yearly event, sometimes in the summer, sometimes for Christmas. The 323 always delivered 34 mpg and a headache caused by its buzzy engine. I loved the hatch. With a little ingenuity that car could swallow unbelievable amounts of stuff. Mrs. W comes from a very large family and she took her extra clothes back to hand them down to her many nieces. I stuffed socks into shoes and placed them around the spare tire making use of every cubic inch back there. I removed the cover behind the rear bench, folded the seat back forward and loaded more stuff up to the head liner. It was like Christmas in July for the folks.
Cherokee demonstrate the art of making dugout canoes.
We visited with friends of hers and mine on these trips and I have fond memories of them and the little excursions we made. I learned about the Shakers in the Lexington, KY. area and we also went to Cades Cove and Clingman’s Dome in the Smoky Mountains. A highlight was taking highway 129 and N.C. 28 to Cherokee, NC. This is where my car and my soul were at home: switchback roads, mountains and forests, lakes and a snickety-snick 5 speed stick shift. That was heaven to me – and it was hell to my wife. It really put a damper on my and her enjoyment of the trip. I suppose I will have to do it again by myself. I still have to visit the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley. That could serve as an excuse. Really, the mountains is what I miss the most of Germany. The friendly people make up for it.
We used our Mazda 323 for a very long trip when my brother and mom flew in from Germany to visit. I picked them up at O’Hare and took a break outside of the big city. I still recall him placing his order at McDonald’s with a big fat German accent: “ A Big Mac, great pom Fritz and a Cola, please.” The cashier girl was going: “Huh?” I translated for her: “A Big Mac, large order fries and coke.” He was so embarrassed.
Visiting distant family in Toronto.
After a few days in Ames, all four of us piled into the 323, drove to the Niagara Falls to visit a relative nearby. In Toronto we visited other relatives and friends of mine. From there we went south to Pennsylvania Dutch Country to get a feel of the Amish culture. Then we went to Eastern North Carolina to visit the in-law family. A few days later we went back to Iowa. The Mazda was flawless but air conditioning would have been really nice. The little ice chest was helpful but no match for the merciless heat and humidity.
Since purchase, the 323 needed only a drive shaft seal replaced and the usual maintenance items. That was a learning process in dealing with automotive garages. Brakes at Midas, oil changes at various places. The Mazda dealership changed hands and location and I had the new guys replace the timing belt. A lot of people learned about the timing belt the hard way. I was following the owner’s manual.
Someone had to do it.
K-Mart put on new tires: Uniroyal Tiger Paws. Back then Uniroyal was a Canadian company and the tires were awful. Their steering response was spongy at best. I hated these tires. I pretty much bought them on looks and price only. I found it difficult to get any objective information on stuff in general in these pre-internet and nascent internet times. After these were worn out I was lured by a newspaper ad of the Sears Roebuck Company. They had their Weatherhandler tires on sale. I had it figured out: I wanted the tires with the highest mileage warranty for a best value deal. It looked like it was worth going to the mall in Des Moines one night after work to get these mounted.
When I arrived I was tired and stressed. They had all kinds of tires but not the ones I picked in the size I needed. I was miffed but agreed to get a lesser set. I was standing 2nd in line to pay the bill when the mechanic pulled up my Mazda with fresh tires. I peered through the window to have a glimpse. The clerk cheerfully asked: “How do they look?” ‘Stupid question’ went through my mind and I uttered: “Round.” The customers in ear shot burst out in laughter. One of them said: “I guess the square ones didn’t fit!” I told you I was not in a good mood. People are friendly here but sometimes it feels good to be rude.
A smaller aggravation came from changing the wiper blades. I bought new Anco blades, changed them and threw the old ones in the trash. At the first downpour I realized that was an error. At highway speeds the Anco blades lifted off the windshield and I had to slow down. That never happened with the original Mazda blades. I should have kept my old ones. My solution was to add little spoilers to the wiper arms. They worked but there is no free lunch. They directed the air stream onto the windshield right in my line of view. Now when the temperatures were near the dew point this spot on the windshield fogged up inside. Air conditioning would have been great for defogging.
