What More Do You Need?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great value, price, performance

Cons: None so far

Author's Review
They say there is no better advertising than word-of-mouth from a loyal customer. That would certainly apply to my purchase of a 2000 Mazda Protege LX.

As a steadfast Mazda admirer and owner for 12 years, there was little question that I would purchase another when the time came. My previous car, the "mentor" for the Protege - a 1988 323 Sedan - was a sturdy, reliable companion. In the entire 12 years, it never even needed a front-end alignment. It was just time to say goodbye.

This is not to say however that I didn't entertain the idea of purchasing an alternate make. A car purchase should never be made lightly and without doing lots of homework. Thankfully, the internet provides a wealth of information and my entire purchase except for test-driving the car and signing the final papers was handled electronically.

After comparing features, reliability and pricing to the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla (another model I previously owned for 10+ years prior to my 323) I came back to the Protege.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I test drove the Protege for the first time. Maybe it was because I haven't had a new car for 12 years, but they've sure come a long way. The drive is smooth, handling is precise (I've already had to make a panic stop to avoid a cat-the cat lived) and power is plenty adequate. I opted for the Comfort Package-equipped vehicle, which includes air conditioning and an automatic transmission. The car also has remote entry, cruise, tilt and an AM-FM CD w/6 speakers. The car has a stylish exterior that's at once Japanese and German in appearance.

The first thing that struck me about the car - and the impression I still have - is what more could you want? Especially in this price range. The car even has a surprisingly large back seat area - room enough for three adults.

I have had the car for just over 3 months - close to 2000 miles. There has not been a single rattle or squeak and everything has functioned flawlessly. Not that anything should go wrong in such a short time, but I've had it long enough to know whether or not I'm going to like it and keep it for at least a decade. And I think I will.