At $7,800, Do You Love This Low-Mileage 1996 Mazda MX-6 LS?

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice MX-6 comes with two sets of wheels and tires, although it’s barely done enough miles to eat through even one. Everything about the car seems laudable, from its condition to its specs. We’ll have to see if its price falls in line.

If any one of us had sat around for nearly 40 years, we’d assuredly see the deleterious effects of that sedentary lifestyle manifest in a number of unfortunate ways. The same can be said for cars, and the 1968 White Wind dune buggy we looked at yesterday did exhibit a number of needs for its 38-year lack of use. That, and the limited appeal that a dune buggy holds in general, ensured that the car’s $5,900 asking price came under special scrutiny. In the end, that managed a decisive 71 percent No Dice loss for the tow-away fun buggy.

A common trope in film—especially in teen rom-coms—is the dorky girl or guy makeover that suddenly turns heads owing to the unmasking of their conventional attractiveness and corresponding abandonment of the quirky nature that actually made them interesting in the first place.

A similar, albeit less controversial, change was undertaken by Mazda in the ’90s on its MX6 coupe. The first edition of the MX6 two-door featured squared-off styling, much of which was shared with the 626 sedan. The car underneath was notably intriguing, offering the option of turbocharged engines and available 4-wheel steering. The dull as dishwater looks, however, meant that few realized that such prowess lay below.

Things changed with the introduction of the second generation in 1992. Gone was the dowdy upright styling of the previous generation, replaced with a proper coupe body featuring lithe lines, an arching greenhouse, and a pointy nose. A family resemblance to the also updated 626 sedan could be discerned, but the coupe was finally allowed to stand on its own.

Things were different under the skin, too. For the American market, the turbocharged four-cylinder was gone, replaced by a 2.5-liter DHOC V6, which could offer more power and a flatter torque curve. That could be partnered with a five-speed manual driving the front wheels or, for those who like such things, a four-speed automatic.

This 1996 Mazda MX-6 sports the V6 and manual, a combo that has powered the handsome coupe to a mere 53,000 miles over the course of its life. It also seems to have been very well looked after during that time as there are no obvious dings or dents in the bodywork and the Mica Green paint still pops in decent fashion. Typically, on cars this age with two-stage paint, the clear coat has failed, and things look extremely ratty. The car rolls on a set of aftermarket alloys that, surprisingly, look very well suited to the car. The seller is offering the sale with those and the car’s original factory alloys. All look to be in great condition. No word, however, on the age of any of the eight tires.

This is an LS model, and that means it could be optioned with the leather upholstery that this car has fitted. That also looks to be in solid shape, with only some obvious wear to the driver’s seat bolster from entry and exit to note. The rest of the cabin is just as nice, with clean carpet and mats and no excess wear on any of the tactile surfaces. According to the ad, everything works as it should, and the car “needs nothing.”

This being a ’96, it’s an OBDII car and, as a possible downside of that, makes only 160 horsepower out of that little V6 rather than the earlier model years’ 164. Boo-freakin’-hoo. On the plus side, by the time of this model year, the car had dual front airbags fitted and wasn’t saddled with the mousebelt restraints of just a few years prior.

The title is clean, and the price for this lightly used survivor is $7,800.

What are your thoughts on this MX-6 and that asking? Does that seem like a deal for a coupe with such cachet? Or is that too much to ask, no matter how good the makeover was?

You decide!

Rochester, New York, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Whatsupdohc for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at remslie@kinja.com and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.