Mazda Protegé5

—Scott Mead

Right place, right time You’ve got to hand it to the Europeans. They take a wagon, beef up the suspension, add aggressive-looking body trim, tweak the engine, and the result is a big seller—the sport wagon. While BMW’s 3 Series, the Audi A4 Avant, and Mercedes-Benz’ C320 sporty five-doors are snatching upscale SUV-wary buyers, Mazda is looking to lure even younger, more cost-conscious versions of the same into its $16,815 Protegé5. Aggressive good looks are tooled into the design courtesy of an MP3 front fascia, large foglamps, side skirts, rear air dam, rear roof spoiler, and monochromatic scheme. The styling is dynamic, though reminiscent of the Mercedes C320 Sport Wagon (June ’01). Power comes from a 2.0L/130-hp (135 Ib-ft) DOHC 1-4, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox; a four-speed auto is optional. The…

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MotorTrend (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2001

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