Pretty, but not too powerful

I received my 1994 Mazda 929 as a gift after i accomplished my 1500+ on my SAT I from my aunt and really disliked it at first...it wasn't exactly the BMW M3 i wanted, and it obviously did not perform like an M3, however, after driving it around for about 8 months or so, i must admit that I have come to like it quite a bit. My car came with 89k miles, but as far as i could see had no problems. In this review i will analyze three main aspects of this car: the comfort/reliability, the power, and aftermarket parts.

First of all, the comfort: I drove back on I-5 from LA, and i must admit that the ride was pretty comfortable. The seats offer plenty of support for my upper back, though my leather is cracking and unpleasantly ugly. In terms of styling, i tend to dislike the hingeless windows (convertible style), but they're fine after a while. I thought they would leak a lot but the rubber seal seems to be holding up ok. One thing i do notice that is quite annoying about my car is that whenever it is driven in rain or is being hosed off for washing, the water seems to flow directly into the car if the windows are open or the doors are open. This is clearly to me an example of poor engineering of the lines of the vehicle, as water on my seat is quite unpleasant. My car came fully equipped, with every useless amenity possible like the heated seats, polished chrome rims, wood trim, etc. Presently, my wood trim is cracking (actually it came like that), but that is the only noticeable blemish. Aside from that, after a quick cleaning of the interior, the car appears immaculate and brand new. One thing i dislike greatly about the vehicle is the lack of a movable steering wheel. The wheel rides a bit low for my taste, and, being 6'1", it's quite uncomfortable for me as my upper thigh digs into it unless i move my seat back to the point where the steering wheel is at the tips of my fingers...just a possible downside for taller people...The lack of a glove compartment is also incredibly annoying as i find myself storing everything in the center armrest compartment (tire gauges, multipliers, registration papers, etc). The back seats are incredibly apt for someone tall like me, though if the front seats are moved back any more it would be quite uncomfortable. Thankfully i don't intend on riding in the back seat of my car anytime soon, however, the seats are quite useable. i dislike pedal brakes (as i call them). for those unfamiliar with these they are simply the emergency break in the form of a pedal where the clutch would be. The emergency break is engaged by stepping down all the way on the pedal, and released by a handle that is inconveniently close to the hood release handle. The stock stereo is acceptable, though I've upgraded it to a Panasonic receiver, Pioneer 12 disc changer and Kenwood speakers.

As for the reliability, i've had to replace absolutely nothing yet, although i do need a piece of the rear fender that chipped somehow. The fuel rating for this vehicle is 19 city 24 highway, but i find that i generally get about 16 city as i drive a bit more aggressively. As i said before, i have yet to replace any parts out of requirement, but have changed quite a few of the stock parts in favor of aftermarket ones which i will go over in the aftermarket part area of my analysis.

Moving on...the power of this car stock is 195 bhp @ 5750 rpm, with about 200 lbs torque @ 3500 rpm. This comes from a naturally aspirated 3.0 liter DOHC V6 engine. This is probably enough to haul the weight of this huge vehicle (4497 lbs i believe), but not really adequate for those who like to "enjoy the road". With a 112" wheelbase and a total length of 194", this car is pretty big and 195 bhp just doesn't cut it (in my opinion). When i received this car the throttle response was pretty bad, and it wasn't very quick off the line. It lagged incredibly at times, which was unbearable on the highway when i tried to pass slower moving vehicles. The transmission is a 4 speed automatic (is there a 5 speed?) Stock i believe this car gets about an 8.9 second 0-60 and a 16.8 second quarter mile time, fair, but not exactly fast. In addition to that, it has a coefficient of drag of about .32, which is tolerable to me. Behind the wheel, this car is so quiet i often question the 195 bhp. Revving high i get a whiny high RPM whir, but, generally it's quiet and pleasant. The drive train is formatted in the great front engine/rear wheel drive format, which, in my opinion, is the best thing about this car. Traction loss is more likely (as seen in some of the other reviews), but with a little practice and a defensive driving course or two, you'll end up loving rear wheel drive. The power delivered to the wheels is greater on rear wheel drive cars, and coming out of fishtails, burnouts, etc is much easier on a rear wheel drive vehicle as well.

