Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Finally a reliable car! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Pintonite - March 27 - 10:00 am

  I went from a 92 Talon TSi AWD with full options to the protege with only one intention, reliability. I not only got reliability (great 4 year warranty), but I also got a very comfortable car. My Talon was less than stellar for reliability, but it was very fast and had great options. While I do miss the power and surefooted handling I can already tell that I am going to love this car.

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  Well worth the price! - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By arl-va - March 13 - 10:00 am

  The Protege definitely beats the pants off the Civic or Corolla in the great Japanese economy car matchup. Styling, responsiveness and power are all in the Proteges corner. The stereo is also impressive.

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  Love it!!! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Carin - March 2 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car. You definitely get more bang for your buck. The stereo rocks, the moon roof is romantic and the sport package with the rear spoiler and a sporty clutchless stick puts any girl in a class with the boys.

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  I wish I hadnt bought the Protege! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By japan76 - February 24 - 2:00 am

  Since day one, I have had nothing but problems with my Protege. A wheel bearing was the first problem as I drove the car off the lot the day I picked it up. I went a mile before I turned around back to the dealership. In the shop for two days waiting for a part. A month later, my interior lights stayed on even when the engine was turned off. Spent one week at the selling dealership to rewire car. Last month it was the oil leak of oil leaks. Seal had to be replaced. Thats it, now I am going to force the dealership to buy the lemon back. Have contacted an attorney that handles problems of this nature.

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  2001 Mazda Protege E-Yes! - 2001 Mazda Protege
  By njaremka - February 16 - 4:36 pm

  In comparison with other cars in its price range, there is no competition with the Protege. Bigger engine, more power, better quality, all that you would expect to find in a $20k+ vehicle you get in the Protege!

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  Very reliable, very average - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By orniflect - February 9 - 8:23 am

  I own the stick shift model. 90% highway miles for its entire life (175k miles so far). Averaging 32-33 mpg for entire life. Its aging as expected - can definitely tell its not immortal; little things breaking, but nothing big yet. Would you believe that I didnt have to replace the front disc rotors until over 90k miles on it? Pretty wild - I really wasnt stretching into unsafe-ness. replacement rotors lasted "only" 60k miles. Clutch still tight, zero oil consumed, and Im not particularly diligent with changes (avg ~5k miles). Other than the exhaust heat shield getting loose more than once - 2 or 3 welding jobs over time to stop the noise, no odd/out of place troubles.

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  The best car weve ever owned! - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By mazdabois4life - January 30 - 2:46 pm

  We bought our Protege brand spankin new - she only had 7 kms on her. Today she has 278,000 kms. We have only replaced the alternator and the thermostat - thats it! This car is by far the best car we have ever owned. It took out a deer at 60km/h with a minor ripple in the hood and broken headlight. The gas mileage is incredible, we can easily go 700 kms on a tank of gas. The only recurring issue is something with the electrical. Last year we began blowing headlights every other day - the backyard mechanic we took it to rigged it so we only have headlights now, no highbeams - no biggie. When and if this one ever dies we will definitely be buying a Mazda again - more then likely a Mazda3.

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  What a car!! - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By mathieu - January 27 - 1:36 am

  Perfect car for young and ever young people. Really fun to drive and the sound system is very nice. The handling is so perfect!

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  Excellent buy for the price! - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By the_big_h - January 26 - 9:26 pm

  I have had this car for almost 2 years, and it has been flawless, barring a deer accident that I had back in October 2000. GREAT handling and peppy acceleration with a firm but comfortable ride. The Bridgestone OEM tires perform well, but its a bit noisy. At highway speed the car is extremely stable, even when under strong crosswinds. The stereo w/ CD player is solid for a OEM system. A must-see if looking for a good used car!

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  Needs more ZOOM ZOOM!!!!! - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By mazda02 - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought my mazda in 2003 i have had it for a little over 7 mths i got it with 16000 miles on it now it has 33500 miles i drive a lot. beacuse i drive so much i needed something that gets good gas i get about 25mpg which is much better than i got in my toyota tacoma although i miss hitting the mud puddles and off roading i like the lil mazda