Good morning, and welcome to another week of questionable automotive choices! Today’s choices both have five doors, five forward speeds, and interesting pigments in their paints. But first, let’s see which Euro project you chose on Friday:
Interesting. Personally I would choose the Alfa, though I wouldn’t kick either one out of the garage.
Now then: Let’s take a look at some examples of one of my favorite category of cars: little hatchbacks. For some reason, I tend to favor cars from opposite ends of the size spectrum, either really small or really big. (A few years ago I had a Miata and a Coupe DeVille at the same time, for example). Big cars are cool, but small cars are way easier to live with, and if they have a great big opening in the back, they’re even better. And if they’re manuals and in interesting colors? Better still.
2006 Chevrolet Aveo – $2,350
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter DOHC inline 4, 5 speed manual, FWD
Location: Salem, OR
Odometer reading: 229,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep
And here we are, looking at another Daewoo, only this one is hiding behind a Chevy bowtie. The Chevy Aveo was known as the Daewoo Kalos in its home country of South Korea. This little car made the rounds, it seems; it was sold all over the world under various names.
Here in the US, the Aveo was offered only with a 1.6 liter twincam four, and anyone with any sense bought it with a five-speed manual instead of the power- and soul-sucking automatic that was available. Lucky for us, the original buyer of this Aveo had some sense. They also picked a good color: I’ve always liked this bronzey orange color. Someone has gotten their money’s worth out of it already, judging by the odometer. That’s the thing about practical little cars – they get used a lot.
We aren’t given a lot of information about this car’s condition, but from the photos it looks pretty good. There are a few bumps and bruises, and a little discoloration on the inside, but it’s not bad at all. I’d be curious to hear the story behind that dent above the rear quarter window; that’s a strange place for a car to get dented.
The Aveo has a somewhat spotty reputation for reliability, but I guess they did something right when they built this one. Small cheap cars are too often considered disposable and not taken care of; for a little econobox like this to clear 200,000 miles and keep going means someone took care of it.
2003 Mazda Protege5 – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0 liter DOHC inline 4, 5 speed manual, FWD
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Odometer reading: 190,000 miles
Runs/drives? Sure does
I am a huge fan of this car. The one and only car I ever bought new was a BJ-chassis Mazda Protege, though not a 5. It was a fantastic car for the four years I owned it: economical, good-handling, comfortable, and reliable. Over the intervening years, this car has gained a reputation for premature rust; it’s possible I dodged a bullet getting rid of it early.
The seller of this Protege says it only has “1 or 2 visible rust spots,” but the fact that a car in Los Angeles has any at all is telling. Corrosion issues aside, what you’ve got here is a nice torquey 2 liter engine, a slick-shifting five-speed manual, and excellent road manners, all wrapped up in a practical small wagon body.
This car looks like it’s in good shape apart from the rust. The screaming-yellow paint is a little faded around the edges, and there is a sizeable dent in the back bumper, but it’s still perfectly presentable. Inside, it’s a little worn, but not bad at all. The Protege5 was only available in one trim level, equivalent to the ES model of the sedan. As such, it has plenty of goodies that my DX sedan lacked: rear disc brakes, sport seats, and power windows and locks, for a start. And a tach! Yes, as late as 2003, you could still get a manual car with no tachometer.
I still like these cars a lot, and it’s good to hear they’re holding up mechanically, even if rust is a potential problem. This one looks like a decent example, and it should still have some life left in it. It has new tires and brakes, and had the catalytic converter replaced a couple years ago, so emissions tests should be a non-issue.
So that’s what we’ve got for your Monday morning entertainment: Two small hatchbacky wagony things with stickshifts and cool paint colors. Which one catches your attention?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
How can it be that no-one has noticed the number plate on the Mazda???? FFCC33 is the RGB hex colour code for “sunglow”, which, if you look at it, is the car’s colour! That’s my kind of nerd humour!
The P5 is an easy choice and others have covered it well, but I’ll add something I don’t see yet:
Is the Aveo instrument panel either hilariously tiny and cheap-looking, or a callback to classic bauhaus-ian econocar chic?
I just can’t decide.
I wanted a Protoge5 badly when they came out…just couldn’t afford one new. By the time I could get a used one, Canada turned them all to rust. I haven’t seen one on the road in a decade by now.
I once drove an Aveo around parking lot. That was all it took for me to realize it was likely the worst car I have ever driven*. It was like…all the controls were connected with linkages made of rubber, or rubber bands. I don’t know how to describe it other than that. Completely numb.
*I have driven worse, but those were terrible because they were broken/poorly maintained, not necessarily because they were dreadful out of the factory.
Easy vote for one of my all time favorite Mazdas, although we once rented an Aveo for a week in San Diego. We started out calling it the “Avoido”, but by the end of the week it had grown on us to the point we were just a little sad to leave it.
I think if I vote for the Mazda from here in Montreal, it will instantly rust into oblivion. I swear they showed up with rust spots installed at the factory.
Funny, the only one I’ve ever driven was in Quebec. That said, it was 10+ years ago so I suppose that same car has become a small pile of dust.
Could the Aveo possibly run forever, since it appears to have avoided issues this far and likely had a previous owner who took great care of it? Yes.
But a Protege 5? In the loud, awesome yellow? A bigger, faster, more fun car? Against what might be the single most uncomfortable car I have ever sat in?
