Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Things I have notices - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By iroman - August 15 - 10:00 am

  On the whole, a great car. I took the car on a long road trip with no problems. Handling is amazing. I got this car fully loaded with 5 speed and all the extras including crome wheels, moonroof and deflector, cargo tray, 6 disk changer. I added a killer aftermarket alarm, paint protectant and dark tint, and it looks sweet with the silver paint. The weaknesses are all nit-picking.

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  Zoom Zoom Zoom! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Steve Prescott - July 9 - 10:00 am

  This is a great for the money. My wife owned a 2001 Acura CL 3.2 Type S prior to the Protege 5 and she loves it. The Mazda has half the power and a fraction of the luxury but is great to drive. The handling and look is sporty and the quality is top notch. We drove the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe before driving the Mazda. The first two were thousands more and in our opinion were no more superior. Mazda really seems to stand behind there product also, with a great warranty and a commitment to customer satisfaction. We would highly recommend the 5 for anyone looking for a sporty compact wagon with the heart of a sports car.

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  Awsome! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By DJP5 - June 21 - 2:00 am

  I love the P5. Great tuner car with above average handling, priced to buy and great styling. A+

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  Better than the matrix and vibe - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By anonymous - May 28 - 10:00 am

  After test driving the protege5 (5- speed manual), pontiac vibe (manual), and toyota matrix (automatic), I decided to purchase the protege5 for many of the same reasons that the editors of Car and Driver (June issue) rated the vehicle best in its class. The protege5 handles, brakes, and rides better. It has more usable torque and is more fun to drive. The protege5 is more comfortable and more attractive. It has excellent fit-and-finish and was recommended in the annual auto issue of Consumers Report because of the excellent reliability of the protege line.

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  Couldnt be happier with my Protege5! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Rich - May 1 - 6:40 pm

  I wanted a sporty hatchback, and was choosing between a couple of Subarus and Toyota Matrix at the time. Protege5 styling was very sleek looking in 2002, and nice looking chrome alloy wheels and low-profile Dunlop sport tires sealed the deal. The only problem I had with this vehicle was with the headlights. There was some kind of electrical/wiring issue there necessitating frequent replacements. Other than that, its a dream to drive, performs very well in braking, acceleration and overall ride comfort for a relatively small car. The engine isnt that powerful, but I have a 5spd so you get the nice Zoom Zoom experience anyway. Love this car!

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  It Rocks - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Dagpotter - April 15 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the money.

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  Practical and Fun - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By jenmorgan - April 15 - 10:00 am

  Im thoroughly in love with my new P5 -- lots of room and great handling. Great price, too. A nice mix of luxury and sportiness.

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  Very satisfied owner - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By snbcnadeau - March 9 - 12:56 am

  We chose our blue beauty over a Subaru Legacy, which was my wifes idea. She got it right. It actually has more rear seat legroom than the Legacy, handles better, and we can fit a stroller and a kids bike in the back with the hatch closed. I love how sharp the handling is, the styling is lights out, the functionality is superb (use the car for dump runs for two families with no problems), and reliability has been relatively up to expectation. Both headlights had to be replaced, which was surprising. Didnt have to do that on my 11 year old Altima. Overall, would recommend this car for any small family (we have 2 small kids).

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  I call my P5 Little Zippy - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By mrt823 - February 5 - 11:46 pm

  I bought this car used 4.5 years ago and I couldnt be happier. I did a lot of research before hand and this car just completely blew away the competition in safety, looks, and pure driving enjoyment. My husband is used to his truck, but even he loves the pep of this car. Now that gas has skyrocketed, Im getting an even better deal, averaging 27 mpg in town/30 hwy. I dumped the standard sport tires after replacing each one twice in short order. They are super responsive, but very expensive and low longevity. I replaced a broken thermometer on it about 15 months ago (~$90 with labor) and that has been my only cost, other than reg. maintenance.

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  An excellent choice! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By Rssteph - January 19 - 10:00 am

  When compared to the Matrix and Civic EX, the Pro5 wins out. The Pro5 has a high quality, sporty interior, a unique exterior, and drives great. The Matrixs interior isnt as nice or sporty, lacks handling, but has similar accel. and more space. The Civic EX has equal quality, standard ABS and SR, but lacks in accel./handling. The Pro5s accel. is more than adequate when compared to others in its class and the handling is superb!