Excellent fit and finish. The interior is simply one of the nicest I have seen in any car. Very good handling, excellent cornering. Spacious, esp. the back seat when compared to similar cars. Good sized trunk. Very smooth at highway speeds.

Ride is firm, rendering it somewhat uncomfortable on bad city roads--dropping air pressure in tires to 30 psi smooths the ride a bit. I find the front seat bottoms too soft and not offering enough support, but this is highly subjective; others have found the rear seat too firm, but I think it is just right! Side mirrors are a tad small, should extend out a bit further, would make parallel parking easier.

For the money, an excellent car, especially with the financing deals offered. Paid $16,300 for an LX automatic,with sunroof, ABS, side airbags, alarm, floor mats.

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Carefully compared it to 2002 Elantra and 2002 Civic. The Elantra is a bit roomier, except it has less legroom in the back, and has a few more bells (e.g., adjustable lumbar support, heated mirrors),

Good value, very reliable. Handles like a much more expensive car. Air conditioner puts out well for a small car. Trunk and back seat are roomy for a compact.

Paint scratches too easily. Rear bumper dents if you look at it wrong. Engine runs at high RPM (4000 at 80mph). Routine maintenance a bit on the pricey side. Some kind of rattling in deck near rear speakers.

Bought this car new and have had it for 2 years and 33000 miles. Looked at Corolla and Civic, and found far much more for the money in the Mazda (plus everyone drives those!) Unique styling and 15" alloys on the ES are a nice touch. No mechanical problems, just like my old B2200 which my brother has now, with 180K on it. Wish that the body integrity was a little stronger. I''ve driven this thing all over the western U.S. with up to 4 in the back and camping gear. This car and my truck have converted me to Mazda.

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1990 Mazda B2200 pickup

Handling Very roomy interior Price Did I mention handling?

Not enough aftermarket upgrades available yet

Purchased this car for my wife''s daily commute (130km round trip). After driving an; 88 Camry,88 VW Fox,91 Accord,94 Sunbird, daily with many pleasurable drives and after working with domestic vehicles on a daily basis, I arrived to the opinion that a foreign car is the way to go for MY driving needs. After numerous car shows, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa. I spent a week test driving. At the end of the week Honda Civic SiG was in the lead even with bad salesmen experience and an unrelenting finance rate. On my second last day I drove the Pro 5 and haven''t looked back. Above average handling, very pleasing looks in and out. Engine is definetly tuned for enjoyment it can also use a few more horses.

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All domestic vehicles and some imports.

The car is real zippy, but a little pokey off the line. Excellent brakes, steering, ergonomics and fit and finish. The hatch swallows up a Home Depot run w/the seats down. The car gets about 25 to the gallon w/the automatic.

The weaknesses are few and fickle. The center console is too low and too short to rest your arm on, the sun visors move the rearview mirror, the hatch light is a joke, the radio is lacking. Minor stuff..

BUY THIS CAR! See I saved you time already... I just hit 3k miles on the PR5 and its a total JOY! I tested a VW Jetta Wagon that I loved but it did not justify the price difference. I also looked at a Ford Focus 5 door. The Ford did not have the quality feel the Mazda had. I was prefrential to a Ford(Mazda is Ford) product because I receive a MAJOR discount on the car thru my benefits package. However, I would buy the best car for the dough... I also looked at the Toyota Matrix. The Matrix was too gimicky and the salemen were all insane. The 2 real contenders were the Mazda and VW.

affordable price, incredible handling, good looks, reliability, quality of parts used, solid interior and exterior manufacturing (made in Japan).

Stereo could use a bit more output power (although the standard CD player helps). Armrest is a little small but it''s still functional.

A complete package rolled into an economical price tag. This car to sum it up in one word is "awesome". Everything from it''s exterior and interior beauty to the fully capable handling of its sports-tuned suspension. Throw in reliability and good safety ratings and you have yourself a P5. Consumer Reports rates the P5 as better than average reliability and also says that the Protege line-up has always been a favorite of theirs. Edmunds.com also named the P5 as a vehicle on the Editor''s Most Wanted list. You''ll find excuses to go places just so you can drive this eye-catching, inspiring sport wagon/hatchback. Although this car only has 130hp, I find it to be sufficient enough to be responsive and lively. Mix this in with incredible handling performance and it all falls into place. Anyone considering a Civic, Corolla, or the like, needs to test drive a Protege. Especially if you want a car that''s more sporty inside and out. And in my opinion, the Toyota Matrix is not really comparable to the P5. The Matrix has more of a minivan feel to it. I test drove one and although it''s a nice car, it''s definitely aimed at buyers with different needs. The P5 is for those seeking driving performance while being economical and practical (the cargo space is much better than expected, and the interior leg and head room is quite large). The P5 is sufficient for smaller families or the single person who wants enough room for friends and all their stuff. The Matrix on the other hand is more for the medium sized family who wants something smaller than a minivan/suv. You can just notice this by it''s sluggish driving characteristics and the higher seating position. Common on minivans and suv''s. Even though the Matrix has a 180hp XRS model, it doesn''t compare with the handling capabilities of the P5. Again, the softer suspension and higher seating position doesn''t allow for this. And I feel that speed is nothing without handling, unless you''re on a drag strip. But realistically, we drive in cities composed of twists and turns where having confidence and control are very important. This isn''t a bashing against the fine Toyota Matrix. It just depends on your needs and wants. For me the Mazda P5 was everything I needed and wanted.

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Honda''s, Toyota''s, and Nissan cars

Zoom Zoom Zoom is right. Handles like a boy racer. Looks like a boy racer (With Kids) Says, "Hey I may be 30 but my wife is hot and so''s my car!" Room for my stuff. Finally a practical extension of my ... Never mind :)

Hmmm 190 hp would really be cool. 17 inch wheels and 215/45/17''s would rock. Rubber attenna sometimes slaps rear spoiler if you go fast enough into a head wind.

