Was thinking about trading in my ES (1500 mi) for this ES V6 (leather, roof, loaded). It's an auto with 11k miles. I'm getting sick of shifting with the commute. Plus the 626 is very comfy and and a good handling sedan. What do you guys think? I'm gonna test the car tonight. Mazda dealer is asking $15.7K for the 626.

 

hey, i would keep the protege if i were you, but if you really wanna get rid of it then trade it in for something else. im not a big fan of the 626, but the new mazda 6s are nice, i would trade for one of those.

 

It's a nice comfortable car, but in my opinion not nearly as sporty as a Protege. If that's what you're looking for, go for it.

Have you looked around to see if there were any new 2002's? Last I checked at my dealer, they still had a few leftover 2002's that were very heavily discounted. Just a thought.

 

I've looked all over for new '02 V6's but there are none.

 

Ok, scratch that idea. I just drove the ES V6 auto. Nice car and seats are comfy but my Protege is worlds more fun to drive and just as fast or faster on the freeway. Keeping the Protege!

 

Sounds about right .

 

Swap a Protege for a 626?

Wtf are you thinking?!

 

My father has a 01' 626 with V6 5-speed and all options (leather, big rims, bose, moonroof etc). It is very nice to drive. The V6 with the 5-speed is faster than my protege and the engine sounds nice (stock).

I would not want to own it over the protege but it is nice to drive on the days we swap cars. It is also very rare to find the V6 with a 5-speed. My father got a great deal when purchasing it becuase people usually want the auto. The clutch in his car catches very low to the floor and is an easy car to stall when you first get in it. I think that is a common problem with the 626?

It is black mica like my Protege 5. I think it is a sharp car but think it is marketed for an older person to drive it. Good choice with keeping your protege though.

-R

 

trade it in for a jetta, thats what i did. its all about the turbo. it was defanitely the smartest move i've ever made, ill never go back to import cars.

 

isn't the jetta an import?
ah, u mean oriental imports...


just pulling ur chain...

 

i think there are way to many jetta's on the road. i would rather drive a car that is less noticed on the road. personal preference i think. they are a quick car though if you are looking for a faster car.....

stay away from the 01' models though. that was a bad year for jetta's. they had to up the number they produced for high demand from the comsumers and the production quality went down. i have a couple friends that have 01' jetta's with numerous problems.

-R

 

My Protege is staying. I just looked at a 626 to compare. No comparison. The Protege stays. I love it!

My girlfriend has a '00 base Jetta. Everything electrically has broke in that car. The turn signals still only work when they feel like it after being fixed once already. Not to mention the interior is falling apart. The car feels so cheap b/c it is. Go to www.carreview.com and see how the Jetta owners satisfaction compares to Protege owners. It doesn't. So many Jetta owners have had all kinds of troubles with those cars.

They also look lame and are unrefined compared to Mazdas. So in summary, I'd like to say: Jetta's suck.