1988 Mazda 929 | Retro Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Remember when Mazda wanted a piece of the booming high-line Japanese luxury market? The 929 had all the right hardware, even an RX-7 sourced manual and RWD, if only the styling was lifted from the RX-7.
Show 707 | Original Airdate 11-12-1987
Find airdates on your local PBS station HERE: www.motorweek.org/about/stati...
Want to watch full episodes of MotorWeek? Download the PBS video app for FREE or watch here: www.pbs.org/show/motor-week/
Stay connected with MotorWeek on social media!
Twitter: / motorweek
Facebook: / motorweektv
Instagram: / motorweek
MotorWeek, PBS' award-winning weekly automotive magazine, provides unbiased, consumer-oriented car news with feature stories on related topics. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Would have been interesting to see where Mazda would have gone with the Amati brand.
Strictly based on their current products….they would have gone far and created some amazing products under that brand. I had a 2014 Mazda6 that was an absolute blast to drive for what it was.
@@attackb5349 "...for what it was." What does that mean? 🤔
@@doug6191 for being a sorta larger midsize family sedan that’s in the same class as a Honda accord, it was still surprisingly fun to drive
Probably close to what their suv are now.
💯
My late grandfather purchased a black on tan 1990 929 in 1999. I was only a pup, but remember it well and went with him to get it. I remember it being a very comfortable car. It finally blew a headgasket around 2004 at 170k miles... oil was getting into the coolant. He had it fixed, but after that the car kept having gas leaks under the hood and the couple of mechanics he took it to never could figure it out. He finally parked it... the car set in the yard for years. Grandpa passed in 2011 and my uncle finally sold the car to a scrap yard in 2016. I did keep the original floor mats as a rememberance. :)
Later 929 was really beautiful but even more rare
I agree, then the Millenia came out and looked so boring compared to the '92-'97 Mazda 929.
I actually still have my 94 929 and will never get rid of it, I've had 7 by now. The car is stunning inside and out and the way it caters to all your senses is absolutely amazing. It sounds incredibly sporty, the materials all are soft and rich with excellent seats, and the style inside and out was above anything I can think of. Such a passionately designed cars that definitely chose form over function. Mine also has the 12 speaker audio, heated seats, and the solar panel moonroof glass!
Yea i had a 97. I had it in 2006 with only 46k miles. Thing was quite a beauty.
I'm probably one of the last 929 guys from the 929 forum around, though my expertise was more on the HD model. What's absolutely amazing about this generation was the available options of the digital cluster, 5 speed manual, the Pioneer "AE" stereo and CD player, and the insane auto adjustable suspension. The hard top version of the HC 929 was absolutely stunning, but JDM only and could be had with a turbo rotary as well.. and a mini wine fridge in the back with power reclining rear seats. So cool.
And ABS, electric seat option also at 1988!!!!
USA got the digital dash didn't know that
@@CRAPO2011 sure did, I've seen a few in real life. they looked cool.
@@jay.fromthebay For some reason the 1st gen 929s didnt last too long, MPVs those were around for 15-20 years but 929s those r extinct at least here on the northeast
I used to have an 89 929, mine was light blue, I loved that car. One of the best cars that I ever had.
4:14 John: WE ARE ALSO DISAPPOINTED IN THE PLASTIC PLUGS IN THE DASH! LOL
As the proud owner of one of these, so happy to see this review!
Checked off a lot of boxes for a large sedan from 1988.
Came out JDM '86, this one 1987.
I used to own one of these....a 1989 model I bought in 1991
Great car...bought it with 38,000 miles and sold it at 120,000 and never really had any issues
I bought a new Mazda MPV in 1989. I was based on the 929/Luce platform. Great vehicle for our family of 5. The V6 and automatic combo was powerful and smooth, and turned out to be very reliable. It was so much more enjoyable to drive than the Volvo wagon it replaced.
we are building a gen1 mpv with a HE 929 quad cam engine. There is some love for them still.
We had the mpv as well. But the folks finances went south and they turned it in within a year due to the near $500/month car note. That was huge back then
In '89 I bought a new 323 hatchback, a base trim stripper model, bare bones, not even a radio, all I could afford at the time. I was glad to get it, but I remember seeing 929s at the dealer and wishing/fantasizing that I could afford to buy one of those instead, LOL.
