1990 Mazda Protege LX | Retro Review
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- čas přidán 18. 08. 2021
- So much right for so little money. The 1990 Mazda Protege was a sleeper.
Show 910 | Originally Aired 12-1-1989
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A friend’s mother had one of these when we were in high school. Every once in a while, she would let him drive it to school. You would think we were riding in a Benz. Really nice small car for its time.
Lmao who thought that
Yes I know. We've had ours for 31 years.
@Allen Tokyoo Take a seat kiddo
I THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE A BABY BENZ TRIED TO GET ONE IN '90 AT 21 YRS OLD TEST DROVE IT AT THE DEALER BUT NEEDED A CO SIGNER
@@rondavid7413 You aren't the only one. Motoring journalists at the time wrote that it looked like a small Benz.
Very impressive acceleration for such an old car! It’s faster than the 2021 Elantra that MotorWeek just tested. Mazda has always done “small” very, very well and a lot of people have forgotten just how good the Protege really was. Even Toyota-infatuated Consumer Reports was enamored with the Protege, making the 3rd gen their top-rated small car throughout the late-90s and early-00s.
The Elantra is bigger than the 626 of those times.
@@Mgoblagulkablong - Yes, but considering even the most mundane of modern mommymobiles can absolutely scorch this Protege, the Elantra’s performance is even more inexcusable.
@N B dude c'mon! That's a 6cyl full size car. That sub 8 to 60 low 15s in the qtr mile were crazy numbers for any car in the 90s specially coming from the compact segmeng, all of them were 9+ seconds to 60...
@N B 280 hp, that was a rocket for an old lady car, but it was 15 years after this protégé, by a different car company, and double the price.
@@Mgoblagulkablong So is anything else in 2021.
Your point?
Wow acceleration 0-60 really suprised me.
I had that exact model in Red.
$250 from the auto auction way back in 2002. Car was an absolute cream puff. sipped gas,ice cold ac and fit 5 people and camping gear comfortably.
They don't make them like they used to eh.
You got that right Josh.
What happened to it man? Providing it was crashed, I could imagine it'd still be on the road today, these things don't die. I had a 1990 or 91 Ford Laser years ago, identical running gear to the 323 (although I had the 3 speed auto, carburettor 1.6) it went to hell and back, including being flooded, and it's still running and on the road today 😅
@@Michka1001 I was young and broke. I lost my job @ Kmart and could no longer afford auto insurance on it or to even put gas in it. I ended up having to sell it.
My bro's friend purchased it for $600. He owned it for about 3 to 4 months before he wrecked it while DUI. Car was totaled.
Sad ending to such a good car. Car gave me zero issues from the time I had it until the time I parted ways. I still have a few polaroid pics of it in my photo albums. Always nice to look back at it.
- peace man.
We have the same car only it was a base model with 1.3 carbureted 16 valve variant of the b series. It is still running now with only major replacements were the timing belt, piston rings, valve seal and an ac compressor. Idles quietly you'd think it was off. Unfortunately right now it's ac is not cold probably due to some unfound leak. I saw one 323 got t boned and the driver survived though I also saw a mirage got t boned and died, this car is built tough for the time.
I have one with only 69k miles auto no accidents or rust. It was a car that seized by customs so the carpet is all cut up badly. Runs and drives but recently got a CEL vacuum leak. Trying to source it little by little.
7.8s to 60mph? That's plenty fast for 1990, specially for a non high performance car, that I believe is even faster than the 1990 Miata they tested.
That beats even modern budget sedans. My 2014 Corolla barely hits 9.
A 7.8 second time to 60 mph was achieved by a Miata in 2001. This little 1990 Protégé was pretty quick.
BP engine are one of the best engines from Mazda
Indeed. It was definitely quicker than an E30 325i with an automatic and only a few tenths behind a 325i 5-speed
@@rootsmanuva82 Makes me wonder why the MX-3 had a 1.8V6 if this was even faster with the 1.8 4 banger.
That model marks the start of Mazda giving their cars eye catching designs that make them stand out from the competition, which is a tradition they carried on to this day. I particularly liked the hatchback version of that Protégé, which would still look good on the roads today imo.