Headlights always die in the deepest winter. I changed my own bulbs and of course the little plastic tabs on the bulb holder broke off as soon as I touched them. They worked without the tabs but from then on I avoided working on anything plastic when it is cold.
Driving at highway speeds creates low pressure at the sides of the car. When I opened a window the low pressure pulled the glass outward and prevented it from going back into the channel so it was impossible to close it all the way unless I slowed way down. I noticed that many cars had guide tabs at the front windows to deal with this issue. I found some of these tabs in a junkyard and adapted them to my great little car.
It received a minor dent when parked on the side of the street at a garage sale. The left turn signal lens broke, the fender was slightly dented and the bumper had a scrape. The person responsible turned it into the insurance. The insurance money came in handy. I glued up the lens, pushed out the dent and left the scrape on the bumper alone.
Another dent was left by a less ethical person. I had it repaired on my insurance paying my deductible only.
Rare find at OLD PARKED CARS.com
A colleague noted my car was rated tops for customer satisfaction in 1986. Another colleague saw me pulling away from a traffic light. He was surprised by the acceleration. Obviously, the wedding decorations earned the car a bunch of “cute!” calls. Then in the later years of ownership BiL Junior tenderly stroked the velour of the driver’s seat and said: “How nice and clean it is.” I answered: “Having no children helps.”
Then I heard another strange noise. This time it was the cries of a baby. In 1993 our first son arrived and Mrs. W wanted me to buy a minivan right away. “Not so fast”, I said. “Between your station wagon and my hatch the family’s transportation needs are well met.” Not until 1995, after our second son was born, did I cave in to her demands.
I truly enjoyed this car for 9 years, from 8,000 to 105,000 miles. Compared to the previous cars I owned this one was boring. There was no busted engine, no oil pressure loss, no overheated brakes, no electrical shorts and it always started. As a result my automotive mechanical skills declined.
This Mazda 323 aged well, like mine.
I was a bit sad to trade the 323 in. However the miles and elements made themselves known. There was just the beginning of rust on the hatch and some clear coat started to peel. The clutch, too, was at the end. In humid weather it shuddered wildly until it was heated at least once. It shook the whole car and the cassettes fell out of my nifty holders onto the floor. I made sure to put some heat into the clutch before the dealer‘s mechanic evaluated the car for trade in.
Looks pretty in red too.
In 2012 or so I happened to see a run down red 323 hatchback in a dealer’s back row. (Hello, don’t I know you?) It was unlocked and I took a seat. Then I wondered what exactly I liked so much about this car. Everything seemed so basic if not cheap. Have my attitudes changed that much? It seems the American middle class swallowed me whole. Suddenly I had a wife, two kids, a mortgage and a car, along with raised expectations of durable goods.
My metallic blue Mazda 323 DX 1.6 was a great little car for us and holds a special place in my heart. It provided excellent service during the best phase of my life so far. Not even the lack of air conditioning can take that away.
The links to my previous COALs are here:
Great story. I have the opposite reaction when I come across a car like the 323 – I think “This is how it should be, all the crap is cut out”. I’d think I’d like to have one fun, simple car, and one floaty boaty automatic cruiser.
I’m wondering – what precisely about your “style” caused you to fail the test?
Tonito: I guess you are referring to the last 2 paragraphs. Sitting in that tattered red 323 about 20 years after I sat in my own blue 323 the last time I realized how much I must have changed. The cars concept and execution is as good as it was before. It did not “fail a test”. The next installments of my COAL series will answer your question about my altered expectations.
I think he meant your driving test, I was curious about the same thing.
Oh, yes! thanks, guys.
So I had the car for one day and went to the DL station. That means I did not know my car and I did not know the roads from a driver’s perspective.
Vision good with glasses, written test, no problem.
