Mazda 323 Hatchback (1998-)

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  • Economy

    Value

    4 out of 5 4.0

    £6000 for a 10,500 mile mint condition car.

    Costs

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Parts are expensive. Fuel consumption a bit on the low side for a small car, around 37mpg. Servicing costs are fairly good although more expensive if done by a dealer.

  • On the road

    Driving

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Suspension a tad hard. Every bump in the road is transmitted through the steering, or your bum.

    Performance

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Fairly nippy once you tell the engine you want to go. A bit noisy at higher speeds mostly through road noise. Handling is superb. This buggy goes like it's on rails.

  • Living with it

    Reliability

    4 out of 5 4.0

    An ignition coil went down and cost £8.00 for a replacement. Mazda had done a recall on coils but said that mine wasn't included in the recall. Dealer did the repair for the cost of parts only.

    Image

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Sporty looking small car with nice low profile alloys, good looking roof spoiler and nice paintwork. Only thing that let it down was lighting. Headlamps threw a strange cutoff pattern.

    Comfort

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Sore legs and bums abound on a long journey. Not a car to travel the length of the country in.

  • Security and Service

    Security

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Fairly good with deadlocks and immobiliser.

    Service

    3 out of 5 3.0

    A bit of an argument with Mazda UK. The dealer backed me up but Mazda wouldn't replace the faulty parts under recall.

  • Problems and Ownership

    Problems

    Engine

    Coils failed after 12,000 miles.

    Other

    Poor lighting. Headlamps pretty useless even on high beam.

    Ownership

    Did you buy the car new?

    Used

    Would you buy the same model again?

    No

    Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?

    Yes