Tough Crowd Comparison Test: Mazda Protegé

The Mazdaspeed Protegé gives up 73 hp and a 100 lb-ft of torque to the overendowed SRT-4, and yet it was surprisingly close to nudging the Dodge out of the top spot. The fact is, none of this car's test numbers, not even its winning handling numbers, do justice to the Protegé's true capabilities. This is an amazingly well-sorted car with surprisingly few compromises. We've heard more than one automotive engineer jealously question how Mazdaspeed managed to sneak such a low, tight suspension past the corporate ninny brigade. The only possible answer: Mazda's ninnies get it.

The key to appreciating the Mazdaspeed Protegé is to take it as a whole. Don't expect overwhelming power, staggering grip or retina damaging brakes. Instead, this car lets you blend acceleration, handling and braking into one seamless and very fast dance. Hustling the Mazdaspeed Protegé down a twisty road elicits the same slack-jawed amazement once reserved for the Integra Type R. A suspension with this kind of unflappable poise and consistent controllability is very rare. Add nearly perfect steering feel, well-balanced brakes and just enough power and you're almost there.

The Mazdaspeed Protegé's crowning jewel is the Tochigi Fuji Sangyo conical ring torque-sensing limited-slip differential. Despite the long, clumsy title, the diff is a subtle, invisible piece of the puzzle that makes the whole package work. Mazdaspeed's suspension tuning, developed with the help of Racing Beat, is unconventional, pairing relatively soft springs with huge anti-roll bars. The result is surprisingly good ride quality over most surfaces. The ride only feels stiff on offset bumps, which allow the big bars to toss the car around a bit. In the corners, drop throttle or a little left-foot braking allow the nose to drop noticeably and the front end to tuck in. There always seems to be more front grip available than you expect.

Despite a 2.0-liter turbo, the Mazdaspeed Protegé has just enough power. Output was intentionally limited to protect the transmission and to allow the long block to remain the same as the naturally aspirated Protegé's. Sticking to parts already in production for other cars is the only way to offer this much performance for so little money. It's the parts bin curse that makes the intercooler almost uselessly tiny and the seats relatively flat. A bigger intercooler and better seats are easy aftermarket upgrades.

Best Feature: Every aspect of the handling, from the steering feel, to the balance, to the level of grip is outstanding.

Worst Feature: Outstanding except for the seats, that is. Lateral support is virtually nil. Prepare to hold onto the steering wheel.

First three things we'd modify

1: Turbo-back exhaust
The downpipe and cat on this car are serious backpressure hogs, and the rest of the exhaust is a carryover from the much less powerful MP3. Uncorking the exhaust flow will make power, and make room for more boost.

2: Front-mount intercooler
The intercooler, carried over from the European Protegé turbodiesel, is tiny and half blocked by A/C brackets. Removing it would open up an easy path for plumbing to reach a nice, big front-mount.

3: Boost controller
Turning up the boost without the first two mods is virtually pointless. With the clogs removed, however, power should be easy. Just remember: Stock output was kept low to protect the transmission. Avoid clutch dumps and hard acceleration on broken pavement.

Base price: $19,980
Measured horsepower at the wheels: 150 hp @ 6000 rpm
Curb weight as tested: 2,810 lb