Now, the best part (in my opinion). Aftermarket parts aren't exactly plentiful for my car, as it is quite rare and it is not intended to go fast. However, as a teenager, i love the speed and the track, and more power was necessary. To bring my HP rating up, i installed an aftermarket cold air intake ($199.99) and a K&N Air Filter (59.99), bringing my HP up by about 4 (tested on a G-Tech Pro meter, can't afford to dyno). This increased the loudness of the car just a bit, but it was tolerable. I also added HKS SuperFire Racing spark plugs (8.99/plug) and Neuspeed cables ($329.99), as well as an MSD SCI Ignition Control ($179.95) + blaster coil ($28.50) and an Optima Deep cycle battery ($139.96) for an upgraded ignition system. This produces a better cold start and more complete combustion for more HP/higher revs. My friend installed a BBK Performance throttle body (modified, i don't think they make them for Mazdas) in my car for ($299.95), which brought HP up more (don't know the amount). I've yet to tweak the suspension as i like the ride height and the softness (comfortable on speed bumps). I also had a modified Tanable DTM Medallion exhaust system (muffler + tips) installed bringing up low end torque and high end horsepower. This cuts away from the quietness of the ride dramatically, and i wouldn't recommend this as an upgrade. From a Mazdaspeed distributor i purchased an upgraded ECU Computer Chip ($279.95) which increased the amount of fuel to the engine and also brought my fuel mileage up for some unexplained reason. In addition to that, i had an A'Pexi Super AFC Fuel controller ($379.95) custom installed (they're normally only for Hondas/Acuras, etc) which allows me to add up to 50% more fuel to the engine (upgraded ignition system necessary). I also changed all the factory oils to RedLine Synthetic oils which perform better at higher RPMS. With more power, my car needed more stopping power, so i replaced the stock vented disc breaks with Brembo Cross Drilled rotors with larger calipers. The stock tires were also incredibly bad in terms of wet weather so i upgraded to Toyo P205/65R15 race/performance tires. My horsepower rating is now in excess of 250 i believe, not a huge gain, but a big difference regardless. The suspension is another area that needs improvement as the 929 rolls a lot on turns. I installed a Neuspeed sway bar to decrease rolling (forgot the price, sorry). Upgraded vehicle has a 0-60 of about 6 seconds, quarter mile of about 15 seconds.

Many people have been complaining about the headlamps, and i agree entirely. The stock headlamps are incredibly dim, even with the foglamps (which i tend to keep on regardless). My solution to this was simple: aftermarket headlights. The 929 uses 9005 High Beam 9006 low beam headlamp bulbs, so i tried a variety of bulbs before coming to what i currently use. My recommendation for upgraded lamps are PIAA 9000 series Platinum Super White bulbs ($129.99/pair). These output an extremely white light, and perform so much better than stock bulbs. Lighting is a very necessary part of driving as it makes other cars see you and helps you see other cars. I definitely recommend an upgrade in lighting for the Mazda 929 as the stock bulbs are difficult to see and illuminate poorly. The foglamps take H3 55w bulbs, which i replaced as well. The PIAA bulbs are 100% street legal in all 50 states, making them bright and very useful. I currently use RayBrig B1 Eurowhite lights (not street legal i think) and Raybrig HyperBlue foglamps (also not street legal). These are basically blue headlamps (like the HID lamps in Benzes, BMWs, Lexus', etc). I've never been pulled over for these lamps, but i would not recommend them. I also changed the front turn signals to hyperwhite/blue lamps, which i would not recommend as well. The interior lights can be changed as well (i changed these and love them). My interior is now entirely illuminated in a light blue hue, which i find far more pleasing than the yellowish white that came with the car. With these modifications, i love this car!

I would recommend this car to anyone who wants a semi-luxury sedan who doesn't need all that much power. If you've ever driven a car like a BMW 750iL or other high end luxury vehicle, the importance of engine size is apparent because of the weight of these vehicles. This car isn't fast, it's very difficult to make it fast, but it should be fine as it is. The styling is great, and the fuel mileage is decent. I would definitely recommend this car to anyone who asked about it. This isn't your typical Lexus/BMW/Benz, it's far more rare in my opinion (i've only seen 2 others), and it has far more pros than cons. I've yet to take my car to the shop for repairs once, i've only taken it to add keyless entry and aftermarket parts. Quiet engine, no clanking (for me at least), and comfortable ride. I've put about 5000 miles on this car since i received it and it is still running smoothly, no repairs at all. Definitely a great car if you can find one!