Faults:

I am the original owner of my Mazda and have had no problems or repairs to the vehicle other than scheduled maintenance.

General Comments:

This car does not have a large engine, but the manual transmission allows for plenty of quickness.

The interior sound levels are rather high and are not a quiet as a civic.

My first Mazda was a 1998 323 and I move to the Protege when the 323 had 148,000 miles on it. They are both very reliable cars.

My brother-in-law purchased a 2002 Protege and also loves it. But that has the larger engine in it that they are using now.

My protege has provided reliable and cost effective transportation for the past four plus years and I look forward to another four years with it.

I tell everyone that I would definitely get another Mazda.

Faults:

No problems in four years of ownership.

Well, to be honest, I had it in once for a "check engine" light, but it turns out it was my fault... I didn't tighten the gas cap tight enough after a fill up. How embarrassing!

General Comments:

It's not flashy or luxurious, but this car is seriously fun to drive and very reliable.

This is my second Protege (I also owned a 1990 model), and I've yet to have a engine problem with a Mazda.

The car has good pickup with a manual, but I have driven the automatics and they do seem a little sluggish in comparison. If you've got the choice, I'd go with a manual.

Gas mileage is good too, I've averaged about 27-30 city and 35-37 highway.

My car is super comfortable, thoughtfully laid out, peppy to drive, and cheap! It's everything I wanted in a daily driver.