Driving test: went to fast because I did not see a posted speed limit. I did not stop at the stopping line but pulled forward enough to see the traffic. It started to rain a few drops and the windshield fogged up a little. I fumbled around for the wiper switch and didn’t find it. Same with the defog, which wouldn’t have done much anyway without AC. Vision was good enough. He failed me for not using my controls though. I also went in and out of moving traffic to fast for his liking.
I still can’t believe how resistant Americans (at least Mid-Westeners) are to the idea of dynamic traffic flow. All that stopping for nothing! Keep it flowing guys and gals!
Some areas in the country are indeed resistant to dynamic traffic flow, while others embrace it. Here’s something of which there are at least a half-dozen of in Missouri, the first state in the US to do such an interchange:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diverging_diamond_interchange
While I haven’t commented, I have thoroughly enjoyed your series and am looking forward to more.
I believe there is one of those interchanges just over the CO-WY border in WY (exit 7 on I-25) where I stop for coffee at McD’s sometimes when heading that way. I never realized the layout until you posted the link, thanks. It’s not a very heavily trafficked intersection and seems to flow OK but people go VERY slow as they are not familiar with it and most of the traffic is not local. It feels a bit like a construction zone with its irregular (to the norm) layout even though it is completely built. Very interesting to read the theory behind it.
Yep, I drive in Minnesota and the straight roads and proliferation of traffic lights and stop signs drive me nuts. Our plan is to move there in a couple of years and I think I will be driving a Grand Marquis or some other squishy cocoon and pretending it isn’t happening 😉
I have a Minnesotan friend who scorns American cars, automatic transmission etc etc – I say “Who needs handling in Minnesota?”.
Believe or not if you have a car with wing(vent)windows and adjust them right the fogging goes away just as fast when used with the defroster as a car with AC. Even more so in a 4dr car with rear wing windows. Never needed AC to clear windows in the old days with wing windows. That is one of the biggest things I miss from the 1970’s on in cars.
I know those cars. Check my previous COALS. The list is at the end of this article..
I think “European style” in this case means a driving-style like you’re on a race track. Speeding, cornering fast, cutting corners, braking (very) late…that kind of stuff.
Another good read Wolfgang, I’m really enjoying this series.
Wolfgang, Enjoyable read and what a lot of ground is covered in one COAL episode. From new-here to married with two children and everything in between – all with one car.
When you “got” Johnny Carson’s Carnac-The-Great, then you knew American humor. My favorite part is where the see-all know-all Carnac always trips on the riser as he approaches the stage.
There’s something appropriate – or logical – about a simple car, one that does not attempt to be “luxurious” or a status symbol. But yes, a/c is no longer an option. It is a need, even though my first five (5) cars did not have it.
You’ve come a long way – literally.
Continuing to enjoy your series, and especially all your “new noises!” I chuckled reading of your brother ordering at McD’s, having done the opposite at a McD outside of Munich (in my ‘American here on business’ German). The Frauline behind the counter thought it was cute – but at least she understood what I wanted!
That’s called a cross cultural experience, Ed.
Reminds me of my first visit to Germany in 1986. Figured I would try my somewhat rusty high school German, so I went to the McDonald’s in Mainz and ordered a “Big Maec, grosse Pomez Fritez, und a grosse Coke.” My mistake was obvious on the fries. The 18 year old girl behind the counter looked at me and asked in perfect English if I wanted “Large Fries.” Then I found out from a co-worker that folks like her enjoyed teasing folks like me who didn’t speak German well. I didn’t try my language skills again for a week!
Great COAL stories. Thanks for sharing
Ha!
You ought to go to France and speak French. You will learn fast! They laugh at you at the slightest error.
My ancestors left France in the early 1600s to settle in Quebec. My first language is French (spoken at home) and I was schooled in both French and English.
Languages evolve quite a bit over 400 years when separated by thousands of kilometers, so some differences are to be expected, but I have no difficulty understanding Parisian French.
