Nothing

Everything

I hate this car. Thinking of selling it and getting myself a REAL car

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Chrysler Intrepid, Mitsubishi Lancer

This is a really fun car to drive. It handles really well, because it was given a suspension that would cost a couple thousand dollars to replicate with aftermarket parts. May not be as much room as comparable cars, but still plenty of room for hauling. I haven't had any problems on my Home Depot runs. Extremely big things are easily tied to the sturdy roof rack on top (although the antenna could get in the way). Fit and finish are good. Can expect great reliabity from the engine. Gas mileage is decent, the seats are comfortable, and it is a great looking car.

The stereo system is terrible. It's unfortunate because this is the kind of car that is meant to be driven around with the tunes going. Stock tire size is hard to find, and the stock tires contribute to a good amount of road noise (read above recommendation). Could benefit from a 6th gear, because cruising at 75mph in 5th gear, the engine rpms are between 3500-4000rpm! This is a great car, but it isn't for everyone.

Although Mazda could have squeezed more hp from the 2.0L engine, it is adequate for driving around town. The PR5 isn't quick in a straight line, but after taking it through the mountains, I realized it was meant to be driven on curvy roads. I found the suspension and gearing are perfectly tuned for the track! On the track, I have out maneuvered cars that are 3x as expensive and almost 2 1/2 times more powerful. Although they had me beat in the straight-aways, the turbocharged cars had to control their throttle inputs in the long turns, but because this car is so light and had only 140hp, I could keep it floored all the way around. The tight suspension kept me glued to the road, and the power wasn't enough to throw me off the course. On the flip side, this same tight suspension provides a ride quality that might be too stiff for some people. It isn't harsh for a performance setup, but it definitely isn't for everyone. Also, because the gear ratios are set up for the track, it needs to be kept in the 3500-4500+ rpm range for maximum performance. Not bad, considering Honda engines need to be maintained in the 6000+ rpm range for similar performance. It takes some getting used to, but once you get it, it really makes the car that much more fun to drive. In daily use, the seats are comfortable, a forward (or rear)-facing car seat fits well in the back seat, and there is plenty of cargo room with the rear seats folded down. Gas mileage is about 28 in the city, and 32-34 on the highway (with conservative driving). The shifter isn't as precise as it could be, but it does the job. The engine performs ok when loaded with passengers, and it doesn't feel as taxed as cars with similar engines - the peak torque is reached in the middle of the powerband, as oppposed to the high end (as in Honda engines), so it can still accelerate acceptably with a full load. It doesn't bottom out when fully loaded. There is road noise at highway speed, but can be corrected by changing tires. BTW, tires are hard to find in the stock size (195 50 16), but I HIGHLY recommend the Dunlop SP 5000. Not the greatest in wet, but GREAT in dry. Wearing is good, and it makes the car MUCH quieter on the road. The stereo isn't great, but is set up to be easily changed. If you still want more power for the straight-line speed, mazdaspeed and flyingmiata.com already have turbo systems for it. Overall, this is a really fun car to drive, and it is meant to be DRIVEN by people who LOVE to drive their cars, not by those who want to be driven by their cars. If you understood that last sentence, this car is for you and you'll know what I mean once you drive it.

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'86 Mustang GT, '90 Accord EX, '91 Integra LS, '93 Civic Si-R, '92 Accord EX, '02 Accord EX V6.

Rear window defreoster can stay on, useful for winters and remote starters. fit and finish, look. Sporty ride (ES Model).

Gas Mileage, Power, Cup holders vs. light plug, Stereo is average. Had to replace rear brakes at 38000KM due to pad getting stuck on disc. Intermittant wipers only one speed.

Great car, one word can summarize the fit and finish of car, tight. Been driving this car for over 1 year and everything seems fine. Had rear breaks problem but seems to be limited to my model. Almost my fault the rear brake pads got stuck on disc, ignored it.

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Cavalier z-24, Honda Civic

Great handling 6-CD in dash changer 140 hp which is much better than many other small cars

I could use better speakers - will probabbly buy optional Kenwood.

Protege 5 is not only great economy, but it is very sporty and extremely fun to drive. This car handles like a dream. I got an automatic with optional manual transmission. Great looks too in bright red with a black front mask, my son is commenting that it looks mean!

