I've owned toyotas basically all my life (i currently have 3)

i'm looking to get a new car... my 93 camry is getting old and parents don't want to spend more money fixing it (in the last 3 years we've had to replace brakes, fix exhaust leak 3 times, almost time for timing belt change, it needs a new steering U-joint, had to get new tires last year)

i was looking @ protege5's and mazda3's... i was wondering if anybody here has owned these cars and what they think about them... like.. reliability... etc..

i do know/notice the interior quality of both cars is pretty poor comapred to toyota (cheap seats on mazda3, cheap dash/trim parts on protege5)

also, it will be an automatic (family car, my bro and mom has to be able to drive as well)

i test drove both already... but i still can't decide... both seem kinda lacking in low end lower... similar handling...

i'm leaning towards the protege5 while the rest of my family likes the mazda3...

i had a mazda 3 as a loaner when i took my z for service and honeslty my old celica seemed faster....theyre nothing but plastic inside...it has bad pick up...didnt really like the feeling i got in that car

I dont know if you guys have the Mazda 3 sp23 over there.
I would go with that.
Have you considered a Corolla

yea.. i looked @ the following cars:
03-04 accord
02-03 camry
04-05 civic
03-04 corolla
02-03 protege5
04-05 mazda3

camry is too big (even bigger than current camry.. and handles like my sienna)

civic is kinda lacking in power if you always have 4-5 people... civic handles better than camry or corolla... but is damn cramped inside...

corolla/mazda3/protege5 has about the same interior space. but the mazda3/protege5 handle better... and look nicer (even tho it looks sooo cheap)

mom likes the accord
i like the protege5
my 2 brothers like the mazda3

Im kinda looking at similar cars and Im probably going to go with a tC. Its really a nice car for 17K brand new. Even though its only 2 door the back seat is pretty comfortable.

I like the syling of the Mazda3 better than any small car. I know a guy that's only driven Mazdas since like '96 in high school and he's always thought they were reliable. Look at a Mazda6 four cylinder. You might be able to find a used one of them for not much more than those other cars.

The Protege5 and 3 are both sweet cars. They handle well and are hella practical. However, from my past Mazda experiences, they arent good long term ownership cars. Reliability wise supposedly they are really good, but I remember a bunch of TSB's for the 3 when it came out. Also the interior materials are much cheaper than Honda or Toyota. The seats and carpet will wear out much faster and Mazda parts cost a fortune. I dont know about Mazda automatics today, but the one on my MPV crapped out after 80k miles...

my sis has a protege 2.0 sadan. not the 5, i dont mind it. Shez had a few problems with it since she bought it. She bought it second hand from Mazda about a year ago and shez had weather stripping from the doors come off (3 times on 1 door), seazed wheel bearings, bent rim(one of the original 4 she got with the car had a small bend in it that made it leak out), blown shocks, blown sway bar end links...like..shez had alot of problems with it, mind you every thing is under warrenty for her though. The only other thing i noticed with her car is you have to rev it high before you drop it into gear (closer to 2000rpm).

jaws would be the one to ask, he has a Protege 5

I just want to comment on the issues with your 93 Camry...all the items you listed I would consider "maintenance" not problems, except for the exhaust leak. As for another car, I would not do either Mazda...stay with Toyota or Honda, like the Civic or Corolla S.

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i guess i wasn't too clear on it... yea... i kno they're all maintenance... but i've spent like 2k+ on it in the past 2yrs and it STILL needs about another 1.5k in work... and AC doesn't work... since the car isn't even worth 2k and it's kinda not in too gd condition, my dad just decided might as well get a newer car... might need like 1k in maintenance after we get it but it'll be a lot newer/better condition

i considered mazdas because protege5s/mazda3s seem to be VERY popular (kinda like taking over the civic) so thought i might try it...

My friend used to have this old MX-6. 1st gen. Man we beat the sh*t outta that car. I mean beat the sh*t outta it. Its that car that i learned alot about engines from. It wasnt bad when it came to quickness. But my point is, we beat the hell outta it and it still runs fine.

This post has been edited by hitcachi: Apr 8, 2006 - 12:07 AM

Doesn't Ford own Mazda?

Ya.

nuff said

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lol. As far as reliablity goes, you gotta remember your coming from THE MOST reliable car maker on the planet. There not bad cars, there just not for me.

i like mazda. i personally like the protege hatchback version. don't know whatr year it is but.... yeah.