Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

• 

  I love this car - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By 87mustang - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive got an yellow P5, automatic. Bought it on 8/19/01 and have 19600 miles as of 8/11/02. This car handles great, looks awesome and I have no regret that I bought this car. Mazdaspeed parts are coming out soon and should make this car faster than SVT Focus (too many problems with Focuses) or Civic SI (too ugly). Since its a hatchback, when you sit inside you get a feeling of openess and a much bigger car.

• 

  A latter day GTI? - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By p5_in_ca - December 9 - 11:06 am

  My first car was an 83 VW GTI. This car reminds me of it in many ways. Great fun to drive. Reasonable straight line speed. An absolute blast in the twisty bits. Excellent ergonomics. Even the bad points are similar: too-low gearing (too many rpms at highway speed,) and so-so mileage (I get mid to high 20s for mixed use, and maybe 30 for highway.) This is my first Mazda, after 6 straight Hondas, and it is so much easier to work on compared to Hondas. I just changed brake pads and coolant in this car and a Honda Insight last weekend. Wow, what a contrast! The caliper swings up & stays up, out of the way. The coolant doesnt need to be filled and bled from four different places. Kudos Mazda!

• 

  Best choice - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By mazdagirl - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I love my Protege5. I spend alot of time in my car and these seats have to be the most comfortable of any vehicle Ive driven! The 5-speed is FUN and the car handles great. I couldnt ask for anything better at this price.

• 

  The best in its class. - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By sokokid - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I think mazda has a hidden gem in its protege series. The handling is the best in its class, the manual transmision is slick, and the 130hp, while not likely to blow your doors off, is geared to give great power off the line and in low to mid rpms... perfect for racing around town. Throw in great styling, a great list of standard equipment, and a practical hatchback/ wagon design and I cant even imagine why anyone would consider a civic/corolla/sentra. This car is not simply "reliable transportaion", but a fun car to drive that I am proud to own... something I didnt expect when spending only $15k.

• 

  Zoom Zoom Zooom Zoom..... - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By spdboy - November 22 - 10:00 am

  This car is a blast to drive! Comfortable and stylish and yet functional.

• 

  2002 PR5 vs Honda Fit - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By mustangleader - November 21 - 9:50 pm

  Bought new 165,000 miles. Read a review by a person who traded in his PR5 for Fit claiming how it was a much better car. Huh? PR5 has more space and is a bigger car. Mileage is slightly better via Fit because its a smaller engine. Fit owner claims it drives like a go cart. Well, I drove a Fit and no comparison. Stock PR5 still out performs Fit and with some aftermarket things like cold air filter, magna flow system, and computer update for less than $800, the PR5 outperforms fit in every area except for mileage which I get 25 in town, 32-34 on the road depending how fast I drive. If you can get a low mileage PR5, the cost is cheaper than a Fit and these cars last.

• 

  Little Wagon that could. - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Huckster357 - September 8 - 8:43 pm

  Exterior is both good looking and functional. Front bumper a little low. Interior nicely excuted and supportive but roof line a little low. Center arm rest needs better placement. Performance: excellent handling & ABS brakes. Engine needs more power. Great versatility w/ individually fold down rear seats. Seat position and pedal placement hard to adjust for maximum comfort. Many bonus extras in a low price package makes it more attractive than its competitors.

• 

  20,000 and counting...... - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By lovinmymp5 - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my mp5 for almost a year and I love it. The build quailty is great, no squeaks or rattles, and the engine has run flawlessly. I drive around 50 miles per day, on country roads, and get 28 mpg. Its a great looking "economy car" for money.

• 

  A Blast To Drive... - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By DuManchu - July 30 - 3:03 am

  I bought this car in the spring of 05. I put on about 30K miles in the time I owned it. Only had to replace brake pads and resurface the disks. The car has been perfect. The only other problem with it was the 12V socket pulling out from me overusing it, but I understand its a common problem on these. This car is just hands down a BLAST to drive. Ill recall a time I was on "Peak-to-Peak" in Colorado (west of Denver) and I was trailing an Acura 3.2CL. While I couldnt keep up with him on the straights, I gained serious ground on the turns. I was cornering so hard I got DIZZY at one point but the car never wavered. The only thing this car NEEDS is 30-40 more HP.

• 

  Bang for da buck! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Former Si owner - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Sure, youve read all of the other reviews and they all said how great the P5 is. Well, guess what---they are ALL true! Ive owned a 99 civic Si and let me tell you, I think this, overall, is more fun to drive than my Si. This is probably the most fun to drive car I have owned since I had to get rid of my 1990 RX-7 Turbo. Well imagine that. The RX-7 is a Mazda to. Coincidence? I dont think so. Do yourself a favor. Go buy straight to your local Mazda dealership and BUY THIS CAR! I guarantee you wont regret it. Oh, my P5 is silver with ABS/side airbags/4- speed shiftable automatic transmission (cool)/and pwr moonroof, plus all standard options.