Yes, get the Mazda 6. Its a better buy in these economic times. The 6 would be easier to deal with. It should last a very long time if it's taken care of. Just be sure to get one w/ average miles for it's age. 12-15K miles annually for every year. 05 model should not have more than 36-45K miles on it. Any more than that & it could be a sign of use & abuse. I owned a 98 Protege' & an 06 Mazda 3 & they were both great cars. My sister also had an 99 Protege'. No problems out of any of them. The only reason why I got rid of them was b/c I'm a moron & I get bored easily with cars.