Cheap, good gas milage

Transmission

The car was purchased new in 1991 and came with standard features (no power features). Everything was great until about 55K on the odometer. Suddenly the transmission gave out and it had to be replaced. Since the new transmission, everything has run smoothly, but a car shouldn't need a new transmission at 55K.

Everything else in the car is pretty sturdy and well built for the price. Fuel economy is outstanding with over 25 MPG in the city even after being driven for 8 years!

People looking for a car for commuting and in-town travel might appreciate this car for its fuel economy and value. Uncomfortable seats would possible deter anyone seeking a car for highway or long-distance driving. Again, the only complaint about this car is the crappy transmission giving out at 55K.

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1998 626 LX, 1990 626 LX, 2000 Chevy Malibu, 2000 Malibu LS

Seating. Very firm but comfortable seats with plenty of room for six footers. Snappy acceleration. Comfortable for its class. Great price. Interior well done for the money. Lots of extras such as alloy wheels and size 15 tires on the ES. Steering is excellent and true. Car has a European feel to it. Mine is white with a spoiler and people stop and admire its looks. People think its a $20,000 car. Keyless remote entry is standard.

Road noise above 50 mph especially on concrete. Wind noise is low. Power windows don't operate without the key switched to on. (I always forget to close them and I have to restart the car.)

Paid $14750 plus tax for an ES w/auto, mats & spoiler. I would recommend to anyone interested in a car in this class. Keep in mind that it is not an Accord or Camery. Better than a civic...not as good as an Accord. I know as I own both. Excellent value for the money.

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The Protege ES has more room in the front seat and much more power than a Honda Civic. The Honda Accord 4cyl however, is more powerful and is much quieter at freeway speeds.

*great looks
*great handling
*surprisingly large interior (especially for it's class)
*great performance

*a little week in high speed passing

in searching for my first new car i looked at all the normal suspects; honda, nissan, plymoth and even saturn. the protege seemed to stand out in every way. while allot of the other manufactures relied on their name and reputation mazda seemed to be concentrating on the one thing the others weren't, mainly building a car that is not only reliable but a pleasure to drive. i was lucky enough to find a manual ES, the larger engine and alloy wheels being more than enough to make it worth the extra $600 to $700 (plus it came with air standard). i had heard it described as a "miyata sedan" and i quickly found out why. acceleration is quick (although it tends to lag at higher speeds, ie 65-75mph; might be a gear kind of thing) and handling seems to be the perfect mix of comfort and maneuverability. interior is comfortable and sight lines are excellent. for the first time in my life i've found myself going on drives just for the joy of it. everything from the buying experience to the actual product received has been of the highest quality and has left me completely satisfied. i feel like i found the best kept secret of the compact class market, than again i just let you know about it.

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91 nissan sentra, several other medium sized cars, plymoth mini-van

Decent power, handles well, great fuel economy, attractive styling, good cd stereo, and nice interior

A/C saps a lot of power and makes the car slower, rougher, and drive "differently," shifter can be notchy sometimes

I bought the Protege from Tom Bush Mazda in Jacksonville, Florida in April '99. It was the best car purchase I've experienced. The car is an excellent value: I paid $13,740 for an LX 5-speed with power windows, power locks, power mirrors, cruise control, air conditioning, cd player, keyless entry, and floor mats.

I've got the smaller 1.6-liter engine, but power is adequate most of the time. There's plenty of power in the first three gears (necessary when merging and starting in city traffic), but you'll have to downshift to 3rd (from 5th) to pass someone while going uphill.

The interior is the car's strong point. In my opinion, it is much nicer (and larger) than the Civic's (my cousin has a '99 Civic LX)

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Honda Civic

Roominess, front and rear, quietness, compared to Honda Civics, and fuel economy.

Transmission??

Paid $14,500. Would have bought ES but none without sunroof available on the dealer lot. Trans fluid turn from pink to orange color after only 700 miles and smelled kind of burnt. Once or twice the trans jerked upon upshift and sometimes jerky engaging at at idle speed. Dealer service tech checked oil, and stated it looks ok. Totaled vehicle in an accident with 3K miles and am now looking for a replacement.
I would rate 5 stars except for the suspicious trans. It may just be an isolated case.

