Mazda 121 Problems

Mazda caused quite a stir when it unveiled its bubbly little 121 in 1990. The new model wasn't a classical beauty in any sense, but it was certainly an eye-catching little car and everyone fell madly in love with it at first glance. With its extravagant curves it was instantly dubbed the 'bubble' top and became an overnight sensation in the small car world. Even today, when you see one on the road, and there are lots of them still in use, it's hard to stop yourself from smiling. It was that sort of a car.MODEL WATCHAfter the 'Plain Jane' car that preceded it the new 121 was a breath of fresh air when it was launched in 1990. Available only as a four-door sedan the new 121 was a head-turner from the moment it set four tyres on our roads. With its soft, rounded shape it stood out from the rather bland angular cars that filled small car shopping baskets of the day.The 121 designer, Toshihiro Hashimoto, claimed the four-door sedan was more expensive to produce than a hatch would have been, but was more practical, quieter, more rigid, and offered better comfort. While it looked small, it was in fact larger than its predecessor. According to the tape it was substantially taller, wider and longer, and had a longer wheelbase and wider track.Inside, four adults could be accommodated in quite decent comfort in a roomy and airy cabin. They sat in a rather upright position, which liberated quite a bit of room fore-aft, and with the high roof line there was quite good headroom. The boot was also a good size, aided by the use of a space-saver spare, while the 50/50 split/fold rear seat made it even more flexible.There was just the one engine available at launch, which was a 1.3- litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine with throttle body fuel injection. At its best it put out 54 kW at 6000 revs and 106 Nm at 3700 revs, enough to give it nippy performance around town.A little more zip was injected in 1994 when Mazda added the choice of a 1.5-litre engine, which offered eight kilowatts more power and 14 Nm of extra torque. Buyers could choose between a five-speed manual and four-speed auto at first, until the auto was dropped in 1993 leaving the manual the sole option. The suspension was conventional, MacPherson Struts at the front with a torsion beam at the rear, and coil springs all round.Being tall, roll could have been an unsettling trait in the 121, but Mazda kept a fairly tight rein on it to keep it riding flat. That, coupled with the stiff body, meant the 121 was quite a fun little car to drive.There were precious few frills. The windows cranked by hand, the mirrors were hand-adjusted, but there was a decent radio-cassette sound system. Power steering was standard with the 1.5-litre engine, and also standard with the 1.3 between 1991 and 1994, after which it became optional.IN THE SHOPCars as old as the 121 'bubble' vary enormously in condition, from unroadworthy wrecks that shouldn't be on the road to pristine, well cared for cars with plenty of life left in them. Shopping around is important to find those that have been well looked after; don't fall under the spell of the first car you see.Paint can be a problem; it's quite common to find faded paint, particularly on the darker colours. It looks ugly, but it's not the end of the world. Check the body for rust, lift the carpets and boot mat to look at the floorpan, and check around the windows. Generally there won't be any significant rust to be found.Listen for rattles coming from the engine, remove the oil filler and look for sludge, and watch for smoke from the exhaust. Make sure the auto transmission selects gears smoothly and without hesitation; on the manual observe for any reluctance to engage when shifting gears.Check for a service record, regular oil changes are crucial to keeping the engine alive, and cars of this age are often neglected because they're approaching the end of the road.ON THE ROADIt looked bright and bubbly and the 121 drove that way as well. Its compact dimensions, tight body, and stiff suspension made it quite sporty in nature, even though that wasn't the intention of its designers. Nicely balanced on the road it was accomplished on all types of roads. While its rather large frontal area limited its ultimate speed somewhat, it accelerated well, which made it zippy in traffic.IN A CRASHA small car and no airbags is not a great recipe for safety in today's crash and bash world. As they are often bought for starter drivers, parents should consider the relative lack of safety of the 121 before putting their kids into one.AT THE PUMPSmall and compact, the 121 was an economical little car. At its launch Mazda claimed it would do around 7.0 L/100 km around town and 5.5 L/100 km on the open road.OWNER SAYSDante Rossie bought a 1.3-litre auto Mazda 121 'bubble' for his mother in 1991. In 2007 it was replaced with a Toyota Yaris YRX, after which he was going to sell the Mazda, but he was so impressed with it that he sold his larger, newer and much more expensive car and kept the 121. It is still his daily driver and he reckons it's a better drive than many cars half its age. It's now done 190,000 km and the engine has some tappet noise, but other than that it is in good mechanical condition. The body is free of rust, but the paint on the roof, boot and bonnet is shot.LOOK FOR Cute looksUpright, roomy cabinModest performanceFun drivingFew safety featuresEconomical runningGood overall condition.THE BOTTOM LINEA cute and cuddly little sedan that, in good condition, can make a good first car.THE RATING 65/100

