The Best in its Class!- Updated

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great Value, Great Performance, Wonderful Interior, Absolutely fun to drive!

Cons: Needs a little more power, Seats could use more cushioning- back support

The Bottom Line: 
If you are looking for a compact Sedan, get a Mazda Protege. Mazda makes some of the best cars, and the Protege is the best in it's class.

Author's Review
Usually, when shopping around for an import compact car, buyers will flock to the local Honda dealer and pick up one of the many Civics available. They provide a great value and are widely popular cars as a result. Almost everyone has a Civic now, and although they are nice affordable cars, Honda is sticking to it's winning formula from 1995, making little or no improvements to this model since then.
Now, the Mazda Protege steps in, and although Mazda has never pushed its models with great advertising force, they do sell a lot of cars. Looking over at Honda, and seeing them churn out Civics like mad, made them take a whole new approach to there compact line.
The Protege has been redesigned for 99 and the 2000 model is the exact same car with only a few cosmetic changes. I decided to go as far as I could with features and went for the deluxe ES model that set me back $15k. I came complete with remote keyless entry, Power Doors/Windows/Mirrors, cruise, air, a CD player and tape player, 4 doors, 4 speakers, and an automatic transmission. Mazda's choices of colors are all conservative and the majority of them have metallic sparkles that give the car a shiny look even though it may be dirtier than my friend Ben's Mom. The chassis resembles an Audi, definitely European. The quality of the build is up to par not only with Audi, but BMW as well, only with out the price tag. This car screams CLASS!
The ride is rough on the ES, due to the 15inch alloy wheels, that will grab the road tightly like a man grabbing his balls after catching a glimpse of a live vasectomy on the discovery channel. This thing handles like a dream and you will find yourself taking turns at 50 mph with ease. The car is solid too, thanks to Mazda's new triple H construction - something that many other car makers (Cough..Pontiac…cough) are beginning to steal from. No rattles, or odd road noises coming from this baby. The general feel you get when riding this car is that it is sturdy and well made.
The suspension is tighter than a baby's butt and you will find yourself leaning during turns, even though you don't have to. Acceleration is average going to 60mph, but this baby is a quick starter. Primarily due to it's light weight and alloy wheels. You will find that you will take the lead early during those races when the traffic light turns green.
Expect to fill up gas less often with this one. It's just not a guzzler. And although it's fuel efficiency isn't the best, it will save you ton's in the long run. Why? Recommended oil change every 5k-7.5k miles and replace the air filter every 15k miles (while other cars will require oil every 3k and ail filters every 10k). That's less worry and more money for that other stuff you do. This puppy also has low emissions, which just makes you feel dandy that you aren't polluting the environment as much as you could be. Over all, this is a great car to have when you like to laugh at the SUV and Huge Trucks on the road who have to shell out $50 each week when they fill up the tank.
The absolute best part about this car is the styling, which is based on function. The driving controls are positioned right where you need them- on the wheel. It's almost amazing how everything is set up perfectly. And the inside of the car looks so neat and organized. Mazda is leading the industry in the way the interior of a car should be set up. The stereo is wonderful and needs no upgrading. I have yet to make the CD player skip, or turn up my stereo past level three (of 10). This thing is loud and can turn your car into a concert hall with a wonderful balance of base and treble. Controls are wonderfully laid out and all buttons, knobs and tidbits light up in the dark. The Mazda Protege also has more leg and headroom than most other cars in its class. The cloth interior of the ES is one of the softest you can find outside of Victoria's Secret. The seating is comfortable and yes, there are cup holders that will large drinks.

Is this a compact luxury car? It may very well be. This is the car you want if you want to impress others. I have had numerous people think I spend over $20K on it. Why let them think otherwise?
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Update-- A Year Later...
I've had the car for over a year, and I have been taking great care of it. It's such an easy car to love. My friends and family respect the car and wipe their feet and stuff before they get in and clean up after themselves. It's the attitude the car projects that contributes to this respect. People think this car is more expensive than it actually is.
The stereo is still pumping some great sounds and I haven't even considered adding on to that. I had to get a new windshield because some crazy SUV without splash guards spun a rock right into it and made a small crack. That took one hour to replace and it's as good as new. After one year, a new car usually begins to "harden" and you notice rattling and noises that are caused by the structural integrity degrading slightly. Fortunately, the triple H construction is still in full effect, and I have no such noises. The car is running as if it were brand new.
I have been saving a ton on oil changes (recommended every 5,000 miles rather than 3,000). I replaced the stock Air Filter with a K&H performance filter and that has improved gas mileage and idling. I plan on adding a Back Cat exhaust as a small upgrade to increase the Horses- although I probably don’t need it.