Down The Hatch: 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT vs 2003 Mazda Protege5

Good morning! We’re continuing our decade-by-decade salute to stickshifts with a couple of cars from the days of Dubya and dubstep, the decade that gave us both American Idol and American Dad. (All that makes it sound a lot worse than it was, now that I think of it.) And both of today’s cars feature something that fascinated TV audiences for a while: a hatch.

We looked at a pair of ’90s convertibles yesterday, and I thought you’d all be happy with the choices. I mean, a V8 Mustang and a Miata? Both with sticks? There is no wrong choice here. From the sounds of the comments, it came down to condition, and for once, Miata was not the answer, by more than a two-to-one margin.

I agree, for what it’s worth. That Mustang is about as nice of an SN95 as I’ve seen for quite a while, at least for that price. Besides, I’ve already done the scruffy Miata thing. I had a lot of fun with it, but I don’t need to do it again. I have never had a Mustang, however, nor any V8/manual combination in any car, and I think that ought to be remedied someday.

I never quite understood America’s distaste for hatchbacks. Elsewhere in the world, they’re the most common bodystyle of car by far, and for good reason: they’re practical as hell. But Americans too often insist on turning small cars into three-box sedans with a separate trunk, making them both uglier and less practical. I guess nowadays, hatchbacks are OK as long as you put black plastic fender flares on them and call them “crossovers”?

There was a moment in the 2000s, though, when some really great hatchbacks were available here, in sporty trims that made them nice and fun to drive. They’re getting scarce in most places due to rust, but you can still find them in less-salty locales. Let’s look at a couple of them.

2002 Hyundai Elantra GT – $2,900

Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Bothell, WA

Odometer reading: 229,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

I had forgotten, until I started researching this car, that this is actually the third generation of Hyundai Elantra. I remembered the round blobby model that preceded it, but not the bland little box that was produced from 1990-94. Can’t picture it? Yeah, I’m not surprised. Honestly, it’s not until this third generation that the Elantra was worth thinking about at all. I guess you could say it’s a late bloomer.

This is the GT model, in five-door hatchback form. It’s got the same 2.0 liter engine as other US-market Elantras, but it includes leather seats, stiffer suspension, and some other sporty bits. The engine puts out a respectable-for-the-time 134 horsepower to the front wheels through a five-speed manual. Back in the days of lightweight economy cars, that was enough for some fun. This Elantra has had a lot of fun, 229,000 miles worth, all from a single owner. It runs and drives well, and comes with maintenance records.

The ad is a little short on interior photos, but from this view, it looks pretty good inside. The fake leather of the shifter boot has disintegrated, but that can be replaced; my wife made me a new boot for my Miata’s gearshift back when I had it, using the old one as a pattern. Tellingly, the left bolster of the driver’s seat isn’t shown in the photo, and I bet there’s a hole there. That’s where all high-mileage cars show wear, from both the seatbelt rubbing on it, and from the driver sliding in and out.

I like this dark blue color, and it looks rust-free, but it’s not without flaws. There’s a pretty good wrinkle in the right-rear door, right by the handle, and it looks like one side-marker light is held in place by clear packing tape. Surprisingly, though, it’s shiny everywhere that we can see; it’s not shedding clear coat like most twenty-year-old cars. Someone took care of this one.

2003 Mazda Protege5 – $3,750

Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Coronado, CA

Odometer reading: 190,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The Mazda Protege is another car with a boring predecessor; the BH-chassis Protege was a pretty forgettable car. This generation, based on Mazda’s BJ platform, was a lot more fun, especially after 2001 when Mazda made the 130-horsepower FS-DE engine standard across the range in the US. I had a 2002 Protege, the basic DX model, and loved it – though I always had a little bit of buyer’s remorse that I didn’t spend a little more for one of these.

The Protege5, introduced in 2001, marked the return of a wagon (at least I think it counts as a wagon) to Mazda’s small car lineup after twelve years, and also marked the start of Mazda’s dumb naming scheme with no space between the name and model number. This one is a two-owner car, and has lived in southern California all its life, so it has escaped the rusty fate of so many Mazdas of this era. It runs and drives well, and the seller says it has “many recent parts,” but doesn’t elaborate.

This ad is also lacking in interior photos, but it looks good from what I can see. The Protege5 came in only one trim level, roughly equivalent to the fancy ES trim of the sedan, with power windows and locks and whatnot all standard. It has cloth seats in really nice shape, and also comes with the original owner’s manual and window sticker, which is usually a good clue that a car has been well maintained. You don’t keep that stuff if you don’t care about the car.

Outside, it’s nice and straight, but the seller says it has been parked outside, and it has the sun-scorched paint to show for it. But just try finding a Protege5 this clean anywhere in the Midwest – you just won’t. The “Zoom-Zoom” sticker on the back window is a nice touch – Mazda was giving those out at dealerships back then. I might still have one somewhere.

Both of these are a good blend of fun and practicality. They won’t replace a proper sports car, of course, but they’ll haul a lot more stuff home from IKEA or Costco than you can fit in a Miata or an S2000, and they’re way more fun to drive than an Explorer or a Highlander. It’s a good compromise. You can still find vehicles this size and shape, more or less, but they no longer come with rev-happy twin-cam engines and five-speed sticks. And that, in my opinion, makes these better. Which one strikes your fancy?

(Image credits: sellers)