I bought this awesome little car last April with 97K miles on it because I needed a reliable car. I knew it had the same engine as the Ford Escort GT so that's why I bought it. I never knew I would end up falling in love with this awesome car. It is extremely peppy and extremely reliable and so much fun to drive. I totally love this car and will keep it for a long time. The after market is very supportive of the Gen 1 Proteges so I can really soup up this already fast car. You can even get a bolt on turbo kit for this baby. Can you imagine how cool it would feel to destroy an Integra GSR or Civic SI. They'd never know what hit them. I love the five speed because it is so fun to drive but I will eventually get a short shifter kit for it. If you love this car, you need to check out Protege Tech on the internet, its an awesome club/discussion group totally devoted to the Mazda Proteges, Gen 1's, Gen 2's, and Gen 3's, its a great site to learn about working on Proteges and what speed parts are available for Proteges. I highly recommend the Protege LXs with five speeds for a fun and potentially super fast car to compete with boring Hondas. I'm partial to the Gen 1's because of the wonderful 1.8 litre BP series DOHC high output four bangers. I just can't say enough great things about this car, it has totally won my respect. It even has four wheel disc brakes and four wheel independent suspension, how cool is that? Don't forget to visit Protege Tech to find out how to soup these pocket rockets up and just to read about other Protege enthusiasts' cars. I forgot to mention, my car is ten years old and the paint and interior still looks incredible. Mazda has totally won my respect with this rad little car.

Automatic seat belts are so annoying and they constantly beep. Drives me crazy. Five speed is fun to drive but the throws are a little too long. Power windows sometimes go up too slow, but nothing a little WD 40 on the tracks can't fix.

This car easily deserves and gets five stars for its ability to be extremely reliable and super fun to drive (thanks to the super high revving power plant). Only problems I've had were worn brake pads and a small leak in the radiator, but the radiator had steel tanks so all I had to do to fix it was get it welded and cleaned at a radiator shop for $50. I can't think of anything else wrong except for a little leak on the valve covers, but that is an easy 20 minute repair. No worries. I LOVE this car!!!!!!!!

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Protege LX is awesome but I loved my 89 Taurus SHO even more. But the SHO is a totally different animal and it can never compare to the Protege when it comes to reliability.

Smooth And Fast
Handles Like A Porche
Looks Hella Sik
Interior
Sound System
TOO MANY TO LIST!!

Extremely Prone to speeding Tickets
Lots of People Want to Steal It From Me
Freinds Get Really Jelous
.5in to high

This car rulez! I got it for my 16th birthday, and have had it for 3 months! I drive this thing all the time. I just recently put in 2 Diamond 15" subs with a 1500 watts Kenwood Amp and replaced all 6 speakers with Diamond Comp Speakers! Let me just say this car has some serious bumps! I am looking around for some 18" rims I want to put on this car and custom front and rear bumper, and when I put them on this car will be even sweeter! I have gotten it up to 127mph (dont tell my parents!) on this straightaway by our house. And it can take turns as fast as my freinds dads Porche Carrera, which is awsome! Also everything is running awsome and this car is good in the snow too. So if you are looking for a nice fast car you can trick out GET THIS CAR!! IT RULEZZZ!!

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2001 Sentra (Manual)
1998 Porche (Manual)
1995 Honda Civic (Manual)

Incredibly reliable, never had any major problems, had a 94 Protege that held up like a tank in a major head-on collision, I walked away fine. Fun to drive as far as 4 door midsized goes.

Minor problems for the most part: CV joints, radio never sounded good, drivers side lock went berzerk, loud on the 30 minute commute to school, got a little shaky at 70 mph, shifted a little rough (automatic)

I really did love this car, only reasons for trading it in is I decided I would get a practical car like the Protege when I get a little older and have a family, for these college years I wanted something a little more fun. My Protege was getting up there in miles and little things were starting to go wrong. It was a great car and I'm definately going to go back to Protege's when I have my own family. Can't find a more reliable car as far as I'm concerned!

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1994 Protege (both were tanks, I adored them both!)
1991 Mazda MX-6 (you talk about a FUN car to drive!)
1999 Chevy Tracker (I've gone American, I'm sorry everybody *cries*)

Exceptional handling, very reliable. I bought this car in December 2000 and the 0% APR from Mazda was very attactive. I drove the car away with out paying anything with the license plates from my 93 Protege DX, which I traded in toward the Y2k car.

