MAGICAL MAZDA (Mazda 323 (pre-1989))

Member Name: foxster27

Product:	Mazda 323 (pre-1989)
Date:	18/05/04 (1580 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfort, Looks & Ride, Accessories, Lower Car Tax Duty

Disadvantages: Could do with a little more power for acceleration, No alarm as standard

I bought my Mazda 323F 1.5GXi(1998 P reg) six months ago and can honestly say it is the best car I have had so far(it's my 5th). The reason for me initially choosing this make/model was partly due to word of mouth(my dad has bought mazda's for last 25 years and a friend at work has exact same model) and due to it having quite a sporty look about it. The additional features of this model are quite comprehensive:

Driver/passenger airbags
Power assisted steering
Air conditioning
Electric sunroof
Immobilizer system
Central locking
Electric mirrors
Electric windows
Front fog lights
Head light adjuster switch

A few of the nice but small attractions of this car is that it had a fairly large storage box behind the hand break to store rubish or other bits and pieces, attractive and tastefull upholstory and the drivers seat are fully adjustable; you can raise/lower the whole seat, tilt it downwards or upwards and lower the back rest to virtually any angle all with easy to control handles.
Driving the car is a dream: it has light steering although firm enough to feel that you are in control, grips the road really well, acceleration is excellent, the engine is reasonably quiet. I get an average of about 300 miles to a full tank of petrol(unleaded) driving mainly in urban areas. Unsure of what this is price per gallon. Seating is comfortable and leg room is reasonable. The air conditioning/heating is all electronically adjusted and it has many different settings to choose from. Servicing cost me approx £130.00 from a Mazda garage and Mazda recommend that you service every 9000 miles. Road tax is only currently £105 per year due to it's 1.5 engine. I have managed 115mph top speed.
Some of the drawbacks of this car is that the windows do not have any frame around them and this appears to contribute to rain water dripping into the car and onto the electric window mechanism even when the window is only opened
a fraction. This may contribute to the fact that this car has a tendancy to have electrical faults, although I have had no problems. At high speeds acceleration to overtake could be better. Some people may find that the viewable area out of the rear window is limited. The car does not come with an alarm as standard or infrared keyfob, which I though was a little poor for a reasonably new car. The indicator stick is on the right hand side which is opposite to most cars and requires getting used to and when driving other cars I have tended to forget, activating my wipers instead.
All in all this car is great to drive, has a sporty look and tends to get compliments.

Summary: