Great car!

I bought my '94 Mazda Protege' LX in '96 with 36,000 miles on it. It's got good power for a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder, at 125hp. it's comfortable and roomy, and the LX is fully loaded with cruise control, power sunroof, power mirrors and windows, central locking, power steering and brakes. It handles well for a small sedan. I had a clutch put in it at 60,000 miles, mainly not realizing at the time that it really didn't need one. I've also replaced the CV joints due to a noise from the front when turning, and it would have been cheap if I had not taken it to the dealer, however, this is minor, and there have been no more noises from this since I had them replaced. As with every car I've owned, I replaced the alternator at 65,000 miles. This is routine. Other than that, which is very minor, the car has been very reliable. It has never broken down or left me stranded. As for the work I had done to it, don't let that scare you. All cars need those things done eventually. My Protege now has 101,000 miles on it. I just bought two tires for it (again, routine), and the person at Goodyear told me it is not uncommon to see Proteges with 230,000 miles. My Protege still runs as good as new and I plan on putting another 100,000 miles on it. I would definitely recommend this car for anyone who wants reliable transportation at a decent price. It would even make a good candidate for a family car, because the back seat is fairly roomy and comfortable.

Let me mention one thing about the Protege. I would recommend the LX over the DX. I've driven both, and the LX had much more power. The DX may prove to be just as reliable, but it may not be adequate on power for some people.