It’s solid, and very responsive for a front driver. And it zoom zooms through the corners, just like the Mazda commercial promises. Handling is controlled by MacPherson struts up front, and a Trapezoidal Link IRS at the back.
2001 MAZDA PROTEGE LX MANUAL
The combination of 2.0-liter engine and manual tranny is good for a respectable 0 to 60 of 9.1 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 16.9 seconds at 83 miles-per-hour. Both engines use either our test car’s standard 5-speed manual, or an optional 4-speed automatic. Though the 2.0-liter is optional on the LX. Output is 130 horsepower, up 8 from last year, and 135 pound-feet of torque, up 15.ĭX and LX models use a carry-over 1.6-liter with 103 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. A new, smoother, but somewhat slow revving, 2.0- liter, dual-overhead-cam, 16-valve Inline-4. The looker of the bunch is the top-line ES, which receives a standard rear deck spoiler, sixteen-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, and a black-chrome grille. That structure is wrapped in a sportier body, that gives Protege a more Continental look - and we don’t mean Lincoln. It’s been reinforced everywhere from the roof to the floorpan for better rigidity, providing better handling and improved crash protection. The most important thing being a stiffer body structure. These diminutive 4-doors have received substantial upgrades over last year. Leading the pack are the Protege DX, LX and ES. Perhaps, since at first blush Mazda has not just freshened the 2001 Protege, but rather they’ve readied a whole family of small cars for today’s young, hip, and thrifty buyers. So Mazda drove back to the computer to design a Protg that’s faster, flashier, and a lot more fun to drive. But in the very youth-oriented small-car market, Protg has had a hard time competing with first, the extremely popular Honda Civic, and second, the upstart Ford Focus. It’s roomy, comfortable, and performs better than most competitors.
Mazda’s Protege sedan has long been a staple of the subcompact scene.
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