When I first bought my 2000 Mazda Protege, there were maybe 3 others in town. There are now close to 20. Based on the fact that it's not a big town, we'll say that's a reasonably good judge on just how good of value this car is. I only bought this car because I needed something economical that I could know wouldn't fall apart(eliminating used cars and sportier cars). Other cars in it's class look terrible (Focus, Echo, Sunfire) and although I would've sooner bought a VW, they really weren't in my price range.

That "Zoom Zoom Zoom" commerical drives me insane. I want to sell my car based on that alone. Then, add the fact that suddenly so many people have the same car as me and I'm sure you can realize the need to upgrade to a different car(which I will be doing ASAP).

It's an economical car with a certain style about it. Although it is a cheap car, it doesn't look cheap. It doesn't crave attention like the Focus, Echo or Beetle. It gets attention but doesn't ask for it.

I am amazed still at how roomy this car is. All over the car, there is plenty of room. The factory speakers(paired with the standard CD) are some of the best I have heard. Unless you need something huge for speakers, this is good enough for you.

The handling is decent, but I'd like some better handling for my next car. I would also like some more power.

For my purposes, I needed an economical car that looked good and that's what I got. The negative things about this car were a result of not buying a more expensive car, you get what you pay for most of the time.
Amount Paid (US$): 13,500
Model Year: 2000
Model and Options: SE, Auto, Air