Mazda Protegé5

The story

Oddly for a wagon, the Protegé5 measures nearly 5 inches less than its sedan sibling, because Mazda trimmed the rear overhang instead of stretching it, and that cropped tail under a long roof gives it the stance of something pricier. The 2.0-liter four is the least of it: it grumbles low in the rev range, fades up top and does its best work in a narrow middle band. Everything else sparkles. A thin steering rim, light hydraulic assist and a stiff shell let the front tires speak clearly, the brakes are strong, and the tail will tuck in gently when asked.

Testers loved it and hedged their advice. In a 6-car Edmunds comparison in 2003 it tied for second behind the Toyota Matrix, yet its editors chose it, by a wide margin, as the one they would buy with their own money. It sits between the Protegé MP3 and the turbocharged Mazdaspeed Protegé in the family, the only hatchback of the trio, and it pointed the way to the Mazda3 and the Mazda5. Rust, rear sway-bar mounts and tired ignition parts are the usual worries, yet a rust-free example remains a joy on a twisting road.