The paint was easily scrached when I had the car washed on one of the coldest days of the New England.

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY car. The 2000 DX model has less horsepower than my 1993 DX, but it was the first car in its class to meet the CA super low emission standard, which is the decisive factor in my decision to get the DX model. Low price, decent gas mileage and very reliable. The manual transmission makes the less horsepower a minor issue.

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1989 Nissan Sentra. 1993 Protege DX.

The power! It has a very responsive motor! I can get up to 60 mph in no time. I love the two tone interior. It gives it a very prestigious look. It's also stain resistant. My 2 year old daughter has spilled dirt, food, etc. on the seats and it wipes off with no trace of a stain. I love the position of the stereo. You don't have to take your eyes off the road to change the stations. The gas mileage is good compared to my other cars.

The seats are harder than other cars I've driven. It took me awhile to get used to it, but now it doesn't bother me at all.

I got the car used by a first time owner with only 24,000 miles on it for $8500. It's a pretty gold exterior with tan interior. It was in almost perfect condition (tiny scratch on the bumper) and it is the top of the line ES with everything, but the sun roof. There is virtually no road noise and the engine is so quiet that when I'm at a stop light it seems like the car isn't on. I love this car! All I have to remember is to get the oil changed every 3,000 miles and my car runs like a dream! For being 4 years old it runs like it's brand new. It's a perfect family car. I highly recommend it over Ford's and Chevy's in it's class. It's in the same rank as the Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Sentra but has way more power and interior space. I considered getting a Honda Civic too, but when you compare the price, you can get a top of the line Mazda Protege ES with everything or a bottom line Honda Civic Dx with just air conditioning for the same price. I am so happy with my choice. There are way too may Hondas on the road it makes my Mazda more unique.

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92' Ford Taurus- doesn't compare. The automatic locks broke right after I got it, the blinker wouldn't stay on. It was so ugly I was embarrased to drive it. I couldn't wait to get rid off it so I could get my Mazda Protege!

140 hp (stock), stainless exhaust, short shifter, 17" rims, lowered,
kenwood 280 watts (top of the line) sound system. mazdaspeed pedals, carbon fibre detailing.! (all stock)

none!.. grea improvement to the already amazing protege. this car is made for the younger adults for today!

Amazing car!. best look car out on the streets now!..only 250 sent to canada, modifications already done to car!(from factory)

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souped up civic.( everybodys got one of those!)

Handling, Power, everything that comes basic with an ES: Power Sunroof, 15 in rims, spoiler, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, premium sound 2-6x9's and 2-5 1/4's (i think).

Gas is OK. Not great. OK

The car is great. Gets me to NY, TN, FL from Va with no problems. Handling is awsome. I think its a pretty fast damn car too. I mean not as good as a damn suped up civic but close.

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Nissan Sentra GXE- HAAAAHAHAHAHA.
Ford Focus-Focus was nice but the Protege looks better.
95 Civic (any model)- i just saw it a second ago in my rearview mirror.

Handling, steering and control.
Reliability
Build Quality (switches, interior, exterior, everything!)
Brakes
Power (relatively speaking, vs. similar 4-cylinder compacts)
Driving position, seat comfort
Back seat space (for a compact sedan)
Trunk space and useful shape; split fold-down rear seat

Fuel economy OK, but not superb for a 1.8-liter engine and 2500-lb. car (24mpg city, 28-30 hwy are typical for me)
Automatic Transmission downshifting

(1999 Protege ES with 120-hp 1.8L and automatic transmission; currently 45,000 miles since purchased new):

One of the best-kept secrets in the automotive world. Superb reliability, excellent performance and braking, and outstanding handling make it a joy to own and drive. The firm suspension, excellent steering and meaty 55-series 15-inch standard tires really keep it riveted to the road. It's like a little BMW at about 1/3rd the price!

