2003 Mazda Protege5 Review

Go ahead and call the fun-to-drive Protege5 a sports car clothed as a station wagon--although its roofline hasn't been extended rearward enough to allow genuine station wagon capacity.

The front-drive Protege5 thus is more of a sporty hatchback than a wagon. Some call it a "sport wagon,'' but it's plenty roomy with a spacious back seat and decent cargo area even with its standard 60/40 split-folding rear seats in their upright position.

The Protege5 has a racy look with body-color front/rear air dams and broad fender flares and body sills. There also are sporty looking 16-inch alloy wheels and body color bumpers, door handles and mirrors.

In fact, the $16,385 Protege5 resembles the $32,305 Lexus IS 300 SportCross sports wagon. Many folks (especially younger ones) stared at my test model, which had vivid, screaming, flaming yellow paint. But we could do without the "5'' designation because it just comfortably seats four adults.

Open the hood and you see a race-car-style strut tower bar that stiffens the front of the chassis for improved steering response, besides easily reached fluid filler areas.

The Protege5 is the costliest model in the subcompact Protege line, which also contains sedans that cost from $13,075 to $15,700. But the $16,385 Protege5 will hardly break the bank, and is so nicely built and designed that it feels as if it could cost in the high teens.

There's enough equipment to justify a higher price, with such items as air conditioning, cruise control, tilt wheel, console, AM/FM/CD player, rear spoiler, roof rack, rear wiper-washer, front fog lights and power windows, door locks and mirrors--besides remote keyless entry.

The few major options include $800 anti-lock brakes with side air bags, $700 power moonroof, $800 automatic transmission and $500 in-dash six-disc CD changer.

Supportive bucket seats, sports-car driving position, legible off-white gauges, thick leather-wrapped wheel and short-throw gear shifter set you up to feel as if you're at the wheel of something much more than just another small wagon.

But all isn't perfect because the shifter is occasionally notchy and the light clutch has a long throw and somewhat vague feeling.

The 2-liter four-cylinder engine has dual overhead camshafts and 16 valves, so it develops a respectable 130 horsepower for its small size. Acceleration is lively, with the 0-60 mph dash taking 8.9 seconds with the manual transmission. But the fuel-thrifty, ultra-low-emissions engine is noisy when pushed. And its size calls for a downshift from overdrive fifth gear to fourth or even third gears for fast 65-75 mph passing times. The tachometer registers a high 3,100 rpm at 65 mph, reflecting the engine's size, but easy cruising isn't a problem on level roads.

The four-speed automatic transmission has a manual shift feature, but causes acceleration to suffer a bit and hinders passing and hill climbing. A 2.5-liter engine would work better with an automatic, which causes power losses.

Popular rivals such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Ford Focus aren't any faster, and there's more to driving kicks than acceleration. Car and Driver magazine's June issue gave the Protege5 first place after pitting it against the PT Cruiser, Focus, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix XRS and Suzuki Aerio SX.

The 102.8-inch-wheelbase Protege5 has athletic handling with its quick steering, wide 50-series tires, stiff structure and firm all-independent suspension with anti-sway bars that tightly control body roll. However, the taut ride occasionally becomes jittery. And the brake pedal feels rather soft, although it has a linear action. Four-wheel disc brakes provide short stopping distances, especially with the anti-lock system.

There's tire noise on coarse surfaces, but the generally quiet interior is nicely designed. Sound system controls are fairly large, and rear windows lower nearly all the way.

The cargo opening is low and wide for easy loading, although the rear seatbacks should sit flatter when folded forward to increase the load area.

For peace of mind, the Protege5 has a three-year/50,000-mile warranty and three-year roadside assistance program that goes 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

That's fine, because the Protege5 is all set to provide driving kicks every day of the year.


MAZDA PROTEGE5

STATION WAGON

Price:

$16,385

Likes:

Roomy. Fairly quick with manual gearbox. Fun to drive. Lots of equipment.

Dislikes:

Engine noisy when pushed. Occasional jiggly ride. Long-throw clutch. Noisy on coarse roads.