That generation of 323' s were super reliable, and easy to maintain on your own with basic tools.
@@paulsz6194 Mazda 929 is great and comofrtable car.
The Mazda 929, and the Mazda Millennia that replaced it later down the road, were the only full-size sedan models that Mazda sold here in the United States. Nowadays the largest Mazda you can buy is the CX-90 crossover. In Japan, the 929 was called the Mazda Luce, and JDM examples can easily be imported nowadays
I love the Mazda Millenia. Good thing I got brochures on the 1999 and 2000 Mazda Millenia.
They also had a minivan, the MPV, based on the 929 platform. Unfortunately it had swinging rear doors
the car that replaced it was the 929 Serenia
@@theKevronHarristhat was one beautiful car for its time
I remember when many car dealerships looked just like the one John was in at the beginning of the video, including the balcony where the salesmen could watch you like a hawk watching their prey.
I never realized how much the exterior of the 1990 Lexus LS looks like a 1988 Mazda 929. Interesting. It's also interesting that the 929 cost about the same as a Pontiac 6000. The 929 seems much more appealing.
I hope Mazda keeps expanding its new larger/heavier platforms and inline six engine because they have a great and almost forgotten history of larger more capable RWD platforms.
Best thing about the 929 was RWD 🥰😍I miss mom's '90 929 w/S Appearance package in black 2 tone
When Mazda announced its new RWD platform and inline-6 engine a few years ago, I was really hoping for a Mazda9. Of course they built another SUV instead.
Nowadays, only some of the Mazda3 lines are worth looking at. Today, it's bulbous, bland, cookie-cutter crossovers ruling their fleet.
This generation of 929 is also noteworthy in that its five-speed manual gearbox was later developed into the gearbox used in the first generation Miata.
A great car to drive but horrendous reliability. Recalled due to broken door handles that makes the door open while rolling the windows down. It happen to me while driving. And all parts were not compatible with any other Mazda car of that year. But loved the "swing" air vents and dash layout. Almost forgot the glitch of the power seat pinning you against the steering wheel when starting the car. Didn't happen all the time but when it did you definitely knew it!
Mpv and 929 had a weak automatic transmission that liked to fail. Engine last a long time as long you replace timing belt on time water pump and other maintenance items.
Pretty much standard affair with Japanese crap
@@leod3963 you can thanks Nissan for the crappy Jatco transmissions. They either lasted a really long time or they didn't.
I think the reliability problem was due to the partnership with Ford.
@@gabevillarreal96 ford had nothing to do with either generation 929, they were both 100% Mazda and 100% Mazda parts/design.
Great video showing the gems from Mazda.
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video my dad who's 90 today had this luxury vehicle as his last company car before retirement in 1995
My friends parents growing up had a Mazda 626, just a slightly smaller version of this car. The red interior is bringing back so many memories driving to and from the beach and baseball. I thought it was the sportiest car around until my neighbor rolled his Monte Carlo SS out of the garage...lol.
Put 230k miles in my Mazda B2200 (1991).
The only item that ever failed was one taillight bulb (driver's side).
Slow, but amazingly reliable & cheap to run.
The ‘89 Mazda 929 was my first car in the year 2000. It was Navy Blue, with Navy Blue Leather Interior. Loved it. 0 complaints.
That interior, my god! Looks like velvet.
It was nice back then to see a car interior in a color other than Grey or Charcoal!
Still hoping for Patrick O’Meara of MyOldCar to do a video on this and the Millenia some day! I thought he was doing this when he did the MPV instead.
Great review as always. I'd love to see a Mazda Millenia S review if you all can dig it up!
Fails to mention the oscillating air vents lol
Those seats look like they were pulled straight from an Oldsmobile or Buick.
The burgundy interior certainly brought up those comparisons. I thing that 929 also had a light grey & brown interior as well..
Ooh that red velour. 😍
This generation 929 wasn't available in the UK. However, there was the option of the previous generation 929 in estate (wagon) body style only for the mid 1980s. 🤔 Quite possibly a saloon until 1983/4. They were an incredibly rare sight even in the 1980s.
It's a darn shame that the USA didn't offer the hardtop version of the Mazda 929.
