1983 Family Sized Hatchback comparo | Retro Review
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- Опубліковано 19 кві 2023
- The 4-door lift back was an early departure from the traditional 3-box design, and arguably the ancestor to the modern CUV. Check out what we thought of these models back when they were new.
Show 301 | Original Airdate 09-19-1983
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MotorWeek, PBS' award-winning weekly automotive magazine, provides unbiased, consumer-oriented car news with feature stories on related topics. - Авто та транспорт
Dude was looking real zesty chewing that gumball
Looked like he would have gladly ate it out of the guys hand 😭
Rather homoerotic though.🤔
ooh 🤤
😂😂
1:53 1:54 1:55 1:56 2:26 2:26
Anyone else laugh at the Phoenix's braking being described as "generally straight" as its shown on screen nearly completely sideways after a panic stop test?😂😂 I love watching these things as a reminder of how far car engineering has come. These days even the slightest nose dive or tail wag on emergency stop tests are considered concerning..not to mention the door handle dragging body lean most all cars had back then...wow.
now cars are fucking garbage that are always broken and its 200 times more maintenance costly than back then
The unique selling point of this channel is longevity!
Many of the biggest auto youtubers today were either unborn or just out of their diapers when Motorweek started several decades ago!
For this reason, I think Motorweek should leverage more on that heritage with a change of youtube name -
"Motorweek since 1981"
That is one Phoenix that will certainly not be rising from the ashes. 😂
Lol!!! I don't even remember that car!
@@andydhillon1977 Please accept my apologies for the nightmare.
My hometown, there's a neighborhood where a '77 Phoenix still rolls around.
@@PhilMante Yes, that would be the earlier RWD Phoenix built on the Nova platform.
@@rightlanehog3151 Those Novas took their time to sail off into space. They're one of the last ultra retro V8 muscle cars that are still affordable. If you have about 5K you might get a 4-door survivor.
Ahh, I remember those days watching Motorweek on PBS. This was my college freshman year, and it was the closest to "cable" a broke young man had!
👍
Still on PBS!
I couldnt imagine having a 88 hp nissan datsun stanza fully loaded with 5 adults ac on going up hill or trying to pass a car lol
I had a 2001 Nissan Altima SE (Stanza) with the 2.4L, 155 HP, 4 speed Automatic and with the A/C blowing it would bog down in traffic. Get the 5-speed manual, no problem. At the time I tried to find one but they were all sold out so I bought the automatic.
Imagine on a Colorado high mountain pass with a full load.
I did as a kid. My Mom bought one for us and we drove in Apalachicola for years in it! It was so big
That Stanza (OG Altima) is gutless af
@@oldtwinsna8347imagine being on the Moon with no gas stations! Lol
3:00 That Stanza door chime brought back a flood of memories. My mom had a 1983 Sentra that she bought brand new and had for 15 years. That door chime is the sound of my childhood. 😂
Right? I had an 82 Datsun 310GX and that immediately took me back to shifting through the gears learning how to drive a stick
My grandma's (Datsun Nissan) Maxima had that as well. I thought only the Maxima had it!
@@GeeEm1313
The First Generation Mazima has the talking voice.
Love the tinkle sound warning chime..
So polite
The chime on the 1989 Accord was Very similar!!
Rare to even see a Phoenix mentioned. This was great to revisit these cares that were everywhere when I was growing up. The occasional Camry or 626 are the only ones you see on occasion anymore around here.
We had the Citation version as a kid. I didn't think it was so bad.
@@modelmanjohn Yeah my grandma had the Chevy Citation version when I was a kid, I think an 82. It seemed ok. Hers was black which I've never seen another one painted that color.
The X-Cars really weren't bad at all once GM got the bugs worked out. But you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. GM used basically the same platform and engineering for their A-body cars (Olds Ciera, Buick Century, Chevy Celebrity, Pontiac 6000) that sold extremely well for many years and are generally considered to be very reliable -- you still see many of them on the road today.
@@Stressless2023 Either you got lucky or my dad got a lemon :D our 1983 Citation had lots of problems within the first 2 years. Clutch, front axle, suspension and some other issues, but it was paid for so it became my first hand me down car. Fortunately it was totaled in a 1989 crash and I bought a used Cavalier. Ahh, memories...
