*great styling
*powerful engine for a compact car
*comes with roadside assistance
*More car for money compared to its competitors

*seat fabric looks cheap
*There isn't many ES Proteges available with the premium package

This is the best car I have ever driven. It fits me (at 6'1'') perfectly. Unlike most cars there is enough leg room for both tall front and rear passengers. The ES is the model to go with. It has a much more powerful engine and alloy wheels. I also got the premium package, fog lightf, and a spoiler. Unlike Hondas, the aftermarket accesories aren't outragously high.

If you want a great car at a good price buy a protege. There are no major problems with the car. It is by far the best buy in the compact car class.

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I test drove a Nissan Altima, Honda Accord and Civic, and a Toyota Corolla. Non of the cars compared to the Protege. I bought a 2000 Honda Civic LX and disliked it so much I traded it in for a Protege after 1500 miles.

Fuel consumption! Car goes everywhere on pennies of fuel(which is handy now that gas prices are up). Reliable; only have had oil changes and occasional tune up, though rear shocks did go after 6 years (driving on gravel roads in Canadian north did that, however!) Will start no problem at -40 degrees. Although not the quietest car for long hauls, you will never fall asleep or spend gobs of cash at the gas station. Mine doesn't burn or leak a drop of oil, either!

Rear view mirror a tad too low. Parts expensive. Engine could be a tad more powerful. No airbag.

I paid $12,000 Cdn for a lease return, and I would seriously consider buying it again. Although the hatchback model isn't made anymore, I would recommend any 323/Protege for quality and reliability. Since thousands were used by fleets, there should be some out there that are going dirt cheap. Great student cars, as well as a small second car. Also, great family car if you are on a budget.

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Toyota Corolla. Similar, although the Mazda has an auto tranny and the Corolla had a stick. The Corolla was bigger, however.

Peppy 1.8L engine, handling, good looks

High rpm at highway speeds, firm ride

Bought this car 3 months ago as '99 clearance. Paid dealer invoice plus got the rebate. All said, an excellent value. The car is really fun to drive, has excellent build quality (so far) and has a good look to it (unlike the boring Corolla or the new edge Focus), plus there is not one in every other parking lot. The car I purchased also had after-market leather interior installed, so it makes the interior look that much better. My biggest complaint is that the gearing should have been higher in 5th gear for highway cruising. At 70 mph, I run at 3500 rpm, compared to other 4 cylinders that average around 3000. This makes it a little louder than I would like.

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Corolla, Civic, Focus

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see summary

Great car but I've had a few problems with the power steering, cv joint, transmission, and the little things inside the car that are falling apart. I got a really good price on mine but I didn't think I would have to be paying to fix it all the time! For some reason the engine seems very weak although its noisy at higher rpms. I suppose it does have a bit of ford in there and I'm not suprised at the quality that this car has. I would test drive other cars before making your final decision.

solid feel
very good value
great dealer
good power (the ES has the bigger engine)

colour not what was expected
some of the interior materials have cheap feel/look
heater output not the best

After a long search I finally decided on a Protege. I test drove a Civic, Golf, Imperza, Corolla, Saturn SL2 and none of them could compare to the Protege ES. The car feels solid, handles great, accelerates well and looks inside and out a whole lot better than any of the others.

I also drove a DX and LX Protege. Stay away from them. A ES is only a few hundred more than the LX and maybe $800 more than the DX when they are all equipped with air and CD. The ES comes with a much better engine and suspension. Maybe consider buying a DX if you don't want a radio and air.

I got a great deal from my dealer, $800 of the sticker price . This discount plus the $750 back from Mazda, so my price including freight was $14475. My dealer was great, Colonial Motors in Indiana, PA.

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91 Hyundai Excel 94 Protege DX 92 Honda Civic DX

Reliable car to go from point A to point B.

Vibrates a lot. Road noise. Air conditioner broke down after running out of warranty. Power is low. Had a bad experience with a dealer in Michigan.

I think the car itself is good for people who do not mind vibrations and road noises. Whenever I stop at a red light, I have to put it in neutral to reduce vibrations. On a freeway, I have to turn the volume way up to be able to hear anything.

Reliable. Not very powerful. I have driven in for over 6 years now, and more or less it has worked well. There was a leak in airconditioner and costed a lot of money. Dealer in Michigan was less responsive to my requests.

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Toyotat Corrolla.

Roomy
Good fuel economy

Low on power

I am looking for a new car right now, and it won't be another Protege, not because I've outgrown it but because it's too bland. It's a good car don't get me wrong but good for a non-driver.

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VW Jetta
Toyota Corrola
Saturn SL

(93DX) Power,economy and room.

None

Overall, a very capable vehicle. It has more power than my wife's 96 LX. Gas mileage with the 5 spd. has been in the 32-35 region.

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96 Protege

Room, Value, Fuel Economy.

1.5L engine down on power.

The best kept automotive secret out there. For a decent price, you get a car with interior room that rivals the next class up. Mine is a 96 LX, and the 1.5L is low on power. I will buy another one as long as I can get at least 120+ hp from the powerplant. I don't know what a non-driver car is...most wannabes couldn't come close to 80% of their vehicle's capabilities.

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5 BMW's + 20 assorted other vehicles

lots of room inside.the air will blow you away,heat also works as well.the inside has the feeling of a much more expensive car.seats are comfortable i'm 6feet 200lbs i have plenty of room

the transmission

i enjoy driving the protege it handles really well.with plenty of inside room i don't feel crowded even with a passenger. my last car was 6 cyl beretta with plenty of power.with the exception of the sometimes sluggish transmission,i'm really happy with the car.i was mentioning the air before it works really well much better than the beretta's air unit. so did i make a good choice in the mazda
i have to say yes. nice car great value.i'm giving it 4 stars because of the transmission, i'm not sure if something is wrong or that is just how a 4cyl trans reacts.

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