What is it?
2002 Mazda Protégé Sport Wagon
What's special about it?
The Mazda Protégé has always been a sentimental favorite among our staffers for incredibly sporty performance that belies its economy sedan status. If we were driving an unrecognizably disguised Protégé, we would swear that it was a much more expensive model. The 2001 model improved upon an already excellent vehicle, and today Mazda unveiled the 2002 Protégé Sport Wagon, a sleek five-door wagon that Mazda says will appeal to the young and the young at heart. The wagon offers power windows and locks, as well as a CD player as standard equipment. Seat-mounted side airbags are optional.
The Sport Wagon shares the sedan's zippy 130-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline four powerplant, mated to your choice of a manual or auto tranny. It rides on independent struts front and rear, with 16-inch wheels halted by four-wheel disc brakes, which are usually found only on premium brands.
Plus, it looks pretty darn cool. With a low, aggressive profile and three out of the five available colors candy-licious bright, we think it'll go over big with the first-time buyer crowd who prefers sleek over gimmicky-cute, such as the Ford Focus Wagon.
Why should you care?
We've always felt that the Protégé is too-oft overlooked by buyers who get caught in the Honda Civic-Toyota Corolla quagmire. The wagon allows for both a spirited driving experience (it falls under the auspices of "Zoom zoom") and wagon storage capability. Can you have looks, utility, performance and a low price in one package? Yup. The Sport Wagon looks to include all of the above. Think of it as a wallet-friendly Audi A4 Avant. Look for it in late spring.
2002 Mazda Protégé Sport Wagon
What's special about it?
The Mazda Protégé has always been a sentimental favorite among our staffers for incredibly sporty performance that belies its economy sedan status. If we were driving an unrecognizably disguised Protégé, we would swear that it was a much more expensive model. The 2001 model improved upon an already excellent vehicle, and today Mazda unveiled the 2002 Protégé Sport Wagon, a sleek five-door wagon that Mazda says will appeal to the young and the young at heart. The wagon offers power windows and locks, as well as a CD player as standard equipment. Seat-mounted side airbags are optional.
The Sport Wagon shares the sedan's zippy 130-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline four powerplant, mated to your choice of a manual or auto tranny. It rides on independent struts front and rear, with 16-inch wheels halted by four-wheel disc brakes, which are usually found only on premium brands.
Plus, it looks pretty darn cool. With a low, aggressive profile and three out of the five available colors candy-licious bright, we think it'll go over big with the first-time buyer crowd who prefers sleek over gimmicky-cute, such as the Ford Focus Wagon.
Why should you care?
We've always felt that the Protégé is too-oft overlooked by buyers who get caught in the Honda Civic-Toyota Corolla quagmire. The wagon allows for both a spirited driving experience (it falls under the auspices of "Zoom zoom") and wagon storage capability. Can you have looks, utility, performance and a low price in one package? Yup. The Sport Wagon looks to include all of the above. Think of it as a wallet-friendly Audi A4 Avant. Look for it in late spring.
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