Overview:
This week I had a chance to drive the New to the US Market, Mazda Protégé 5. Ok, not something I’d run out to buy, but it does appeal to the younger set. Low rider comes to mind. Not to be confused with “Easy Rider”. Anyway, it is an interesting compact economy car that has that modified look.
The low slung feel reminds me of the very popular Chevy Xtreme pickup truck. You know, the S10 Yuppie truck that had a makeover in East L.A.
In my youth I spent a reasonable amount of time in the “Hood” as it is referred to these days. Where “Homies” experience the same adolescent fears young people do everywhere in the world. The media is always telling us about those drive by’s, so it’s apparent you don’t have to go to the middle east to get shot at. Surely this past year has shown us we’re not so different from any third world country in too many ways. People will be people and kids will be kids and politicians will continue to be fools.
But on a serious note, the fact of the matter is that “Boom Boxes” probably kill more people than gangs or other terrorists. And even more sobering is that more people really do die in auto accidents than all those other forms of man made disasters combined. On a heavily traveled holiday weekend it isn’t uncommon for 500 or more to die on the highway and we seldom hear much about that.
Of course that speaks volumes about the need for better driver education in America. Surely Europeans are far better drivers, for example, where it is serious business who will be awarded the right to drive on the highways there. Europeans do believe it is a privilege as much as we in America believe it is our constitutional right to own and operate a car. We grew up knowing it was as we were convinced driving was better than mass transit. But when you follow the “Green” (money) US drivers have been lead down the primrose path by the folks who gain from tire, rubber and gasoline sales. Folks who were around in the Southern California area know there were many miles of tracks for public transportation that were torn up in favor of more cars and more roads. Now that we\’ve totally saturated the freeways the tracks are going back in. Don\’t you just hate to be manipulated!
Now that we depend on cars as our only means of \”realistic\” transportation gas companies raise prices you are helpless to do anything about. And to add insult to injury the public sector jumps in to rip off the public as well. When cities and states need to offset spending excesses they simply instruct our Men in Blue, (the Gestapo) to hit the streets to remind us that, “Driving is a Privilege” and not a right. Speed limits are maintained artificially low for today\’s advanced high tech cars to make it easier to shear the sheep. They even make it easy on you by allowing you to pay this (obscene hidden tax) by mail. Don\’t get me started, I\’m angry.
Well there is one way to fight back, and that is to buy less expensive cars that are also easier on gas consumption. This Mazda Protégé 5 is one of those cars.
General Info:
Parts – 93% Japan, 2% US/Canada; engine & trans / Japan
Assembly – Hiroshima, Japan
Class: Compact Mazda
Cars: 626, Millennia, MPV, MX-5 Miata, Protégé, Tribute, Truck.
Handling & Performance:
Racing type suspension and that stiff ride signals better handling. 130 horsepower is a bit underpowered but adequate in most situations. Load it with 5 average sized people and a little luggage and you’ll be dragging a bit as that little 4-cylinder tugs noisily along.
Styling:
The “5” in Protégé 5 stands for 5 doors. Hatchback is another variation on the same theme but this is more like a Wagon, which to me seems incongruous with the young market this car seeks to attract.
Fit and Finish:
Mazda is typically Japanese in quality workmanship. The Japs continue to lead since defeating the Yanks in Detroit where Cadillac once defined what the “Best” was. Oddly enough the term still remains as a definition for excellence.
Conveniences:
Sparse.
Cost:
Top of the range for this car.
Consumer Recommendation:
More conventional buyers will want to look at the competition noted below, all of which I’ve tested and I like better than this Protégé 5.
Manufacturer Recommendations:
Waiting until other small wagons were introduced in the US market was a good plan. But the sporty attempt may be too radical. The low rider thing doesn’t work for me. It will be interesting to see how it sells here in America.
The Competition:
Ford Focus $17-18,000, Saturn SW $14,290, Subaru Impreza Wagon $17-23,000, Suzuki Esteem Wagon $14-17,000, Volkswagen Jetta Wagon $18-27,000.
Good News:
Affordably priced, sporty, utility wagon features, good gas stats.
Bad News:
Radical styling.
Standard Equipment:
2.0 liter 130 horsepower inline 4-cylinder engine, 5-speen manual trans, dual air bags, 5 passenger seating, fog lamps, front wheel drive, remote keyless entry, power windows and door locks, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, tilt wheel, dual power mirrors, 4-wheel disc brakes, power steering.
Gas Stats:
25 City and 31 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $18,500.
