As they say, it really is strange how things work out. Shortly before my sixteenth birthday, my dad bought a brand new 1993 Mazda 626 ES in glorious bright red with tan leather, a sunroof, and alloys clad with summer Bridgestones. It was a fantastic car, one of my favorite driving experiences when I was given the chance to drive it. That sweet V6, excellent handling, and overall solid build made for an almost perfect car, in my opinion. What would have been perfect would have been a coupe with a manual, but Dad wouldn’t go for that.
My sister’s first car was a brilliant 1987 Nissan 300ZX that was totaled, about a year after she got it, by someone who decided not to stop at an intersection. Looking for a replacement, we stumbled on a 1994 Mazda MX-6 LS in green with tan leather and a manual transmission. Suffice to say, the Dad and older-brother lobby pushed heavily in that direction, so soon my sister ended up with a Mazda. She liked it well enough, but after a couple of years decided she wanted a newer Honda Accord – which she still has today – and left the Mazda behind for Dad to sell off.
Dad didn’t have much luck, so I put in a bid, gave him part of the payment, and drove the Mazda home to my apartment in the fall of 2005. In the several years from the time of our family’s purchase to my acquisition of it, the clear coat had essentially disintegrated, leaving the exterior looking pretty shabby. As I did some searching at the time, it sounded as though that was a pretty common thing for dark colored Mazdas of that vintage.
I didn’t really care anyway; I lived a block from work, and wanted the car for other reasons: specifically, driving. Yet despite the bad paint I still rented a garage at my apartment complex where the MX-6 spent most of the winter, letting Fred, the mighty F-150, handle winter driving duties again.
What did age well on this car, or rather didn’t seem to age, was its performance. Mazda’s 2.5 liter V6 was small, smooth as silk, powerful and sounded brilliant. I was right in my younger assumptions – that motor was best paired in the coupe with the manual transmission, as it was just stupid fun to row through the gears and head toward the 7,000 rpm redline. Of course, the astute will note the Ford valve cover. This car’s original motor had gone south shortly before we purchased it, and the seller had replaced it with a low mileage Probe GT motor that just sang.
I got the dreaded VRIS system to work again—a common malady on these cars, but thankfully easily fixed. I’ve had few motors that were as good as that one and maybe only one that was better — maybe. I can’t say enough about how smoothly it built its power, and a what a brilliant mix of quiet and growly it exuded. This car just loved to be driven.
The interior had definitely been used, but aside from a pad on the driver’s seat, had aged somewhat well. Confirming my impression of the 626’s seats, the MX-6 had some of the most comfortable seats that I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving in. What I liked most about the interior was not only how comfortable the seats were, but also how it seemed to perfectly mix the size of a sports car with that of a sedan.
Whereas my CRX had been a punishing place to spend a lot of time in, the Mazda was brilliant to blast down the interstate with the sunroof open, tunes loud and not a care in the world. Which is exactly the plan I had for it – it would be my good weather fun car, with the F-150 being the storm spotting, transmitter hunting adventure vehicle. As I walked to and from work each day, I didn’t need a car for transportation, only for fun. Talk about getting the best of both worlds – plus, I didn’t have any expensive full coverage insurance or car payments, so I had that magical “disposable income” for fun!
What is it they say about the best laid plans? If you remember the last installment, just as spring was coming and the plan was hatching into action, some ding dong in a Chevy 3500 ruined my plans. Funny, though, how it all worked out – without things happening the way they had, I would have been completely without a vehicle and probably would have had to go into debt again. Not only that, but I definitely would not be where I am today had the accident never happened – so some events rapidly made me be cool with it.
Debt wasn’t high on my list but replacing the F-150 was, so I quickly put the MX-6 into adventure duty. Not only was it fun to drive on pavement, I quickly found out that thanks to a limited-slip front diff, halfway decent tires and a low profile, it was a great storm spotting rig too!
One of the things I liked best about it after years of an F-150 was how sleek of a profile it had. On its first spotter assignment, I was assigned a point in the far Southwest of our county – one notorious for where storms come into the county and also one just a stone’s throw away from Hallam. This town had nearly been wiped off the map two years prior when a F5 tornado ripped through town, one that just about nobody saw because it was a mile wide and appeared like it was a big rainshaft.
