Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Simply the best compact car ever! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Brett Hall - December 9 - 5:16 pm

  The 2003 Mazda Protege ES has been one of the very best cars Ive ever driven or owned. It is rock solid, fun to drive, sporty (power and looks), and gets great gas mileage. Ive heard that the Mazda 3 is even better, and without a doubt that will be the next car I purchase. Ive driven the 2003 Honda Civic, 2003 Toyota Corolla, 2003 Hyundai Elantra, and a couple of domestics. Id rank them as follows: 1. Mazda Protege 2. Toyota Corolla 3. Honda Civic 4. any domestic compact 5. Hyundai Elantra If there is a weakness of the sporty Protege ES, it would be that the Honda and Toyota are more comfortable to drive on long trips. We prefer to take our mivivan on such trips.

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  Excellent - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Tony - November 11 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a life saver in the past it is so affordable and very reliable. I love it. Over all A great car.

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  Zoom Zoom - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By icspots - September 29 - 11:10 pm

  This car is not the car I wanted when I went shopping! I wanted the SUV but couldnt really afford it then and sort of settled for the Protege. I fell in love with this car. I recently had the chance to trade car in for the SUV, I was tempted but I couldnt part with car. I plan to pay off the car then get the SUV also!

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  Finally MY BABY! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By TotalBoy13 - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have wanted a Pro since 1996 when I got my license. It has been well worth the wait, it is everything I ever wanted in a car, and MORE! Beat the crap out of v-6s all the time. I Love this car and would recommend it to everyone.

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  I love mazda - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By RHagel - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Despite that I am a big fan of mazda, this car is by far the best in its class. Though it is a bit noisy and the suspension is a bit harsh at times, it is incredibly fun to drive and the interior rivals most all competitors. Look for th enew Mazda 3 in dealerships, I have driven one and it is next on my want list.

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  Wow, this car is fun to drive! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By delrey - June 9 - 10:41 am

  This car is a lot of fun to drive. The handling, steering, and road feel are top notch for this car, especially for this class. It puts some newer and more expensive cars to shame. With that said, the car wasnt perfect. The best gas mileage I could get was 28MPG. Despite regular detailing, the car had a decent amount of rust. I went through front wheel bearings like crazy and I had to replace my front struts twice within the 130,000 miles of ownership. Interior is rather nice for the year but the radio is quite weak. A fun car to drive with minor flaws.

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  I Love My "New" Mazda - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By alooknac - May 26 - 5:53 pm

  I have owned a 1989 Mazda 323 hatchback and a 1994 Protege sedan. Most recently I was driving a 2006 Subaru Forester. I sold it and bought this Mazda Protege ES sedan with only 64,000 miles on it, same as my Subaru. I missed having a 5 speed and I did not like antilock brakes when they were put to the test on ice. I love my "new" car. It is fun to drive and it is very nimble compared to the Forester. Of course I gave up some cargo space but not much else. I get better gas mileage. I am averaging 29+ mpg with mixed driving. I am curious to see what I will get n pure highway driving when I go on a road trip.

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  Little car with BIG attitude - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Mazda Forever - April 24 - 8:06 am

  My Protege is the best little car anyone can have. It is great on fuel. It attracts a lot of attention because of the style and mainly the color because it is Laser Blue Mica. I get offers to buy my car even though it is not for sale. I like the way it rides except for the road noise. I think that has to do with the low profile tire on my car.

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  2003 Mazda Protege - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Buzz Wichmann - April 3 - 6:50 pm

  This is a fun car to drive .. not as fuel efficient as my 96 Protege was but the better looks on the 2003 model negates the lower mpg rating for me. Still 34 highway/24 city not bad .. roomy comfortable car despite being so small with good sound system - highly manuverable as well with tight steering

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  Never go American again! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By newMazdalover - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Went from a 97 Pontiac Sunfire GT to this car (LX model), its the best move I ever made! The car handles extremely well and turns with no effort. The Pontiacs interior cracked and jittered from day one (bought it new) especially on rougher roads,fit and finish on Protege is better than friends BMW. Drove Corolla, Civic and Cavalier; no comparison! Corolla & Civic are too expensive and need I say what I thought about the Cavalier? Buy American? When we design them better, I will. Protege is inexpensive and drives extremely well for an economy car. love the 5 speed, its like buttah! Toyota and Honda, BEWARE!