Open and covered bins, two cupholders, front-door map pockets, and a large glovebox provide good storage room. Rotary climate knobs are just out of the driver’s reach, but the dashboard is well laid out. Wide back doors make it easy to slide feet in and out. Protege is one of the most spacious subcompact sedans, with relatively abundant front head room and rear leg room. Bodies are solid, and paintwork and exterior trim equal Honda/Toyota quality. The extra horsepower available in 2001 provides a modest but welcome improvement.
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Performance is adequate with manual shift, and a 5-speed ES scoots through traffic well enough, but automatic is disappointing. Acceleration does improve at about 20 mph, but passing power is lacking. Both engines offered in that period are slow from a stop. Tepid acceleration is the foremost flaw of 1999-2000 models. Although the ES sedan shares their suspension, its high-profile tires–which sharpen handling–don’t smother small road imperfections as well. Still, DX and LX editions take most bumps with firm control and yield a supple ride, with adequate steering and agile handling. Offering sportier road manners than many rivals, Proteges give a generally favorable impression, though the tradeoff is a slightly stiffer ride and markedly higher level of engine, road, and wind noise. With the Protege, Mazda favors handling ability over ride comfort, unlike the tamer, softer Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. ES and Protege5 get new alloy wheels and silver gauge faces for ’03. A “2003.5” version of the MazdaSpeed sedan appeared midyear with slightly altered exterior appearance, including dark silver wheels. MazdaSpeed sedans had a special sport suspension with 17-inch wheels, standard ABS, and unique exterior and interior trim. The MP3 version was dropped, but added was the MazdaSpeed Protege sedan with a 170-hp turbocharged 4-cyl engine. It used the standard 4-cyl engine and an optional automatic transmission with manual-shift feature. Only about 1500 were built, painted either Laser Blue or Vivid Yellow.Ī wagon called the Protege5 joined the lineup in 2002. The extras included low-profile tires on 17-inch Racing Hart wheels, a large front air dam with integrated driving lights, side sill extension, and a big rear spoiler. Not only did it feature a Kenwood MP3-capable audio system, but it included a higher-output (140-horsepower) engine and a host of performance components from racing suppliers. During the 2001 model year, Mazda launched a special MP3 edition of the Protege. Otherwise, the Protege was essentially a carryover. A 130-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine became available, too. Proteges earned a front-end facelift for 2001, along with available 4-wheel disc brakes. Interiors added some chrome trim, but other changes were minimal. Front side airbags became available this year, as part of a Premium Package for the LX and ES.
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