So it’s a bit annoying when Parisians mock my ‘charming accent’, or pretend not to understand my French…
“or pretend not to understand my French…” Really!
Actually, I am not surprised at all. They may be speaking English/Italian/any other language. But: if you give them as much as a hint of knowing a few French words they will expect you to speak their language.
If an English speaking person visits Germany and tries to practice German the Germans will turn the table and try to practice their English on the visitor. English is taught in elementary school already.
I’m off to France soon, and I’m also Quebec born and raised, and spoke both languages at home. They always know exactly where I was born!
There used to be a story going around, likely untrue but it sounds good, concerning some French Formula 1 mechanics who were in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Supposedly they went to the hotel restaurant to eat breakfast and could not communicate with the Quebecois waitress. In the story they ended up ordering in English because the waitress could not understand their Parisian French.
The F1 mechanic story has a high likelihood of being true. I attended a meeting at a customer’s plant in Becancour many years ago. The plant was owned by a French company whose representatives also attended. Their parisian french was clear to me. So was the local’s Quebecqois, but less so. The frenchmen suggested that the meeting be held in English for my benefit. I suspected otherwise. The two are as similar as southern US and the Queen’s english.
Years ago we hosted a French exchange student, from Paris, “under the Eiffel Tower” he said. The French I learnt in high school sounded nothing on earth like his machine-gun prattle when he phoned home!
I learned to drive in one of these, ‘E’ reg in the UK which would make it an 88 I think. If I recall correctly, it had self-adjusting valves (is that even a thing?) as I’d noticed the amount and quality of the engine noise varied from run to run. Utterly benign to drive, and also usefully a bit larger than many other typical ‘learner’ cars at the time
Wow, a lot of ground covered here, both literally and figuratively. These were great little cars, and Mazda made big strides during this time with their products. The one thing that always (minorly) bothered me about them was the extremely tacked on third brake light on the hatchbacks. But otherwise they drove well, looked good and seemed to hold up alright. A friend had one in college that I drove quite a bit and I am always on the lookout for a nice 323GTX – The awd turbo version like the white one you have pictured, it’s on my list of cars I’d love to own.
Your talk of the NC mountain drives reminded me of those silvery Mazda ads from the time that included a little map and text of great drives to take in the car.
My German uncle did a driving tour of the USA in 1986 and came away with a great impression of the USA model Escort rental he had. This surprised me since he was driving a 318i in Germany. I later understood he was really talking about the air conditioning and the cruise control.
John: I think I did the “Tail of the Dragon” without even realizing it.
Wolfgang, this was such a great read. (I’m still laughing at “Sometimes it feels good to be rude”…). Your 323 sounds like just the kind of car my parents would have bought: frugal, functional, practical, and with no a/c. I am not at all surprised with your great ownership experience with the Mazda 323… The family of a friend of mine purchased Mazdas exclusively following the demonstrated durability of a previous-generation 323 4-door that withstood all kinds of abuse from their oldest son and kept on ticking. Side-note: I completely identified with the McDonald’s language barrier scenario you described (which made me smile). My dad came to the U.S. in his 20’s, and English was something like his third or fourth language (after German and two Liberian tribal languages), and occasionally and even into his 70’s, he still sometimes couldn’t find the exact English word he was looking for. Great read, and all the best to your family.
Thanks, Joseph. I know what your dad went through. At times it was hard to speak German again because the grammar and syntax are much more complicated. The vocabulary got rusty too. On a visit back to Germany we went to Strassbourg, France. We wanted to take a site-seeing boat ride. When I asked about the schedule I used three languages in one phrase.- You should have seen the question marks in his eyes!
My exact experience! When I have to switch languages, it’s quite a silly mishmash for the first few minutes!
We still speak “Germlish” at my mother’s house. I spent 17 years in Germany and my mother was native-born (Landau…i.d. Pfalz, so my German is all sorts of messed up!). We moved back to the US for good in 1986, but three years later my parents went back, first to Goeppingen, then Kaiserslautern. My father passed in 1997, but my mother remained until 2009.
