Suburban Dad: 2010 Mazda3 vs. 2002 Mazda Protege - Cars.com (blog)
Suburban Dad: 2010 Mazda3 vs. 2002 Mazda Protege By Suburban Dad on June 11, 2010. While the new Mazda3 has lots of advantages over my own ’02 Protegé, there are just enough changes for the worse that I wouldn’t pick that car today if I were... Back in 2002, I needed a car that I could commute solo 90 miles a day, five days a week, but I also needed a car that could carry all three kids and my wife if need be. The backseat offered plenty of room, or at least enough room that the kids... Fast-forward to last week, and the Mazda3, which certainly is way more contemporary — and decked out to the nines — had a backseat that wasn’t comfortable for my three teens, or even the three smaller kids I had back in ’02. And yes, we know the... Don’t get me wrong: There’s plenty to like in the Mazda3s I tested, the most obvious being its powerful engine, and easy-to-use manual transmission. This particular Mazda3 had leather seats (heated. The biggest difference between the two cars: The Protegé ran me around $15,000 back in ’02. the Mazda3 with the 2. 5-liter engine stickers out above $24,000. Now, of course, this isn’t apples to apples. Source: www.cars.com