Mazda burst the small car bubble with a bang when they replaced the ‘jelly bean’ 121 with the innovative but rather bland 121 Metro in 1996. In one fell swoop it changed the perception of small cars from cute little sedans and hatches to more practical wagon-like hatches.The change was dramatic. Mazda had enjoyed considerable success with the cute and bubbly 121 sedan so the switch to the plainly styled boxy wagon couldn’t have been more extreme.At the time the company claimed it was breaking the mould with a totally new type of small car that would become the prototype for small car design in the future. Looking back now, it seems they were right, with a range of upright, wagon-style hatches now on offer from most manufacturers, all of which offer practical transport with the flexibility to carry passengers and packages in a wide range of combinations.MODEL WATCHThe small car market had changed dramatically in the six years after Mazda had introduced the 121 ‘bubble’, and there was a strong demand for hatches when the Metro was launched in October 1996. Without a hatch in its 121 range Mazda faced a major redesign to meet the market demands, but instead of simply doing a hatch version of the ‘bubble’ body the company did a comprehensive makeover on the 121 platform and produced the Metro which went much further than a mere hatch. The resulting Metro was a hatch, a wagon, and even a mini van, all rolled into one.Based on the well proven 121 front-drive platform, the Metro had the same length and wheelbase as the ‘bubble’, but was higher and wider.In the wake of the cute and curvy ‘bubble’ the Metro’s styling was rather bland with just enough rounded edges to soften what is an otherwise severe boxy shape. The boxy shape, however, delivers an airy and roomy interior, which made the Metro so appealing.The upright shape meant there was lots of headroom for adult occupants, but the real appeal was the way the interior could be readily switched around to suit a variety of needs and uses. It could comfortably carry four adults, and still have plenty of usable space for carrying packages or other items. And the seats could be folded and laid flat to make for a very spacious area able to accommodate quite a load for larger and more awkwardly shaped items.Front seat occupants had comfortable bucket seats with plenty of support, which could also be adjusted for height on up-spec models in the range. But it was the rear seat that was the real key to the Metro’s flexibility.A 50/50 split-fold bench, the rear seat had fore-aft and rake adjustment which meant comfort and generous legroom for those in the rear.The interior flexibility came from the ability to fold the seats to create an endless variety of spaces to suit whatever your need. Both front and rear seats could be laid flat, making for a large number of possible uses. Lay all seats flat and you had makeshift overnight accommodation, lay the rear seat flat together with one front seat and you could carry a long slim package, lay the rear seat down and you had a large load space capable of swallowing a pair of mountain bikes.The upright styling also meant good visibility, of the sort that made soft-roaders so popular with city dwellers, and getting in and out was a snap for those of us who are older and less flexible.The Metro’s base power source was a 1.3-litre fuel-injected four-valve four cylinder engine that boasted 55 kW that provided sufficient performance around town without ever threatening to take your breath away. On the top models the power source was a more powerful 1.5-litre which, with 64 kW, was nippier.Transmission choices were a five-speed manual with a precise floor shift or a smooth three-speed auto, while you could choose between the five-speed and a four-speed auto if you bought the 1.5-litre engine.The suspension was by MacPherson Strut at the front and torsion beam at the rear, which allowed the flat floor that is key to the roomy interior.Brakes were a combination of disc front and drum rear, while steering was power-assisted.All models had a driver’s airbag, numerous storage bins, cup holders and a sound system, but air-conditioning was an additional $1870 on top of the base price of $16,650 for the entry level model.Mazda also released a number of ‘Shades’ packs that included air-conditioning as standard along with other features.On the road the 121 Metro was an assured little car with ample performance for round town zip and on-highway hauling. Its ride was comfortable, handling reassuring, and brakes secure.Interior noise levels were criticised when the 121 was first launched, which suggests a lack of insulation material to cut costs in an effort to compete in the ultra-competitive baby car market. The lack of remote control mirrors was also criticised.IN THE SHOPLike all Mazdas the 121 was a quality-built car so they stand up well in service provided they are serviced regularly and are not abused.The 121 Metro was a little more expensive than the Korean cars that boomed in the baby segment with their $13,990 drive away pricing, and people who were prepared to take care of them typically bought that meant the Mazdas.Generally the 121 is well kept and you’ll find few dings and dents on the body. If you happen across car that has some body damage check the rest of the car carefully for signs of abuse.Mechanically the engines are robust and give little trouble, but ask to see the service books and check for a service record that supports the car’s overall condition and its odometer reading. Lift the oil dipstick and check the colour of the oil – if it’s black it’s probably old – and also check inside the oil filler cap for signs of sludge that could mean a lack of servicing.Interior trim is hard wearing if a little plain on the 121 Metro, with quite good quality plastics and trim fabrics, although the trim on earlier ‘bubble’ 121s was prone to discolouration and distortion when subjected to the sun.On the downside, Mazda parts prices are typically higher than other Japanese-sourced cars like Nissans and Mitsubishis.LOOK FOR:• good build quality• roomy interior that is very flexible• bland but functional styling• robust mechanical package• solid body structure• verifiable service history• higher spare parts prices