It´s funny that John calls the styling "european". I´ve grown up in Germany during that period and remember the design being called "american" in reviews. And:yes, it really looked outdated and "barock", like it was 10 years old when it came out. Remember: it was the same time when the Mercedes W124, BMW E34, Ford Scorpio, Citroen XM, Opel Omega/Senator and Alfa Romeo 164 were around! The 929 just looked sooo old in comparison, with all its chrome and uninspiring details.
These cars were quite rare, didn't see them too often. My 1st car was an 88 mercury tracer, which basically was a Mazda 323 with a mercury badge. It was as stripped down as it comes, manual windows & locks, no AC and also no power steering! 5 speed manual with a mechanical clutch. But it was actually peppy and fun to drive in the city, it was geared quite aggressively. On highway driving as long as you didn't go over 65 it got incredible gas mileage. Low to mid 40's is what it would average on the highway. The car was very well built and reliable, I had 200k miles when I sold it, the car still ran very well.
Looking at this car makes miss my grandmother. She owned a Mazda like this, but her 929 was 1991. I went everywhere with my grandmother. This car kept us safe in a couple of accidents. After she passed away my mother kept it and I learned to drive in it.
The classic 929. It's been years.
The 'HC' Mazda 929 came in two different variations, this pillared 4dr sedan as well as a slightly larger pillarless 4dr hardtop. The North American market only saw the pillared 4dr sedan, while here in Australia we received both the pillared and the pillarless 4dr versions. Like Japan, the Mazda 929 sold in larger numbers than the Honda Legend in Australia at the time.
Same in Europe, we only had the classic 4 doors sedan, not the hardtop one. Too bad for us, we had such a boring 929
To imagine 9.4 seconds to 60 being “respectable”
This was my dream car before the LS400 came out.
I Had all White 1985 Limited edition 929 with golden american racing honeycomb wheels once.
Wonderful and a beautiful car.
Thing Had 14 (yes, fourteen) interior lights.
I counted them.
It had also lot of excessories for the time.
P. S. Greetings From Finland!
I have hc 929 and Ls400! Greetings from Estonia.
Now that Mazda today has a new rear wheel drive chassis, what are the odds of a new Mazda9 flagship sedan becoming a reality 👀
Zero, they won't even release the rwd Mazda 6 successor they were hyping up. Forget about a luxury sedan.
for some weird reason today the cx9 became the 929 successor well after the flagship sedan was killed off.they with the final two models when people were thinking where do our loyalists go from here.Many unless they wanted a SUV were forced to buy Moneypit germans in the same class.
My mom had one from 89-98. I drove it during my teenage years. Lot of great memories with that car. Always wanted to customize it. Now I want one so I can put a rotary with a 5 speed since that was a factory option in Japan.
Fun fact, Kia purchased the rights to produce the HC 929 for the Korean market called the Kia Potentia which was produced up to about 1997! The early ones were direct copies but they did attempt to modernize it in later years with rear audio controls, projector headlamps, and a unique climate control. The guys on the forums in the early 00's were inporting these parts since they were all plug and play. Good times.
i have been wondering about ordering kia parts for my hc. good to know they fit. thanks!
@@silvertamman3218 As long as they're potentia parts... Potentias are very rare. If you're in the US they show up in junkyards sometimes. There's one near me now.
This was my first car ever I loved it..
Love this! I actually had a chance to drive this beauty.
I bought a brand new 1989, 626 turbo hatchback. Loved that car. Very quick. They say that Mazda underrated the horsepower numbers.
Always heard that, probe gt guys would say it too
@@CRAPO2011Yup...same engine. Those cars were very peppy...especially with a manual.
We miss the nice soft cushy seats so hard. Forget leather bring back the velvet!
This was my first car I ever own. My mother bought it for me as a high school graduation gift in 1996. I enjoyed having this type of car. The only problem I had with the car is the coasters were on the glove compartment door and not between the driver and passenger seat. Other than that the car was a good car to have.
Someone around here has a pristine looking late HC 929 in whatever sport trim got the bronze lace alloys, matching the paint on this particular one. With a slightly wider track, it would be just about perfect in a quiet Japanese luxury sort of way. Still a really neat, mostly forgotten car.
