Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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...

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.