Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Civic Alternative - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By Brian Burchanowski - January 5 - 3:30 pm

  Bought this car used in Jan 06 with 26,000 miles. This car is a bargain compared to the Civic--you get the same quality and reliability without paying for the name! Plus, the Protege has a 2.0L instead of a Civics 1.8. My car has the five speed and acceleration is excellent for an economy car. The engine is peppy and revs freely, with a satisfying exhaust note. The car is fun to drive and is easy throw around back roads. Steering feedback and braking are also excellent (it might be worth splurging on the ES to get rear disks though). As for reliability, between the previous owner and myself the car has only ever needed oil changes and one set of rotors and pads.

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  Precious Few Complaints - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By Bob Ahnmeischaft - January 1 - 2:00 am

  We purchased our Protege ES in July 2000 and have since put 37K on it. It is solid and well-built, quick, and a good looking car. It also has the advantage of not being quite as common as, say, a Honda Civic. This is in fact the second Protege weve owned, our first being a 1991 LX model. If youre looking for a great small- medium sedan and dont want to pay that Civic or Corolla premium, but still want the upsides of those makes, go see your local Mazda dealer.

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  Great car! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By TRENT - January 1 - 12:43 am

  Test drove other vehicles before i purchased the Protege. Civic, Neon, Corolla, Focus. Was hooked when i drove the Protege. Hugged the road and had plenty of pep. Great on long trips, will drive all day and all night

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  Great Car, Great Price - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Denver Dude - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Into my third week with the car, and Im still honeymooning. What an excellent automobile! It has decent acceleration, but in the first 800 miles I averaged an unbeatable 32 mpg. Also, Im 64", and the car has enough headroom, esp. with the sunroof option. I also love that option packages are reasonably priced ($690 for Moonroof/6-CD, $490 for ABS and Side-Airbags). I bought the LX model from McDonald Automotive in Centennial, CO. Ive been happy so far with the precise manny tranny (five-speed). The dealer was wonderful, the car is great, what a terrific few weeks it has been. I hope the rest of my experience with the car is as much fun.

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  Great Car, Great Price - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Luv my Protege - December 15 - 10:00 am

  I didnt know much about Mazdas until i test drove the Protege. My wife and I loved the car! It felt solid on the road, and the brakes were very smooth. The engine needs a little more snap, but the gas mileage is great. I would certainly suggest one of these cars to a friend.

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  Best car Ive ever had - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By tamonet - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought it new in 2000, only repairs have been new brakes, alternator, battery and rocker arm. Ive only put 90,000 miles on it, luckily, but it just keeps on running. Gas mileage has consistently been 27-28. Its a little loud on the freeway, but not bad for an inexpensive small car. Only disappointment has been the radio.

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  I agree with everybody else! - 2001 Mazda Protege
  By randomo - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Wow, is the handling great! Tight, zippy -- just crisp, clean fun. Too bad they couldnt have given it more horses. I test drove a Protege LX a few years ago, and it was woefully underpowered; the much bigger engine in this ES seemed as if it would overcome that hurdle. Sad to say, it needs to go into 4th gear well before 40 mph, and into 5th in the high 40s. It strains a bit to maintain 65-70 on highways where that is the dominant speed of traffic flow. Give this car a 6th gear and youd have something truly great! ;-) My only other concern is the dashboard illumination. The red glow works great in the dark, but at dusk the instruments are hard to read.

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  overall, a great bang for the buck! - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By MazdaProtege1 - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for a year and a half and have absolutely fell in love with it. The ride is quiet and smooth and the placement of eveything is wonderful. Its so fun to drive down the road, especially with the wonderful stereo system and the comfortable seats. And the best part about it is that its like riding in a Lexus, but for thousands less than a Honda. Hondas are cheaper, in my opinion, and have horrible styling. This car offers style, comfort, affordablitiy, and dependability.

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  The 2003 Mazda Protege is wonderful - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Steve Ragan - December 1 - 10:46 am

  The 03 Protege DX is beautifully designed inside and out. There is plenty of space inside for CDs and other things you need within arms reach. Both doors have ample side pockets for ice scrapers, etc. Driving it is pure joy. I have a manual, and there is plenty of get up and go on the highway as well in town. The ride is smooth and quiet. It is very spacious inside.There is plenty of trunk space. It has much more room than a Sentra and other cars that fall into this sedan category. And, it is less expensive than other sedans in this category. I have had it since new, and have not had one problem.The gas mileage is very good.

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  Dont Get One - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By historiker33 - November 28 - 8:22 pm

  In 2 years, Ive gone through: 2 wheel bearings Front axle alternator Seat belt $900 valve job Heres the bad thing, and BE ADVISED: A valve job on these cars will often result in the piston rings going bad; this happened to me. There is no easy fix for this - the car needs a new engine and smokes like crazy. The newest versions of these cars are now 13 years old. Do not buy one