Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Definately a pleaser in its class. - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Sonata - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Over a great car. What sold me on the car was the handling. I couldnt lose control on a curve if I tried. It was amazing! This was my first 4 cyl car so the 2.0 was adequate but with a few passengers it becomes a bit sluggish. Otherwise a very responsive and enjoyable to drive. I commute 250 miles per day and always get at leat 2 miles to the gallon of gas. Even at elevated speed levels ;)

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  MP5 Rules - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By ominous1121 - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Fast, fun to drive car. Real zoom zoom for the money. Very stable, rigid, manual transmition is superior. Supention has no competition.

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  an offer you cant refuse! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By bearcat - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I bought my new Protege 5 in July 2002 and couldnt be more pleased. I highly recommend this car to anyone in the market for a sporty compact car that loves to drive. PLUS, Mazda is offering some incredible financing options - 0% for 48 months, $500 college grad program and NO PAYMENTS until Jan 2003! All in all, this car comes fully equipped for under $16,000! Bottom Line: Its an incredible deal on an incredibly fun to drive car.

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  Simply One of the Best! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Joe C in San Diego - September 1 - 7:53 am

  The moment I drove this car I knew that I would buy it. It is tight and sporty, both driving and looking. The interior is roomy enough that a 200# bodybuilder and my friends can feel unconfined and comfortable, whether in the front or back seats. With the rear seats down, I even fit a full size (unassembled) dresser in it, hatch closed. In the nearly 3 1/2 years that I have owned it, it has only been to the garage for scheduled preventive maintenance. At 20 MPG city and 29 MPG highway, it is economical. Although I would have liked a little more power for passing at higher speeds, the 2.0 is great for accelerating from lower speeds to highway speeds. It climbed the Sierras with command.

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  My Zoom Zoom - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Trey Evans - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased a midnight blue Protege5. The looks attracted me, but it was the drive that sold me. This is a tight, fun to drive car. The engine is peppy, but not fast, however the suspension handles better than sports cars I have owned. the interior is roomy, and well thought out even though some of the materials are cheap in feel and appearance. My only real complaint is the A/C just wont blow really cold air during our hot Texas summers, which is a must (this makes sense if you have ever been in Dallas in August. All things considered I love my car!!

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  Easily the best small wagon - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Jello Anderson - July 9 - 7:03 am

  My white 5 is a manual with the 6 disc changer. This is a wonderful city car due to the excellent handling and the quick acceleration from 0-40, though at about 40 the acceleration slows considerably, making highway driving a bit boring. The gas mileage is a little disappointing, but still ranks considerably high. The sound system performs quite well without skips and sounds great. The rear cargo area is lit only by a side light, which makes a flashlight necessary to really find anything at night. The tires hydroplane very easily, but this almost never results in any fish-tailing. I have had a few minor problems with the headlights. Overall, this is a great, ultra-reliable car.

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  MP5 Review - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By karak - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the money. Totally a head turner. I actually have people talk to me about the car and tell me that they think its sharp. Great on gas and loaded with extras. The only thing that it is missing is a giant key on the back window. It drives like a wind up toy. Leather seats and a bigger engine would make this car a perfect 10.

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  Just keeps going....going... going.... - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By jes - June 19 - 4:26 pm

  I purchased this car brand new. I have put 148,000 on it, and it is very reliable! Besides regular oil changes, havent had to do anything else. I have only had to replace a thermostat! Its wonderful! Definitely have gotten my moneys worth!

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  Protege 5 was an Ok car - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By zoolander - May 21 - 2:16 am

  Ive owned the car since new. The original Dunlop tires were worn out quickly and would have been expensive to replace had I not put new rims and all season tires on the car. Brakes, especially the back brakes have been a sore spot with me. The rear brakes have seized on several occasions and usually I need to replace rotors and brakes all around every year. That is far too frequent to be acceptable. The car has quite a bit of rust around the rear wheel wells and a spot on the hatch door. Paint has faded badly. Plastic parts, like the bumper, are of a different color than the paint due to aging and bleaching from the sun. Fuel economy isnt great.

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  Ride on Rails - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Puckster - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Sure, its only been a few weeks, but never has 130hp thrilled me so much. It kills me that Mazda cars get short-changed in the market-- they are SO well-designed... A friend of mine has had two Proteges over a span of eight years with not a single problem among them. He also got blind-sided hard and walked away from it with just a sore neck. This reeks to me of good design, which is why I bought my black beauty...