2002 Mazda Protege 5 review from North America

There is a slight rattle coming from the passenger side door that I cannot track down. It only occurs when I go over bumps.

I do not like that the windows don't "squeegee" the outside when you roll them down.

The doors do not unlock when you try to open them from the inside (even the front).

The car holds the road better than any other I have ever driven. It cuts a line exactly where you point it. Even 12' was no problem (entertaining, but not a problem).

I did not think I would like the manu-matic transmission, but it really is the best of both automatic and a manual.

The hatch is deceptively spacious. A whole love seat fits in the back.

Runs on 87 octane fuel and gets better gas mileage then my old Ford Focus.

It looks good.

If you are considering a small car look at the Protege. Between all the people in my family we have been through all the compact sized cars from the BMW 3 to the Focus Focus. Most of us are now own Proteges. You can't expect it to beat a BMW 330i, but it is close.