I’d take the Protege even if the price was $1000-1500 more. I’d probably actually throw a little cash into it to repair some of the dents, and if needed, do the belts, hoses, fluids, etc, because I think its a great car to keep for a while to run errands or weekend day trips (not for any long road trip).
Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!
Mazda interiors look way better now, but I’m not sure the quality kept up. My 126k mile 2014 Mazda3 looks way more tired inside than that Protege5.
While the burnt orange color of the Aveo is the most awesomest of awesome colors, it doesn’t compensate for the fact that the car is, nevertheless, an Aveo. Mazda it is.
This is going to be a more lopsided victory than a matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.
Easy, easy choice, Mazda.
Which engine is that Aveo on? Third? Fourth? Not only were those prone to timing belt failure (as much the engine as the owners who got them), but they had a knack for kicking the bucket between 40-80,000 miles with alarming regularity. Those things were true penalty boxes.
We owned a ’12 Mazdaspeed 3 for about five years, it was my wifes daily driver. If the Protege is even 25% as fun, it will be a great car. The Speed 3 had insane torque steer when the turbo was spooled, but it handled great and the manual trans was a joy (as Mazdas are). I pick the Protege, hands down.
Mazda by a mile. I ain’t skeered of a little rust.
As others have discussed the Daewoo is lacking in anything redeemable but a roof and it sometimes rolls under it’s own power.
Mazda hands down. First car I chose for myself was a 2002 P5 in mid 2006. Loved that car for the 5 years I owned it and traded it in on a brand new 2011 Mustang GT with only a tiny bit of visible rust around the rear window. Haven’t seen one around these parts in years, and the last few I saw were mostly made of rust. But it was a wonderful car to drive and at times I wish I’d kept it for winter duty.
Never never never never Aveo.
The car that started with a 100k timing belt which Chevy quietly changed to a 60k service once they started snapping early.
Never Aveo.
I had a protege5 in that color for many years. Traded it in for a nissan LEAF when the clutch starting getting spongy around 118k miles.
It was a pretty great car for the 13 years I had it. A bit loud on the highway, but it handled like a go-kart.
The shifter throw felt like a school bus and 1st gear was laughably short, but it was fun in 3rd.
No.
The Aveo I met was the single most hateful new(ish: 3 years old) I’ve ever had the displeasure of working on. Had no redeeming qualities I could see.
The Mazda 3 I worked on, well, I never rode in it again after trying to jack up one side & having the jack just crunch up into the uniframe. To be fair, that Mazda kept running for almost 3 more years: I like the motors, but the package honestly scared me
Mazda, of course. Fluid Film immediately.
I would bet the Aveo dent is from a fallen tree branch.
Voted the Mazda, of course, even though my 2.3 manual 3 hatch that was praised as a driver’s car was barely more fun than a Corolla, rusted like it was built in the ‘80s, felt rather flimsy from new, and had the stink of end-of-life at just 5 years and under 170k making it unlikely I would buy another one of their overrated and overpriced vehicles because the Aveo is a circle of hell. Plus, this Protege is a virtually extinct small wagon.
I was going to guess that the dent was from strapping a mattress on the roof as it lines up with the hatch and window opening… But a branch is just as likely.
I test drove an Aveo when it was new once. It drove like a 20 year old car that was on its last legs and squeaked every time you turned left.
I voted for the Mazda as it has a bit more room and usable storage.
Though for the price, either one is a good choice for a commuter.
Zoom zoom, a little rust’ll never catch me!
This isn’t even a question.
The Aveo is a hateful car built by people who didn’t want to build it for a market that never asked for it. It is physically incapable of having a cheaper interior without deleting large portions of it. The engine is cast from only the cheapest slag they could scrounge. There is nothing of enjoyment to be found in it no matter how hard you try.
Protege 5? It still looks modern and stylish! Most of them were killed by Mazda’s complete lack of rustproofing in key areas. Fix that, and these just… don’t quit running. This is the pre-MZR one. (The MZR’s are notorious for a reason.) This one is the last, and most refined year of the 2.0 FS-DE. It’s not the most exciting at 130HP and 135ft/lbs. But it’s the final and best version with oil squirters, VICS, VTCS, and a windage tray.
But you HAVE to address that rust immediately. The rot is an endemic problem on these and it will reach the unibody in short order.
And if you want to get wild, drop in the Mazdaspeed Protege 5’s similarly excellent FS-DET engine. Which produces a healthy 170HP and 160ft/lbs.
Mazda wins by a landslide.
I was gonna make my own comment, but… :gestures at the above comment:
Are you referring to the 2.3L being the powerplant in the Mazdaspeed? I had an ’06 Mazda 3 Sport with the 2.3L. It was very responsive and fun.
Incorrect. The 2003 Mazdaspeed version in the US is a turbocharged 2.0 FS-DE called the FS-DET.
The Mazda Protege5 never received the MZR. Ever.
And is all the better for it.
Those P5s are great little cars, and durable AF if not in the rust belt (because Mazda). This is as no-brainer as it gets for me.
I’ll take the Mazda because I wouldn’t want to get daewoo on me.
How is this even a question? That gen of Protégés had amazing styling…you could tell a normie that this is a car that’s currently made and they’d probably believe you. This is also the best color, it’s a wagon, and it’s a manual. Plus there’s tons of aftermarket support for all things Mazda so I’ll bet you could make this a lot peppier without too much work.
Easiest pick in a while IMHO. Zoom zoom.