The Most Reliable Classic Mazda Models You Can Buy Used

Buying a cool classic car is easy. Buying a classic car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to maintain, or leave you stranded next to the road… that’s another matter.

This is where Japanese brands like Mazda step up to the plate. With an illustrious history stretching back to the Cosmo from the Sixties, a host of 323 performance derivatives, and the ever-popular Miata, Mazda offers a variety of classic performance cars that not only manages to stir the soul, but also dishes up a solid helping of reliability.

This list of reliable classic Mazda’s does not include any rotary models. What? Mazda
is
rotary, you say. Thing is, Mazda’s rotary engines are amazing, but they also require a bunch of maintenance and love and attention and money to keep amazing. Apex seals are a particular moot point. So for this feature we steered clear of Mr Wankel’s engine, and focused only on Mazdas with traditional internal combustion engines.

9 Mazda Autozam AZ1

What does the all-new McLaren W1 and the Mazda Autozam have in common? Both have gullwing doors. One trait they don’t share though, is performance. While the McLaren packs a 1,258 horsepower punch, the Mazda is a mid-engined Kei car – the smallest class of car permitted on a Japanese highway.

The Autozam’s 657 cc 3-cylinder turbo engine (it is actually a Suzuki engine) delivers all of 63 hp, endowing the little Mazda with a top speed of 80 mph. But it weighs just 1,500 lbs, so the little rear-wheel drive Mazda, even though it won’t blow your hair back, is actually a bunch of fun to drive.

There was even a Mazdaspeed A-spec version, with a special body kit that included a WRX-like hood scoop, front spoiler and rear wing. Items like a sports suspension set-up, a limited slip differential, and a sporty exhaust system were optional extras.

Less than 5 000 right-hand drive Autozams were manufactured in the early Nineties, making them all the more collectible.

8 Mazda Miata NA

Affordable to buy and affordable to run, the original Miata NA is the quintessential Mazda sports car. Featuring a front mid-engine layout and rear-wheel drive, the two-seater offers a smile-per-mile driving experience.

The recipe is simple: a light and nimble two-seater, with a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-pot with 116 hp. Later, a 128 hp 1.8-liter became the norm, but the NA was never about ultimate speed – instead it takes the driver back to the grassroots of motoring, where it’s not so much about computers and technology diluting the driving experience, but more about the driver, and his or her interaction with the car.

More than 400 000 Miata NAs were made, so there are plenty to go around. Over the years, the Miata has become a popular base for custom builds too, with tuners even squeezing LS3 V8s into the engine bay. Cool, yes. But there are few cars that offer as many smiles-per-mile as a stock Miata NA in a mountain pass.

7 Mazda 323 GT-R 4WD

In 1985, Mazda took a swing at the world rally championship, initially using the Mazda 323 as its platform of choice. A total of 2,500 Mazda 323 GT-Rs homologation specials were built for the Japanese domestic market, with a number of units finding international homes.

The rally car never set the WRC scene on fire, so back in the day the 4WD road version never garnered the hype a Lancia Delta Integrale did. More recently, the GT-R has become far more valuable as few units remain, and collectors scramble to get a piece of the action.

The 1.8-liter turbocharged engine made 210 hp and a five-speed manual gearbox sent the power to all four wheels. The two-door GT-R came with a custom hood with air intakes, rally rims, a discreet wing on the tailgate, a fair turn of speed and, thanks to low weight, pretty decent handling.

A great investment if you are into Mazda and speed, with some reliability in the game too.

6 Mazda MX-6

The MX-6 was on sale between 1987 and 1997, and it was the second generation car especially that brought affordable and reliable two-door sporty car to the masses. The MX-6 shared its platform and drivetrain with the Ford Probe and Telstar, and Mazda Capella/626, which helped to reduce cost.

