You'll even find a choice of audio units to please even the most devote audiophile, including one with a 100-watt amp subwoofer and Kenwood front speakers.įor a base price of just $17,315 you get a racy little car that comes standard with 16-inch wheels, fog lights, rear defroster, illuminated entry with keyless remote, air conditioning, dual power mirrors, cruise control, rear roof spoiler, tilt wheel and power windows and door locks. The seats are nicely bolstered at both the side and lower back and you can now order them with leather inserts. Reach out and your hands lay siege to a wonderfully thick three-spoke leather wheel that is small in diameter for quick back and forth driving. From the driver's seat you are greeted by a tightly-grouped instrument cluster highlighted by white-faced gauges that glow red at night. The interior is probably one of the best you'll find in the small car field, with incredibly tactile surfaces made of high-grade vinyl, cloth and brushed aluminum. What the Protege5 lacks in raw muscle it more than makes up for in refinement. Now even automatic owners can enjoy the fun of shifting for themselves, an ability not to be overlooked if you want to make the most of the engine's power band. The engine is willing and loves to rev, but a car of this size really needs something a bit more potentsay the turbo from the Mazdaspeed Protege for example.Īccompanying the slick shifting five-speed manual is a new four-speed automatic with manual shift control. Mazda has given the Protege5 a 16-valve 2.0-liter engine that produces a modest 130 horsepower. Yet for all its ability, the Protege5 lacks the power to really unleash the suspension's potential. An excellent job of carefully cultivating the suspension, steering and brakes so that they all complement each other is the sign of a truly enthusiast-based engineering staff. This car is completely confident in every respect, tackling turns as though it were a Miata. You'll love the feel of the Protege5 on the open road, and even more so on solitary twisting back roads. More storage can be found up on the roof where the standard rack can be equipped with crossbars for toting a bike rack or roof cargo box.
The nice thing about owning a wagon is that it is easier to load and unload plus it allows your passengers to easily access coolers or camping gear while the car is in motion (you long road trip types know how important this feature is.) Flip the rear seats down and you create a wealth of storage, capable of swallowing a set of backpacks or a mountain bike and a weekends-worth of provisions. We think you'll agree that the Protege5 looks fantastic and may even be more appealing than the sedan. It uses the same engine, transmission and suspension, but with the addition of the enclosed rear cargo hold, becomes a much more versatile vehicle.
The Protege5 is based on the popular Protege sedan. The rear also gets a slight freshening, as do the sporty five-spoke 16-inch wheels. Enter the Mazda Protege5, a sleek, fun to drive sport wagon that can carry both kids and cargo yet doesn't require a bank loan to fill the tank.įor 2003, Mazda has improved on the Protege5's already racy look with a more aggressive front-end treatment and additional side skirts. Changing economic times have a sobering way of bringing us back to the basics and for many people, that means a reduction in the size and price of their daily mode of transportation. Everything we have is bigger and better and faster than we really need it to beat least in the automotive world. To live within one's means is a principle that seems to have escaped many of us these days.
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