|
(Enlarge photo)
Twisty roads bring out the best in the Protegé5, a zippy, good handling small wagon from Mazda.
(Photo courtesy of Mazda North American Operation)
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Enlarge photo)
Protegé5's silver accents and fake carbon fiber trim jazz up the standard-issue Protegé Sedan interior.
(Photo courtesy of Mazda North American Operation)
|
|
|
|
(Enlarge photo)
With a sloped roofline, rear spoiler, side-sill extensions and lower valence, the Protegé5 looks sporty despite the fact that it's a station wagon.
(Photo courtesy of Mazda North American Operation)
|
|
|
See All Photos
|
|
|
|
Road Test: First Drive Test
|
|
Zoom, Zoom, RoomFirst Drive: 2002 Mazda Protegé5
Zoom, Zoom, Room
By
Christian Wardlaw
Date posted: 06-07-2001
Hatchbacks and station wagons are hot sellers lately. Seems like every auto manufacturer has some kind of sporty, utilitarian hatch or wagon on the market or the drawing boards. Marketers theorize that these kinds of cars appeal to youthful, active consumers looking for one vehicle that serves all of their needs, but unlike a sport-utility, provides a modicum of athletic handling and entertaining acceleration.
These consumers are often too young to remember that hatchbacks and wagons have been stigmatized in the past, associated with frugality and family-toting instead of fun and frolic. They view these types of vehicles as logical alternatives to expensive, gas-guzzling, ill-handling SUVs. In other words, buying a hatchback or station wagon today reflects the intelligence of choice rather than the economics of need.
Not to be left out of the action in this burgeoning segment, Mazda has decided to bring the five-door hatchback it has been selling abroad for nearly a decade to the United States, in search of new buyers for the brand. Based on the sedan of the same name, Protegé5 (no space) is a solid effort at attracting the kind of buyers who want a zippy, roomy and utilitarian car that can seat four adults comfortably.
But this isn't the first time Mazda has sold such a vehicle in the U.S. Remember the late '80s 626 Touring Sedan, a midsize hatchback with a rakish backlight and lots of room inside? Equipped with a turbocharger and all the goodies, the stylish 626 Touring was an excellent alternative to a station wagon. Neat car. No buyers. But that was then, and this is now.
Equal parts hatchback and station wagon blend to create the Protegé5, making the vehicle difficult to define decisively as either, but we lean toward the wagon end of the scale. Building on the wonderfully upgraded 2001 Protegé ES 2.0 Sedan, the 5 adds a unique front fascia with oversized driving lights, side sill extensions, new body work aft of the B-pillar (including a rear valence and roof spoiler for a sportier look), special taillights and more stylish interior trim. With the rear seat raised, the Protegé5 has space for 19.8 cubic feet of cargo stacked from floor to ceiling. Fold that seat to create a level load floor, and you easily double the space and more, but Mazda doesn't provide a measurement for the area above seatback level.
Protegé5 comes one way: well equipped at $16,815 including the destination charge. Standard-issue goodies include power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, tilt steering and an AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers. By loading one with all the options (power sunroof, chromed wheels, automatic transmission, antilock brakes with side airbags, in-dash six-CD changer, floor mats), you're looking at a sticker north of $19,000.
That puts a loaded Protegé5 in serious competition with the Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited, which is bigger inside and strikingly styled outside, and the all-new Subaru Impreza 2.5TS wagon, which boasts all-wheel drive and is also strikingly styled outside. Similar models in this price class include the Volkswagen Golf 1.8T and the Ford Focus SE Wagon. Except for the Focus, all of them make more power than the Protegé5.
The Mazda gets a 2.0-liter 130-horsepower engine, which is sufficient to move the 5's 2,716 pounds with reasonable authority while meeting ultra-low emission vehicle standards. Problem is, the grumbling four-cylinder doesn't like to rev, producing lots of noise and vibration as the tachometer climbs. It doesn't smoothly zing toward redline, a characteristic that always puts a smile on the face of an enthusiastic driver. Plus, the engine is rated to get just 25 mpg in the city when driven less enthusiastically, regardless of which transmission is chosen. The highway rating is 31 mpg with the manual and 30 with the automatic.
The standard five-speed manual transmission powers the front wheels. Optionally available is a four-speed automatic transmission with Slope Control, which automatically holds a lower gear for better acceleration or engine braking assistance on hills. We asked if Mazda had considered all-wheel drive for the Protegé5, and the answer was that, yes, it had been discussed. But the company believes that buyers looking for that sort of drive system will select the Tribute. We think the cost of adding such a system couldn't be justified by the "take-rate" on the sales end of the business. Plus, that would have put a loaded Protegé5 dangerously close in price to the wickedly powerful Subaru WRX Wagon, a comparison that we're certain Mazda wanted to avoid.
Handling is where this wagon shines brightest. Weighing approximately 100 pounds more than the Protegé ES, the 5 gets significant structural enhancements, including a bright-red strut tower brace under the hood. Thick stabilizer bars front and rear do a fine job of reducing body roll in turns, and the engine-rpm-sensing power steering, in combination with front and rear roll centers designed to improve steering feel, works brilliantly in the twisties, directing the Protegé5 from apex to apex with confidence. Large 16-inch alloy wheels and meaty P195/50R16 tires are kept glued to the pavement by strut-type front and rear suspension. Four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated in front) are standard; to get ABS with electronic brake distribution (EBD — for better braking balance), you've gotta buy the package that bundles them with side airbags.
Inside, the Protegé5 is dressed up with fake carbon fiber accents and satin silver trim pieces, which contrast nicely with the single cabin color — Off Black. Black-on-white gauges with amber nighttime backlighting exhibit a slightly italicized font to enhance the impression that this is a special Protegé. The dashboard and door panels come straight out of the Protegé Sedan, meaning controls are placed logically, and there's sufficient padding on the top of the door to rest an elbow. The nicely rendered three-spoke steering wheel includes simplistic cruise controls and plenty of rim around which to wrap your hands. The driver seat is firmly padded with good bolstering on the sides, including manual bottom-cushion height and tilt adjustment to help find an optimal driving position.
Not surprisingly, we found during our brief introductory drive that the Protegé5 drives just like the Protegé ES, one of our favorite small cars. Possibly because of added sound insulation and other steps taken to quell noise, we were able to determine that wind roar from the roof rack's cross bars was excessive at speeds over 60 mph, but those can be removed easily enough. The only other piece of evidence that we were driving a wagon was found in the rearview mirror, where the rather thick D-pillars frame the five-point backlight with an intermittent wiper.
Rear seat accommodations are similar to those in the Protegé, which means legroom is somewhat sparse when taller occupants are sitting in the front seats. Otherwise, comfort levels are good thanks to bottom cushions that provide good thigh support. Each of the three rear seating positions gets a three-point automatic locking retractor (ALR) seatbelt, and an ISO-FIX child seat latching and tethering system further contributes to passenger safety. Two height-adjustable head restraints, heat ducts and side door pockets are also provided for rear seat riders.
Mazda is targeting college-educated buyers in their early 30s with the Protegé5, which is estimated to account for just 10 percent of Protegé sales in 2002. These young, active and smart consumers can select one in a number of vibrant colors including black, red, white, yellow, silver and dark blue. They'll get a comprehensive 3-year/50,000-mile warranty with roadside assistance and a free loaner car when warranty work is performed.
They'll also get zoom and room in a tidy yet functional package.
|
|
|
