2002 Mazda Protege5 Unknown

Right away, you can tell it's a tight chassis, over the small bumps at modest speed. It has the ride of a more expensive sports car. Seventy miles an hour doesn't feel like 70. But the suspension is most impressive over hard ripples at high speed, with no darting or tugging. The curves bring a smile to your face. Always responsive, always spirited. It's a thoughtful and detailed suspension, with carefully valved shocks. The handling is sweet and tight, with rack-and-pinion steering using engine-rpm power assist. The front roll center is lowered 24 mm from the standard Protege, and the rear roll center raised 21 mm, with the roll angle during cornering limited to 2 degrees, all aimed at improving cornering and responsiveness. The weight distribution is 60/40. MacPherson struts in front, with Mazda's proven Twin-Trapezoidal Link system in the rear.