I got my Mazda off a used car lot, she was my first car, from the start she needed a little help(80,000 miles), new tires, alignment, and a throttle body to keep the idle in check. She ran like a new car, getting 28-30 mpg, when the model is estimated to have 25mpg, smooth and easy to handle, perfect for a beginner driver. She came with those silly low profile "summer" tires, and since winter in Ohio was coming they had to go, the tiny wheel size was very limiting in what brands and types of tires I could get, but ended up with mid-grade "Wal-Mart tires" with a full warranty, and they were a huge help when the snow started to come down. Had to get the alignment done, cause I noticed the steering wheel wasn't straight anymore, turned out my tie rod was busted, a trip to the garage revealed my tie rod was busted, after getting that fixed and aligned (along with a wheel balance) I could hardly believe how smooth and straight my car was driving again. I needed to replace my throttle body due to the sensors being shot, and it telling the car it needs to have the throttle OPEN, running at higher RPMs than it should be at (2000rpm), after a simple remove, and replace, she went back down to a purring idle (700-800rpm)

The car gets some 40 MPG and I drive a lot, so this is number one in my book. Repairs are not too bad either. The parts are reasonably priced and I can do a lot of the work myself.

I bought my Mazda Protege about 10 years ago, gently used from a friend. In the beginning, I was a little intimidated by it because it's the sport version and I'm not a great driver--I had never owned a vehicle that could go that fast! However, I have logged about 100,000 miles on that car without any memorable incident or problem, and I have come to love it so much that I would certainly buy another Mazda, maybe even another Protege. The Mazda Protege is a great car for women and older people: it is easy to drive, has excellent acceleration (fast) when passing someone, and one feels very safe driving it even if one is not a great driver. It is sturdy and mine has only broken down twice in ten years (although both repairs were in the $1,000 range). It is also quite forgiving if you're a little remiss with regular maintenance. The exterior has aged well: no visible rust or dents (of course, not having accidents helps!), and so has the interior. The rugs and dashboard still look fairly new, albeit a little faded by sunlight. Overall, that car is the best one I've ever owned.