Everything you name it?
dependable,
reliable,
fast,and smooth good looking,
turns heads
and love the chip for gas mileage and speed.

nothing, just base stock proteges should improve power,and torque and make the car lighter if it only has 106 horses.

Well paid 19000 cause i added a few extra things like a custom chip made for rpm limiters/and increase gas mileage from 25/31 to 29/38 miles per gallon. I didn't pay extra to the dealer, i'm paying 18,500 to dealer for MP3 and 500 for the etc....parts.-custom chip, custom made intake, and better throtle body response all together at the same time. I tell you what though, it was worth it cause it did help improve everything i paid for averging 36-38 highway and 29 miles in the city with a 14.5 gallon tank. Very adequate monster sound system, and Love the fast acceleration of the MP3 with custom chip my opinion i say i'm running 6.9-7.4 0-60sec and a 1/4mile 14.8-15.7 i;m not saying it could do that but that's what it fells like the chip boosted the horses to 173 and 161ft.lb torque. I kinda fell like a idiot for doing this to a new car that's hasn't even been broken in yet.

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Integras,Civics,preludes,eclipses,jetta turbos,focus zx3/zts,and
2002 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R

Excellent handling. Manuverability in areas such as lane changes and highway presence is solid. Very good pickup,especially in overdrive if used properly. Very roomy interior.Gas mileage. The vehicles looks definitely turns heads.

Must get out of overdrive in the slow down to save brakes. Sure it could use a little mor horse power, but they are still considered economical small sedans.

Hit consumer reports and other sources hard in purchasing my first new car. Read so much good stuff about the Protege and absolutely love the styling of the vehicle, I just had to have one.

After searching my area high and low for a black one,I ran across my baby finally.Its the luxury package LX 2.0. All power, sunroof, spoiler alloy wheels, and is black and is tight as ****!!

My mom says it looks like a mercedes from the front. Very sporty looking. It is an awesome car for its class, and the price.

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Corrolla.Civic.Sentra. I think the Protege is way tighter, and outperforms them all in many areas.

Interior/Exterior styling...gas consumption, 2L engine, 16" mags....and did i mention HANDLING......

coulduse 10 more horses, but is a good engine to begin with...and that's about it.

This car is amazing..it handles like a dream, and looks like a real european sport car, and not mainstream like every other japonese car out there..Although it'sd engine seems weak it has a lot pep which is really nice..overall this car is fantastic in every sense of the word

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Civic, Corolla, Tiburon, Integra... They lack the integrity of a well built car with some serious creativity thrown in the mix.

Simply unkillable motor, rock-steady, with enough power to keep you interested. Basic yet practical interior, with decent feel and comfort.

Definitely uncomfortable seating for trips more than four hours. It is a compact car, so the space is limited, although there is surprisingly decent trunk space. Also, engine power decreases noticeably when the a/c is in use. Something to think about when changing lanes on the highway. . . .

This is not a car for the family with more than three members, especially if the main passengers are 5'10" are taller. That is the only reason we are selling it; the family is growing, and I am 6'3"!!

Very, very solid, reliable car. The essentials--motor, transmission, suspension, brakes--will never let you down. If you are about having reliable wheels to take you from point A to point B--no matter how many miles between the two--then this is your car. My wife and I logged 200,196 miles in nine years (highway miles--four years in MD, five years in NY), and the engine still purrs as if overhauled yesterday. We had the manual five-speed, again ultra-reliable. The car sips gas like you sip castor oil! Numerous trips up and down the atlantic coast, not one major complaint. Major replacements in last three years include water pump and radiator, but what do you expect when you get above 150,000 miles? Adjusting to Brooklyn streets took its toll on the front-end suspension, with two CV and ball-joint replacements, but that is our fault. And it is NOT expensive to maintain. Take of it, and this car will take care of you.

