#MAZDA PROTEGE CAR AND DRIVER DRIVER#

Move it to block the sun at your left and take a left corner hard - and fix your hair when it swings in and hits your head. Nitpick: The fold-down sun visors are annoyingly inept. I recommend also looking at the newer Mazda 3 if you're looking for a used car and have the funds to buy one, simply because Proteges are old enough that finding a low-mileage one is unlikely and you'll never know how the previous owner maintained it.

#MAZDA PROTEGE CAR AND DRIVER DRIVER#

I'm a damned spirited driver, though! Now switching to Pirelli's for a little extra $$.ДЄll in all it's been a good car, reliable, pretty efficient, and an absolute driver's car as long as said driver looks for balanced performance rather than straight-line thrills. It came shod in pretty worn OEM Dunlop 'ultra high performance' all-seasons, which I never got near that mileage out of from the Khumos of the same rating I'd driven since. It has a very lightweight, athletic feel to it. Very good handling, exceptional braking, but only adequate acceleration. I autocross raced it a few times in '08 and very much lamented the lack of a limited slip differential (and RWD!) leaving the corners with the hammer down, but it eats up back roads like as though the boys at Mazda custom designed it to do so (and maybe they did) and is a blast to drive otherwise. It has a little push to the balance, which is probably for the best on public roads. The car's very responsive, and I view that as a requirement when procuring one. 4-wheel-disc brakes (ES trim only), front and rear sway bars, taut tuning to the 4-wheel-independent suspension. It's the perfect compact for me, though, as its lows are mildy in the arena of ride quality and amenities, and especially in sound deadening, but that money was spent on making it athletic. When you buy an inexpensive compact you're gonna have to deal with price-oriented compromises and this is no exception. Driver-side window also expired, last year.

Three power door lock mechanisms have died this year, but they're mounted near the bottom of the doors and I suspect they died a delayed death due to water exposure in the flood. Original owner told me no warranty work was required while he had it. Air con and temperature controls failed under warranty.

Not only do they protect the interior of your car, but they can also add some extra style. It now has almost 90K miles and has enjoyed a couple road trips across country and survived a flooded parking lot at work where I was able to limp it out of the drink while other cars were left totaled. Floor mats are a necessity for any vehicle.

I purchased this car 30K miles used, my first used car purchase, in mid-2005. Known as the Great Little Car, or the GLC, the Mazda 323 was a rear wheel drive car that was a version of the fourth-generation Japan-market Mazda Familia.

Mazda protege car and driver