Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Adequate performance and reliable - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By lzp - November 23 - 1:56 am

  Its my first car. Bought it new in August 2002. Have been driving it ever since then and no real problems occured. If I have to be really picky, then here are some minor issues: (1) twice in winter morning, with temperature at around minus 20 celsius (I live in Toronto), the stereo stopped functioning --- the problem disappeared next day. (2) experiences over snowy roads is not as good, especially when making turns, the car could slide sideways. (3) My girl friend complained that air circulation is restrained in certain modes; from reading the reviews here that seems to be a common complain, but it didnt bother me that much. Overall, the car has been fun to drive and reliable.

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  Great Value - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By JMac - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Real supprised with the performance of this car. Gas milage as high as 38 mpg. Very good car for in town running around, not real comfortable on the highway and some road noise. No problems thus far...

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  Durable and reliable - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By redrobin - October 30 - 6:13 am

  I bought it used, it came from a rental fleet. It has been absolutely trouble-free with routine maintenance even after a significant accident that needed major repair and another fender- bender (literally) once repairs were made, I have had years of trouble free use. Definitely would recommend, and would buy another if they still made them.

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  good reliable car - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By dessert fysh - October 21 - 2:00 am

  105000 miles on it and still drives like new. When replacing the timing belt you must replace the tensioner as well because the spring that pulls on the tensioner carves a groove through it with the of the engine vibrations. Also most auto parts store do not have the correct tensioner for the ES model. I had to buy mine online and searched for the 2.0 liter 2000 model to get the correct tensioner. Go figure??

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  Quick Study - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By markbt73 - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Zoom-Zoom, indeed. Ive only had it for a month, and I love it already. The new car smell is gone, its badly in need of a wash, due for an oil change, and what Im left with is an all-around terrific car. It just does everything well, whatever I want it to do, whenever I want to do it. Im glad they decided to use the 2 liter engine in all models this year; it makes my humble DX as quick and fun as the more expensive versions. Mine is a 5-speed, which I recommend. Seating and visibility are great, ride is a bit stiff, but boy, does it handle.

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  Fun and cheap economy car - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By Jim Bob Henry Bob - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for a while now and have come to love it. I test drove several similar cars at the time such as the civic, neon, sentra and corolla, but the protege was superior in almost every way. Interior looks upscale, the handling is awesome and the motor is pretty peppy. It still could use another 20 horsepower and some squeeks have worked in over time, but not many. Excellent car with no problems.

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  Mazda Protege ES 5-speed - 2001 Mazda Protege
  By Tony Harris - August 16 - 7:26 pm

  My car is an ES 5-speed with premium package, which includes sunroof, anti-lock brakes, and side airbags. This is a sporty car thats always fun to drive. Very tight steering, handles like a go-cart. Peppy engine that likes to rev once the engine is broke in. Clutch is a little on the light side. First front wheel drive car Ive driven that actually oversteers. Overall, a very dependable yet fun automobile that has a sporty personality (Zoom, Zoom).

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  WOW!! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By wk3 - July 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car less than a week and Im already in love with it. The handling is great, the fuel economy is better than advertised and the comfort is better than the VW I used to drive. I also have no reservations about strapping in my daughters carseat and putting her in the back seat. Id recommend this car to anyone looking for a fun, fuel efficient and safe vehicle.

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  Best car out there - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Andy B - July 9 - 2:00 am

  After looking at and test driving Hondas, Toyotas, and Saturns, I would have been stupid not to get my Protege. Not only does it handle very well, its comfortable, can move like any 6 cylinder in its class (mine is only 4), and has a great factory installed audio system. Its design is sleek both inside and out. I average 35-40 miles to the gallon.

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  Best in class - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By wanorris - July 8 - 1:30 pm

  All cars in this class involve tradeoffs, but if you want an affordable, reliable drivers car, the Protege ES is unbeatable. Its got the best handling in the class, its the roomiest in its class, its as reliable as a Corolla, and its peppier than the Corolla or Civic. The Sentra SE has more under the hood, but it wont handle as well, and it will likely be in the shop some. Ive had this car for 2 years now, and I still absolutely love to drive it. Bottom line, this is an extremely practical car thats a lot of fun to drive. One final note: compared with the ES, the 2000 DX and LX have a smaller, underpowered engine. The ES is the one to own.