The Mazda3 has nothing to do with the Protege, except maybe in the engine department, as the MZRs are developments of the old 1.6 blocks. (the US 1.8 and 2.0 Protege engines are from the now-defunct FS family). The Mazda3 is based on a shared Volvo C-platform. I'm not sure how much the Mazda6 platform (the basis for the Escape and Tribute) shares with the Mazda 626, but I was struck by how similar in size, space and feel the 6 is to the 626... same low-slung chassis, same stiffness of the rear (although the rear end feels much more sophisticated than my 626's) and same of-a-piece-feel to the steering (but the 6's steering is miles better).
I'm obviously voting for the Protege. YSSMAN explained it completely, but I'll bore you with my version anyway:
The 323s, even the early ones, were noted for their good handling balance and engaging drive, even in the plain jane vanilla 1.6 versions. They were never the best cars, being just slightly less durable than a Civic or Corolla, and the engines were nothing to write home about, but they just "did it" for some people.
The Protege just took that formula and made it better. The driving feel is spot on, especially in a P5 or MP3, with the quicker ratio steering. The suspension is firm without being brittle (at least, not until you wore the damn bushings out) and the steering wheel was as communicative as a BMWs (if you were to believe the car mag guys who'd actually driven both back to back). Sure, it'd understeer at the limit, like any front driver, but it had such a wide "sweet spot" where the car was completely neutral (neither oversteering or understeering) and completely obedient to your commands. Throw one around in a parking lot, and it'll gamely kick the rear end out, unlike most front drivers.
It still wasn't the best car. The shifter feels like it's ****t*ng itself to pieces if you drive "hot" for too long... Mileage isn't a match for a Corolla or Civic (again), and Nissan's SE-R (the last one) was still a much faster car than the MP3, with similar handling benefits, but the Protege just makes you feel
happy the moment you turn the wheel.
Thankfully, Mazda retired the Protege nameplate before subsequent "improvements" could make it heavier, slower and less lively. That's why I voted for it.
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The Others:
The Corolla: Despite the bashing, I have respect for this car. I don't count the rear-wheel drive versions because that's patently unfair to the other cars, and a modern Corolla has about as much in common with any RWD Corolla as 350Z does to a 240Z. Wait... maybe even less.
Still, there are the "hot" Levin models to consider, and the Corolla has had its share of sports models. A modern Corolla has terrific suspension balance, with a stiff chassis and little body roll, but even in the fastest Corollas I've driven, the steering wheel is never a focal point of the experience, and power only makes you happy on the straights.
Still, the latest Corolla is a big improvement on the previous one, but still not the best car out there.
The Civic: numbers will tell you this is the best compact ever. Personally, it's a nice car. Early SiRs are like motorbikes with four wheels. No torque, but you'll love it when you get past 5000 rpm. They drove like motorbikes, too... nimble, but with a healthy dose of understeer. The relatively long wheelbase makes handling stable, but you need to modify it to get the balance you want.
The last Civic and the current Civic just don't provoke excitement like the old ones did. Suspensions too soft, no steering feel at all (even with the new quick ratio rack, the steering wheel just leaves you feeling unsatisfied). Handling has improved in the new one, but video-game style driving might never be my thing.
The Sentra: I'm a former fan. The B13's independent suspension and short wheelbase make it slightly more chuckable than a Civic (if you can believe it...) and the SE-R version was a blast (that's the reason why we bought the MP3... it reminded me so much of the "classic" SE-R). The Sentra was never about being the fastest car, but about being a competent driver with good controls and decent power.
I didn't vote for it because later versions just kept growing bigger, fatter, heavier and less sporty. The rear beam axle cured any neutral steer the model once had, and steering feel is now nowhere near the Protege's. The cars are still great once you modify them... but there's the rub... you have to pay extra to get it to drive nicely. The latest SE-R is a good car, but it could've been better if Nissan had just stuck with the plot, kept the IRS and kept the weight down...
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