Parked facing south at that point in the county when a very strong (50-70mph) downburst form the storm hit, it was cool to feel the car almost “squat” closer to the ground instead of doing the wind salsa dance that the truck would have done. Adventure was now in my blood, and with every storm or fox hunt I pushed the MX-6 to its limits, much like I did Fred – it handled it all with that smile on its face.
A key part of the story to date was that during the ownership of the F-150, and after college, I’d had a rough time in my life that involved a lot of drinking and gaining weight. I rapidly got up to about 500 pounds and was a foot or two into the grave when I decided to take control in early 2005. I had taken a couple years off from fishing or outdoor activity in favor of long hours sitting in an office chair, all the while not liking it at all, which is where the eating and drinking came into play. Eating right, working out and backing off on the partying resulted in losing 200 pounds over the course of 2005. So it was pretty sad to me when the F-150 got killed about six months after I hit my goal weight, and after I’d rediscovered all kinds of outdoor activity.
Of course, the icing on the cake, as they say, was that the Mazda was then a much more comfortable place to be. My life had changed and it was almost as though the F-150 had taken me through hell, delivered me back on the other side to the next phase, and then let the Mazda take over. It may seem like a stretch, but the way the timing worked out – and has since then – is just something else.
After the accident everything changed, and rapidly. I realized that while I’d gotten my life back together in one way, I’d also somehow gotten a second chance and walked away from that accident. About a month later I drove the Mazda over to a good friend’s apartment – whom I’d had a not-so-secret crush on for years – for a date. Up until that point my longest term relationship had been about a month, and I’d gotten a little bit of a reputation because of it. Whoops. This time was different, though, and to spoil that part of the story I married her a year and a half later. And we just celebrated as our seventh anniversary a month ago. I’ll always remember the Mazda for taking me to what was my boldest and best decision ever.
Sometime in the late summer, another accident changed my vehicular direction, but this time it wasn’t mine – it was my brother’s. He was about a week away from his wedding when someone totaled his beloved 1982 Toyota pickup, leaving him about to be married, about to close on a brand new house and without a set of wheels. I was dating a girl I was getting pretty serious with pretty quickly, but it was still only about a block away from where I worked and an easy bike ride to my girlfriend’s house. Knowing that there was no way my brother would be able to afford a wedding, house and car in the same month with his sanity and plasma intact, I decided it would be a good idea to pass the MX-6 on to him and look for something else. I’d owned it for just under a year, making it by far the shortest term vehicle I’ve had to date.
I had a blast in that car and it definitely left an impression, so I was open to getting another car. Yet at the same time through all the adventures of summer I really missed having a truck. I started looking and almost decided on a two-year-old Ranger FX4 but it was equal parts not what I wanted, and expensive. I had a couple thousand dollars saved up that I could either have used for a down payment or bought something outright, but you already know how that ends since I spoiled it in my last COAL.
After a little bit of a search I stopped down to see my mechanic, whom I’ve used since I was 16 (I still use him to this day) and told him my requirements. Wouldn’t you know that exactly what I wanted was sitting right in his lot?
I always thought these had exquisitely beautiful lines. They resemble the Opel Calibra, another car I like the styling of.
Agree. One of the most graceful, fluid, flowing lined cars of that time period, cudda been a Jaguar design.
I see some Calibra in its lines. But for some reason, the MX-6 has always made me think this is what the Corvair Monza would have looked like if it were still around in the 90s. I can’t put my finger on why.
Always thought the shape compareed well with another FoMoCo product I owned; ’93 Lincoln MkVIII
What it must have looked like before the sun toasted it.
Yep, they were beautiful cars – and the 626 (four door) was no slouch either, particularly the ES. My Dad’s 93 was a brilliant red with alloy wheels, it looked really really good.
I’d definitely own one again, and have been guilty of looking for a decent one. Sadly, they’re extremely rare these days.
I saw a rough white one just the other day. I really liked them when they were new–I was just about to enter high school at the time! 🙂
That has to be a rare beast! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a white one, I always thought they would look good in white with that tan leather and tinted windows… yet I’ve never seen it. And we had quite a few running around here thanks to a popular Mazda dealer in town.
Even in the 90s, it was unusual to see a green one without damaged paint. Too bad… I always thought these were cool looking cars.