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1985 Nissan Sentra - Mazda wins in comfort hands-down, but engine comparison? Nissan may have built and even more reliable engine!

dependable, little to no maintenance problems. great mileage and interior size. 5 speed was better for these years then auto.

wish the stereo cranked a bit more--- but that's any easy fix these days.

very reliable, yet fun to drive (zoom-zoom-zoom!). the 5 speed helps. virtually no issues with it, 4th Mazda I've owned (RX-7, 323, 626) at 6'4", size does matter and these have the room, even for pretty tall back seaters. you do the oil changes and it'll take care of the rest. great mileage and actually fairly comfortable for driving around all day as I do.
single "problem" in 6+ years--- trunk release cable broke last year

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shopped coralla, civic and altima

At this point, I'm so frustrated at this car that I can't think of anything positive about it.
The resale value is poor

ENGINE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!after 50 000km the engine has an incredible lag when accelerating. Engine smells of rottens eggs, engine "pink" at high rpm, fuel comsuption is ridiculous. But that is not the worse...the worse is that The dealer I go to...admit there is a problem with the car but they have no solutions for it (what ???!!!) So they told me that tey're waiting for a solution from Mazda Canada and has soon has they would get the solution, they would call me...a couple of weeks went by and no calls...so I decided to call Mazda Canada myself to see what the story was...they admit that my car has a problem and that I'm apparently not the only one with that problem....but they don't have the solution, and they're waiting for Mazda Japan for a solution !!!!!
This is unbelievable !
The paint seems to chip off pretty easily.
And the handling of the car in the snow (with 4 winter tires) is really not impressive

Liked the styling, very disapointed in the quality and reliability and service offered by Mazda Canada.

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1990 Civic (100 times better then my protege !!!!!!)
2001 Sentra Se with sport package
1998 Integra

Pros: Aggressive style, color (Yellow-limited color so buy now), safety features (buy the ABS brakes, they're worth it), rims/tires, seats 2 adults very comfortable in rear, sporty interior...it's not an SUV and it's looks better than the upcoming

Cons: HP, wind/whistler at 55 MPH+ inside cabin.

Overall Rating: 9/10.

Don't think wagon, think affoardable sports car that seats 5! A Miata wagon if you will...

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Lexus IS2300 wagon which will be $10K-$12K more! HA HA HA

Space for my bike, great handling, very solid feel when driving.

Decent power, but could use more.

I Love this car. I am always filling it with my stuff, and drive it on as many twisty roads as possible. The handling is amazing, the car looks great, and it is a fantastic value.

The Protege5 feels more expensive than it is. It is so solid and secure feeling, especially over bumps and around turns. The steering is solid and responsive, and I like the 4 wheel disc brakes. 16" wheels are a very nice touch for a car at this price.

Thank you Mazda for building such a great car that really meets both my practical needs and my quest for fun too!

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Honda Civic--New model is very disappointing, Liked the new Sentra but Chassis not nearly as solid as the Protege.

Refined drivetrain, High quality fit and finish, Handling, Mazda's "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom" advertisements say it all- this car is a blast to drive and own. Red guage illumination is very nice.

Underrated by the American public. Stereo is only average- midrange is thin.

Incredible car for the money. Perfect choice for those who want Toyota quality and reliability, with Volkswagen style and personality. This is my third Protege and I am amazed at how Mazda has continued to update it flawlessly. My previous Protege was a 95 ES that I let go at 130,000 miles- and I loved it. The 2001 has been improved in every respect. I will be sure to give an update when I've lived with it for a few months, but my first impressions are that is a marvelous piece of engineering.
BTW, Eric Swindell at Ira was by far the best saleman I have had the pleasure of working with. If you buy from Ira see Eric.

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Toyota Corolla, Volswagen Jetta 4 and VR6, Nissan Sentra SE.

Great looking, reliable, feels great on the road, good waranty, good gas mileage, fast, smooth on high speeds. Easy to sell. Fun to drive and reliable, what could be better?

High insurance.

Great car
Runs smoothly, fast, zoom - zoom , great on turns and highway curves.

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Does not compare at all to corolla. A bit slower then the sporty civic, but not as good on turns