Faults:

None.

General Comments:

I have had my Mazda Protege for about a year and I am very satisfied with this car.

The performance is quite reasonable. I was surprised to discover that acceleration, even at 80 mph, was quite brisk for a small car.

The car has been been absolutely reliable. I have yet to even as much as a rattle or squeak in the car.

The Protege is very comfortable. The eats have plenty of adjustments, such as lumbar support. The back passengers have adequate room.

All in all, this is a great car for the price.

Faults:

Too soon to tell.

General Comments:

My Mazda Protege ES is one of the best small cars on the road.

This car has plenty of power.

It also handles like a more expensive European Sports Sedan.

One thing that surprised me the most was that it is also a great value for the money.

Before buying the Protege, I was also looking at other similar cars such as the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta.

What made me choose the Protege ES was the standard features that came with the car such as a 2.0 liter DOHC engine, 16 inch alloy wheels, a CD player, a rear spoiler, and an optional automatic transmission with manual shift mode.

When you look at the Civic and Jetta, some of those features are either extra cost or not available, and both cars are still more expensive than the Protege.

The only bad part about my car is that it does produce wind and tire noise at higher speeds.

Other than that, my Protege ES is a blast to drive.

There are other great small cars out there such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, but when it comes to pure driving excitement and small car value and reliability, the Mazda Protege (particularly the ES & MazdaSpeed version), there is hardly any competition out there in the small car market.

Features.

Faults:

None so far.

General Comments:

The Protege ES is a very fun car to drive.

It handles very good.

It has great low end torque for quick off the line performance.

The only negative comment about the Protege is that the ride is a little stiff on rough roads.

Other than that, the Mazda Protege is a great value for practicality and fun.

General Comments:

I had no plans to buy the Mazda Protege. I was pretty close to buying a Nissan Sentra. The dealer I went to wanted to see the Protege. So said why not. The car was much more room than the Nissan. When I asked how much the LX would cost. I was told $3,000 cheaper than the Sentra. I have everything included with the package except the spoiler which is only on the higher model. I received the moon-roof free. I have ADS Brakes, Alloy Wheels and a great sound system. I made no mistake in my choice. I love my Mazda Protege.

Faults:

I got a speeding ticket within the first 2 weeks of having the car, but of course that is my fault.

It is too soon to tell about any real problems.

General Comments:

The Protege is very comfortable for all types of body frames. I am very short, but with the seat adjustment I am able to sit comfortably. My Neon did not have this feature, so I always sat to low and had to strain to see out of the front and the back. I didn't realize it was such a strain until I got this car.

The Protege is very sporty looking. I wanted to get a Civic at first, but I think the Protege looks better.

The Protege rides good and is pretty quiet for a small car. The Neon was noisier.