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Quieter and than Honda Civics. More rear legroom than Civics, Corollas or Sentras.

Nice looks. Great power for a small car. Superb handling, great for corners. Its got wild acceleration, for the tiny car, and I must say, its great with manual and spinning around the city.

Mazda doesn't supply "Mazda Acsessories" Foglights, which isin't a big deal, since its usually MUCH cheaper to get other kind which look just as good (even better).

This car is sweet. Need I say more? Its the first car I've ever driven manual in, and it rocks. When we got the car (me and my dad), we were looking for a black one. But they
had non in the Lower Mainland, so we had to order one, and the only one they had was down in Manitoba, which got shipped out to us. When we got the car, (at the same time we got a Mazda 98 MPV) we ended up getting a spolier put on the car, and they also happened to have a set of Mags just for the Protege, which we also ended up getting (so we could get rid of those horrible hub caps!). Also, the vehicle in which we got was also the Mazda Touring Edition which came with mud flaps, floor mats in the car, a tailpipe to cover those tiny mufflers, and a little more. Needless to say, I haven't seen one Protege that looks as good as the one we have, anywhere yet. I'm hoping on getting Fog lights installed to give the car a better look during the night time.
In anycase, this car is great, maybe since i haven't driven a car faster, or more powerful, but in all, a great little car, great on gas, super for city/highway driving, nice to rip around old grannies going 40 in the fast lane. Enjoy!

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Ford Escort (Station Wagon) ... well that says it all. The Protege looks WAY better, handles 100% better, and has WAY better acceleration. But I'm not putting down the Ford. Its a tough car, saved me in 2 car accidents. And has can carry quite a bit in the size of the wagon. Plus the lenght of a Station wagon always comes in handy, unlike a small compact car .

Build quality, room for 5, smooth and quiet, smart acting transmission reasponds perfectly, Audi-like styling.

OEM tires are worthless in the wet or snow, gas mileage could be better.

Same interior as Camry in a smart little package. Completely trouble free after 46,000 miles in 16 months. 1600cc engine is very smooth for a 4 cylinder. Car cruises all day at 80 MPH with minimal wind and engine noise, very relaxed compaired to other 4-bangers. It could be stronger of the line, however. 28 to 31 MPG hwy & 24 to 26 city mileage is a little disapointing, but I'm a lead-foot. High fun to drive appeal, the steering is precise with good feel.

I can carry my family of 5 and a weeks worth of ski gear, if I pack carefully. 3 average size teenage kids can fit in the back in reasonable comfort for extended time periods. Drivers seat is just roomy enough for me, I'm 6'0" and 135 Lbs. I expect this car to last 3 of 4 years of heavy use, making this an ideal low cost car.

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Honda civic, Mazda 626

Interior volume...compared to a 96 Accord Fuel mileage...31-35mpg
Reliability...no problems in 80k miles
Value.

The 1.5 engine is a little anemic.

Out the door for under $12.5k in 96. I would highly recommend this car.

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Many

Good Accelaration 1.8 L motor, well equiped LX in Cdn or ES in State, Solid drive and good highway and city driving, fun to drive.

Level of noise of motor with acceleration

Great car for the money, plus with Mazda excellent financing 2.9% interest. Used to have VW Jetta but they are overprice for what they have to offer. This car for less than $20,000 is a great deal. Plus the price for parts is getting lower. You don't have the feeling that you sacrifice quality because of the price. The Honda is a good car but the interior and the equipments are not at part with the LX for the same price.

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VW Jetta, Honda Civic

I love my new Protege: style, interior, new H-frame design is quite attractive. I had a '91 Protege and I loved that one too. Peppy, good acceleration, roomy, big trunk, 60/40 split, electronic moonroof - I missed it so I bought another.

Went through 2 exhaust systems in about 4 years.

$15,600 CA - barely used '99. Great on gas economy, stylish inside & out. Would prefer the bigger 1.8 litre engine. 1.6 still excellent response and smooth ride. Great stereo system, A/C great, reliable. Looks like a little Mercedes.

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Corolla, Neon, Elantra,
- Mazda reliability & style outclass them all