@@civlyzed I've heard of them being hit or miss. My grandma's 83 was fine, never left her or us stranded, but she only kept it about 4 years. She also traded it in for a new Cavalier lol.
Ah, the MotorWeek Players are fantastic once again! The jawbreaker test was completely unexpected!
We should try that with our cars haha
I was 7 years old when all of these cars roamed America's roads and freeways, i remember seeing them all. Its hard to believe it was 40 years ago, the Family Car has gone through alot of changes since then.
I love the stereo with the equalizer in the Mazda, looks so high tech for the time.
Would never have guessed back in 83 that the Camry would become the world class car that it has!
Still with pogo-stick lousy suspension. Watching crash compilations, it's often a Camry that goes out of control & runs off the road, after an emergency maneuver on a straight, dry road.
You mean Cam-Ray!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@tyronepowell147 yes that's definitely how John Davis says it! 🤣
If by world class, you mean extremely boring, correct.
That generation of 626 was my mothers first car, I wasn’t around to see it but fortunately she got the next generation and kept it well until I was old enough to appreciate it. Today I’m a huge Mazda enthusiast because of it (and my dads 83 RX-7 helped too)
My parents had this gen as a coupe. They kept it till 2000 I think. So many childhood memories. 😊
My dad's Mazda 6 has 300,000 miles on it
@@thecustardguys You have been allowed to use the permanent marker again? Don't write on real cars. Mazda, who are only vehicles, not cars, don't matter.
@@Demun1649 you okay bruh?
@@Demun1649
Okay ..... Deep Breath... now, u wanna try that again?
"Cam-ray" ;) Seriously a great blast from the past. Would be nice if 2023 offered options like these.
Instead of an insipid beep or droning buzzer, the 626 plays an actual melody when you leave the door open and the keys in the ignition. I hadn’t noticed this when I saw this original broadcast back in ‘83.
I liked any cars that used bell chimes, with solenoids that struck a set of actual bells. I recall several makes using various bell chimes, but Subaru sticks out in my mind because I once owned one that had them.
Love these old comparisons, hope there are still more hiding in the archives
A lot more, I fancy.
I bet my Grandfather saw this and went out and bought a 626. That car was totalled in an accident, and my grandpa and grandma pulled themselves out of the wreckage and went straight back to the Mazda dealership. The replacement car was passed around our family for decades.
Those Orientals sure do make good cars.
Rugs and food as well.
We had an '83 Stanza, my mom's first new car in 10 years. I was 15 1/2 when we got it; it was one of the cars I learned to drive in. That "ding ding" alert took me back.
My grandparents had an '82 with the same uh, bordello red interior as MW's tester. The chime takes me back, too. ;)
I bought a new Nissan Hard Body truck in 1992, and it, too, had that same chime! 😊
My parents had a 84 Stanza HB that looked identical. It last until 1999 and ended up being my first car. Lots of memories riding in the backseat and a year of rowing my own gears in the driver’s seat.
The coupe version of this era 626 is such a classy car. There's one that I've seen around my town a couple of times, and I just can't look away when I see it.
Oye. 3 Orientals. Doesn't sound PC 2023. Grew up watching this show. Loved it.
My first new car purchase was a 1984 Mazda 626 two door coup with all the bells and whistles including digital instrumentation. It was a really great car other than it could have used a bit more power under the hood. For 1984, the styling looked pretty advanced.
That music is pure 80s gold. As is that ding ding sound coming from the Stanza.
One thing that holds true from this comparison is that Mazda will always emphasize driving performance. I've owned two Mazda 6's and have never been disappointed by either of them. I'd be first in line if the rumored return of the 6 comes to be!
For sure. My Dad had a Mazda 3 and it was a blast to drive. My brother still has its, 18 years later and its still going strong.
@@Andyface79 I drive a 2005 mazda 3 hatch to this day.
I initially was very surprised to see the Phoenix rate so well, but take away the quality and recall issues that plagued the first few years so badly and the X-cars were at their core a very capable design. Alas, the damage was done and the X-cars never recovered even when GM ironed out the issues.
That is true. Another reason the x-cars sales dropped off was of the A-body cars. Same wheelbase but in a larger body. I owned an 85 citation. No quality problems with mine.
