Mazda 626 Overview

Let's assume you're a new-car prospect who's ready to step up from a conventional, under-powered and sparsely equipped midsize sedan to a car with more style and performance. Let's further assume that you're reluctant to stray too far from the price range of your current sedan.

Are you being unrealistic? Not necessarily, if you put the 1994 Mazda 626 LX-V6 four-door sedan at the top of your list. Our test vehicle carried an MSRP of $20,745, placing it at the low end of the midsize sedan price range. And for that amount of money, we got a full complement of standard and optional equipment - air conditioning, an AM/FM stereo with cassette player, many power assists, dual air bags and antilock brakes (ABS). Powering this package was a state-of-the-art 2.5l-iter, 24-valve V6.

Before you start scrambling for that down payment, though, you should be aware of some concerns we had about this car's size and overall roominess, in addition to some other minor complaints.