Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Fun, safe car---saved my life! - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By ZackieLibro - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 99 Mazda Protege LX used in July of 2003. 3 weeks later, I had a horrible accident with it. The car was totalled, but I walked out with only bruised ribs. The seat belts, air bags, & crumple zones worked great! The cops said they couldnt believe I wasnt badly injured, given how severe the accident was. I loved my 99 Protege. It still drove great at 70K miles. I loved the car so much that I bought a used 2000 Protege to replace it. This is a great little car!

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  This isnt your typical Ford-based Mazda - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By moichman - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Ford controls Mazda as you know, and a lot of previous Mazdas were Fords in disguise. And Ford had a BAD mid-90s run in quality, making Mazda just as bad. The Protege is made in Japan by Mazda, and it shows. Not one day of problems. Easy to work on myself, brakes made it 40k before changing, styling is good. Interior rattles are annoying, but it was a new body style this year. Starts every day, cold or hot. Original tires were dreadful, but upgrades have solved poor-weather handling dramatically.

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  Poor MPG - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By John - July 14 - 10:53 am

  I bought this car with 53000Miles on this car in 2008 and ever since its had all four brakes(Everything) replaced,4 stabilizer bars,5 struts,belts twice,timing belt,Sparkplugs and wires,4 tires at $280 each and I rust proof and do oil changes with synthetic every 3000 Miles and am getting 14MPG and the A/C barely works and the fan makes loud noises and have gone way over what I thought was a reliable car that should at least get 20 MPG. I forgot the car is bad too because if you drive alot you will be very tired od hitting potholes and trying to merge onto highways with the automatic.

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  GREAT, SNAPPY & SAFE HANDLER - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By BOB FISHER - July 4 - 2:26 pm

  This compact is wonderful to drive. It has great appointments, lots of room and comfort for front and back passengers. The upholstery is very serviceable. The drop down rear seatbacks allow me to carry 8 2X4s when needed. I tried laying down to see if I could sleep in the car, but the trunk section is about 3" lower than the seat backs and the top of the opening to the trunk is not high enough to clear me lying on my side with an air vent under me to cushion the drop-down into the trunk. Oh, well. I miss my van, but the 28 mpg average is not hard to take. I love this car.

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  Great Little Car - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By MikeyCinciC - June 16 - 10:00 am

  Its been a great car to own and its totally reliable. Weve got 69K miles on it and it drives like it did the day we bought it. No noises, no rattling, no nothing. We liked this one so much that we bought a second one in 2001 and thats an even nicer model!! If youre looking at this for a used car, I would highly recommend it.

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  This is Protege #3 - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By JackH - June 16 - 10:00 am

  This is our 3rd Protege and each one is better than the last. Our 2003 is agile and fun to drive. My wifes last car was a Honda Civic and I was happy when she readily agreed to the Honda LX.

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  never buy mazda - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By kipp - June 16 - 10:00 am

  two starters one alternator and still no fix for running rough. the vehicle has lost its value quicker than anything i have ever owned. its trade in value after one year of ownership has been cut in half. i would never buy another mazda.

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  Reliable, Safe, Economical - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By Josh in Colorado - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Ive been driving this car for almost 4 years. Other than the mass air flow sensor going out on me, I havent had any problems whatsoever. I would definitely recommend the Protege to anyone looking for an inexpensive, comfortable car. I would definitely consider another Protege (albeit more power, like the Mazdaspeed version) when it comes time to buy another car.

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  Pleasantly surprised - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Puzman - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Downsized from an MPV, which I didnt really like. Protege is VERY fun to drive for the $. Power is better than expected, given the reviews. I never feel that it is underpowered, and what car couldnt use more HP? Handling, braking, and steering are phenomenal (though the ride is a bit stiff at times). The Laser Blue Mica color is stunning. Only complaints are minor- needs tinted sunroof and more sound insulation

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  Great Car For the Money - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By mung35 - June 4 - 9:00 am

  After having gone 1500 miles in the last month in this car, Ive come to know it fairly well. It has a lot of zip and performs great in all conditions. Awesome cornering and acceleration, great build quality and everything feels like it was made from premium materials. With that said, it has a few quirks. Clutch makes a strange noise when engaged below 1500 rpm. Also, fabric of the seats charges up your clothes and you so that the car shocks you everytime you reach for the door. Gas mileage isnt up to par with the Honda/Toyota counterparts; however those two lack the zip necessary to make a car fun. Being a previous Civic owner, I can vouch.