Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  I Recommend the 5sp Man DX - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By Marty - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Got this car for $12K after factory rebate and negociations(A/C and CD included). Fun to drive. Good fuel economy. Makes my wifes 97 Altima seem sluggish. Brakes are very good. Handling is very good and gives a real sense of confidence. Takes a few weeks to become accustom to the stiff shocks. Seats are comfortable but seem to be of cheap build quality. Mazda appears to have great customer support.

• 

  I Recommend the 5sp Man DX - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By marty - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Got this car for $12K after factory rebate and negociations(A/C and CD included). Fun to drive. Good fuel economy. Makes my wifes 97 Altima seem sluggish. Brakes are very good. Handling is very good and gives a real sense of confidence. Takes a few weeks to become accustom to the stiff shocks. Seats are comfortable but seem to be of cheap build quality. Mazda appears to have great customer support.

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  A great little car - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By mollie382 - May 24 - 2:00 am

  Weve owned this vehicle for one year and have had no troubles with this car. Excellent power with the 5-speed transmission. Handling is superb. The only maintenance needed so far were oil changes. Only two real complaints. First, the car turns too many RPM in 5th gear on the highway, making for a noisy ride. Second, the weatherstriping on the windshield causes an irritating whistling noise when youre driving with a moderate-to- strong crosswind. Slight flaws for an otherwise wonderful car.

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  One of the Best Balanced Sedans - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By SouthlandHB - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I had a 1999 Corolla. It was a great car, but it was more vanilla than The Breyers Ice Cream Factory. No excitement, no fun! If your looking for all the pluses of the Toyota Corollas build quality & reliability, but want something MUCH more fun to drive. MUCH more stylish, the Protege is IT. I put every single option on this car, from the Auto-dimming Rear View mirror to the cargo net in the trunk. If it was an option, I put it on this car. Friends with MUCH more expensive cars, actually like driving my car and draw comparisons to their much more expensive the Audi A4 and the like. Whats that tell ya?

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  glad i baught this car! - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By mazdafan - April 27 - 4:03 am

  I bought a new protege in 99, the car has always been really trustworthy! The car really hasnt had any real problems besides normal maint (alternator, oil changes, brakes etc.) I have always kept up maint on this car and has allowed this car to still run just like it did when I drove it off the lot even after 311,000 miles! I have never had to do any Major engine or trans work on this car and still trust it enough to make 3 400 mile trips a week! On the highway it gets about 35-40 mpg and citywise mid20s to lower 30s! One complaint is that the cupholders are to small and are placed too close to the dash and shifter. Also long trips the seats can get uncomfortable! But great car and value!

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  protege - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By manda - April 5 - 10:00 am

  I love my Protege

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  I loved this Mazda - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By iheartmazda - March 27 - 12:36 am

  I have had my Protege for almost 9 years. I have had very few repairs over the year. Very reliable! It is sporty and fun to drive and easy to handle. I am only selling for another Mazda!

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  Auto - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By yuytu - March 11 - 10:00 am

  good car because i like how it drives and what it has, also a great car to drive very great

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  THE budget sedan for sports car lovers - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Mike in St Louis - February 13 - 2:00 am

  My wife wanted a "small" car to replace her 97 Civic EX. With that in mind, we found this to be the best car available. I love the way the Protege handles. Its not as fun as my Miata, but much more fun than any of the above mentioned cars. More power would be welcome, but Im willing to trade off some power for the excellent handling. While I would prefer to have the 170HP Mazdaspeed model, it was going to cost close to $6000 more (dealer markups) & we couldnt have got the 0% interest loan. Bottom line....if you prefer sports cars but need a sedan, and if your budget is under $20,000, get this car. You wont regret it.

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  not that great - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By justen - January 13 - 9:46 pm

  I bought the 02 Protege new and had it only 2 days when the stereo shorted out. Then the CD player broke after they fixed it. Five months later the stereo went out again and then driving the car from Arizona to Chicago the engine blew because of a bad head; now when the car goes above 60 it shakes very badly. The rims also rusted, more than any other car I have owned during winter. The heater also smells very bad when it gets to about 30 degrees outside.