A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing

Every now and then, we get to drive a car that nobody’s seen before.  In this case, it was a Mazda Protege.  Ho-hum, you say?  This one turned heads wherever we went.  People stared; drivers (especially of earlier Proteges) pulled alongside to give a long look.

It’s a Protege 5, and to say it’s a hatchback version doesn’t do it justice.  The look is racy, with a slick body that had people thinking European sports job (especially in the Ferrari red.)  That impression continues with hot-car cues like a fat steering wheel, alloy wheels, 4-wheel disc brakes, and wide tires standard.

For all that, the engine and driving dynamics are strictly economy car.  Competent, certainly; modern, but not heart-quickening.

Still, the Protege 5 looks good, carries your stuff, and brings back over 30 mpg.  And comes with extra attention, standard.



Cars for Backdoor Lovers

The five-door hatchback is a staple of European driving.  Carmakers here flirted with them for a while ­ remember the Chevy Citation? ­ but the market decided hatchback sedans were too utilitarian to be interesting.

For several years, Volkswagen’s Golf has carried the flag alone.  Now, though, it’s going to get company.

In a sense, the PT Cruiser is one.  But more explicit little hatches are on the way.  We told you about the Mazda Protege 5 yesterday.  Ford’s Focus is just hitting the showrooms.  And Pontiac, Toyota, Lexus, and many more will have 5-doors or sporty small wagons soon.

Of course, whether it’s a 5-door hatch or a wagon is a matter of subjectivity.  And we say that objectively.