Oh, and my sister had a 1981 GLC (the gen prior to your 323). Base white, blue vinyl interior, 4 speed (oh, and A/C)! But she did upgrade the stereo MIT remote (well, actually a tethered remote, but a remote, dang it!). I absolutely loved to drive that little hatch around and should have bought it from her when she went to buy her 1989 CRX Si. Those little Mazda three door hatches certainly were entertaining, in a basic, non-fussy kind of way.
bis bald!
Great story, Wolfgang. I am really enjoying the COAL(s) you guys are all writing.
It’s funny you kept describing your Mazda 323 as a “Great Little Car”… If I recall correctly, Mazda had a car called a GLC that was the predecessor of the 323. That acronym stood for “Great Little Car”. Perhaps this was not by accident you wrote your COAL up this way.
My stepson has a Mazda 3, the successor to your car, and I am considering buying one as a daily driver. Sadly, my 2007 Mustang, after years of service and 170,000 miles is currently at the transmission shop getting its transmission rebuilt. I guess I shouldn’t complain, but I think after I get her back, I need to retire her soon to weekend fun and that’s it. She’ll become my first hobby car. Perhaps last week’s QOTD and my response comment was a bad omen after all….
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/qotd/qotd-does-your-car-hate-you/
My wife likes the idea of me getting a Mazda 3 for the same reasons you cite: it can swallow up a surprising amount of stuff for a small hatchback. Her son has the 2.0L stick, and it is amazingly fun to drive and gets like 40 mpg if driven gently. I’d probably get the 2.5L auto though, as my wife can’t drive a stick and refuses to learn, even though I tell her that her son’s car is the easiest stick shift car on which to learn. But then there’s that whole ‘daily driver’ thing… Do I really want to get stuck with a stick in stop & go traffic?
Correct, Rick. The GLC reference was no accident. The original got its due here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-1981-mazda-glc323-truly-the-greatest-little-car-of-its-time/
Get the 3 with the automatic and put a stick in the ‘stang and both of you will be happy motorists. (I know…….)
Thanks, but I’ve already pulled the trigger on the rebuild of the 5 speed auto in the ‘stang. I really like driving the 3 with the stick. If I’m having a good shifting day in my son’s car, its as smooth as my Mustang with me doing the shifting! I can even shift that car without the clutch once I get it moving in first gear. That’s one “Great Little Car”. ?
My own Mazda, 85 GLC LX, top of the line, which meant chrome on the top of the bumpers, tach, light in ignition keyhole, light in door keyhole, rear wiper. As with yours no a/c, crank windows, mechanical joysticks to adjust side mirrors, 5 speed stick, no power steering, but, oddly, it had the optional factory cruise control. The “Tornado Silver” paint is given a green tint by the light being filtered through a forest canopy in this pic.
Utterly bullet proof car. This generation used the older 8 valve 1.5 with a double row timing chain and a feedback carb. The owner’s manual called for periodic valve adjustment. Best bad gas detector ever. On good quality gas it sang a merry tune. On cheap gas, it stumbled, stalled and missed. At highway speed the vacuum on the side of the car would pull the entire door window frame away from the body enough to see daylight through the gap. Wonderful shifter, if perhaps a bit notchiy, but I never ever beat a synchro or failed to find the gear I wanted first time, every time. It did suffer the chassis issues common to Japanese cars of the 70s and early 80s: stiff springs, weak shocks, and lots of chassis flex. By the 90s, I saw a lot of GLCs where the structure had sagged enough that the back edge of the front fenders would jam against the front edge of the doors. People usually addressed this by using a crowbar to bend the back edge of the fender away from the door. Mine never suffered that as it was always lightly loaded.
The last year, 1997, started to see failures: metal pipe in cooling system rusted through, dash lights out, CV joint failing, and rust eating into the strut towers, so the GLC went away in favor of a 98 Civic hatch. The Civic was the first car I had had since 1980 with power steering, which I hated. With the GLC, I could feel the texture of the pavement in my fingertips and knew immediately when I was on snow/ice or was starting to hydroplane. In comparison, the Civic was completely devoid of road feel.
