The Honda Accord was more refined. The Toyota Camry was more comfortable. But the Mazda 626 was more fun! The Heart of the 626’s appeal was a smooth and powerful turbocharged 2-liter four. It was not technically exotic in any way, but it sure got the job done. Mazda claimed 120 hp for this engine, but acted like more.
For any 2-liter car to hit a sub-16 seconds at 84 mph in the quarter mile was excellent for 1986. For a fully equipped sedan, it was remarkable. The secret, of course, was the turbo, which Mazda was able to offer on a $14,000 car while other manufacturers could not. Take away the turbo package and you would chop $1500 off the price, putting it far ahead in a value calculation.
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