Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

• 

  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.

• 

  I wish I could buy this car again new. - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Bornaleo819 - November 4 - 8:36 am

  My brother passed this car on to me in 2005 after my car was totaled in an accident & he wanted to get a new BMW. He has regretted that decision ever since. I still have it today in 2010 & he has gone through about 3-4 cars still trying to find the right one. This car is reliable, does really well with gas, has good power acceleration to it, is comfortable and besides normal wear & tear with tires, the only thing that happened was a leak with the radiator & in the air intake hose there was a hole. I replaced both parts & runs like brand freaking new. Unfortunately, I have a small daughter so this car can feel tight sometimes but this is a car you will not regret getting. Shes a beaut.

• 

  Excellent Choice - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By p_a_y68 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Look at scion xA, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra and Suzuki Aerio, Protege beats or at least on par with these competitor. Corolla needs 2 grand more if similarly equipped; Nissans Sentra is good, but lack of selection when the time we want to buy and the trunk space is limited; xA is a decent car but have the same issue for the trunk as Sentra. Protege LX has a list of standard equipment that no other car here can beat. Also ABS/Side Air Bag package is reasonablly priced.

• 

  Excellent sedan - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By RK - October 11 - 1:13 am

  Bought the car new, 5 speed trans. running fine, going on its 6th year. I have driven it across country three times and have had no issues. Always changed oil between 4k-5k use synthetic. With clean air filter on the highway Ive gotten 32 MPG. Control is tight and a blast to drive on good roads. Suspension may be to stiff for some on bumpy roads. Very happy with interior, sunroof and 6 CD deck (all work fine). Also like the red interior lights (good on the eyes.

• 

  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.

• 

  Protege ES - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By JIM - September 2 - 4:33 am

  This car is sporty and very fun to drive, the interior is loaded with many extras and is very functional.

• 

  Mazda Protege Review - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By cliff9826 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Car has sharp turning radius. Can pull into parking area with no problem at all. Car has good pick-up speed. Love the sound system. Lots of trunk room. Good car overall for the price. For taller driver lots of head room. Nice stiff handling. Only problems are that its not comfortable on long rides and I dont see where its great on fuel, I only get 250 miles on full tank of gas with all highway driving.

• 

  Zoom-Zoom Protege - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By Cars4me89 - August 15 - 10:00 am

  This is a great value, except it needs a bigger engine and it really need a leather seating option(or vinyl).

• 

  Poor MPG - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By John - July 14 - 10:53 am

  I bought this car with 53000Miles on this car in 2008 and ever since its had all four brakes(Everything) replaced,4 stabilizer bars,5 struts,belts twice,timing belt,Sparkplugs and wires,4 tires at $280 each and I rust proof and do oil changes with synthetic every 3000 Miles and am getting 14MPG and the A/C barely works and the fan makes loud noises and have gone way over what I thought was a reliable car that should at least get 20 MPG. I forgot the car is bad too because if you drive alot you will be very tired od hitting potholes and trying to merge onto highways with the automatic.

• 

  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.