I think the 626 is Mazda's best all-around solid car. My girlfriend just got a '99 4-cylinder, but a 5-speed V-6 is not slow. It's a bit larger, but I think that's a good thing. The Protege is a nice car and so is the 3, but I still like the 626. Just don't get an automatic 4-cylinder. It has the CD4E.

The V-6 does not...