The second-generation’s KL-DE 2.5-liter V6 engine, linked to a five-speed manual (not the four-speed auto so much) offered a surprisingly sporty drive despite a modest 164 hp. Tipping the scale at around 2 600 lb helps in the performance department too. Front-wheel drive is… well, efficient. If the MX-6 had been rear-wheel driven it would enjoy a much larger JDM following.

The MX-6 may not be as rare or valuable as a 323 GT-R, but it sure offers plenty of bang for the buck, selling at around $10 000. That said, finding an original MX-6 with all its original parts and in great shape is no easy task – a solid, original one may be an investment for the future.

5 Mazdaspeed3

In 2010, Mazda launched the second generation version of its Mazdaspeed 3, a performance hatch powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged petrol engine. Power is transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential.

The last generation Mazdaspeed3 featured uprated brakes, 18-inch tires and revised suspension. It also had a hood scoop that channeled cooler air to the intercooler, mounted on top of the engine.

The Mazdaspeed3 weighs nearly 3,200 lbs, so it is no feather-weight. But thanks to all the horses, it could complete the 0-60 mph dash in just over five seconds. The 280 lb-ft of torque was also a massive asset in a mountain pass, where you could blast the Mazda out of slow corners without having to chase the red line.

Offering lots of bang for the buck, the Mazdaspeed3 was discontinued in 2013. If you can get your hands on a great-shape, original example, you’d be smiling all day, every day.

4 Mazda MX-3 GS

In the early Nineties, Mazda planned to compete in the affordable sports hatchback segment. But the company realized it needed a unique party trick to stand out in the crowded segment. The plan? A smooth, 1.8-liter V6.

The Mazda MX-3 GS’ had a double overhead cam V6 engine with 24 valves, and it delivered 130 hp, and 115 lb-ft at a heady 4,500 rpm. The mill happily revved to the 7,800 rpm limiter, and sounded perfect when it operated at higher revs. Handling was pretty good too, the car weighing just 2 500 lb. This all meant the MX-3 was bags of fun to throw around in a mountain pass. It may not have been RX-7 quick, but it ticked all the visceral boxes.

Sadly, the two-door MX-3 GS V6’s lifespan was a short one, as another period Mazda, the Miata NA, proved to be a massive sales success, and the MX-3 was shelved, with only about 2,000 V6 versions made.

Apparently, the 1.8-liter V6 engine was designed to operate at a 15-degree angle from vertical, so it was not a practical option for the Miata. Pity that.

3 Mazda R360 Coupe

If you want to wind the Mazda clock all the way back, there’s always the R360 – the company’s first passenger car. The two-door coupe, sorted under the Kei car class, was introduced in 1960.

The 360 weighs just 838 lb, and is powered by a 350 cc V-Twin engine with 16 hp that lives in the back, and drives the rear wheels. Jip, just like a 911. Thanks to the small dimensions and low weight, the Mazda can reportedly reach a top speed of 52 mph. You could have it with either a four-speed manual or a two-speed automatic gearbox.

The 360 was quite an advanced piece of kit for its time, with an independent rubber-in-torsion setup. Later, a pickup version followed, and in time four-cylinder mills. But the original R360 remains a beacon of innovation and significance for Mazda. An original R360 recently sold for nearly $30 000.

2 Mazda 323 GTX

In 1987, Mazda revealed the 323 1.6i GT Turbo 4×4, a 323 based on the company’s world rally championship contender. In 1987, Mazda had some bragging power after rally champion Timo Salonen won the Swedish rally in the Group A 323.

About 1 240 Mazda GTX units, as the car was be branded in North America, was shipped to the US. It was powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing 132 hp and power was transferred to all four wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. The styling was understated and discreet.

Owners soon started squeezing more power from the 1.6-liter 16-valve engine (the same B6 engine that would later power the Miata in naturally aspirated form), but the stock gearbox was not so much a fan of this, and it proved to be a weak point. If you want a reliable GTX, find one that has not been fettled with – a tough task.

But if you find one, you’ll buy into some exclusive automotive history.

1