‘Few weaknesses’
‘If you want reliable transport, buy a Japanese’. That credo was already well known in the early 1990s, because the Japanese brands really managed to put themselves on the map here in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to generally good quality. The fourth generation of the Mazda 323 contributed to this in our opinion.
You can hardly imagine it anymore, but just as the Chinese and earlier the South Koreans suddenly started bombarding the suspiciously watching Europeans with affordable cars, the Japanese also loomed. In the midst of standard European brands, attractive cars suddenly appeared on the market from Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan (Datsun). It soon became apparent that the Japanese were very capable of building cars and the Netherlands was sold, partly thanks to the competitive prices. They are often very well put together, especially on a technical level. They only got the rust ghost under control in some cases a little later than the European competition. The fourth-generation Mazda 323 was an exception, we concluded thirty years ago.
The fact that the emphasis was so strong on possible rust formation was really not just because Japanese cars sometimes suffered from this. In 1993, rust was an even more widespread problem for many brands than it is today, especially on used cars. It must be said that we analyzed a relatively young occasion. The Mazda 323 in question here is of the BG generation, which was only on the market for four years in 1993. Why such a young car? “It is a second-hand 323 of the latest generation, which has been on the market since 1989. Used copies of that year of manufacture are now for sale for about half the amount that should be paid for a new car.” That was pleasant shopping for those who wanted an occasion that still looked very modern.
A thorough inspection of a 1989 Mazda 323 with 54,000 km on the clock showed that it was basically a well put together car. The biggest plus, there it is again, we mentioned the lack of rust. That was of course no guarantee that it would not arise later, or if a car had a few more kilometers behind it. “Usually you won’t find any rust. The finish shows few weaknesses.” Still, the inspected 323 was not flawless: “On our test sample, the seal of the door windows on the co-driver’s side had come loose and the lock of the folding rear seat backrest rattled.” The first was a ‘known ailment’ of the 323 and therefore certainly a point of attention.
Above all, it was striking how solid the car was mechanically put together. Really Japanese, you could say. “Chassis, shifting, clutch and steering showed no defects.” The alternator turned out to be a bit weaker and, well, there was a maintenance thing: “The brake discs were vibrating, so they had to be replaced.” All in all, it will not surprise you that the conclusion was that a Mazda 323 of that generation was definitely recommended as an occasion. And it must be said: they were still quite a long time to see in good numbers in the Dutch street scene.
We are curious, who has had such a 323 and how did he like it later in life? Let me know in the comments!
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl