Mazda Navajo: which version to buy (4.0 MT vs 4.0 AT)
The Mazda Navajo was sold in one generation (1990–1994) as an SUV 3-doors with two versions: 4.0 MT and 4.0 AT. Both use the same 4016 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder engine at 162 hp and 298 Nm, both are AWD, and both share a 73 L tank and 160 mm ground clearance.
Mazda Navajo: which version to buy (4.0 MT vs 4.0 AT)
The Mazda Navajo was sold in one generation (1990–1994) as an SUV 3-doors with two versions: 4.0 MT and 4.0 AT. Both use the same 4016 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder engine at 162 hp and 298 Nm, both are AWD, and both share a 73 L tank and 160 mm ground clearance. The buying choice is therefore not “which engine” or “which generation.” It is whether the five-speed Manual on 4.0 MT is worth the measured performance and economy figures that the four-speed Automatic on 4.0 AT does not have in this catalogue.
Specs that are identical on both versions
Power, torque, fuel type, layout, and chassis numbers that match on 4.0 MT and 4.0 AT:
- 162 hp (119 kW) at 4500 rpm
- 298 Nm at 2200 rpm
- 4016 cm³ Gasoline, 6 cylinders, V-shaped, 2 valves per cylinder, boost: No
- Front, longitudinal engine, Distributed injection (multi-point)
- Compression ratio 9, bore × stroke 100 × 84
- Fuel labelled 80
- Drive: AWD
- Tank: 73 L
- Ground clearance: 160 mm
- Front suspension: Independent, spring; rear: Dependent, leaf spring
- Front brakes: Ventilated disc; rear: Drum
- Production window: 1990-01-01 to 1994-12-31
Specific output is the same on both: 162 hp ÷ 4.016 L = 40.3 hp per litre. Torque per litre is 298 ÷ 4.016 = 74.2 Nm per litre. Peak torque arrives 2300 rpm below peak power (4500 − 2200), so the engine is specified as a low-rpm torque unit, not a high-rev one. Nothing in the data separates the two versions on that point.
What actually differs: gearbox, measured figures, and weight
| Version | Gearbox | Gears | 0–100 km/h | Top speed | City / highway / mixed L/100 km | Kerb / gross kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 MT | Manual | 5 | 13.2 s | 160 km/h | 14.7 / 10.2 / 12.4 | 1805 / 2350 |
| 4.0 AT | Automatic | 4 | not measured | not measured | not measured / not measured / not measured | not measured / not measured |
4.0 MT has one extra ratio (5 versus 4). Wheel sizes are not measured on either version.
Kerb-to-power on the only weighed version: 1805 kg ÷ 162 hp = 11.1 kg per horsepower on 4.0 MT. Payload on that version: 2350 − 1805 = 545 kg. Those two ratios cannot be calculated for 4.0 AT because kerb and gross mass are not measured.
Performance and mpg: only 4.0 MT is measured
4.0 MT is the only version with a timed sprint, a listed top speed, and fuel figures:
- 0–100 km/h: 13.2 s
- Top speed: 160 km/h
- City: 14.7 L/100 km
- Highway: 10.2 L/100 km
- Mixed: 12.4 L/100 km
City use on 4.0 MT costs 14.7 − 10.2 = 4.5 L/100 km more than highway use. Mixed sits 2.2 L/100 km above highway and 2.3 L/100 km below city, so the mixed figure is close to the midpoint of the two.
With the 73 L tank on 4.0 MT:
- Mixed range: 73 ÷ 12.4 × 100 ≈ 589 km
- Highway range: 73 ÷ 10.2 × 100 ≈ 716 km
- City range: 73 ÷ 14.7 × 100 ≈ 497 km
Highway range is about 219 km longer than city range on the same tank.
4.0 AT has the same 73 L tank, but city, highway, mixed, 0–100, and top speed are all not measured. You cannot treat the Automatic as “slower” or “thirstier” from this catalogue: those cells are empty, not worse. If you need a number for sprint, top speed, or mpg, the data only support 4.0 MT.
Dimensions, weight, and clearance
Ground clearance is 160 mm on both versions. The tank is 73 L on both. Wheel sizes are not measured on 4.0 MT and not measured on 4.0 AT.
Weight is only listed for 4.0 MT: 1805 kg kerb, 2350 kg gross. Gross is 545 kg above kerb. 4.0 AT kerb is not measured; 4.0 AT gross is not measured. A buyer comparing “which is lighter” has one weighed car and one unweighed car — not two masses to subtract.
Generations: there is nothing to trade between years
There is one generation (kluch 3271), 1990–1994, SUV 3-doors, two versions. No second generation, no restyle generation, and no change in horsepower, torque, displacement, drive, tank, or clearance between the two versions. “Which generation” is not a Mazda Navajo question in this dataset. The only split is Manual versus Automatic inside that one SUV 3-doors body.
Which version to choose
Choose 4.0 MT if you want the only fully specified Navajo. It is the five-speed Manual AWD version with 162 hp, 298 Nm, 13.2 s to 100 km/h, 160 km/h top speed, mixed 12.4 L/100 km, 1805 kg kerb, 2350 kg gross, 73 L tank, and 160 mm clearance. It is also the only version where you can compute 11.1 kg/hp, 545 kg payload, and roughly 589 km mixed range. If the buying decision needs those numbers, they exist only here.
Choose 4.0 AT if the gearbox itself is the requirement. It is the four-speed Automatic AWD version with the same 162 hp, 298 Nm, 4016 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder, No boost, Front, longitudinal layout, 73 L tank, and 160 mm clearance. You give up one gear (4 vs 5) relative to 4.0 MT. You do not get a measured 0–100, top speed, mpg, kerb, or gross figure in return — those are not measured, not “unknown in the market,” and not implied by the Manual numbers.
Do not choose on engine, drive, body, or generation. Both versions are 162 hp / 298 Nm / 4016 cm³ / AWD / SUV 3-doors / 1990–1994. Specific output is 40.3 hp/L on both. There is no higher-power Navajo and no later generation in the data.
What the Automatic does not buy in this catalogue. There is no extra horsepower, no extra newton-metres, no larger tank, no extra ground clearance, and no second body style. The arithmetic difference that is in the data is gearbox type and gear count: Manual 5 versus Automatic 4. Performance, economy, and weight advantages cannot be claimed for either side beyond what is tabulated: 4.0 MT is measured; 4.0 AT is not.
Reliability and typical problems are not in the source data, so they are not scored here. Prices are not in the source data. The comparison that the numbers support is: same engine and chassis, one extra gear and a complete spec sheet on 4.0 MT, four-speed Automatic and empty performance/economy/weight cells on 4.0 AT.