Wow, What a great little car. I had to watch my driving at night on abandon 4 lane thouroughfares because a couple of times I was going over 110mph and it was just smooth. And boy do these brakeS STOP!!! It goes fast very confindentally and I didnt even have to push this little car to do it. Just zip,zip,zip through the gears and your there. It gets great milage at highway speed to. This car handles like a riced out civic. Oh yeah my three kids and a load of grub bags fits in here nicely to:) I can take this thing to lan parties and get 2 full tower systems in the back with my 19'''' monitor and a disassembled chair. The car is is very attractive to. I thought about the Toyota Matrix but man its uglier (My Opinion) and it was way more pricey. Mazda did it right. Great car, great price, and I even got all the mantinence thrown in for 400 bucks on a 6 yr agreement. Oil changes etc all paid for woohoo. Oh yes the 3.9% loan didnt hurt either.

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Two mazda RX7''S ah they were great.

Good torque Excellent handling Reasonable gas mileage 15" rims with Potenza tires a big bonus

Excessing engine revving at highway speeds Windshield washer squirters prone to freezing Occasionally hesitates to start Sloppy 5 speed transmission

My first drive in a Mazda Protege impressed me immediately. I tested a Honda Civic and there was no comparison when it came to performance, handling and features. (In addition, the Honda dealership I went to had a major attitude problem.) The Protege 2.0 is quick, tight and agressive. Engine noise is high and you really feel the road, but this is a personal plus. On the down side, Mazda maintenance costs are a little excessive ($50.00 for a routine oil change and maintenance check), so I avoid the dealership when possible. Also, the gear shifting is occasionally a little stiff or out of synch when compared to other 5 speeds I have owned. Mazda tested the car and told me it was fine, but I will be keeping that warranty close at hand. The engine revs too high at the top end - for example, 3500 rpm at 120 km/h (75 mph) is about 500 rpm off the mark. Overall, I am relatively happy the car but think it is over-rated based on my experience. Unless they improve the top end whining and I was assured of a smoother transmission, I probably would not buy another.

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1990 Mazda MX-6

Mazda''''s impeccable reliability history for their vehicles.

Just to set the record straight. The majority of Mazda corporation stocks are owned by Ford motor corp. This ownership is purely at a beaurocratic level. The only time manufacturing has overlapped beween the companies was with the Mazda designed Probe/MX-6 and the Ford designed trucks. Otherwise the two manufacturers operate independantly. I did extensive research on design and build locations before purchasing this vehicle, and the Protege is still, entirely a Japanese build auto. It uses more Japanese parts than any Toyota, Civic, or Nissan (who use as much as 50% or more American parts) and is assembled overseas, then shipped to The States. I am confident the Mazda FS-9 motor and other components will hold up.

- EXTREMELY RELIABLE CAR - roomy trunk - great gas mileage - zippy, has the definite feel of a high dollar sports car (zoom, zoom, zoom!)

- road noise - radio & cup holder position

I bought this car new & love it! It now has 95,000 miles & is still going! Over the last 5 years, I have done general maintenance on this car (tires, brakes& oil changes), that''s all! Then at 89,000 miles I had to put some kind of computer chip (emissions) in it, I had the struts (all around) replaced & that cost me a little over $900 (approx. $300-$400 of that was labor). I did think that $111 for each of the front struts & $91 for each of the back struts was a little expensive, but they did last 89,000 miles, so I guess I can''t really complain! I now have a chirping noise coming from the motor, I believe it is a loose belt. Going to have those replaced shortly. I owned a 91 626 & absolutely loved that car. When I bought this car, I was originally looking for a 626. But once I saw the price difference (a 626 was quite a bit more than the Protege, but not a whole lot more room...a little more room for a whole lot more money!), I decided that the Protege was what I would buy. I did not make a mistake, this car has been wonderful. Both Mazdas have been extremely reliable & never run hot, no matter the condition. I would like to buy another Protege, but I didn''t realize that the newer models were being made by Ford. Now I will have to rethink my strategy, when I buy a Japanese made car, I want it to be Japanese parts!

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80 Toyota Corolla 81 Toyota Celica 91 Mazda 626 80 Omgea Olds

-Power moonroof is very nice (standard on this model). -Interior and exterior styling is decent considering the age. -Good trunk space considering the size of the car. -60/40 split flip down rear seat. -Good milage. -VERY reliable (so far).

-Small wheels (13") -Paint seems to chip VERY easily. The painted front bumper is a mess with rock chips. -I''m trying real hard, but can''t think of anything else.

Well, I''ve had this car for a decade now and am ready to trade it in. I feel like I''m living on borrowed time. In 180K KM, I have not had to make a single repair other than standard maintenance. Oops, sorry I did have to replace an interior light bulb once. I guess $1.99 in repair bills for 10 years use is pretty good. Actually it turns out the fuse had to be replaced and the light bulb was fine. I hold no prisoners when driving this car. It has no power, but that doesn''t stop me from trying to squeeze every last horse out of it. I haven''t exactly kept up with standard maintenance the last few years (since I was planning on getting rid of it). But she didn''t complain one bit. I''ve hit 3 deer with this car and who knows how many smaller animals. I didn''t bother to repair any of the damage caused. I''ll be shocked if my new car holds up as well. She''s a real trooper, but''s it time to bid farewell. :''-( Simply put, I need more power and something I have more faith in for those long road trips through the middle of nowhere. The only reason I''m not buying another Mazda is ''cause I racked up $4400 in rebates on a GM car. I''ll be crossing my fingers.

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''94 Cavalier Z24 ''96 Grand Am GT