96 protege

i might be getting a 96 protege with 115,000 miles for $1600. thats what the dealer's listed price is atleast, how much should i offer to make it a good deal for me (or is it already a good deal)? secondly, how many miles can i squeeze out of a protege? and third, what are your opinions on the car in general.. are you satisfied? will it be a good car for me (first car, HS senior)?

I'd say 1600$ is an excellent price for a 1996 Protege.
If you look around on Autotrader, then you see a lot of these cars being sold for 3000$ and more.
And you should easily squeeze 200 000 miles out of that car without any bigger problems. I've read a lot of owner reviews that say that they have over 200 000 miles on their cars, and the engines are still going strong.

I mean, it is a Mazda, which is rated as one of the most reliable cars makes out there. My '95 Protege is a third Mazda i've owned so far, and have only good things to say when it comes to Mazda's reliability.

Anyway, i think it's worth the risk. Should even your car turn out to be a lemon, you only lose 1600$. But i think there's a bigger chance a car turning out to be a lemon when it's Dodge, Ford etc.

I have the '95 Protege which is the same. I bought it new. I am nearing 200K miles and the car runs and looks great! Oil usage (leak/burn) is only about 1 quart every 5-7K miles and the power is good for a well-used engine. Gas milage on the last two fill-ups was 39 mpg when driving 60 mph on the highways. I am still on the original clutch, this after towing my ATV around for the last 8 years. I plan on driving the Protege for another 10 years.

The price you list is quite low which makes me think there could be something wrong with the car. Definitely get it checked out by an independent mechanic before buying.

The manual tranny Proteges are generally more trouble free than the autos. And if the car has the small 1.5 or 1.6 liter engine, then the manual is definitely better for utilizing the limited torque and horsepower.

My general advice is to look for a one owner car with all the maintenance records. Even if this one dosen't pan out, the Protege is a great bargain compared to the Civic or Corolla. The build quality is as good or better and the price is lower over the long-term.

You didn't say which series Protege and you didn't say what condition the car is in including tires. Is it automatic or manual transmission. I ran a Edmund's price on the middle series in average condition with a manual transmission.
Trade in $841, that is probably what the dealer paid.
Buy from a private party, $1,324.
Dealer retail $1,996.
I used my zip code so your area may vary some. If condition is poor, don't even consider the car at any price.

Sorry, it is an 11 year old car and may not even be in average condition. The dealer has it priced about right assuming it is in average condition, not needing any major work.

FWIW, Clifton

i bought my 95 about 3 months ago with 130k miles for 850$ from a private party.

Mine is outstanding. I would not want one with an automatic though.

I think thats about what they might go for, but when you consider what the blue book values them at they are a good deal.
I mean its very similar to a honda civic 4 door of the same years. nissan sentra, toyota corrolla etc.
only those will have a higer price on the used market.
maybe not the sentra that is also an excellent used value.