A few years ago I bought a 2017 Ford Focus ST, brand new. From the moment I pulled into work, people kept asking me why I didn't get something "nicer" which was a polite way of asking why I didn't get a pickup or a big sedan. I simply said it was big enough for me, and it has what I want. So it's funny looking back and seeing how 30+ years ago, cars that would make my FoST look big were still considered "family size" with 80hp and 3-speed autos.... I miss the lightweight and simple lines of the old cars but I do appreciate how far we've come, even if most people don't.
Brought a tear to my eye. That precise model of Camry was my first car. Mine was even the same color.
Oh dear lord!.......I'm so sorry.
@@burntcrumpets5616 I was a 16-year-old and entirely jazzed to have anything mobile. Was it a great car? Nope, but it took me places and that made it magical.
@@newcarpathia9422 but darling......there's also the bus. Travel in style I say!
@@burntcrumpets5616 The bus? Where I lived? Har! There was no bus. :)
@@newcarpathia9422 Train then? Forgive me but am I taking public transport for granted with me being European? In all seriousness, I was just messing with your nut before. I'm sure the early Camry's were a decent piece of kit back in the day being a well trusted model over on the States. Can't go wrong with most Japanese auto brands though the Camry wasn't an option here in Europe. Instead we had the other saloon/sedan model called the Avensis. Rather nonchalant but the cabbie's loved em! Again I apologize for my overly dry euro humour regarding your first automobile. I confess, I'm sure your Camry was a whole lot better than my first car which was a total embarrassment! May I ask what year did you take possession of your Camry? Just curious. Kind regards 😉
"Our contestants include three orientals..."
Woweee, this uh....this was a different time wasn't it
Today they're all "Asians", Im sure future generations will be offended by that
According to Merriam Webster, while an outdated term, it's not considered offensive when used to describe art, medicine, or objects...just when describing people
I'm Asian and and I find that funny. 😂😂😂
Yes a different time. A better time.
I can speak for John Davis at the time (no I can't, lol), but when he said it, it was meant to be witty and tongue-in-cheek. Also, since the Orientals in this review were great cars (for the time), it would be viewed (by anyone not woke-brainwashed) as a compliment to any and everything Oriental (whether it be people or country).
Ahh.. The first Camry.
I Had one back in 1990-1991.
Great memories.
Greetings From Finland!
The 1st uttering of the Cam-Ray
Or idiot lights
I haven't ever seen these cars other than the Camray. Still see a few Camry on the road. It's a good car. Rust is the issue that killed the Camry my family had.
Not enough companies do the "Jawbreaker Test" for panel fit anymore... we need more of these tests in 2023.
I am old enough to remember this review, we have come a long long way. Incidentally, among other things, what they considered to be quiet we would today consider it extremely loud
Well do u remember it
Those boat American cars were pretty quiet.
In 1983 I bought my first new car. It was a Plymouth Colt GTS Hatchback (Mitsubishi, 1.6L 4 cyl., Super Shift which Plymouth called Twin Stick. It was a 4 speed manual with a second lever for a high-low differential). It would burn rubber in 1st, 2nd and, sometimes, 3rd in low range and get 47 MPG in high range at highway speeds. I don't remember the price but it was about $7000-$7500.
47mpg is even great for today's standards!
That generation Mazda 626 was a great generation. Good looking, reliable, and fun to drive.
Yeah. My father had several of them, last one was an 87 GT Hatchback. Great car would love to find one these days
@@Flying_GC they were around 83-88? Why Several?
September 19, 1983 -- same night Wheel of Fortune had first aired in primetime!
'What I still think of as a "Family Sized" car: If we'd stick to Honda Civics* for diriving our kids around we would be able to afford send them to college (or your favorite trade school)-$30k today is less than $11k in 1983.
College isn't worth the price of admission unless the goal is a degree in science.
The problem is Americans see small cars as a temporary embarrassment while they work towards barely being able to afford a big SUV or luxury car instead of saving for their future.
I think the Mazda 626 got fuel injection in 1986 and also there was a turbo model with 120hp and it was a quick car.
Yes, I had an 87 626 GT Turbo… it was wickedly quick for the time. Along with fuel injection the 86-87s also had a completely new interior/dash design, updated taillights and flush wide headlights.
Here we go with that Cam-ray: the saga with the pronunciation til the 92 model.
Edit: Mazda chime is familiar (is it a Australian built?)
