1997 Mazda Protege Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I easily average 30mpgs even in Seattle rush hour, and for being a pretty small economy car, it's actually pretty fun to drive. I have the 5-speed manual, and the gears shift smoothly, and even with it's under-100hp, I still find myself yawning at the cars in front of me on an onramp to hurry up and get to 60 already. Fairly easy to service for the most part. The inline 4 is a piece of cake to change the plugs on. The seats are comfy (at least for me, a 5'7" female), and the controls simple and intuitive. The trunk is roomier than it looks, too. It's a small car, but I've been able to move at least medium furniture (dressers and the like) while in college. All in all, a great little car. I did have a phantom check engine light for several years that would come on and off intermittently without throwing a code. It drove me nuts. Of course, it turned into "the light that cried engine," and I ended up ignoring it for probably a lot longer than I should. Eventually it turned out I needed to replace the catalytic converter, of which there are TWO. Why such a small, high mpg vehicle needs two is beyond me. It cost probably more than the value of the car to replace them, and that was with a colleague that cut me a deal. Now that the catalytic converter(s) and the spark plugs were replaced, though, it runs like a dream.Jul 20, 2014

I bought my car when it was only 5 years old had it now for 8 years and it has had a lot of trouble already. Pretty much right from the beginning I had engine problems, the car turned off during driving and split seconds and on again than it just keept driving. Also many times brought it to check the computer never found anything. My car just seamed to have a ghost in it. Now it just jerks me to the front whenever it feels like it. It's an automatic and the shifting is pretty bad. I like my little car but I hate it that it does this. I think I might have got a lemon. Nobody seams to know what the problem is. I have had to move over to the shoulder to park my car and turn it off to make the problem stop. My car would change itself to nutral on the dashboard but not on the stick itself. How rediculos is that!!! To fix this problem I had to turn off the car and wait than turn it back on!!! It happen many times on the highway and during busy traffic in the city!!! I am thinking of buying a different car now but not sure what yet. So I still put up with this how pathetic is that?Jun 22, 2010

•Performance - acceleration is satisfactory, braking is weak but satisfactory and handling is incredibly good. •Build Quality - doesn't need any repair besides your usual maintenance (oil, filters, tires, etc.) but as for any cheap japanese car, the plastic interior rattles when you turn up the volume of the radio. •Appearance - simple, easily accessible and repairable interior and exterior components. Looks good overall. •Cost of Ownership - very economical car (about 40-42 MPG) and maintenance can be easily done thanks to it's very accessible powertrain components. •Fun Factor - this car shouldn't be quoted as a "Front Wheel Drive" but as a "Fun Wheel Drive".May 15, 2010