Mazda became a trendsetter seven years ago when it replaced the curvy 121 with a boxy, upright 121 Metro.  Mazda burst the small-car bubble with a bang in 1996 when it replaced the "jelly bean" 121 with the innovative, but rather bland, 121 Metro.In one swipe it changed the perception of small cars from cute little sedans and hatches to more practical wagon-like hatches.  The change was dramatic. Mazda had enjoyed considerable success with the bubbly 121 so the switch to the plainly-styled, boxy wagon couldn't have been more extreme.At the time the company claimed it was breaking the mould with a totally new type of small car that would become the prototype for small-car design. Looking back now, it seems it was right, with a range of upright, wagon-style hatches now on offer from most manufacturers, all of which offer the flexibility to carry passengers and packages in a wide range of combinations.After Mazda introduced the 121 "bubble" a strong demand for hatches developed and, without a hatch in the range, Mazda faced a major redesign.Instead of simply doing a hatch version of the bubble body the company did a comprehensive make-over on the 121 platform and produced the Metro. It was a hatch, a wagon, and even a mini van, all rolled into one.Based on the well-proven 121 front-drive platform, the Metro had the same length and wheelbase as the bubble, but was higher and wider.In the wake of the cute and curvy bubble, the Metro's styling was rather bland with just enough rounded edges to soften what is an otherwise severe boxy shape.The upright shape meant there was lots of headroom for adult occupants, but the real appeal was the way the interior could be readily switched around.It could comfortably carry four adults, and still have plenty of space for carrying packages or other items. And the seats could be folded and laid flat to accommodate quite a load of larger and more awkwardly shaped items.Front-seat occupants had comfortable bucket seats with plenty of support, which could also be adjusted for height on up-spec models. But the rear seat was the real key to the Metro's flexibility.A 50/50 split-fold bench, the rear seat had fore-aft and rake adjustment which meant comfort and generous legroom for those in the rear.If you lay all seats flat you had makeshift overnight accommodation. With the rear seat flat together with one front seat there was space for a long slim package, and with the rear seat down and you had a large load space capable of swallowing a pair of mountain bikes.The upright styling also meant good visibility, of the sort that made soft-roaders so popular with city dwellers, and getting in and out was a snap for the elderly and less flexible.The Metro's base power source was a 1.3-litre fuel-injected four-valve, four-cylinder engine which boasted 55kW, sufficient around town without ever threatening to take your breath away. On the top models the power source was a more powerful 1.5-litre which, with 64kW, was nippier.Transmission choices were a five-speed manual with a precise floor shift or a smooth three-speed auto. You could choose between the five-speed and a four-speed auto if you bought the 1.5-litre engine.The suspension was by MacPherson Strut at the front and torsion beam at the rear, which allowed the flat floor which was the key to the roomy interior. Brakes were a combination of disc front and drum rear, while steering was power-assisted.All models had a driver's airbag, numerous storage bins, cupholders and a sound system, but airconditioning was an additional $1870 on top of the base price of $16,650 for the entry-level model.Mazda also released a number of Shades packs which included airconditioning as standard along with other features.On the road the 121 Metro had ample performance for around-town zip and on-highway hauling. Its ride was comfortable, handling reassuring, and brakes secure.Interior noise levels were criticised when the 121 was first launched, which suggests cutting costs on insulation material in an effort to compete in the ultra-competitive baby-car market. The lack of remote-control mirrors was also criticised.Like all Mazdas, the 121 was a quality-built car so they stand up well, provided they are serviced regularly and are not abused.The 121 Metro was a little more expensive than the Korean cars that boomed in the baby segment with their $13,990 drive-away pricing, and that meant the Mazdas were typically bought by people who were prepared to take care of them.Generally the 121 is well kept and you'll find few dings and dents on the body. If you happen across a car which has some body damage, check the rest of the car carefully for signs of abuse.The engines are robust and give little trouble, but check the owners books for a service record that supports the cars overall condition and odometer reading. Lift the dipstick and check the colour of the oil. If it's black it's probably old, and also check inside the oil filler cap for signs of sludge which could mean a lack of servicing.Interior trim is hard-wearing if a little plain on the 121 Metro, with quality plastics and trim fabrics, though the trim on earlier bubble 121s was prone to discoloration and distortion after sun exposure.On the downside, Mazda parts prices are typically higher than other Japanese-sourced cars.Well kept: Metros usually have few dings or dents.Taut and trim: The interiors feature good quality plastics and fabrics.By the book: Check that the service record supports the car's condition.Robust: The engines give little trouble.Black Gold:Lift the dipstick and check the colour of the oil.