My first car is 1985 Toyota Camry sedan(automatic) it's pretty nice car but wow that brake test is long.
OK I think he got it mixed up with the transmission on the mileage part
Didn’t Hyundai use a similar chime in the early 2000’s?
@@JoshBrinson I remember the USDM Hyundai one and that chime doesn't match the Mazda one. The Mazda just "sings" not the Hyundai one just "beeps". The only other car that does "sing" is Volkswagen
Edit: I forgot the Mitsubishi Starion.
LOL I love that someone pinned down the year when he corrected that!
@@hothatchpa lol. Of course that pronunciation make me cringe. So he didn't correct it in 83 model the 84 model the 87 model the 88 model and corrected it in 92 model. Took him almost a decade to correct it.
Lmao, wonder when the obsession for volt meters and oil pressure gauges started
3:05 that chime takes me back to my childhood. My mom used to have a 1986 Subaru which sounded about the same.
The “ting-ting” of the door ajar alarm on the Nissan…that takes me back!
So the Camry is the only car on this list still around. It's come a long way
2:34 bruh
WTF!
Aaahhh John and the “Camray!”👌😂👍
If I had the money, I'd love to get this group of cars together again after 40 years of abuse and see how they compare to their new selves. Would be hilarious and fun!
I find it a test of time when one car model in this episode is still seen currently running in the year the episode came out & still produced today. The Toyota Camry looks to me to have proven longevity.
I dont remember seeing this comparo episode during the retro marathons for some reason. Fun to watch what was considered a superlative 40 years ago.
Love the full episodes!!
My grandpa had a powder blue Stanza of that year. I nearly forgot that car until I heard the cheerful door ajar chime!
I noticed the title card shifting around a little bit, and that made me realize that it was probably generated by the old trick of aiming a camera at the logo drawn on a piece of paper, inverting the video signal to make it white on black, and then luma-keying it on top of the video. No computer graphics involved!
Titles and credits swerved quite a bit even until the mid 80s!!!!!
It looks like it was part of a filmed sequence, with the amount of noise and what could be gate weave
Love these multi car comparisons
@16:42 got enthusiastic at first hearing 5.7 second run for the Cam-ray then realized it was just for 40-55mph. Incredible how the current Cam-ray V6 could go from a dead start while this Cam-ray started at 40mph and yet the current V6 Cam-ray would still beat it to 60.
That was the start of camray legend I think???
"The suspension kept out two biggest bags from _lying_ side by side". Wow - I had never heard an American use this word correctly. Well done, MotorWeek man.
❤❤❤❤ LOVE U MOTORWEEK ❤️👏👏👏... HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY EVERYONE ✌️
What were the 5 Motorweek hunks doing with their hands when they all got into the Pontiac Phoenix?
One of my neighbors had the Nissan Stanza and he had it for years. I never heard him complain. The 626 got the styling here. I love the jaw breaker 😅test.
Grew up with two of these Mazda 626 models. Solid cars. My parents also had a 95 model later on as well.
Excellent show 👏 my dad, who dealt in cars 🚗 for 28 years, would enjoy 😊
626 was a hansome car and the Pontiac Phoenix was the best value. The 1983 Phoenix is a clone of the improved Citation II that addressed the reputation ruining record setting recalls of the original Citation.
More of the comparo videos! They are great, I watch them while doing the dishes.
I always liked that old Nissan chime
That generation of 626 was a thing of beauty.
I owned an '86 626 GT 5-door for a while. Although mine was a beater with a bunch of problems when I bought it, I definitely did not hate that car. It looked great and it was fun to drive (whenever it was running close enough to right).
$10,000 + 40 Year = $30,000
I'd love to see this generetion Mazda 626 in its Turbo/GT version, at the time it must have been the fastest of the bunch-
By 1983 the bugs that GM's X-body cars seemed to be worked out, I remember by the early 2000's the later versions of the X-body cars were still somewhat commonly seen on the road while the earlier models were nearing extinct.
The GM X-body cars were better than people gave them credit for. I had a 1985 chevy citation and drove it till 1994.
It says a lot about the state of the US car industry in 1983 that a Stanza can wow the reviewers.
That jawbreaker test @ 2:30 was funny.
I had a Mazda 626 in HS. It was a great car.
I didn’t expect an '83 Phoenix to appear, but okay. That car has character too.
