WHO TO CALL: Auto Editor § A.P. McCredie 985-2131 (173) THOUGH IT doesn’t look much bigger than the 1994 model, the 1995 Mazda Protege is now as roomy inside as a Hondas Accord or a Nissan Altima, cars that are considerably bigger on the outside. TEST DRIVE Tom Matano. Mazda’s North American Chief Stylist, calls Mazda's new space-saving design _ technique “Opti-Space”, which he ghaims is “beyond cab-forward”. For example, the side windows of the new Protege are now more upright and positioned further out ’ towards the sides of the car. And the dashboard and door panels don’t ~ protrude into the passenger cabin as much. In addition, the cabin is now larg- er in proportion to the overall size of the car, The Protege’s wheelbase has been increased by 105 mm (4.2 in.), width by 35 mm (1.4 in.), height by 46 mm (1.8 in.), while the overall length has been increased by 85 mm 3.4 in). However, even with these _ increases to its dimensions, the new - Protege is still a compact, four-door sedan on the outside. It retains its nimble, fun-to-drive character and is easy to park in tight parking spots. The front-wheel-drive Protege, which is built on the same platform as the 323 hatchback, is closest to a ' Honda Civic in its driveability quo- tient. The Protege has responsive (engine-speed sensitive) power- assisted steering, well-balanced han- : dling, and better-than-average stop- ping power courtesy of standard four-wheel disc brakes with optional ABS. - An improved version of last 94 FAX 6 MYSTERE V6, 5 Speed, A/C, Loaded, Leather. cD, ABS, Dual Air Bags. yd #4167976 ‘ a Miata - Rare Auto P/W, PL, Nice Stereo, Only 2,000 km. Was $25,995. Now $22,995 B 94 MX 3- VG, 5 Sceed, Loaded. Only 8,000 km, Was $20,995, Now $18,995 rs 92 Serenta - Fully toaded, incl. Leather & CD. B ; Was $26; 995. ; Now $25,995 New vehicle offers lots of room for year’s 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine is the standard, and only. power- plant. Equipped with a new sequen- tial fuel injection system, the dual overhead cam, 16 valve |.8-litre engine now offers 122 horsepower, 8% more than lust year. The new fuel injection system is responsible for improving fuel con- sumption slightly, now averaging 9.0 litres per 100 kilometres (33 m.p.g.). Straight-line acceleration is con- siderably quicker with the five-speed manual transmission than with the four-speed automatic. Zero to 100 km-h with the manual tranny takes 9.8 seconds compared to 12.5 sec- onds with the automatic. But both transmissions offer excellent shifting performance and the automatic is the better bet for around-town convenience. Engine $4 626 CRONOS Auto, Dual Air Bags, AM/FM Cassette. & Split Fold Dawn Rear Seat. was $20,935 93 Protege LX - Auto, Loaded, Low kin's Was $14,995 Now $13,495 93 Mazda 626 Cronos - 4 Dr., Auto, Loaded Was $17,995 Now $16,495 93 Mazda 323 - 5 Speed. AM/FM Cassette Was $9,995 Now $8,495 speed at highway cruising speeds is a little high: 3200 rpm. However. the engine is surprisingly quiet, happy to rev away at higher engine speeds all day long. The Protege’s new interior is attractive, well-finistied and func- tionally practical. Headroom and legroom is noticeably more gener- ous than in the previous model, and outward visibility is excellent. A couple of small complaints — the tiny horn buttons on the airbag- equipped stecring wheel are easy to miss in a panic situation. In my opinion, the horn button should be right in the center of the steering wheel. Also, the air conditioning strug- gled to keep up with the extremely hot temperatures ! experienced dur- ing a summer preview test-drive. Trunk space is generous: a roomy , Auto, vine Now $11,995 92 Toyota Corolla - 40 Was $12,995 9% Mazda 323 SE-5 Speed, Was $9,795 Now $8,495 91 Honda Clvic DX - 5 Speed, Hatchback. Was $9,495 Now $8,495 THE REDESIGNED 1995 Mazda Protege has a larger interior, longer wheelbase, improved handling and ride, and a lively 122 horsepower 1.8-litre four-cylin- der engine. Inquire about the Mazda Protege at Wolfe Mazda, 1595 Boundary Rd., Vancouver. 13 cubic feet with a flat floor and low liftover height for easier load- ing. Standard 60/40 split rear seats fold down to increase cargo area even more. The 1995 Protege is priced high- er than the 1994 model. but this is partially balanced by higher equip- ment levels. The mid-range Protege LX sells for $17,900 and the top-of- the-line ES goes for $18,500. Those prices don’t include airbags or an automatic transmission which together can boost the price of a well-equipped Protege over $20,000. Frugal buyers may want to con- sider the Protege S, a 1994 model held over for the 1995 model year. The sparsely-equipped Protege § sells for $13,900. Standard equipment on the $17,000 LX model includes five- passenger seating, power steering, 94 929 SERENA lop Madei, Fully Loaded, Leather, CD, Solar Ventilation was $46,195 30 Miata - Auto, Hard é & Soft Top, Alum. Wheel, Low kia's. Was $13,995 Now $12,888 89 Chev Sprint - 5 Door, Auto, Was $5,995 Now $4,295 91 Mazda B2600 - P/U CabPlus, 5 Speed, Canopy. Was $13,995 Now $12,995 a compact AM/FM cassette with four speakers, air-conditioning, intermittent wipers, tilt steering wheel, power windows, power door locks and power mir- rors, 60/40 split folding rear seats, tachometer, height-adjustable dri- ver's seat, two cupholders, 14-inch all season tires, and four-wheel disc brakes. The ES adds a glass sunroof, alloy wheels, rear spoiler and ABS brakes. Though there are other, similarly- equipped cars priced cheaper than the new Protege, the Protege should be considered if you want a well- built. roomy, fun-to-drive, fuel-effi- cient family sedan. It also has a very good warranty: a basic three year/80,000 km war- ranty and a five year/100.000 km major components warranty — something domestic cars don’t offer. PON, Cane a 94 PROTEGE DX 1 Power,Steering, Power Brake, AM/FM Cassette, Dual Remote Mirrors, Low km: Was $13,995 . $0 MPV - 7 Seater. V6, Mint. Was $15,495 Now $13,995 87 Mazda B2000 - CabPlus, Canopy, 5 Speed. Was $7,995 Now 56,995 86 Mazda B2000 - 5 Speed, Long Bex, Was $5,995 Now $4,995 g & MAKE TRACKS TO WOLFE MAZDA *35.S00Nnir’ 9 ONLY 4 MINUTES FROM 294-4299 JHE SECOND NARROWS ox