My gf and I went and looked at one while we were car shopping. We thought the car looked nice and was decently sized. However, when we got in the car and closed the doors, the car seemed kind of "cheap". The doors seemed thin and did not close with a definitive sound like on other cars we looked at. Also, be aware that they did NOT come with ABS standard, it was an added option along with side impact airbags. Based on how flimsy the doors felt, I would recommend finding one with that package.
We ended up buying a 2007 Mazda3 Touring Hatchback. The build quality and feel of materials in the mazda3 is 10 times better than in the Protege5. The seats were much nicer and the doors were thicker and it is definitely a much better built car.
I hope this helps you out and that somebody who owns one can answer here as well.