Faults:

Bad: radiator cracked, but it was under warranty.

Makes a squeak around the wheels.

Sometimes a very slow start.

General Comments:

Good: Very comfortable car which I enjoy very much. It isn't very fast, but it is a good car to get me from one place to another. If I was to get another car I would definately consider another Mazda.

Faults:

Premature tire wear.

Poor quality factory sound system fails regularly.

General Comments:

This is easily the best handling car I have ever owned, far superior to my Maxima and Hondas.

Wish I had gotten manual transmission. Automatic performance is lukewarm.

More usable interior room than many larger cars.

Fit and finish give car the feel of being FAR more expensive than it is.

Fuel mileage is unimpressive.

Faults:

The steel beams in both rear doors warped causing the interior door panel to rise up several inches. The doors were still operable, but not in prime condition. The car was still under warranty so it didn't cost me anything. The dealership tried to push them back into place, but were unsuccessful. It has now been a year and the same panels are doing the same thing again.

General Comments:

I'm very happy with the stock sound system. Volume is not a problem and there is no need an extra system.

The protege does slip and slide a bit in winter weather, but driving with common sense prevents any problems.

I driven this car on several long, multi-day trips and have had no problems.

This car handles nice on the highways and accelerates nicely especially from 40-80 mph.

Faults:

I did not have a problem yet with the car.

I had to align the wheels, but that happened after driving it almost 200Km on bush roads.

General Comments:

It's a good, reliable, no-thrill car. My car has a manual transmission, but in the first 2 gears, it seems to miss the torque. Honda, Toyota, and even Hyundai leave me in the dust at the stops (even when I take it 3500-4000 rpm) After you get in the 3rd gear, it gets again power. The automatic transmission is the other way around: after a very good start (if you press the acceleration the car jumps forward) in the 3rd or upper gears, it starts lacking in power and torque.

I did not tested the car up to the listed max speed - 192 Km/h, but you can easily accelerate up to 140. After 140 and up to 160 (the max I've reached) the acceleration is much slower.

The engine is a little bit noisy, but I do not mind. The funny part is that the engine is the loudest at 3100-3200 rpm, after which the sound gets in higher, but softer tones.

The year 2000 was the last one when LX was coming standard with many "bells and whistles" (power everything). In 2001, Mazda has downgraded the LX, by introducing a new top level model - the ES.

The cabin provides a lot of space for front seat passengers as well as for the back seat ones. The trunk is big although, several times, I missed 2 more inches in the opening (those inches would have been enough to fit bigger boxes inside).

Faults:

The original Firestone Tires just wore down like an eraser. Replaced them with better quality Bridgestone tires.

The shifter bearings squeak when you shift in cold weather.

General Comments:

The car handles like a Mini Cooper. Its engine will rev high with no problem. If you have a modified exhaust like mine, then it sound like your packing a V8 under the hood. Its main assets are high top speed, and quick sharp handling due to the twin trapezoidal link rear suspension. However, don't expect to win any traffic light races unless u'r taking on a Metro or Firefly. Its other strength is the high fuel economy, which is enhanced if higher octane fuel is used routinely.