Mazda 626 Model Overview

The Mazda 626 is best remembered as a mid-sized sedan, but it started life as a compact, and even came as a hatchback for a few years.

The 626 was introduced in 1979. It was one of the first cars to offer a split rear seat, significantly increasing cargo space. Later, the 626 offered other innovative features, like swinging vents.

By the late '80s, the 626 included enough American-made parts to classify as a domestic car, much to the chagrin of buyers who though they were getting a Japanese car. In particular, many owners had problems with the Ford-made automatic transmission, which was the same one used in the Ford Probe.

The 626 was discontinued after 2002 to make way for the all new Mazda 6.