1998 Mazda Protege: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

3 builds left the factory as a 1998 Protege, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN.

  • 2 main configurations
  • 380 vehicles built
  • 1 for sale right now

Which Protege is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Protege

What actually differs

Base configuration LX/ES
Power 83 hp 110 hp
Vehicles built 352 27
Same on every 1998 Protege
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sedan
  • Doors 4-door
  • For sale right now 1
Cost to run

22/30 mpg city/highway. Roughly $1,860/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 1998 Protege

Safety, in plain English

What JM1BC141-W means

JM1 BC141 · W
JM1
the World Manufacturer Identifier Mazda registered — assembled in Japan
BC141
together encode the Protege line — Sedan — as Mazda filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
W
in position 10 — model year 1998
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
1 rare configuration — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Protege?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.