The 323 sedan's back aged well specifically the ones that had a fake light bar in the middle
Agreed! Though the 00-02 626 is admittedly not part of that eye-catching group. (At least here in the US. I think the overseas versions looked better.) I should know- I own one, haha.
those 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are super impressive for that category car in that era
Yeah I was surprised. Isn’t it way worse for other cars that time?
the same than a 10years older higher trim pontiac sunbird fwd, exact same category than this car
I never realized how well equipped these early protege's were
@Allen Tokyoo if you mean the mazda3, I feel like a civic or a Corolla all have similar options
An amazing little car - roomy, comfortable, economical, reliable, quality-made, logically priced, great in handling and very quick for what it actually is! I still see some where I live!🤘
A family member bought a '90 Red LX 5 speed new. She drove it hard for several years. Fun, frugal, dependable. Around 10 years ago it was still in the county, a little tattered, but still driven regularly with over 400,000 miles on it.
Used to own a 1991 DX I've been waiting forever for this review🥲
Good gravy, that’s a FAST car for the segment at the time!
A bygone era in automotive simplicity, reliability and affordability. What a time it was.
There are new cars today for between S20 and 24k.
The Nissan Versa starts at $14k. The only issue with that car may be the CVT, but at least you can still get one with a manual transmission. It's a five speed though, but who cares?
@@damilolaakanni or you can get a Mazda, they still use traditional Automatics.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
This brings back some memories. My Dad had one. Crazy seeing this again
Same here man, my dad had a white 5 speed one. Was bullet proof.
My dad had one in dark green. It was called the 323 in the Philippines 😌
My dad had a white one. Lots of memories too riding in the back seat.
My 2002 Protege was the best car I ever owned. Lost it when my neighbor crashed into it. Broke my heart the day that happened.
This was such a cute and popular car back in my high school days (the 90s).
The 1990 Protege was a nice subcompact. Solid little car. 0-60mph in 7.8s was extremely quick for the class at that time. For perspective, my 1990 Plymouth Sundance did 0-60mph in 11.5s, which was pretty typical.
I have collected nearly all of the Mazda Protégé brochures including the 1990 model. The Mazda Protégé was my dream car since I was a kid.
I enjoy these reviews of ordinary old cars almost as much as those of sports/supercars. Maybe more.
My Mercury Tracer was the clone version, so quite/comfy/and quick. Regret selling and loosing it to this day. Nice lil car
Very few reviews of this model today. Didn't know you could get the sedan with the DOHC and electric windows which I've only ever seen in the Astina (hatchback). We still have ours after 31 years. Thank you very much for sharing!
I drove this model in the early 90's when my buddy had one as a rental car. Having only driven various 80's Fords and VW's up to then, I was amazed by how good this car felt to drive! It gave me an affinity for Mazda ever since.
My Dad bought a new 1990 Protege and absolutely loved it. He would get @ 40 MPG on his Interstate drive to work. A peppy little car with the 5-speed tranny. It was a reliable vehicle for many years.
Whoa. A key to open the trunk, I felt a sense of nostalgia!
There was an inside trunk release to the left of the driver's seat, too.
@@richardhardy3166 my daily 2017 Accord still has that. No key hole though.
With a 5 speed these cars were a blast to drive even if they didn't have the power of other cars in its class.
I had a 2000 ES with a 5 speed and I drove it everyday like I was mad at it.
Never left me stranded or broke down.
2:37 John: GETTING IN THE BACK DOOR TAKES LIMBER LEGS! LOL
My Mom had one of these. She bought it used in 1993. She sold it for $500 to a family friend. He still drives it.
My dad bought one of these brand new in 1989 for the 1990 model year. Had 475k miles on it when we got rid of it in 2009. Probably went through 4-5 clutches but man that car was one of the best we owned. Gave it away to charity and everything still worked.
I bought a 1990 back in 2001. Indestructible. I took it off roading all the time. Best car I ever had
One of the best cars i ever owned. had a '94 SE 5spd, with a power sunroof and a spoiler. wish it had of been a DOHC.
wow, that thing was a sleeper at the time!
Had 1 of these way back then. Great car, absolutely loved it!!
I still occasionally have dreams about my 91 protege. I miss it so bad!
My first car back in the day. Loved this car so much, I can still remember the neon green light emitting from the dash at night and the automatic motorized seat belts when you opened the door. Incredibly fun to drive I remember my brother and best friend had a Corolla and an accord from the same year and the protege drove the best. Can easily get over 100k miles without absolutely any problems. It’s been many years since I have had this car but I can honestly say this is one of my favorite cars.
