I bought a new Protege in '91 and really wanted a Miata, but I didn't fit. I got the Protege with what was essentially the 1.8 liter version of the Miata engine (DOHC, 4 valves/cylinder, 7,000 RPM redline) and a 5 speed manual. Great car that was fun to drive and my wife and I both fit (she is 6' tall with very long legs). We donated the Protege wit a little over 250,000 almost trouble-free miles, including its only clutch replacement at 200,000 miles. When we needed another car in 2006, same thing, the NC Miata wasn't big enough, so we bought a Mazda 3 with the 2.3 liter and a 5 speed manual. It's still going strong at 176,000 almost trouble-free miles and still has the original clutch and brake pads. I took an NC Miata for a 45 minute drive while my 3 was getting serviced and was on the verge of a cramp in my right leg. I loved driving it and the shifter was wonderful, as was the one in the RX-8 that I considered buying when we bought the 3. We've driven the 3 as long as 14 hours in a day and many 10 hour plus days and were comfortable at the end of the day. Plus it has a decent trunk and a back seat for road trips. We've been as far away from the Bay Area as Mt. Rushmore in it. I'd still like a Miata, but leg shortening surgery is not an option. BTW, the license plate frame on the 3 says MX-5 +2 on top and Zoom Zoom on the bottom. The one on my Protege said 4 Door Miata.