According to Carfax, someone kept my old GLC on the road until 2006.
Nice story! This unassuming little car has enriched many folk’s lives.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing. You are certainly a fearless man! I am continually amazed by the large portion of my fellow Americans who won’t leave the small circles of their lives to see what else is out there in the American experiment, even on vacation. It’s fear of the unknown I suppose. I really feel that some folks are just wired in the brain to be scardy cats, but not Wolfgang!
Thanks!
I wouldn’t call myself fearless though. Adventuresome may be the better term. Overcoming fears is part of the deal. Moving outside the comfort zone and getting a few mind-expansion-headaches along the way.
There is infinite variety in both living and working in foreign lands. South Korea was a pretty gritty place two decades ago, but what an experience!
This is why after 15 years and 190K miles, I cling to my Protege5. It’s a simple, versatile, fun-to-drive little car with go-kart handling–and what’s more, it actually seems to value my driver’s input, versus so many current cars that treat you as a guest who’s not to be disturbed with the business of driving.
I always tell people considering Hondas and Toyotas that they’re like Yellow Labs–faithful, reliable and laid-back–but Mazdas are more like Jack Russells, smart, feisty and always up for adventure.
While Mazdas have undoubtedly good roadholding, the 8th-gen Civic tolerates very aggressive driving with quick steering & chassis response, as I understand Honda “repented” from the earlier model’s more bland vibe. But they fumbled the 2012 model, so I can understand your impression.
I still kick myself for buying an ’81 Escort instead of the GLC. It wasn’t terrible, but under-engineered & clearly inferior to its Mazda relative. The Escort cured me of automotive patriotism.
Your tire experience mirrored mine when I tried Bridgestones as a replacement for Pirellis on my next car, an Accord. They destroyed its excellent roadholding! I traded them for Michelins since Pirellis weren’t available.
BTW, isn’t it spelled “pomme frites?” Even with French loan-words, I’m a spelling fascist.
I like the new Civic a lot. I just wish they’d forget CVTs, which always feel weird to me. At least the Civic was introduced with one of the best TV spots I’ve seen, “Dreamer”, featuring Empire of the Sun.
“Pommes frites”. I claim artistic license because I wanted to accentuate the German intonation.
Today it is easier to get the right tire. I look at reviews on Tire Rack. com. I pay attention to what vehicle the reviewer used and how many miles he or she has put on them. There is also http://tirereviewsandmore.com/ which does a good job of summarizing the various reviews out there.
In 1986, my rich girlfriend was leaving for university and she got to choose any economy car I wanted. Oops, she wanted. We drove them all, and the 323 DX was by far the best. I mean, this car had IRS in 1986! The Canadian cars had no cats and were all carbutated. The unassisted sterring was superb and the seats excellent. It even had Michelin tires stock!
One of the nicest driving cars ever, the minimalist formula brilliantly done.
Brilliant.-That’s the fitting adjective.
I’m not surprised about all the positive comments about the 323. There is something about Mazda being able to dial in a “fun factor” in their cars unlike other Japanese manufacturers. I noticed even back in the early seventies when Mazda began selling in western Canada. My rusty 02 Protege daily driver with 5-speed manual makes for a very involving drive whether to or from work or running errands. 267,000 plus kms an still delivering 35 mpg and not burning or leaking any oil.
Thanks for the feature Wolfgang. The 323 was another Mazda that seemed to be everywhere you looked back in the day. I never had a chance to drive one and now all of them it seems are gone.
Wonderful article!
Details, bitte! That sounds like a fun story in itself.
Daniel: I expanded on it in the conversation with Tonito and Jim Klein, first comment.
Here it is again:
“So I had the car for one day and went to the DL station. That means I did not know my car and I did not know the roads from a driver’s perspective.
