Faults:

There is a slight rattle coming from the passenger side door that I cannot track down. It only occurs when I go over bumps.

I do not like that the windows don't "squeegee" the outside when you roll them down.

The doors do not unlock when you try to open them from the inside (even the front).

General Comments:

The car holds the road better than any other I have ever driven. It cuts a line exactly where you point it. Even 12' was no problem (entertaining, but not a problem).

I did not think I would like the manu-matic transmission, but it really is the best of both automatic and a manual.

The hatch is deceptively spacious. A whole love seat fits in the back.

Runs on 87 octane fuel and gets better gas mileage then my old Ford Focus.

It looks good.

If you are considering a small car look at the Protege. Between all the people in my family we have been through all the compact sized cars from the BMW 3 to the Focus Focus. Most of us are now own Proteges. You can't expect it to beat a BMW 330i, but it is close.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

The Good:

This car has been great. We only paid 17,900.00$ for it and it has been worth every penny.

It rides well (if not taunt.) Handles like a boyracer Hot-wheel. Feels fairly fast even though it could use about 30 more horsepower and looks fabulous.

The cargo space is outstanding.

We have built a 1320 ft fence with this little car by folding down the rear seats, laying out a tarp, and placing 4 ft tall (laid flat) 100 ft rolls of wire in it at a time and placing ten 10 ft 2x4's on the roof top carrier. It was quite amusing to watch all the construction types at Home Depot watching us load this little blue car full of fencing material over our 5 trips to the store.

We have racked up 27000 miles on it in 12 months and every oil change and tire rotation was paid for by our 400.00$ 6 yr unlimited mileage maintenance agreement; at 38.00$ a pop it will pay for itself soon.

Overall after a year of heavy use it looks, smells, and drives like new.

The Bad:

I can understand how some people are disturbed by the wind-noise it is a bit excessive at times. The stock radio does sound a little weak.

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

This car is the nicest car I've ever riden in.

The seats are comfotable and plush (velour).

It has a standard 150-watt Pioneer sound-system, with 4 speakers (all stock)

Lots of room in the back seat.

Cruise control works unbelievably well.

Air Conditioning works excellent.

Driver-adaptive 4-speed transmission with over drive shifts nicely, and has tons of power when needed. It knows exactly when to shift according to your driving style.

Faults:

The sound system could be better.

General Comments:

I was faced with a shrinking budget and desperately needed to replace my 94 Accord EX. I bought the Protege 5, thinking of it as trading down. To my surprise, the Protege 5 is more practical and fun to drive than the Accord.

The ride is rough, but the 5 hugs the road really well.

Acceleration is great given that it is a "compact" car.

A lot of wind noise at high speeds.

Stylish interior, great attention to detail, fits 5 adults comfortably.