Late 80’s & 90’s Car Designs Are So Timeless‼️ I Love It‼️💚
Had one, wife bought it new in 91 before I met her Car was very reliable, fun to drive.
I remember people trying to turbo these back in the early 2000's
I learned how to drive on a 2003 in Australia. Great gear box and clutch and the build quality was excellent.
The more I see of these 1990s car videos, the more I realize those were very special times.
Nothing dates this video more than the Dan Quayle reference...
Dan who? JK, wonder where he is now?
DAAAAANG! This car is a slalom course king! What a great little car. I think I know what I'd be looking at if it were 1990 again.
I would like to have the MotorWeek Review of the 1999/2000 Mazda Protegé. I drove one of those when I was at High School. It was extremely reliable. We had it since brand new until summer 2015.
So hard to find any of the first and second generation Proteges these days, so this was nice to see when new.
We had the LX and loved that car. So zippy and fun to drive with the 5 spd. I almost enjoyed it as much as my current BMW M3.
A friend of mine had one just like this too, she loved her 5spd because her kids didn't know how to drive one.
@@aquarius8325 Yes, the 5 spd serves as an anti-theft device here in the US. :D
@@Volvo8Fifty4Life if you could make the car move on idle alone then you really know how to drive a manual lol
What an underdog that was better than the competition
I got a Protege like this one as a rental car while my car was being repaired… the very day I got my car out of the body shop, I immediately traded it for one of these. Best car I ever owned and I still miss it. I’ve owned other Mazdas since, and there just isn’t the same “feel” as this one had. A seriously great little vehicle!
When I was doing body work at a Mazda and VW dealership these were the loaner and rental cars.
I actually liked this little car, it was fun to beat on.
This was my brother’s first car, it was cool and everything but had a lot of mechanic problems, something impressive tbh knowing that is a mazda, still, great interior and design, this brings me back so many memories
1990 Mazda 323 Protegé LX sedan which is the based can be tested are Ford Escort LX 5-door hatchback and Mercury Tracer LTS 4-door sedan for 1991 models.
what?
Andres Salazar Autos Mazda 323 Protegé it’s Mazda B platform (BG) shares with Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer.
Oh I remember the Protege LX, that car was so much fun when I was a teenager 😅
My dad had one from 2001 to 2006, he purchased it from a fellow Goan. I have faint memories of the car but I really really like it now!
I really want one of these cars.
Can you guys upload the 2001 Protégé? I miss mine dearly. It'd be cool seeing how far it came style and equipment wise!
There is a review online of a 2000 model.
Two of my uncles were faithful Mazda drivers; one had a 929 for a decade, another had a B-Series single cab pickup and the companion to this Protege, the 323 hatchback. My uncle with the 929 bought his girlfriend a 626 which ended up being stolen from her driveway.
I loved the 323 growing up. Too bad the second gen didn't get the same features as the Protégé.
7.8 seconds? That's crazy for a small car in 1990.
I’d Say Mazda Is Still Killing It In This Segment! Especially In Design!
My 92 protege is out of commission but I’m saving it for a restoration someday. Drives like a go cart. Great car.
I bought a new Protege DX in 1992. It was the most reliable and efficiently designed car I’ve ever had. It had a ton of room for a car that size.
I just obtained a 1992 Protege DX today lol
I could never find one of these LX Proteges used with a 5 speed. Always the damned automatic, which really killed the pep of the engine.
125 hp from a 1.8 in 1990 with a weight of 2000-2600 lbs.
Man what a gem.
Be cool to restore one of these or restomod it with a modern skyactive turbo engine and see it run 12s!
That would be amazing
This Mazda was definitely a gamechanger. It spun the new Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer at the time. Even mimicks like the Mitsubishi Mirage (93) and Nissan Sentra (91) at the time looked similar at some gkances, more so the rear ends
I used to like these cars when was little. A man know had a light blue one haven't seen one of these since don't know when this car was based off the Escort when Mazda was with Ford doing that time. Back than Mazda had a lot of models from Protégé, MX-6, 626 and 929 forgot think still made RX-7 .
THe other way aroud, the escort was based on the Protege (323)
I loved the Mazda 929
My mom had a '93. She let me drive it to high school in Grade 12. Good times.