Interior and cargo space are very good for what it is -- a compact car. Its front seats and driving position are excellent (I've taken it on 8-hour rides without incident). No, it's not as quiet as a Lexus but noise is comparable to similar 4-cylinder compact cars; the automatic tranny has it turning a little under 3000 rpm at 65mph on the highway. Wind noise is well-controlled. The ride is firm, as dictated by the handling-oriented suspension and low-profile tires; those looking for a Buick-like ride will be better served by something like a Corolla. I'll take the superior handling benefits and responsiveness of the Protege ES anytime.

With automatic transmission, power is pretty good although of course it's not a muscle car and never pretended to be. It's still quite responsive with pretty good torque; my only complaint is the 4-speed automatic sometimes is slow to downshift from 4th gear when you press on the accelerator for a quick burst (as in merging onto a highway, for instance) -- when you press harder it'll sometimes suddenly downshift two gears into second, bringing the engine to around 5000 rpm and lurching it ahead with a scream. The automatic is otherwise uneventful and shifts smoothly and quietly. Still, I often wish I'd gotten the 5-speed instead, as I'm sure it would be an even better match to the excellent Mazda engine.

Reliability has been superb -- in 45,000 miles, I've never had a single problem. Even though in the Northeast US all foreign auto dealers' service departments beat the stuffing out of you in maintenance costs, I still have maintained it by the book and it's been fine. I shake my head in amazement sometimes at owners of supposedly prestigeous cars like Audis, Passats, and others who talk about serious problems within 20-30 thousand miles and almost act like it's OK.

All in all, if you're in the market for a compact sedan like a Civic or Corolla, you're nuts in my book if you don't at least look at the Protege. The newest 2001-1/2 Protege LX 2.0 and especially the new ES 2.0 should be even more impressive, with larger engines from the 626 sedan and the new ES's revised suspension should further improve its already dynamite handling and road manners.

Furthermore, for anyone (like I was) who had their sights on something in the Accord/Camry range, and couldn't quite scrape up the $$$, this is a wonderful alternative to a larger used car if you can live with its admittedly smaller size. I'd buy another one in a minute.

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Toyota Corolla -- softer riding and good power, but has the bland feel and road manners of a typical american car; doesn't come close to the Protege ES in handling, road-holding and "fun-to-drive" areas.
Honda Civic EX: Expensive for what you get; New York dealers arrogant attiude sent me packing quickly.
Ford Focus: haven't driven it; supposedly the closest compact competitor in handling and performance, although questions have arisen about reliability in some quarters.

Drives

Substandard everything on this car: brakes, door locks, cd player, windows (roll down on their own). Also, the engine is completely ridiculous--I guess to discourage owners working on their own cars.

This car would be great if I didn't really use it very much. Since I drive quite a bit, I've had nothing but problems with the car. I got less than what I paid for.

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I owned a 1991 Geo Prism that I wish I had never parted with.

Intake,Exhaust,etcccccccccccccccccccccc,more???????? - stock hp 125hp/aft prts 200++++hp curb weight 2359lbs stock lighter than eclipse,integ,civic,prelude,accord,celica,corolla,etc by 1000lbs.
0-60 less than 6.5sec
1/4 mile less than 14.5sec
Top speed more than 135mph++++
F-Economy more than 28mpg
it's able to beat a subaru impreza wrx from 0-100mph
0-100mph less than 14sec
100-0 stop 240ft
0-120mph less than 19sec
120-0 stop n/a
30-50 top gear 5.6sec
50-70 top gear 4.12sec
45-80 3rd gear 6.4sec
45-65 2nd gear 2.9sec

as this car being souped up can't really give a explanation on it as a stock vehicle but there's not really alot of aftermarket parts for this car to find as u can on a honda.

Love That My all beef up Proteg is tight and it always turns heads against components in it's class. But weak a** mustangs,camaros,novas,and 3000gts always try to rev there ugly heavy v-8 wannabe racing drag muscle cars, it's alright though cause they don't know what's under the Proteg hood, i'll just laugh when i'm already eating at a fast food restaurant for 2 minutes then they'll see my car sitting and parked in the side as they barely roll up crusing around, honestly i just laugh at those v-8 hog gas eating no good muscle cars.

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Mazda RX-7s 1995 Twin Turbo
Mitsu 3000GT's 1997 Twin Turbo
Subaru Impreza WRX 2002 Turbo
Acura Integra Type R 2001 DOHC VTEC