Good morning! We’re starting the week off with one of my favorite automotive platforms, the Mazda BG. Thanks to the Underappreciated Survivors group on Facebook, I’ve got two rarities to show you.
On Friday, we looked at two cars that were pretty similar, and as is often the case, the votes were really tight as well. In fact, the Chrysler New Yorker won by just three votes over the Packard 200. There wasn’t much consensus when it came to reasons for voting; some folks liked the history behind the Packard name, some were put off by the Chrysler’s missing bumpers, and some simply voted on price. But you all seemed to agree that the big ol’ straight-eight dinosaurs were cool.
Obviously I agree, or I wouldn’t have bothered writing about them. Between these two, I think my preference would be for the Packard, but I’d be excited to get a chance to drive either one. I have a bit of family history with both of them, and it would be fun to try driving something similar to either my great-grandfather’s favorite highway car (the Chrysler) or my dad’s first car (the Packard).
One of the most unsung heroes of the automotive landscape in the 1990s was the Mazda BG platform. The BG formed the basis for the Mazda 323 and Protege, the Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer, and a few other offshoots. They’re excellent little cars, and that ain’t no jive talkin’. Fun to drive, good-mannered, and very durable, as witnessed by how many of them are stayin’ alive after thirty years. I’ve owned one, driven many, and serviced about a zillion of them. How deep is my love for this platform? Well, the humble Ford Escort LX that I owned for three years is still one of my favorites of the nearly 40 cars I’ve owned, despite the tragedy of having an automatic transmission. OK, I think I’m out of Bee Gees puns now. Let’s take a look at some cars.
1991 Mercury Tracer LTS – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter DOHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Carlisle, PA
Odometer reading: 155,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
In 1991, the Ford Escort sold in North America moved from Ford’s own chassis to the Mazda BG. At the same time, Mercury’s variant, the Lynx, was dropped. In its place, Mercury sold a new generation of its Tracer captive import, which previously was a rebadged BF-chassis Mazda 323. The new Escort and Tracer were a huge improvement over the old Escort/Lynx, but the engines remained the same old Ford CVH – unless you got one of the special ones.
Everyone remembers the second-generation Escort GT, with its asymmetrical grille and colorful paint options, but Mercury had its own spicy Tracer, the LTS, powered by the same Mazda BP-ZE twin-cam engine. It puts out 127 horsepower in stock form and is capable of a whole lot more with some modifications. With a rev-happy engine like the BP, you want a manual gearbox, and this Tracer has one. The seller says they bought it to teach their kids how to drive a manual (a noble endeavor, these days) and that it runs and drives great.
And now we come to the one big drawback to the BG cars: the automatic seat belts. Every US-market Escort, Tracer, Protege, 323, and MX-3 from this era has them. Luckily, they’re not the permanently-attached kind, so you can unplug the motors and just latch the shoulder and lap belts separately, manually, if you want. At least this one looks nice inside, though I’d like to see what’s under those seat covers. The seller says the air conditioning worked when they bought it, but it has lost its charge over time and will need some repairs if you want to use it again.
Outside, it’s clean as a whistle. The paint looks good, and I don’t see any damage. It’s worth a check for rust underneath, but it passed a safety inspection in August. Pennsylvania is pretty strict about its inspections, so I wouldn’t expect there to be a problem. It has the original wheels and the requisite ’90s sporty sedan rear spoiler.
1993 Mazda MX-3 RS – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Salem, SC
Odometer reading: 175,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Someone of a pedantic nature out there in the audience is howling with rage right now, shouting to whoever will listen that this is not a BG-chassis car. Yeah, you got me; Mazda calls it the EC chassis, but it’s based on the BG. And besides, the jokes in the introductory paragraph only work if I call them both BGs. Anyway, this is the Mazda MX-3, a strangely insectile little sports coupe built by Mazda 1991-1998, and sold in the US from 1992-96.
The MX-3 became famous in auto enthusiast circles for its optional engine, a teeny-tiny 1.8-liter V6. Sadly, this car doesn’t have that option. Instead, it has a single-overhead-cam 1.6-liter four. It only makes 88 horsepower, but this is a lightweight car, and it has a five-speed manual to help you make the most of the power that’s there. This one runs and drives well, and is currently a daily driver. The seller includes a list of recent work done, including cooling system work, a new fuel pump, front brakes, and new tires.
This one has mystery seat covers as well, and shows a little more wear and tear than the Tracer does, but it’s not in bad shape at all. There’s a big crack in the top of the dash, probably from being parked out in the sun. Speaking of being out in the sun, the seller says the air conditioning works fine on this one. The radio, however, does not work.
It’s a little scruffy outside: the paint is coming off the bumpers, there are some dings and dents, and the rear spoiler is missing. But it doesn’t have any rust on it, so that’s something. The headlights that give this car its bug-like appearance are in serious need of a polish. Normally when they get this bad, I’d suggest just replacing them, but these don’t appear to be available anymore.
Silly disco jokes aside, cars based on the Mazda BG (and later BH and BJ) chassis really are some of my favorite little cars to drive, especially with manual transmissions. This basic architecture lasted all the way through 2003 here in the US, ending with the last Ford Escort ZX2. They’re still plentiful if you look around, but the more special and fun versions like these are getting harder to find, and they’re starting to be affected by the RADWood virus, which makes prices creep upwards. Best grab one now if you want one. Which one of these is more your style?