In the October of 1992, I purchased a 1993 MX-6 almost exactly like this one (V6, manual, green/tan, cloth interior, sunroof) and kept it for six years. It remains one of my favorite cars – great looks, fun to drive, and reliable. The design of this car has aged extremely well, and with only minor tweaks, would still work today, twenty years later.
My MX-6 was very reliable, but the brutal winter of 93-94 took its toll. At that time I lived in the countryside, and had to park my car outside, exposed to the elements. For about three weeks in January, the temperature barely got above 0 deg. F (-18 deg. C), and the MX-6’s suspension essentially froze solid. In the spring, I had to replace all four shocks and various suspension bits to make it right, which was covered under warranty.
The MX-6 probably had the best seats I have experienced, very comfortable and supportive yet relatively soft, with long cushions.
I did not experience any issues with the paint – mine still looked like new after 6 years, but I admit I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to taking care of my car.
I would have purchased another one in 1998, but by this time, Mazda had decided not to replace the MX-6.
I think what really killed the paint on these were the temperature differentials – particularly the very hot summers we have here in Nebraska. Every dark colored Mazda of this vintage I’ve seen with the same issue – it’s very much too bad.
I wish they would produce a Mazda 6 coupe. I’ve been drawn to the 6 a lot, but it just doesn’t do it for me all the way. If I get a sedan, I’d get something else.
Great story, particularly how both your truck and the Mazda are tied so strongly to key events in your life. “Every car has a story,” indeed.
Great story. It seems that when we are young, there is one car that stands out as a faithful friend. You have been fortunate to have had two – the F-150 and this. I always liked these Mazdas as well, but have never really spent any time around them.
Your pictures make me a bit sad. My dark cranberry 93 Crown Vic has been living with a son in college, and the clearcoat is finally starting to whiten and peel. We have parked it outside for several years, but there has been some tree cover which must have protected it until now. I guess getting over 20 years out of an early 90s clearcoated Ford in a dark color is at the very high end of the Bell Curve.
And congratulations on the positive turns in life. I hope your seven years of marriage turns into many more.
Good news on the Crown Vic – one thing I didn’t mention is that with the MX-6 I did a quick test to see if a respray of the clear coat (after a clay bar and some work on the underlying paint) would fix it – it looked great on the test area I did.
Speaking of marriage, same thing is happening with one of our current vehicles that’s cherry red. I think it’s a combination of the sitting outside, sitting under trees, and climate that does it here. That’s what a body guy told me once – that what really kills the clearcoat on some is the underlying paint heating up in the summer. True or not is up for debate – but cars around here seem to suffer pretty bad.
A 5 speed, V6 MX6 was on my “short list” also in the early/mid 1990’s. Pearl white with brown interior, please.
If the local Oldsmobile/Mazda dealer hadn’t been such an arsehoale with their dealer add ons/”additional dealer profit” I would had signed on the dotted line. But they were….and I didn’t.
Perhaps time has mellowed my memory; but I don’t recall my ’87 CRX SI as riding all that bad?
What’s funny about the CRX – that I should have mentioned – was that I always thought it rode really, really bad. Then I rode in a Corvette once. WOW that was bad…
That said, I think it “rode bad” just because my overall impression of the car. I just never liked it, so I nit picked just about everything about it. As they say – opinons! Same with Corvettes – they’re great cars, but I’ll pass.
My sister owned a mid 90s 626 with the V6 and automatic and my brother owned an MX-6. The 626 was a nice car, I think I only drove it once. Unfortunately the styling was VERY low key. The MX-6 I never got to drive, unfortunately, but I often look for one of my own.
I concur on the 626 – in my mind it was elegant. I really liked the looks of Dad’s 626 ES, but it was definitely not outlandish. And with the automatic it definitely wasn’t a hot rod – it got going good, but it wasn’t memorable.
It’s amazing how much difference two doors and a five speed make. The MX-6 was a totally different animal.
What a handsome car. I was behind one in traffic the other day going to work and I couldn’t help but note how long it’d been since I’d seen one.
I still think the (admittedly aesthetic only) M-Edition is an absolutely lovely car, even in all it’s 90’s gold-trim glory.
Agreed in volumes! I’d love to find a M-edition, but they’re really hard to find that either are in decent shape, or haven’t been beaten up.
Ask and ye shall receive!
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/ctd/4742756498.html
Very attractive. What do the M-editions come with that the LS lacks?
Wheels, gold plated trim, M badges and embroidery, special stereo, and monotone taillights.
