![]() The lever releasing the exterior fuel tank door is found on the floor left of the driver’s seat. Front windshield wipers activate from a right-side stalk near the ignition cylinder. Inside, headlights monitor from the turn signal stalk. Under the hood, power is supplied by an in-line, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine pumping out 140 horsepower, the most potent engine in the Protégé family. ![]() By comparison, a 2002 Ford Focus ZTS sedan with destination charge lists at $15,730 while a 2002 Cavalier Z24 sedan costs $17,120. In addition, Protégé is available in ES and LX editions. The lowest-priced Protégé sedan, an entry-level DX edition starts at $12,765 with far less standard equipment. The bottom-line price of our MP3 test car checked in at $18,530 including a $480 destination charge. The MP3’s colorful Kenwood Excelon stereo cranks out 280 watts through four speakers although preset and other push-button functions are teeny tiny. Other MP3 nuances include a two-tone interior, special MP3 badging throughout, rear spoiler, round front fog lights, wind split side sill extensions, modified suspension and exhaust system and the AM/FM/compact disc stereo with large trunk-mounted subwoofer. In addition to low-profile, 17-inch tires with alloy wheels, other standard features include cruise control, cloth upholstery, power windows and door locks, rear window defroster, power locks with remote keyless entry, air conditioning, tinted glass and rack-and-pinion steering. ![]() In fact, about the only extras are an upgraded alarm system, cargo net and wheel locks. Don’t expect to spend much time deciding what options to add to your MP3 purchase because the sporty sedan comes well equipped. Two eye-popping color choices set MP3 apart from the rest of the Protégé pack laser blue and vivid yellow. Compact competitors including the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cavalier offer at least two different body styles. No two door coupe or hatchback versions are currently offered, a break from traditional thinking. Protégé is Mazda’s sedan-exclusive compact car. ![]() The all-new, Japanese-built MP3 is actually part of the Protégé family. The dawn of the 2001 model year saw the debut of Mazda’s MP3 sport sedan, a five-speed manual transmission offering with just as much zoom- zoom intensity as its more pampered Tribute sibling. While Mazda has been hard at work promoting its all-new, 2001 Tribute sport utility, in television commercials utilizing the catchy “zoom–zoom” theme, another new, 2001 arrival to the Mazda family has been receiving much less attention. ![]()
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