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I owned '94 mazda 323 and it was a great car. This one is even better 100 times.

Styling Handling Confortable seats Fun to drive

COuld use about 20-30 more horses Thin paint A little noisy

I bought this car a more reliable and econmical car than the Grand PRix I had before. A new house equals bigger commute. Wanted something economical, reliable while retaining some personality and fun. I am not disappointed. The styling and handling of this car is excellent. While not much power, it makes up for it when in a turn. It sticks. Driver response is enthusiasm. It has been getting me about 31-33 mpg, which is over the 25-30 that the EPA projected. It is a head turner, although sometimes I feel a bit old to be driving it. Kids love it. Nice fit and sound finish.

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While shopping I tested: Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Civic SI, Subaru Impreza (not WRX).

For me, interior quality and construction are some of the most important aspects of a car. The Protege gets high marks from me in those categories. Handles almost like a sports car, and thus is tons of fun to drive.

Fuel economy not quite as good as Civic or Corolla. If you're looking for an "economy" car, look elsewhere.

Excellent car, easily won after test driving everything in this class. Looks great, and is a blast to drive. No problems after 12000 miles. This will unfortunately be one of the last pure Mazdas because of Ford's influence, so I'm glad I got it when I did.

Solid, realible and excellent handling. 60/40 folding back seats and more rear leg room then most cars in this catagory.

Only complant or I should say frustration is the cost of the stock Bridgestone Potenza tires P195/15". These are excellent tires but I already replaced 2 due to damage from metal debris and these cost me each $150.00 mounted and balanced. Plus this vehicle requires a special speed rated tire on for it. I'm assuming if more vehicles use this size tire, prices should come down.

My very 1st Japanese car and so far no problems. Only one recall on a coil but always started just fine. Nice layout and design with excellent visibility all around. Now has 45,551 miles on it and was lucky to store it the 1st winter as our 89 Dodge Shadow was still working. All in all very satified with vehicle. I do the regular maintance required and even have a spreadsheet on every dollar of maintenence I spend so I'll have a good comparison with my other vehicles. Only regret, should've bought the manual transmission and told my wife she'd just have to learn how to drive a stick. This is a fun little car to drive. I will most likely drive this car until it wears out and that might be quite a few years from now.

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1989 Dodge Shadow

Design, Handling.

Everything except for the two things above.

I can't understand why people here like this horrible car. I'll regret buying this car forever. My car is not a lemon, by which I mean Mazda Protege is originally defective, but many insensitive buyers don't notice it. This car has a incurable idle problem because of the faulty Mazda ERG valve. You can't fix it forever. I tried to fix it with the dealership, but we failed. I checked that other customers have the same problem, but they don't notice it. Please be sensitive!! Becasue of this, the car's accelelration is just awful, even though it is a 2.0 engine. In addition, because of the car's poor mechanica quaility it is noisy and even squeak everywhere. Don't try to fix it. My mechanic failed to fix it. Transmission is also horrible (it's a Ford transmission): rough and not agile. Audio system is also horrible. Riding quaility is also horrible. I don't want to speak anymore.........

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I owned Civic before this decrepit car.

Quality, gas milage, appearance and value for the money.

Dangerous cloudy windshield. It's either defective or poor quality but the glass is not clear when the sun hits it at a certain angle. DANGEROUS..should be recalled.

Great little car for the money. My second Protege. The first was a 1998 ES which I passed along to my daughter. Car is very tight and well made. You don't buy this car for show..it doesn't turn lots of heads, but it is great transportation for the money and fun to drive.

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1998 Protege ES

RELIABLE, TURNING in Icy conditions, Reaction, comfy interior.

Stupid check engine light and too slow

This car isnt flashy. It isnt mean on the road. But holy shnikes! Is it reliable.Ran up 30,000 miles on this baby and havent had to do ANYTHING for it. Except Oil and tire rotations. Nothing...AT ALL. Freakin amazing, it keeps going and going. This was my first car, my parents got it for me im 19. If any parents are reading this review who dont know wether to get there kids a car. This is it! This is something cheap, Safe they can beat up and it wont break down. No worries.

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none...first car. Planning on getting a 6 soon or a Celica