I've been thinking lately about John's continued mispronunciation of "Camry" as "Cam-Ray" back then, & am now wondering if Toyota told him to pronounce it like that just as Mitsubishi told the press to pronounce "Galant" "Ga-Lawn" for the first generation models.
I thought it was a typo on an early script and John simply locked in on Cam Ray forever after. But you are probably closer to the truth.
He probably dismissed any comments from staff early on with these things .This includes oil and voltmeter gauges that he kept harping about.
About 1992-93 he switched to the acceptable camry instead of camray.
John just says certain words h'weird
They didn’t test the AMC concord wagon, which was really a hatchback. But since it was basically a warmed over 1971 amc hornet, maybe it’s just as well.
My heart just sank to my stomach realizing these cars are 40yrs old. FORTY years old! Man, I feel old. I was only a kid in the 80s, but I remember when these were on the road. Of the group, my choice is the Mazda 626. I really like the design and it seems the plushest inside, only bested in that regard by the Pontiac Phoenix. Camry would be at the bottom for me due to having the ugliest exterior design and poor driving dynamics.
Probably the best 626 ever made and looks stunning, especially from the front. Isn't it a hatch?
obviously it is, nevertheless the presenter likes to refer to it as a touring sedan.
Man I loved my Datsun B210, wish I could find another one today. I was able to find a one owner clean Toyota Cressida though. The 4 door Supra is what it was nicknamed because it had the same powerplant. Keep up the best auto show ever created MotorWeek! Love you guys
I had a new 1984 chevy citation for 2 years and had no problems at all.
I owned an 85 citation II. It had the one year only horizontal radio and hvac controls. My citation had no problems at all.
I miss simple M/T cars with graphic equalizers. Good times.
Remembering the ad jingle: "you can cross your legs in the back of a Nissan Stanza".
I had some rude versions of that.
I had a charcoal grey 85 626 5 speed during/after high school. Had a burgundy interior and I drove it everywhere until I gave it to a younger brother at well over 400,000 miles.
It's amazing this guy went on to become the lead singer for the band Korn.
I wish Mazda still made a 5 door hatchback. I had a 2006 Mazda6 hatch and it was more practical and efficient than small SUVs, and handled much better.
I love the early mid 80s cars...😍😊👍
That song in the beginning is really trippy.
Cool, I remember these cars 🥰
That generation of 626, 929 was truly great
Those 626 could last many years and miles. My wife had a new 85 we kept for 250,000 miles.
This vid is 40 years old. Damn!
I am 40 years old. Damn!
@@radudeATL I'm 45🥹
Hi Toyota Camray, also I don’t think Oriental can’t really be used anymore these days.
The interior of all the imports were lightyears ahead the Phoenix. Those gages looked faded and used like Junk Yard replacements. 😂 (and im a GM guy). My favorite was the 626.
All these cars are beautiful
Boy, do I miss these cars...
This is a nice comparison, with some cars we don't see anymore. Especially the Phoenix. But I noticed something about the Stanza: at the start, John said "along with the 3-speed automatic gearbox we didn't request", meaning it had an automatic transmission. The 33 mpg figure came with the automatic model but later, when the mileage points were given, John said that the car had a 5-speed manual. I guess it was an editing mistake.
I’d take the 626
That Nissan "Datsun" Stanza took me back to reality in 1983. ALL Nissan cars were known as "Datsuns" until 1984, the transitional year when every model wore both Datsun & Nissan badges on the rear. From 1985-present, they were known only as Nissan. The all new 1984 Datsun 300ZX 50th Anniversary Turbos sold for $29,995 plus tax, insurance & dealer fees. The same price as a new Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. I know because my 300ZX is still in my garage with all the paperwork & 7,500 original miles. They were available on Dealer's lots starting July 11, 1983 & Dealers NEVER offered discounts!
Love the downhill 0-60 track
That Mazda 626 is a pretty darn cool car. Crazy good breaks for not having ABS. The Pheonix's styling looks so much better than its Chevy counterpart, the Citation.
Still like those wheels on the mazda,thought they only came on the later turbo models
So...40 years ago you guys weren't completely bonkers! Now it's all F-150s vs Rams. 😂🤟
I was a big fan of that Mazda 626 5 door hatch.
My family used to own a Nissan Stanza and Mazda 626
Really good cars