No problems in four years of ownership.
Well, to be honest, I had it in once for a "check engine" light, but it turns out it was my fault... I didn't tighten the gas cap tight enough after a fill up. How embarrassing!
It's not flashy or luxurious, but this car is seriously fun to drive and very reliable.
This is my second Protege (I also owned a 1990 model), and I've yet to have a engine problem with a Mazda.
The car has good pickup with a manual, but I have driven the automatics and they do seem a little sluggish in comparison. If you've got the choice, I'd go with a manual.
Gas mileage is good too, I've averaged about 27-30 city and 35-37 highway.
My car is super comfortable, thoughtfully laid out, peppy to drive, and cheap! It's everything I wanted in a daily driver.
Hi. I have owned my 1998 mazda protege lx for over 3yrs and I have had problems after problems. starting in the cold it takes about 10-15 minutes. I even have to feather the gas to help it. I have maintained all maintenance. I even took it to davis moore mazda here in wichita, ks and they said there down to guessing and just replacing parts, like the distrubtor. I also replaced the exhaust manifold due to a break in between two of the cyclinders, then the new part not even a year later broke in the same place. I'm not getting any help from anyone.
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