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Does the Protege compare in reliability to Civic or Corolla?
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As for the current models... you're probably going to find that the reliabilty is really good. 10 years down the line, the honda or toyota might be better, but honestly I'd say you can take the Mazda to 150,000 easily. I really don't think you'd have a problem.
My guess is, it's just going to be up to you on the test drive. The protege has been well known for Autocrossing (if you're really into that, check out the mazdaspeed protege... sweet stuff). The Honda and Corolla aren't bad cars by any measure... though I've driven my roommates 2001 Corolla a lot and I didn't like it compared to my 1993 Protege.
As for the cold engine noise issue on newer models.... as of right now... there is a fix that is slowly being distrubted to dealers... it involves an ECU flash and a replacement solenoid for the VICS system. The cold noise does not harm the engine at all. It is a system designed to reduce emissions from cold engines (which are typically much higher than when the engine is warm).
If you want more info visit
http://www.protegeclub.com
Not sure about the 3rd gen. Escort. Some parts are shared between the Escort and Protege, especially the Escort GT. Almost no parts are shared between the Protege and Focus, and if they are, it is most likely a fastener or something else generic.