All just cosmetic upgrades, but they work well with the MX-6s looks, especially in that purplish-burgundy color from Garrett’s link. I think it is the same color as on the M Edition Miatas.
Funny – I was just talking to my wife this morning about moving to Seattle. Oh man, WANT.
This is a sweet story involving a car I quite like. Actually, it’s a great chassis that could’ve done with a better 4-cyl option and better assembly quality (the Flatrock Mazdas weren’t like the other Japanese transplants). They were solid feeling and good handling cars, and I always enjoyed the interiors of the Mazda variants with the green backlit, steeply canted gauges. It’d be fun to take one of these and fit the Probe’s stiffer suspension pieces and the Japanese market “ZE” heads and pistons. Also, I didn’t think these cars had limited slip differentials; I still suspect they didn’t, but I’ll look it up… maybe 🙂 .
edit: a little poking suggests only Japanese models had it, but it’s still not 100%.
On the limited slip – I didn’t either, but, it never seemed to spin just one tire on the wet gravel. I was pretty worried too as I’d had some summer Kumho Ecsta’s fitted to it right before the demise of the F-150 yet it always did just fine. When I did spin there was lots of opposite lock and two tracks left. I never had it in the snow, only wet gravel or pavement – but it always did great, better than it should have even.
As much fun as I had with it, I think it would have been even moreso with another 35hp from the KL-ZE. At the time I read a *LOT* about those motors and had some inkling to swap if it ever got to that point.
Those guages were one of the best too. Small, cool looking, and the needle of the RPM guage just swung like it was oiled thanks to that free revving motor.
MEMORIES!
Not a bad car but nothing special either. About the only good thing about it I see is that it has 2 doors. But that simple thing is becoming more and more important all the time. I am currently driving a 4 door sedan as a transportation car, and hate it. I keep hoping it will die (it has just over 200,000 miles on it) so I can replace it with a 2 door something. Anything. As long as it has 2 doors.
Replace it now for two reasons. #1 your current car is worth more while it is still running and driving, so it won’t be as expensive to make the switch now vs later when you can only get what the metal is worth. #2 2dr vehicles are an endangered species, the sooner you buy one the bigger the selection will be.
Agreed on both counts above.
Aside from MURICA ponycars and higher end vehicles, I am sad to see the demise of the coupe. Especially ones that were specifically designed to be a coupe like the MX-6, Probe, etc – not vehicles like the Altima coupe that clearly just had two doors chopped off. Not saying the Altima is bad – just that it’s definitely not a ground-up coupe.
If it’s a Mazda, it better have a rotary engine. Period.
You’ve never had a chance to blast down the road with that silky six. While I do admit the Rotary has a (huge) appeal, and second to that it should be a turbo four – it really was a well executed package.
When I met my (future) wife she had a ’93 MX-6 bright red 4 cyl with a sunroof. I loved driving that thing – although limited in power, it handled very well. We married a few years later, and not a week into our marriage the engine blew (110k miles). Sadly the Dad Warranty had expired, so off we went and got her (awesome to drive but brutal reliability) Volvo S70. I was heavily campaigning for the Maxima SE mind you, but the Volvo and Maxima were the same price and she really wanted the Volvo.
It is a great looking car and probably great fun to drive, too. Alas, I could never fit into one, let alone drive it! 6’5″ tall, 38″ inseam.
I always thought these were fantastic-looking cars–too bad they all seem to be gone. It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen one, and more time than that since I’ve seen one that doesn’t look like a total beater. Good to hear some confirmation that they drove as good as they looked.
It seems clearcoat issues are worse on some cars than others, but you’re liable to get them on anything dark colored from 1990-ish to the early 00’s. I had a ’91 Accord that had a pretty bad case of clearcoat burn before it finally left our family, and my wife’s ’00 Alero was losing it in big flakes by about 2007, with the hood and front fenders almost totally matte by the time that one went away in 2012. I wonder if they’ve finally gotten it right, or if that’s just the way basecoat/clearcoat paint is going to act? So much for patina if so!
I find it funny how you say that the seats were some of the most comfortable ones you’ve sat in because I drive a ’94 626 that is the same color as that Mx-6 and although the seats are slightly different, they are really comfortable. I’ve even said that when the car finally dies, I want to keep the front seats because they’re so comfortable.