Enhanced by a taut and well-damped suspension, the Protege5 is the "driver's car" of economy wagons. Credit goes to the first-rate steering system that provides gobs of feedback, perfect weighting and no on-center dead spot. On the road, the Protege5 is a bit louder than expected, but it does provide an excellent drive. Inside, Mazda carries over the Protege's center stack design, seat and trim fabric, modular audio system and the 60/40-split folding rear seatback with a double folding function. There's also a proper Germanic front-passenger door grip, nicely padded upper door panels where elbows often rest, lots of storage nooks and crannies, a large rear seat and a cargo area that easily triples the sedan's 12.9-cubic-foot trunk when the rear seats are folded down. Inside, the firm seats are comfortable, and the driving position is excellent, with a thick steering wheel rim to grip and a well-placed dead pedal for the left foot.
In wagon guise, the car also comes with front and rear spoilers, lower rocker-panel side sills, a roof-mounted antenna, a roof rack, front fog lamps and a rear roof spoiler. The attractive 16-inch brushed-aluminum wheels go a long way toward giving the Mazda an upscale appearance, as do the jewel-like headlight reflectors, angular taillights and chrome accents. The Protege5 is one of the best-looking economy wagons on the market, as it shares the front-end styling, grille, hood, fenders and headlights with the sedan. The Protege5 has added seating and cargo flexibility, combined with sporty styling that reminds us of the Lexus IS 300 SportCross wagon.Īll Protege5s get a 2.0-liter engine that makes 130 horsepower. The Protege sedan has been an appealing choice in this segment for the past three years and now this model becomes even tastier with the addition of a sport wagon to the lineup.
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