1997 Mazda Protege LX review from North America

Had to have the oxygen sensor replaced within a week after buying the car, and the catalytic converter went bad as soon as the warranty expired.

Had to replace the master switch for the power windows.

Although the repairs are terribly expensive this was a good car - very reliable, fun to drive, safe, and great on gas (37 mpg on the highway). It handled very well for such a little car. I didn't have a lot of trouble with it considering I put almost 30,000 miles on it per year.

It did, however, become very uncomfortable on long trips. There was a lot of trunk space which was helpful.

The car was horrible in the snow; it sat so low to the ground that I was forever getting stuck. I recently totaled it during a snow storm when it slid off the road and hit a tree. The front end was completely wrecked and I walked away without so much as whiplash.

I would highly recommend this car if you can afford the expensive (albeit infrequent) repairs.