This was a very good car that was underrated and was reliable. This car is what made the new Ford Escort is 1991, for Ford owned controlling share of Mazda. Was disappointed that Motorweek didn’t test a car with the automatic transmission, which most Americans drive…
When it has not just better handling but also better power/acceleration than its competitors, that's good engineering right there
Nice. Still looks smart n handsome after all this years. This 323 generation looked great especially the hatchback version, only for the next generation to look even better
Had a 93 protege. Loved that car. Repairs were a little costly though. Fortunately there weren’t many.
The liftback version with pop-up headlights is a classic.
Anything with pop up lights is classic.
Mazda 323 BG as it was called in Europe, was very popular car in many European countries, such as in Finland. It was available with 1,3; 1,6 or 1,8 litre petrol versions. Early models came with carburetor, later ones with fuel injection. A 4WD version was option and GT-X with Turbo. 5 door hatchback was called 323F. Most cars were sold witj manual transimissions, automatic was an option. Just 10 years ago you could see these everywhere, nowdays most of them have taken off the road. Very reliable car with good fuel economy.
The clatter from the 4 valves per cylinder engine meaning it was reliable and bulletproof this was an excellent car
It was indeed bulletproof, but how does the clatter relate to that?
@@sammyt3514 it was typical of these four cylinder engines mate most people thought that the valves needed to be adjusted but to be fair it was Mazda’s engine design that would cause this specific issue
7.8 seconds to 60? That's blisteringly quick for a quite mundane small/medium saloon.
Zoom zoom
Can we see the 323 GTX 😍
it's in the archive
John was giving some Ms. Thing head roll and sass in the beginning. Get her, Jade!
My dad had one of these cars when I was younger it was so fun😢
I remember when the 4 door Protege debuted and the hatchback kept the 323 nameplate.
Had a red one as my first car in 2005 :)
I had a 2002 Mazda Protege. It was a fun and reliable car. I put over 200K miles on it before I traded up to a Honda Accord.
These cars are now classics, with some commanding high prices!
Such a reliable vehicle
Mi esposo rip tuvo 626 del 1990 era el mismo🎗
These were hard to beat, especially for the money
IT'S THE LEADER IN THE SMALL CAR RACE.
That engine was a workhorse. Quick car for its class back then and still respectable numbers for small cars today.
I love it! I miss mine. Great car to drive stick in. Easy & effortless, although I think the clutch it came with wasn't original. Maybe smoother than what they complained about.
Also: does anybody know what hardware they use to capture and digitize analog video?
We used to mod these bad boys for the hell of it in the 90’s, these little cars can dip
Used to drive a 91 Escort, basically the same car as this. I had the same complaint about about the clutch and road noise. Good cars though.
Damn what a great lil machine.
I have a 2020 Toyota Yaris iA 6M which is a second gen Mazda 2 which is the descendant of this car. The review sounded like what I drive today, except I have ABS. My car is surprisingly fast and has great handling, yet has a much less horsepower for some reason. I'm also getting 33 mpg and I drive it hard.
21 years latter Mazda's are still the most fun to drive, best made and most reliable cars in class per dollar spent, they look better than ever too. Sadly or not so sadly( Mazdas stand out of the crowd) sales still make them industry's best kept secret
Man those Chevy trucks were beautiful. They look good to this day. Much, much better than the new ones. They were also built really well. I’ve seen a few with over 500,000 miles
I miss my acid-washed jeans. Sadly, no one else does.
I miss acid, sadly the voices in my do not.
The will. They will. To both of you....but only to you. LOL
I think I had a rugby shirt just like one in the vid, too.
I liked this Protégé, and it was certainly better than the Escort. This generation looked good in all trim levels. The following generation to this was tricky. I hated its look in base trims, but thought it looked good in top trims.
I agree. The unpainted black bumpers really ruined the look of the base cars. Plus the base engine didn’t even make 100 HP if I remember correctly.
That car was basically the same chassis as the Ford escort in those day's! Not a bad performer for those day's!
nice look, I wish I could find one in good condition!
This is Mazda 323 Saloon, in Europe.
Damn, that thing rips
Such a fun car to drive.
Very good car front wheel drive car. Cheap too. Fast and handled well. The tires sucked in winter but new BFGoodrich solved that! Loved road tripping in it. Didn’t rust great paint job although bland. The next model rusted so fast we jumped to a Subaru 🤣👍
Powerful engine and exellent gearing on the manual transmission makes those great 0 to 60 mph numbers!!
0-60 in 7.8 seconds is really quick for an economy car of this era. I'm sure the auto added a full second or more but these are great performance numbers and wouldn't be out of place on an economy car today.