During high school I had a lot of fun times in a buddy’s Escort that looked a lot like that Tracer. It is possible to stall that car despite it being an automatic, for those who were wondering . . .
I don’t understand why some people hate the automatic seatbelts so much. I drove a Thunderbird so equipped through high school and college and it never bothered me.
It really depends on your height and body proportions. For some, the seat belt location and seat position just work. For others, once you get the seat in the right spot, the belt is cutting into your neck or riding too low on your shoulder.
The best thing ever to come along for good shoulder belt positioning is the adjustable height guides.
I had this exact problem with these automatic belts.
Same, I grew up in these cars and most of my early cars had them- both the door mounted and track mounted ones, none ever bothered me and looking back very few people at the time had any issue with them, but they’re looked back with such vile now.
If you’re tall there will be a fist sized gap between your chest and the shoulder belt.
I really wanted to vote for the Mazda, but it’d have to be half the price. The Mercury should be, too, but I suppose it’s a decent value for the price, and I wouldn’t mind driving it around for a while.
i was in it for the mazda at first but i live about 30+/- mins down the road from salem. population of probably 200. backwoods kind of area riddled with the crystals. ill go with the tracer that the local k9 unit doesnt need to take a pass at.
Riddled with crystals? Maybe we should go get em’. I could use a few extra rubys, diamonds and sapphires to my collection.
it wont be safe to go alone, take this (holds up banjo). just dont smile too pretty while youre there! they filmed deliverance down the road before they backed up lake keowee!
Not “the Ford Escort”, but rather “your Ford Escort” was on the BG platform! 😉
I was going to go MX-3, but since it doesn’t have the super tiny V6, I’ll take the Tracer.
I love the MX-3 and being a Mazda fan I really wanted to go that way today but I think the Tracer is just a stronger option here. It looks to be in really good shape for it’s age vs the pretty scruffy MX-3. The AC is apparently just a slow leak (hopefully? Anyway this is fake internet money so I’m going with that) which is fairly easy to resolve. The biggest tip to the Tracer though is the twin cam 1.8 which would be far more entertaining that the 88hp base engine in the MX.
Mouse belts put both cars in the “nope!” category for me. Hated those things. Still do.
All that said, if I had to pick, it’s the Tracer. Someone took better care of it, it has the twincam engine, and isn’t awful to look at.
Neither is the Mazda, but the need for paint and the sweet li’l V6 (the only version I ever drove) make it less attractive.
Always liked the Tracer, and today’s no exception. They were excellent little cars, and beat the pants off the Mercury midsize at the time (Topaz). It would be fun as hell to rock this thing at Radwood.
If the MX-3 was a V6, that all day. Same If the Tracer had a more basic engine. But that’s the fastest Tracer, with a DOHC engine and a base-engine MX-3 in scruffy condition. Gonna get that dang Mercury song stuck in my head again, but the ultra-clean Not-Escort gets the nod.
This. The Tracer is too good for the non-V6 MX-3.
The Tracer’s better condition makes it worth the extra money for me. For $7k all in though I’d be tempted to get both of them.
The Tracer is a better car here, but I don’t like sedans that much.
Since you started a joke, I’d still choose it.
I don’t want to live in a world where a 35 year old economy car (albeit with a better engine) and 155k miles is a $4000 car, so I picked the Mazda. If the Merc was $3k, I would have picked it.
Cleaner, 4 doors, AND a better engine? If I had money, I’d tell you what I’d do…
Considering today’s exchange rate on imaginary dollars, I will just spend them on the clean Tracer and live a little.
I’m cheaping out today. Mazda go zoom. It’s really just got a cooler shape. Get a cheap paint job (do those exist anymore?) and you’re all set.
No baby V6, no Bueno.
The Tracer seems perfect for a drive from Massachusetts down to New York, in time for some fun nights on Broadway. You know, to avoid lonely days and lonely nights.
The overall look of the MX-3 is awesome. The condition though… Tracer for me.
This is the bothiest day ever!
MX-3 is manual, air conditioning supposedly works, cheaper, and can probably find snow tires cheap for rallycross.
2 doors and a 5-speed for the win!
“…and the rear spoiler is missing.”
The base-model MX-3 didn’t come with a spoiler – only the V6.
If the paint were in better shape, I’d go w the Mazda – but since not, its the Tracer for me.
What am I, a no-automatic-belts voter, to choose?! Mazda, I guess because it feels like longer since I’ve seen an MX-3 in person (though I don’t I’ve seen that generation of Tracer in person for 10 years or more).
I am with you I never want another automatic belt car again.
Back when the MX-3 was new the drivers of these things would ALWAYS be a good-looking young female. So, being that, this not so good-looking male would do his best to catch a glance at them… Ah, to be in my mid-20’s again.
These and Geo Storms both. And I liked them both, and got mocked for wanting a “girl car.”
My wife hates Miatas, and hates how much I love them, because she sees them as hair dresser cars.
She showed me Corky Romano to try and prove her point, then said “this probably just makes you want one more, eh?”
Miata was good enough for MacGruber.
It probably doesn’t help that she’s 6ft and I’m only 5’7″, but she doesn’t like small cars.