Decent car.

This car is a mixed bag. It is Mazda's second-prettiest car ever (only the RX-7 is better), and even 7 years after it was made it still looks great. Its very refined, classy, subtle, and in some places downright beautiful (look at the roofline) shape puts all the modern new-edge garbage to shame. This car will become a classic.

That is, if it can survive long enough. We got our car in 2000, after spending 6 years (and 120,000 km) in Quebec City. It was totally rust-free (thanks to the high-quality steel) and looked immaculate, but in only a year of ownership we've spent thousands on repairs. The air conditioner / water pump (a terrible integrated design that results in a piece costing over $4000) went first, and had to be replaced with a rare Japanese part. The radiator blew one cold December morning. Just a few months ago, another thousand dollars had to be spent on the suspension, as both the front and rear bushings, and some stabilisers, were badly worn out. That could be due to the absolutely horrid roads in Quebec and here in Toronto, but one would expect important suspension components to last more than 7 years... So although purchased for $12k CAD, the repair costs pushed it to more like $18k. Note that these parts are very cheap for most cars, but since the 929 is rare and suffers from some questionable engineering, parts for it are hugely expensive. A similar water pump for a Taurus, for example, costs about 1/10th as for the 929.

However, that's not to say it's not worth it. In most other respects, the car is great. The drive is fabulous; superb body control, good handling, huge grip (for such a heavy car - it weighs over 2000 kg!), and although the steering is American-style, requiring lots of turning, it still feels quick. This car spends a lot of time in the snow, and given even low-cost snow tires, it holds its own. I cannot agree with the other people who said it handles poorly in adverse weather - perhaps they should learn to drive a RWD car before complaining. The large tires and good ABS keep the car planted comfortably on the road.

The engine is decent, although it could use more power in pulling such a heavy car. The auto box requires some persuasion to downshift, as it seems the car is more geared towards high-speed touring than aggressive manoeuvering. It does high speeds very well, remaining very quiet (the only noticeable wind noise coming from the sunroof) up to about 150km/h. This is a car that is very comfortable at speed.

The seats are decent, and although they seem luxurious at first, after about 3 hours a break is needed. They aren't particularly comfortable for long trips. The car is quite roomy; the legroom is phenomenal, to be expected for such a long car. There is also a lot of room between passengers. However, note it is still a 4-person car, the middle rear seat being quite uncomfortable. However, it is clearly made for a market with shorter people, as anyone above 6 feet will simply not fit in the back, and I my head almost scrapes the roof in the front (and I'm 6'3"). Unfortunately most Japanese and American luxury cars seem to suffer from this problem. The luggage space is quite small, about the size of a Corolla's, and will not take a family's luggage for a road trip.

There are a few neat extras on the car, most notably the solar sunroof. It has a photovoltaic cell built in, and on hot summer days the electricity generated by it is used to power two fans in the back of the car. These draw out the hot air, and keep the car from overheating (it only works when the car is parked). It works very well, and one is left to wonder why they don't put this on other cars.

Overall, it's a great car and quite satisfying to own and drive. That it looks better than 99% of the cars on the road is nice, too. The only major downside is the reliability, as parts are costly and rare. We were looking at similar Nissan Maximas, and in retrospect the more common Nissan is a better bet. Sure, it's plainer, but it doesn't break the bank.