Spiffy 929

Back when the adventurous Jaguaresque-styling of the 929 popped up on the 1992 automotive scene, I immediately noticed it along with the $30,000+ price tag (for a Mazda no less) which was outside what we could or would pay. (Mazda was supposedly going to use the car as an entrant into an upper end nameplate a la Lexus and Infinity, but a weak Yen apparently shelved the idea.) Fast forward to last year, with the impending death of our second car, a 1985 Toyota Tercel Wagon, the idea of owning one - preferably with more gentle southern roots - became immediately enticing. They were relatively limited in run and I had to employ an internet search using the usual suspects..autoweb, classifieds 2000, etc, and after two failed attempts (one in South Carolina that got sold while I was in transit...rassin' frassin' rick rasstery...and the other in the Ozarks that, thank you CarFax, turned out to be a rebuilt wreck (run, don't walk, away from those), the third time was a charm - from a real live Acura-Infinity Used Car dealer based in Baton Rouge).

After a year and a half of use, I can tell you we love our Mazda 929. Yes, it has it's drawbacks...slightly underpowered, ok but not great leg space (I am 6' 1"), lack of glove box or tilt wheel, parts from another pricing universe..but nonetheless still very comfortable and a looker to boot. During my search, I was amazed at the similar song many of its owners sang....that it was time to sell but "if only they had kept making this car" they'd be trading in for a newer version (actually Mazda does still make a 929, but it has grown boxier and more conservative, limited primarily to the Japanese and the Australian car markets)

Some aspects of the car I have grown to enjoy. The frameless windows at first I thought of as a negative as folks kept wanting to grab the door with them (bad idea - they can break off their track that way), but during the warmer months it's kinda fun to open and close the doors like a convertible. Those seatwarmers seemed kinda frivolous until I gave them a shot one cold morning...and the buns said thank you in CAPS. That hidden rear seat armrest with the hidden storage area is the center of attraction for my five year old. The four wheel disc brakes provide excellent stopping power. Perhaps its best attribute is one that you don't see much of these days in a sedan. It is a rear wheel drive car, and while such is bad news for snow days, the feeling of rear power in good weather beckons back to the heyday of grand touring vehicles that the chariot-styled front wheelers can't pull off.

It is also a quite comfortable car (for four) and while labeled as a full size luxury vehicle, it seems more wedged between full-size and mid-size... Not that such is a bad thing....the dimensions don't make it feel like you are driving a tank when you are buy yourself though granted the car weighs in on the heavy side.

The seating style also reminds me faintly of the 1971 Opel GT I drove decades ago...in that the seats are low, just slightly above carpet height, and the driver's legs tend to go forward vs. straight down with the sofa style seating of most four door sedans.

Considering I bought this car used for the same price as my wife's parents had bought their new Ford Contour, I have little to complain about. That may change when I uncover the cost of strut replacements (four figures, I understand) as it's getting near that time. Until then, though, I'll assume unknowing bliss and continue to enjoy the 929's comfortable appointments and unique stylish flair. Already my wife tells me she will be unable to go back to standard sedan fare when the time to sell comes. Given her Midwestern roots, common sense, and no-frills attitude, it appears the car has altered her outlook a bit. In that respect, she pays it the highest compliment.

For folks that looking for unique luxury for the entrance price of a stripped econobox, a 5-to7 year old well-maintained 929 just might do the trick. (Finding one with reasonable mileage may not be that easy. In my search, I found many people had driven the heck out of these cars.) Should you by willing to risk the adventure and expense of difficult-to-find, high-priced parts, you'll will be rewarded with a new appreciation for that part of your life you spend between points A and B.