Vision good with glasses, written test, no problem.
Driving test: went to fast because I did not see a posted speed limit. I did not stop at the stopping line but pulled forward enough to see the traffic. It started to rain a few drops and the windshield fogged up a little. I fumbled around for the wiper switch and didn’t find it. Same with the defog, which wouldn’t have done much anyway without AC. Vision was good enough. He failed me for not using my controls though. I also went in and out of moving traffic to fast for his liking.
I still can’t believe how resistant Americans (at least Mid-Westeners) are to the idea of dynamic traffic flow. All that stopping for nothing! Keep it flowing guys and gals!”
…and the very notion of lane discipline is apparently unconstitutional.
+1
Long ago, a German exchange student me asked why Americans don’t keep to the rightmost lane. I couldn’t give him a confident answer, & still don’t know now. Is it apathy or pride?
On Greek two-lane roads, I saw that drivers would yield almost completely off to the right (if there was a hard shoulder), allowing one to pass w/o entering the opposing lane. They would also tap the horn at every pedestrian they drove by; I’m pretty sure this was for warning, not attitude.
Keep left in Europe evolved from when you met someone on a road you always wanted to have your sword hand(right) ready to draw against the other person and also prevent them from grabbing your sword. Also easier to fight close in rather than have to fight across your body. In the early days of colonizing the North American continent almost no one had swords except officers and cavalry. Americans carried rifles which are quicker and easier shot across the body, in other words shooting to left as you are on the right. Since 70 to 95% of the population is right handed the way it is easiest gets adopted.
It’s because Americans have dumb, thoughtless, effed-up notions about freedom. As in “I’m a taxpayer! I paid for these roads! I can drive at the speed of my choice in the lane of my choice because I’m an AMERICAN and we have FREEDOM here!” It’s the same braindead attitude that goes into the “You can’t make me wear a seatbelt! That’s an infringement on my FREEDOM!” reason why US belt usage rates have lagged so ridiculously far behind the rest of the civilized world for so long. Belt use rates have been over 95% in most of the first world for decades, but as recently as 1984, only 14%(!) of USAmericans used seatbelts. Because freedom! In 1989 it was 46%, in 1994 it was 67%, in 2004 it was 80%, and in 2011, the figure was above 86%. Which is a lot better, but still relatively pathetic.
As usual, Wolfgang, a fantastic read.
I had an ’87 323 5 door hatch – well, a Ford Laser actually, but technically the same car. It was fantastic to drive, light and nimble, all controls within reach, everything felt just right, and with the seat down it could carry an amazing amount of luggage.
The ’05 Mazda 3 that replaced it was better in so many ways, but somehow I never warmed to it. If I could have either car back it’d be the 323, no question.
In the US we also had the Mercury Tracer from ’88 to ’89. It was the 5 door hatch. It was assembled in Mexico. Of course, this being Ford it was also equipped with parts selected by the bean counters. Everyone complained about the brake wear. The front brakes were decidedly cheap.
Those early 323s were some of the best cars Mazda made tediously reliable they can run up huge mileages if just basic maintenance is done, we had them badged as Fords too and in recent years the JDM models have entered NZ with turbo engines and AWD they are still popular.
How sad but true in the 80s – the best way to experience life in America was to avoid an American car.
Mrs. JPC bought a new 1983 Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Colt. Like your Mazda, it was refreshingly basic and forthright. She did, however, break down and pop for the aftermarket air conditioner shortly after purchase. I drove it for a year or so and found it really fun. Your Mazda would probably have been even more fun.
So, will we get to watch the Americanization of Wolfgang continue to unfold next week with a minivan? ?
I had that Colt as a rental for a few days. The Colt’s dash tried to look a little more futuristic whereas the 323 was conservatively styled. In terms of driving they were very closely matched.
Yes, minivan coming up!
Mrs. JPC bought a new 1983 Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Colt.
