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which one is better when it comes to performance and reliability? i'm leaning more towards the Mazda because i like that sport look and feel. but i have never drove a Corolla.  

The Mazda is a superior car in every category except gas mileage and reliability.  The Mazda is not unreliable, and as far as I can tell, it's about as reliable as the Corolla.  

The Corolla clearly beats the Mazda3 in efficiency.  The numbers are plain and simple: the Corolla gets 28 MPG city and 37 MPG highway, while the 2 Liter Mazda gets barely over 30 MPG highway, and the 2.3 gets 29 MPG highway.  

A note about EPA fuel economy.  For 2008, all cars are rated by the EPA for fuel economy based on a new testing method that is supposed to represent more realistic estimates.  As a result, all 2008 cars, like the Corolla and Mazda3, which haven't changed from 2007, are now rated with lower Fuel economy.  So a 2007 Corolla with a manual is rated at something like 33/41 City/highway MPG, and a 2008 is rated at 28/37 even though there are no changes to the engine/transmission/weight of the two cars.  So when you see a 2007 Corolla or Mazda3 on the new-car lot of your local dealer, refer to the 2008 EPA gas mileage estimates for a more accurate representation of real-world mileage.  

With that out of the way, unless gas mileage is your primary concern, I wouldn't even consider the Corolla.  Although it's an efficient, reliable, high-quality machine with a classy interior, it's also a old design (it debued in 2002, I think) that's simply no longer competitive with the Mazda3.  The Corolla's efficient 1.8 Liter engine is peppy with a 5 speed manual, even somewhat competitive with the heavier 2 Liter Mazda3, but nowhere near as quick as the 2.3L Mazda3.  With the Corolla's optional, tall-geared 4 speed automatic (80 MPH in second gear!!), performance drops dramatically, and the Mazda has an even more decisive advantage, especially with the 2.3L and the 5 speed auto.

The Corolla is not a sluggish handler, but its narrow tires and comfortable-ride-oriented suspension is simply no fun to sling around corners.  The Mazda is one of the best handling front-drive cars available at any price, and is therefore so far head of the Corolla that anyone desiring an ounce of handling spunk should simply avoid the Corolla altogether.  

The interiors of both cars are a mixed bag.  Personally, I find the center stack, the materials, and the overall fit/finish of the Mazda's interior to be excellent--far better than it should be for its price.  But some object to to the overly-stylized gauges and the all-black interior of the higher-end models.  The Toyota's Interior is conservative in its style, but executed with precision, simplicity, and rich textures/colors that feel distinctly lexus-like, especially the bright electroluminescent gauges.  

If you're tall, you'll probably be uncomfortable in the Corolla.  I'm continually mystified by the Corolla's seating position.  Because it's so tall and spacious in the front, it SHOULD be an ideal car for extremely tall people who want an affordable, reliable, efficient car.  But the seating position places even me, at 5'9 far to close to the pedals and too far away from the wheel.  It's my understanding that focus groups conducted during the Corolla's development lead Toyota to believe that short women were most likely to drive the car.  As a result, the wheel is pushed forward towards the dash so that short people can reach the pedals without crowding the wheel.  

Anyway, if you're leaning towards the Mazda, you're already leaning in the right direction.  I think it's the best car in the category.  A close second is the VW Rabbit/Jetta, but the Mazda still holds the edge in handling and styling.  

Wow, I just realized I wrote that whole thing thinking that you were interested in the newer Mazda3, not the Protege.  The Protege is the predecessor to the Mazda3.  While the two cars shair virtually no components (the 1.8 and 2.0 Liter engines of the 1999-2004 Proteges are thoroughly enhanced and enlarged to become the 2.0 and 2.3 Liters of the Mazda3), the sporty feel of the Protege remains.  I have a 2000 ES, and it's easily one of the best front-drive cars I've ever driven.  It's also astonishingly reliable (after 96K miles, I've never even had to replace the battery), fun to drive, and space-efficient;  Back seat passengers get decent space, and the trunk is roomy.  In its day, it offered an interior that was a bit more stylish and spunky than competitors, and by 2003, all models, especially the ES, got an interior upgrade along with a bit more power, and even better suspension tuning.  

My advice is to stay away from the Protege. Corolla is an economy car too, has its own problems (a friend of mine had to change injectors at 40k mi), but is still decent if you can't afford a Camry. Regarding the Protege, it looks like the body is not strong enough, neither well treated against rust. I'm in the body shop I work for and can see a 2001 Protege with rust on the front pillar next to the windshield  
I would still go for the Corolla.  
Collision Repair

With respect to lexur's observations, I don't think there's any reason to stay away from the Protege, in case this thread is still relevant to the original poster.  My 2000 Protege is still rust-free after 5 salt-laden Chicago winters, 2 mild missouri winters, and 1 particularly harsh Missouri winter.  it may very well be true that the Protege's body is of a big thinner-gauge than the Corolla's.  Mine is riddled with dings and ripples from unkind parking-lot encounters. But that's merely cosmetic, and might actually make the price of a used example more reasonable than that of a sturdier-bodied Corolla.  The fact remains that the Protege is astonishingly reliable, solidly built, fun to drive, and attractively styled.  The Corolla is an equally reliable, solid car, but is simply not as dynamically satisfying.  If the Protege traded reliability and longevity for performance, there'd be a clear difference in "mission" between the two.   But because the Protege is reliable and long-lived, I find it a hard case chosing a Corolla over a Protege unless you MUST have a more solid door-slam sound.  

Mazda  
Ziare | Retete Culinare

I'll go with mazda...


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