Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Quik Silver - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By clt1btr - June 26 - 10:00 am

  After taking a job 134 miles round trip away from my house, I needed a car that would be good on gas. After a sorrowful goodby with my Toyota 4Runner I purchased my P5. However, much to my suprise, the inexpensive commuter car quickly turned into one of the best cars I have ever had. Within a week after owning my P5 I was noticing countless stares and questions from people who were impressed with the car. The P5 is definitely an eyecatching, fun to drive, and exciting car for the money!!!

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  Mazda Protege 5 - 2002 it is the best! - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By cisco19 - June 14 - 7:56 am

  I do not know how to put in words how fun and exciting it is to drive the 2002 Mazda Protege 5, I hate to admit it but I am a slow driver but for me to get a speeding ticket going over 75 miles per hour on the freeway, I know is stupid but believe it or not, I took it as a compliment that I have the talent and the automobile to go fast on the road. The gas mileage is fantastic! in addition the 2002 Mazda Protege 5 is unique and will always be in my point of view one of the best automobiles that I have ever owned. In addition, if I have the chance and the opportunity to have another Mazda Protege 5 no matter what year, I would certainly take full advantage of that.

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  Perfect - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By rwantin - June 8 - 10:00 am

  I am not entirely sure this much fun (especially handling), looks, usefulness, and quality can be found anywhere at this (or even a bit higher) price. I love this car!

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  Fun car, but unfixable problems - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By mike187 - May 18 - 7:00 pm

  This is by far the most fun vehicle I have owned. Looks cool and handles awesome. I bought new and planned on owning it a long time. I properly maintained this vehicle from day one. At around 20K my MP5 started having problems. Squeaks from the front and rear suspension over bumps. The rear noise was fixed, but after multiple visits the front was never fixed. During warm weather, the vehicle smells strongly of coolant. The radiator was replaced, but it still smells of coolant. The auto-transmission leaks -- multiple visits, multiple attempts to fix, still leaks on my floor! Worst of all, the car intermittently would die after pulling away from a stop. Looked at many times. Never fixed.

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  Fun, Reliable, Underpowered - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By Djwlawdad - May 6 - 9:40 am

  This cars a lot of bang for the buck. I put 52,000 miles on it in 24 months. No reliability issues. I got the car loaded: leather, ABS, sunroof, 6 CD in-dash, sub woofer, chrome wheels, side airbags, roof rack, automatic transmission, auto dimming mirror, etc. The price was still only $19,100. The car handles great, is fun to drive and can carry an amazing amount of stuff. My only complaint is that its a bit underpowered. The acceleration isnt great. It could use another 30 horsepower. I had been planning to spend $30,000 on a new car, but after test driving cars in that price range, they werent nearly as fun to drive as this. My last Protege got 170,000 miles w/ no problems!

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  Great Car!! - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By RAZ96 - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car 3 months ago and absolutly love it. After research I wanted a reliable fun car. This by far is the best value car in its class. Loaded with standard features I only added ABS, Leather, and 6 disk CD/Moonroof...all for a little over 17,000. With the flexibility of folding back the rear seats for cargo and sporty features this car is a must! Moving from a Jetta GLX this car doesnt have quite the same power but once you get it in the higher RPMs, it moves! Very fun to drive!

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  Fun Protege 5 - 2002 Mazda Protege5
  By WendyBialek - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for 2 years....no problems whatsoever! Extremely fun to drive, awesome handling, and great interior which does not look like cheap and plastic like most cars today. We bought this over a 2001 Passat so you can bet the car is great! Id highly recommend this car to anyone who loves to drive and likes sporty suspension. A 9 out of 10 in my mind. My next car will be a Mazda 6!!

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  Buy one NOW! - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By icvci - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Whats not to LOVE?!? Comfort, style and performance in a VERY affordable package. This car is better than EVERY car in its class. And it does it all while looking great. 4 year 50,000 mile warranty. Roadside assistance FREE over those 4/50 AND free loaners IF your Mazda needs some fixes. You must drive this car before you decide to buy anything else in its class.

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  cheap and fun - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By p5tillidie - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I was looking for a go kart and found one in the Protege5. The engine is not the most refined, the most efficient or even very powerful for that matter, but it gets the job done. The car is just fantastic for the cut and thrust of a daily city or suburban commute, particularly with the manual transmission. Dont bother with the automatic or "tiptronic" on this car.

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  BMW Road Hugging at a Ford Price - 2003 Mazda Protege5
  By RotaryRat - March 20 - 2:00 am

  I just hit 5000 miles on the car and it is still a blast to drive. This car has a firm and sporty suspension that makes winding roads fun to drive through. The engine is sufficient to provide a sporty feel yet provide good fuel economy at the same time. I am glad I waited to get the 2003 model with the factory perforated leather (less than $400 invoice price) because it really makes the whole car seem like it cost a lot more than it did. When I describe the vehicle to family and friends on the phone as a small economy car that I paid $15,800 for they are really surprised when they actually see it!