1994 Mazda 121 Reviews

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

In my book, it already was the best car in its class, and the improvements take it a further step beyond the competition.  Mazda has not fiddled with the good looks of the 121, a car that is immediately recognisable on the road and demands attention.A distinct benefit of the upright design is the roominess of the cabin, accommodating the tallest driver with an ease that is unprecedented in small cars.Boot space is also good, even though a proper spare wheel has now replaced the nonsensical space-saver tyre used previously.  The boot lid lifts well clear of the load space, and the rear seats fold forward to enable larger items to be carried.Price remains the bugbear of all Japanese carmakers, and the manual 1.5-litre car costs $16,695 while the auto is an extra $1305.  Mazda's price-leading model at $14,990 retains the 1.3-litre engine, does without power steering and has cheaper interior trim and wheel covers, and black (instead of body-color) bumpers.PowerThe big news for the 121 is the power boost that comes with a 1.5-litre engine, which can be driven through either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.  The extra 200cc puts the 121 into a class of its own with more power than its micro-car competitors and below the more expensive 1.6-litre small-car class.Like the 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine, the single-cam 1.5 has electronic fuel injection and four valves per cylinder.  Power has been increased 15 per cent over the 1.3-litre unit and torque has been improved by a useful 13 per cent.Extra grunt is particularly welcome for buyers who want air-conditioning, particularly in automatic models, although the test car came with the manual gearbox.  The 1.3-litre 121 was noted for ease of driving and ability to potter along without having to change gears continually.For those looking at the 1.5 engine, the news is only better with an impressive spread of torque and the electronic injection providing crisp response.On the roadGear-shifting is easy and the ratios are nicely spaced, although the engine's roar at highway speeds seems to call for slightly taller gearing in fifth.  Perhaps that is why fuel economy for the manual averaged 9.0 litres/100km in the week's test.While it may look tall, the 121 performs well in all conditions whether easy cruising or pushing hard through corners.  The gearing seems well matched to the engine's torque and the crisp response is noticeable from the driver's seat.The competitionThe 121 stands out with its ability to fit into more than one category, taking on a wide variety of rivals.  It is cheaper and better than the Honda Civic Breeze 3-door hatch, which enters the stakes at $18,990 with a 1.5-litre carburettor engine.Korean carmaker Hyundai has not been hit with the price rises forced on the Japanese by currency movements.  That makes the 1.5-litre Excel a strong rival with the LS sedan at $16,990 - but it has nowhere near the style of the Mazda.Mitsubishi's Lancer is also available with a 1.5-litre engine at $19,086 for the sedan and $19,402 for the 5-door hatch.  For something completely different, there is the Russian-built Lada Sable sedan at $12,990 - a willing performer but without the 121's style.An extra 200cc for the Mazda leaves a range of 1.3 litre cars lagging behind.  These include the Daihatsu Charade in 3-door hatch from $15,910 and 5-door hatch from $16,345; the Ford Festiva 5-door hatch at $15,174; and the Suzuki Swift sedan from $16,890.Holden's Barina 5-door hatch at $15,760 is, like the Festiva, being run out ahead of a new model. So you can probably do better than the official prices.