2000 Mazda Protege

By Bob Storck

This should be one of the best selling cars in the market. Mazda has not been able to get their Miata performance image to apply to the Protege, but it should.

The Protege shares the same basic engine with the Miata, and has the same fun and passion for the road. ProtÚgÚ provides enjoyable driving at a modest price, giving the sedan driver the enjoyment of most sports cars.

Mazda has defined their interior modeling process as "OptiSpace." All companies do this in some form, but it is especially successful on the Protege. This attacks every component from bumper to bumper, seeking to shape and place them so as to squeeze as much room as possible for people. The result is the largest interior of any car in the class.

This year it gets optional side air bags, with most changes held back until there is a Focus based new model in 2002.