Too bad John didn't pronounce Luce correctly.
LOO-CHAY, or "light"
Yeah! I've been waiting for this for years!
Interesting how Mazda kind of explored the route of expanding a premium model into a luxury brand, roughly 20 years ahead of the Hyundai-Genesis brand
No different than Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti and Toyota/Lexus
My neighbors had a grey one for a little while. They must've not liked it much because they replaced it a year later with a Mercury Villager. They still had 2 kids at home and maybe wanted more room in case their other kids wanted a ride.
The 1988 929 was Mazda's first luxury-level sedan in the U.S. since the 1978 RX-4 (with the rotary engine!).
My dream Mazda here. Just wish they made the Amanti brand and take on Lexus. The 929 was Mazda’s LS. Bring it back.
My mum had a 88 with the 5 speed! it felt pretty quick to me driving it as a Teenager.
Mazda should bring it back and call it the Mazda9, utilizing the I6 and RWD platform from the CX-90
JDM market director: a rotary 929? Mr Mazda: Sure?
😮 even French car manufactures were like, Damn that’s some body roll !!!
Bring it back Mazda!
The 1988 Mazda LeSabre!!!
My mom traded her 86 LeSabre for a 91 929 so you're not far off.
When I was a kid back than my friend next door his mom had a MAZDA 929. I was jealous and wanted my mom to buy but she had and loved her Chevy S10 Blazer
Strong hints of the Peugeot 405 & 605 on the sides here,😃😃😃. Nice go from Mazda at the time.
This was a fairly significant car in the North American Japanese import market.
I was 1 in 1988...so really have no context for what this car was or stood for. Seeing it now, I'm like wow that is overpriced for what you get, and the gas mileage is worse than a modern V8 lol, guess cars have come a long ways in a little over 30 years.
I bought one of these in three in a 3rotor 13B engine. It is crazy fast
I have always wanted to drive one of these
On a recent episode of 20/20 two 17 year old girls were killed in Ozark, AL in 1993 and were found in the trunk of one of the girls Mazda 929.
929 Luce also comes with a rotary with turbocharger but Australia missed this one instead relied with 3.0 V6 economical with 4 disc brakes safer than Tributes gas-guzzling 3.0 V6 with obsolete rusty drum brakes.
And its a known Fact that Rotary engine is a piece of shit. Fuel mileage of a V8 burns more oil than a household furnace. And they have no torque. You'll never find a RX7 or RX8 with 100k miles on it . If you do its at the end of its 2nd engine
It had a "sport mode" called power. Very ahead of time.
A lot of mid 80s Toyota cars had it too. My dad’s 1984 Camry had a PWR button.
Only changed the shift points
I had a 1988 626. It also had a “power” button. I’m pretty sure it just changed the shift points
Almost every car company was trying to compete with the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable in terms of styling and looks.
IMHO, the 929's styling is a big Hit.
I would own a 929 in this body style; make sure it’s an automatic!
Y?
Mazda 929 was a good looking car
I want one of these so I can ride though Houston and then Minneapolis playing raze break for love lol
I've always confused a 929 and a Millenia. Ive always wanted a 929 like this.
These were a rare sight in Germany even when new. I only ever saw one of these in the wild, also one each of the 78-82 gen sedan and estate versions.
If you were after a big family limouse most people bought the Opel Omega, Ford Scorpio, Audi 100 or even Volvo 240/740 series. A VW Pasat would have been slightly lower ranked but offered similar space.
Was replaced in 1993 by the Xedos 9 which wasn't much better in terms of sales.
I liked the understated look...
I miss 80’s Japanese cars.
I had one of these
F*** yeah.... this is amazing 👏
if any of the gauge are hidden by the steering wheel volts and temp are the ones. while moving i mostly use speed, tach and gas...unless there is a turbo boost gauge then that comes first. Looks like an 80's Toyota or an early Acura
It’s funny how the styling went from bland to grand with the second generation. I’d take a minty one of those.
Monstrous Mazda
The 1990 Mazda 929S sedan would be my preference. Antilock brakes would be standard and the 3.0 liter V6 would have 190hp and a smooth automatic.
203 hp and the S is a 24Valve Twin Cam!
