Mazda’s Tweaks Pay Off in Protege
A little more legroom here, a pinch of performance there and a slice of cutting-edge style: Put them together and entry-level vehicles don’t have to be tasteless reminders of the frugal ‘70s.
The progressive thinking behind the 2001 Honda Civic and the trendy European-styled Ford Focus exemplifies the calculated moves manufacturers are taking in outfitting compact cars with higher-end accouterments. Roomier interiors, bolder exterior styling, better performance and premium safety features have become the norm, rather than the exception, in the crowded market segment.
Underscoring the need to satisfy a more sophisticated consumer, Mazda Motor Corp.’s Protege sedan for 2001 has been freshened inside and out and tweaked to improve its already competent ride and handling, all while remaining priced to fit the typical pocketbook.
Tracing its heritage in North America back to 1977, the Protege was introduced on our shores as the GLC three-door hatchback, later to become known as the 323. In 1990, Mazda unleashed the Protege sedan, and it has since evolved into a competitive runabout, one of many that are helping define the future of smaller cars in the U.S.
Four 2001 Protege models are heading to showrooms by spring: the 1.6-liter LX and DX and the 2.0-liter ES and LX. Prices range from $12,795 for the base-model DX to about $18,000 for a fully loaded ES.
The Protege platform shares many of its desirable traits with such notable 2001 compact sedans as the Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. But this Mazda--especially the top-of-the-line ES--offers a surprisingly more youthful look and sportier ride that set it apart from earlier Proteges we’ve driven.
It’s not so much the refinements that Mazda has made within its OptiSpace interior layout--although the new center console design, restyled instrument cluster and other treatments are welcome.
The real news is in the Protege’s pleasant road manners--the car’s ability to make driver and passengers feel like taking another spin around the block. Just as we did.
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We test-drove the new Protege model line during its North American launch in San Diego. The day took us through tony coastal enclaves, where compact sedans may be viewed as a bit plebeian; to quaint inland villages such as Julian, where home-style apple pie draws the crowds; and onward to the hustle and bustle of metropolitan living, where the Protege should fit in quite nicely.
What we found after spending most of our seat time in a five-speed manual version of the new 2.0-liter ES is that this car offers a lot for the money.
Once aboard, the driver is treated to white-faced instrument gauges that make for easier viewing and a monochromatic black interior with silver accents on the shifter, door panels and center stack. The ES is the only trim line to offer these features and, as subtle as they are, they make a nice impression.
Commuters will benefit from larger, thoughtfully placed cup holders, as well as a 60/40-split folding rear seat that adds a locking feature as standard equipment on all models. The modular AM-FM stereo comes with a CD player as standard on the upper-end models.
The 2.0-liter inline-4 ES engine, available as an option on the LX, puts out 130 horsepower. The seemingly insignificant 8-horsepower increase in grunt over that of last year’s 1.8-liter engine nonetheless offers more assurance on the open road when passing power is needed most. Shifting from first through fifth gear proves smooth and compliant, and the ES delivers enough low-end power and torque to get all of its 2,638 pounds around town with a fair amount of agility.
In terms of acceleration, the ES feels on par with the new four-door Ford Focus: nothing exceptional, but fun to drive just the same.
As luck would have it, we stumbled across enough bad asphalt during our test drive to give the ES a good workout. The verdict: The suspension absorbed most of the road shock that would have sent lesser compact sedans into a suspension oscillation seizure (a fancy way of saying a bad case of the shakes).
The very capable suspension features MacPherson struts up front, twin-trapezoidal-link design and coil springs in back and large stabilizer bars front and rear. Power rack-and-pinion steering comes standard. With Mazda’s newly improved (read: stiffer) steering-shaft mounts and torsion bar within the steering box, the result is noticeably more responsive handling.
In that regard, the ES model’s standard 16-inch wheels and P195/50R16 tires are ideal shoes for a compact car in tight-cornering situations.
For 2001, the ES retains Mazda’s “Triple-H” body construction, which is designed to enhance protection in the event of side impact or rollover. Additional safety features include new front seat-belt pre-tensioners with force limiters, a rear lower child-seat anchor and optional front-seat side air bags.
We made good use of the ES’ standard four-wheel disc brakes on several occasions. Anti-lock brakes are optional and come with Mazda’s EBD--that’s electronic brake-force distribution, a system that adjusts braking according to vehicle load.
The five-speed manual ES puts up decent fuel-economy numbers: 25 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency. (The numbers work out to 25/30 for the 2.0-liter with four-speed automatic transmission.)
The Protege has undergone a face lift across the lineup for 2001 in the form of an integrated grille with mesh inserts; restyled hood, front fenders and fascia; and a new headlamp treatment. Fog lights, a small rear spoiler and a black-chrome grille distinguish the top-of-the-line ES from the LX and DX.
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Building further on the Protege lineup, Mazda plans to unveil the all-new MP3 coupe and an “urban-activity” Sport Wagon later in the year. The MP3 will be geared to the youth market, featuring factory-designed tuner components and aftermarket-influenced body treatments from Racing Beat of Anaheim. The Sport Wagon will incorporate similar sporty body and suspension enhancements in a five-door platform.
Until then, the ES is the Protege to watch, a nimble challenger to the Civic and Focus, which remain best in class. The lower-priced Protege trim packages may save you a few dollars upfront, but we think the ES offers a more enthusiastic drive all around.
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Larry Saavedra, editor of Sport Compact Car magazine, reviewed the Honda Civic for Highway 1 in September. He can be reached at larrys@mcmullenargus.com.
