Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Still reliable after all these years - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By caneshooter - December 20 - 4:10 pm

  My fourth consecutive Mazda. Still very reliable at 112k miles, only routine maintenance performed thus far. ES models 2.0 motor is peppy even with the 4-speed automatic. A major negative is road noise. DX & LX Proteges were already noisy and the ES models low profile tires take it up a notch. Thats why I only rated the car a "5" for comfort.

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  What a car! - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By SOB - September 11 - 5:40 am

  I have to say that I really enjoy owning and driving this vehicle. Mind you most of my driving miles are roughly 60-70% highway miles and I have experienced excellent mpg. I have to add that my maintenance costs have been relatively low as well, the only major repair was scheduled maintenance for the timing belt interval, two brake jobs and 2 sets of tires. I do talk highly about this car and would recommend it to someone looking for a similar type vehicle. Other notable points that maybe trivial but are annoying is the "hey your seatbelt is not buckled" alarm when you are in an idle state. It does have a stiff ride and have noticed that road noise creeps in louder as the rubber gets thinner.

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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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  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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  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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  My experience - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By vhdlwhiz - May 18 - 5:40 pm

  I bought this car because of my previous experience with the protege. I owned one 1997 DX model from 1997. It proved to be a very reliable car and fun to drive. It lacked a bit of power but the mileage was about 36 miles to the gallon on average, not just highway. The 2003 was loaded compared to the stripped 2007 model. The larger more powerfull engine would make the car even better. Turns out that going to the automatic transmission cost me some of that power. The driving on the new model was better because of the cornering. The larger low profile wheels made the drive much better. The mileage stunk. It dropped to 27 miles to the gallon. I have liked the vehicle.

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  Great reliable car - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By klcaz1963 - February 8 - 2:00 am

  I would definitely recommend this vehicle. I purchased the 5 speed manual transmission and it is fun to drive. It is a comfortable car with everything within reach. This car has a huge trunk w/ a great split seat feature. I appreciate the "anchor" system for my sons car seat. I feel safe and secure while driving; it handles very well on the road. Only wish that it was not so loud inside.

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  Transmission failed - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By t2k - November 11 - 7:06 pm

  The transmission started growling as the warranty expired. Front wheel bearings seized up. Had to replace brake rotors due to rust. Too many problems in its young life. Traded it in on a Mazda6.

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  A LITTLE WIND NOISE - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By PROTEGE OWNER - August 15 - 2:00 am

  EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE PROTEGE 3 MONTHS AGO AFTER I TOTALLED OUT A HYUNDAI 01 ELANTRA I HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT IMPRESSED.

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  Nice looking car but some major problems - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By LUKISS - May 8 - 5:13 am

  I bought the LX 2.0 in 2007 with 60,000 Ks on it. About 8 months later, anytime it rainied either overnight or in the day the car was parked, when I started up the car it would shake and sputter then the engine light would flash and then stay on. Oh and the big hit was when the transmission went on the car from a worn seal that probably costs .25 cents, it ended up costing me $2000.00 to get fixed and this was in April 2009 with about 98,000 kms on it. A friend has a Mazda Tribute and was having the same problems when it rains, it shakes and sputters. NEVER WILL I BUY A MAZDA PRODUCT AGAIN