1999 mazda protege se manual#
1999 mazda protege se Patch#
1999 mazda protege se windows#

1999 mazda protege se manual#

Actually, with the exception of the 2 speed transmission it was entirely manual for most operations.

1999 mazda protege se windows#

Seats were firm, road was loud, there were absolutely no luxuries, no cruise control, and windows were manual. Normal conversation with your passengers also involved a lot of yelling, and long road trips were a big NO-GO. It had no insulation, whatsoever, which meant that even if the AC was blowing at the max fan speed and coldness, it would never get below 80 inside, and no insulation also meant it was ALWAYS loud in the cars interior, the engines buzzing, the air whooshing by, other Cars and road noise etc., it made it quite hilarious to have a phone call in. Of the many things this car was, I have to say it was indeed fun. Gas mileage was, and still is, excellent, with an average of 27-33 with average commuting, and 15-20 if you are late to work or school. This was my first car, and helped me set my standards of transportation very, very low. If you are reading this, you are either broke or bored, maybe even both. Safety: Dual air bags and side-impact protection. Protege gives you your money’s worth, maybe more.īase price: $14,925. It’s a great little car that will never leave you wondering if you could’ve bought smarter. But the car was assembled well and everything else worked perfectly during the 275-mile test drive. The engine sometimes didn’t start right away, possibly because of a fault in the fuel injection system, and the upper half of the driver’s seat was uncomfortable. The bright red test car had two minor flaws. The Protege’s rear seats fold forward and fold flat, so the car can carry extra long objects, such as skis, with the trunk lid closed. That’s a lot of stuff for a car that is way under $16,000. The list includes: air conditioning, power windows, mirrors, remote control door locks, cruise control, tilt steering wheel and an AM/FM/CD player. Everything else is standard on the ES model, which makes the car a solid bargain. Our test car came with just one option, an $80 set of floor mats. For a compact car, it offers excellent room front and rear headroom, so even 6-footers will be able to sit comfortably. But nicer materials would have elevated the inside to the next level.īe that as it may, I can tell you that you’ll feel at ease right away inside the Protege. It conveys a sporty appearance, and it’s user-friendly. I like the general shape and style of the dash and interior. Not that the inside of the Protege is shabby. Because a classier dash and more padding in the seats would be enough to make the Protege ES a strong contender for best-in-class honors. Protege’s dash, which has inserts around the radio with a golfball-like texture, looks nice but feels cheap to the touch. It’s not softly padded, like you’d find in a Honda Civic. On t he surface, it looks as if the Protege’s cosmetic touches are just as impressive as its mechanical ones.īut the dash is made of hard plastic. Refined, balanced and superbly engineered, the Protege ES is a cut above most small economy cars. The pedal has a solid feel, and the brakes grab quickly and stop the car efficiently under duress. The standard power-assisted front disc/rear drum brakes are another of the Protege’s strong points. I like the thick rim of the steering wheel. The power-assisted, rack-and-pinion steering system has a nice, weighty feel, but it responds quickly. The Protege loves to be driven hard around corners. The ride is firm and sporty, not soft and cushy like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Protege comes with a four-wheel independent suspension system. The clutch is light and easy, and the shifter notches snugly into each gear.

Not bad for an economy car.Īlthough the Protege is available with a four-speed automatic transmission, the stick shift makes this car fun to drive.

1999 mazda protege se Patch#

It pulls strongly at all speeds, and if you rev it high enough and shift the five-speed transmission just right, you can leave a respectable patch of rubber on the pavement. Maybe the secret is in the gearing, but I don’t remember driving a car with fewer than 125 ponies under the hood that has as much spunk as the Protege ES. The ES model - our test car - comes with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that sports 122 horsepower. The DX and LX versions come with a 105-horsepower, 1.6-liter, double overhead cam four-cylinder. Mazda offers the Protege in three models. Mazda may have pruned many of the sporty, unprofitable cars from its lineup in recent years - the RX-7, the MX-3 and MX-6 - but the spirit of those cars is alive and well in the Protege. Our test car was a little road rocket, packing much more muscle and a sportier suspension system than you might expect. You look at it and see what appears to be just another small, mild-mannered imported sedan aimed at budget-minded families. I love cars like the new Mazda Protege ES.