@@MauiWauiPineappleExpress The 929S did have a DOHC V6. It made 190hp. The base 929 had a SOHC V6 with 158hp.
@@johnnymason2460 A JE-ZE DOHC variant was in the 1990-1995 Mazda 929 S, producing 203 hp (151 kW; 206 PS).
@@MauiWauiPineappleExpress Not in the United States. It was rated at 190hp in 1990 and 1991. It went to 195hp in 1992(down to 193hp in 1994).
@@johnnymason2460 Doesn't matter.
I've owned a couple Mazda''s, a very cool Siver 86 4 door Hatch Touring Sedan and a Black 87 RX7 Convertible that was a real Head Turner.. I was always happy with my Mazdas. The unfortunate thing about this generation 929 is that Mzda dropped the ball when it came to Exterior Styling.. It really needed some Jazz in that department!!
My folks were looking at one of these come 1988 when it came time to seek replacements for a 82 280se w126.We had Cressidas,Volvos and even the 190 class Mercedes on the contenders list.s classes new were well over 100k for a 300se that year this could offer similar performance for about half the price.we even had the chance to drive a rental 525I BMW for the night once that year.
I hardly saw any 929's on the streets and highways while it was available in America
Mazdas in general have just never been very popular.
Request next upload 1988 Audi 90.
"Big" car, today's Malibu/Camry/Accords are larger but shows how the car size blended during the years and families went to SUVs..
5:00 "Too many buttons to push"
Mate, you should see cars today.
The exterior design is so genetic as well as Japanese cars in this time.😂🤣😂🤣
When Mazda was Mazda.....💪
Wasn't there also a 929 S? I remember seeing one back in the mid-90's, it had a DOHC V6 IIRC.....
Yup! It looked really good too, freshened up, nicer wheels, upgraded brakes and suspension and 190hp.
I also liked the 2nd gen 929, very good looking car. However, I have not seen one in decades! Back in the 90's, I was performing a coolant flush on a 2nd gen 929, and when I removed the upper radiator hose, the top tank cracked. Never had that happen before, car was only a few years old, didn't seem to be made very well.
@@jasonw8124 I actually own a 2nd gen 929, I've had 7. The very first one was my dad's, it made it to 265k on the original drivetrain and it was not well maintained at all, but he was gentle with it and it looked great. The second gen was good but the build quality for the door panels was poor, since the doors are have and the panels were plastic structured rather than softer materials, they came apart. That and the auto transmissions were either a hit or miss. I'd see them dead with an even distribution from 140k - 220k. The engines were rock rock solid.
@@jay.fromthebay Awesome! Really a rare car, thanks for sharing. I have looked online for any survivors with no luck. It's be a cool car to collect.
@@jasonw8124 Happy to share! They are out there but you have to scour constantly. Doing craigslist nationwide searches and searching offerup yield results sometimes. It seems like 7 or so a year end up in the junkyards here in California, I check inventory between the two largest yards that have Northern and Southern California covered. I try to see the junkyard ones but some are a couple hours away and I don't get the chance. I'm well stocked up for mine since I've always known how scarce they are, I've got multiple spare engines and transmissions, and essential everything to have it last my lifetime. I didn't start driving until 2007, way after these cars were past their prime, and all of my favorite cars that I grew up with, so I'm trying my best now to live out those days with that generation of cars before they're gone. I currently have a 90 and 97 Accord, a 6 speed manual sedan Legend which was a dream car for me, I'm down to just one 929 now (the perfect one), and an e30. I still need a FC rx7, a 1st gen q45, LS400, and a 2nd gen Taurus SHO and I'll be mostly content for now, then I'll go newer.
1:29 Cheese covered grill? Ahhh, cheese cutter haha
look at the size of car grill back then and the giant wind tunnel openings on every one of todays cars!
This would make a nice v.i.p style car
RWD!!!
Right wheels drive!
Lexus came, and that was it .
I see john does not refer to the japanese as "oriental" in this video
John mispronounced Luce
Red velour luxury
@ 1:13 God that thing looked like a Ford Tempo....Not a good car to be compared too
1988 - the year of BMW E34.
My friend or maybe a friends frend rather, bought a new E34 M5 as soon as hit hit the showroom floor here In Finland.
The guy was maybe 19 or 20 at the time.
Gimme!