With the twin stick? My Aunt had an 82 3 door with the “big” 1.6 and the twin stick. That car went exceptionally well. My impression was that Colt was finished a bit nicer inside than my Mom’s 81 GLC sedan, but her GLC was not the top trim level.
We has such interesting choices for inexpensive, tossable, hatchbacks in the 80s, from Mazda, plus the Colt, the Corolla FX16 and the Civic.
We have three 1980s Mazda 323s on the property though these days they are more a source of cheap spares for my 1989 Ford Laser.
Had an ’88 purchased new for about $5700 to be used as my winter transportation. Didn’t even have a radio. Sooooo……..driving down the freeway I saw a rock bouncing at me. Didn’t hit the windshield so I was relieved. It just “disappeared”. When I got home I found it in the headlight. Those composite light covers were GLASS. Almost $300 to repair. My insurance company said they never thought they’d be paying claims for HEADLIGHTS.
My next-door neighbor had one of this generation, and my grandmother had previous and succeeding–a ’79 GLC wagon and a ’93 Protege LX. Good cars, all, and it sounds like yours did exceptionally well in its long service to you and your expanding family! The more I read about Mazda over the years, the more I like the idea of owning one in the future…we’ll have to see, I suppose.
And where in eastern North Carolina does your wife hail from? My wife is from the eastern part of the state also, a tiny town called Creswell just off Highway 64 in Washington County.
I would be looking for a Mazda 6 with stick shift…….
The town is Grifton, on Hwy 11 between Kinston and Greenville. Go, Pirates!
Nice job on summarizing everything and putting links to access your various topics. That facial hair is brutal, especially on your wedding day, I’m surprised you had Koitus.
A kiss without beard is like soup without salt.
My first car was a kissing cousin to this: ’89 Mercury Tracer. It wound up getting a transmission replacement at some point in time, but that was after three kids learning to drive (and drive stick on something not agricultural). And one of those drivers (me) learning how to make the tires squeal. Fortunately my father had the foresight to buy the extended warranty, so that $50 deductible was the only major expense.
Ah, your biggest mistake in becoming Americanized was not springing $800.00 for the air conditioning. You likely thought it couldn’t possibly be THAT hot ,especially if you’re used to the weather in Germany. I’ve seen a few friends from England, Germany and France exclaim their shock at how hot and humid it can be in comparison to their homeland.
If you and your wife already had a station wagon, why bother spending the money on a minivan? Is this something that happens when you become a parent? Suddenly the need for a minivan is so overwhelming that you must buy one?
I truly enjoyed your writing, too bad you didn’t keep the 323.
I just bought tires, and I still find them amongst the most difficult purchases. Yes, we have the internet now, and tire tests from the likes of Tire Rack, Consumer Reports, TyreReviews.com, and many others, but they don’t always agree with each other. Comments left from buyers of any given tire don’t agree either. Every tire will have some people who say it’s very quiet and someone that finds it annoyingly noisy. The tires I bought had the attributes I want according to TR’s testing, but the car they testing them on used a different diameter, width, sidewall height, speed rating, and load rating from mine. Will the test results still apply to my much smaller, taller-profile, lower-speed-rated tires my car uses? At least you can return them the first 30 days it you don’t like them, but you don’t get back the money you spent on mounting/balancing/dismounting.
I was involved in decorating a friend’s yellow ’79 VW Rabbit at his wedding; someone else had brought a box with rolls of electrical tape in different colors that could be used to make designs on the fenders and doors and hold a “Just Married” sign in place. One tape roll was yellow, which matched the car paint; I used some of it to wrap the protruding side marker lamps used on the Pennsylvania-built Rabbits so they were yellow instead of black. About a year later, I learned from a friend that he had just then noticed it and peeled it off.
I found that https://tirereviewsandmore.com/ is a website worth bookmarking. Concise reviews and 10 best lists for different categories make it easy to sort through the myriad of tire choices. Recently I got a set of new tires based on these reviews. It was a bargain too because I waited for a sale and was able to apply an additional store coupon.