The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

You almost need a scorecard to keep up with the sophisticated little cars available these days. And we are not talking out-of-sight specialty vehicles, but models that not too long ago were considered one step up from economy models. Today they are slightly upscale in price but by no means expensive.

Both domestic and import manufacturers provide a variety of these cars that offer some of the characteristics once confined to higher priced sport sedans and coupes such as performance, handling, styling and those extra touches on the interior and exterior that might not make a car any better but certainly can make it more interesting.

More than any other segment of the auto market, these ”bargain basement” sport sedans and coupes reflect the need to go first class without really paying first-class prices. Make no mistake, they are not the same as the higher priced vehicles (still a lot of truth in the old saw that you get what you pay for), but if you have a vivid imagination and squint a little you might think you are getting away with something.

This week’s test car, the Mazda 626, started life rather modesty in the late 1970s as an upscale car for Mazda’s basic economy car, the GLC. It was moderately priced, moderately equipped, moderately looking and performed moderately. Through the years, though, it developed into a somewhat interesting vehicle but nothing to really take your breath away. This year, though, with the right model, it might just make you think.

The test car was a Turbo GT five-door touring sedan (a fancy way to say liftback) with top-of-the-line features including an unusual automatic adjusting suspension system. It did an excellent job of acting like a higher priced performance/sports sedan.

With a EPA index volume of 110 cubic feet (89 interior/21 storage), the touring sedan is at the upper end of the compact classification (100-110 cubic feet). However, this is somewhatdeceptive. In order to give it a more sporty look, the touring sedan has a roof line that is almost two inches lower than the four-door sedan version (53.7 inches compared to 55.5) and headroom is somewhat restricted.

All but the very tall could probably live with this. However, the test vehicle was equipped with a sliding sunroof that further cut headroom. So, if you’re interested in this vehicle, make sure you try it on first. And this advice is not only for tall drivers, but all drivers.

I had a particularly bad time driving the test car. Most of the time my right earlobe was touching my shoulder so that I wouldn’t bang my head on the roof. But no matter what position I got in, I did manage to hit either the roof or the lip from the sliding sunscreen. Admittedly, I am above average in height, but there’s no reason to be so severely punished for it. Even with a nine-way adjustable seat, I couldn’t get comfortable in this car.

Other dimensions on th e 626 touring sedan are: length, 177.8 inches; wheelbase, 98.8 inches; width, 66.5 inches, and curb weight, 2,730 pounds. Aside from the lack of headroom, passenger room is about the same as other compacts. Meaning, if the front seats aren’t extended all of the way back, adults will be able to sit in some comfort in the rear seat. As previously mentioned, the touring sedan has a storage area of 21 cubic feet, which is quite large. Since it is a hatchback, the rear seatbacks can be folded down to provide additional room.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the most impressive feature of the 626 Turbo is its performance. I mean, it can move out. Play that five-speed transmission right – don’t be afraid to lay on the accelerator and you can go from zero to 60 in about nine seconds. And what is even more impressive is that there is no turbo lag (if there is any, I couldn’t detect it). Lifting the hood and gazing at the turbo is also a surprise. It’s so small (it weighs only 11 pounds) it’s easy to overlook. I’m not sure how such a small turbo can pack in so much boost, but apparently it does. The turbo engine is rated at 120 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 150 foot-pounds torque at 3,000 rpm. This is about a 30 percent gain over the non-turbo engine which is rated at 93 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 115 foot pounds torque at 2,500 rpm. (Both engines feature electronic fuel injection.)

With moderate driving, fuel mileage on the test car came to 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway.

The Turbo GT, fortunately, has a suspension to go with the performance. The basic suspension features MacPherson struts up front and Mazda’s ”Twin Trapezoidal Link” layout in the rear with anti-roll bars on both ends. Added to this is the all-new Auto Adjusting Suspension (AAS),which Mazda says is a more sophisticated development of the previous Electronic Variable Shock Absorbers (EVSA). Anyway, with AAS, all four shock absorbers are controlled by a computer through three modes; Normal, Sport and Auto.

The Normal setting is on the soft side and should satisfy those who like their rides smooth. The Sport setting is very firm and will most appreciated by the driving enthusiast. For others, the Auto setting is the best choice. In this mode, according to Mazda, a computer takes over, receiving signals on speed, acceleration, braking and steering wheel angle. Depending upon the condition, the computer then continuously and nearly instantaneously adjusts the four shock absorbers to provide functions of anti-roll, anti-dive, anti- squat and additional front end stability.

Power rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes are standard on the GT model.

Base price on the GT five-door touring sedan is $13,695. This price includes a high level of trim and plenty of standard equipment such as power brakes, power steering, intermittent wipers, electric outside mirrors with remote control, digital quartz clock, rear window defogger, AM-FM stereo with electronic turning and four 25-watt speakers, rear wiper and washer, electric antenna, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, bronze tinted glass, headlamp washers, dual exhaust pipes and GT-type steering wheel.

Full price on the test car came to $15,015, which included the car’s only two options – air conditioning, $725, and sunroof, $595.