Faults:

My only problem was when I first got the car, they said it had trans problems. So I went for a used trans, and it did not fix it. So then we started to change out things on the trans, and that fixed it. Came to find out the trans was fine. Just needed a speed sensor. But I ran into a stump, and my tail pipe fell off. My dumbest move, but still a great car.

General Comments:

I love my car. It's easy to drive, and great on gas.

Faults:

Rust around the rear wheels, and a little spot on the trunk lid, but it has 9 years and 265 000km.

General Comments:

Just bought a 2001 Mazda Protegé SE 1.6l DOHC. It currently have 265 000km. The only thing I have to do is to change the two rear shock top plates and it will drive quietly. My mother owns exactly the same car, and never had any troubles in 130 000km.

I also own a 2010 Mazda3 GX that I use during the summer. I'm almost sure I can do over 400 000km with my (new) Protegé. The engine seems bulletproof. I'll be surprised to do over 150 000km with the Mazda3 without issues.

Faults:

Nothing major has gone wrong with the car.

Around 90000 miles I gave it a major tune-up. New timing belt, water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, and even a new battery.

My only gripe is that the brakes do not seem sufficient for this vehicle. I've had to replace almost all the calipers.

If you get the brakes done on this car, make sure that the technician puts in a new e-brake kit. The original will more than likely be pretty much worn out.

General Comments:

Pleasantly surprised by this little import. Did not know quite what to expect when I bought this thing, since this is the first Japanese car that I've owned. So far, my impressions are very positive.

Three areas to consider: Power, handling, and comfort.

Handling is very good. I've redone the whole front end and it is as good as new. A car that I own doesn't have to be the most powerful, but I am a total handling snob.

The 2.0 liter engine is one peppy four-banger; mine is mated to a manual gearbox and is a lot of fun to drive. Clutch does engage a little high compared to American clutches. A performance shifter this car is not meant to be.

Pretty good interior for its class. The body is almost 10 years old, and it looks pretty good and is holding up well.

One service adviser commented that if taken care of, Mazdas will last practically forever. I understand.

I thought about getting a truck or something with a little more power and room, but will probably save my money and keep whipping this thing around and get my moneys worth out of it.

Don't mind the snide people who beat their chest about big American cars and "Buy American!". Mazda is under the Ford corporate umbrella.

Faults:

I've only had to replace the brakes. That's it. I've done all of the regularly scheduled maintenance visits.

There is a tiny bit of rust on the drivers door below the handle -- the exact same place my last Mazda rusted. But only a bit.

General Comments:

This is a great car. It feels sporty, has great pick up on the highway and is super comfortable. The inside looks sleek and the performance in city is great.

This is my second Mazda and I may buy another one.

Faults:

This particular Protege was extremely well-maintained and I had no problem with the high mileage. I paid less than trade-in value, based on the NADA site, which factors in mileage and is much better for buyers than Kelly or most other sites.

When I changed the oil for the first time, I found a factory Mazda filter, which I replaced with an auto parts store filter. They all perform about the same, but the presence of a factory filter confirmed that this car was maintained on a factory schedule, with factory parts. (That's good news...). The timing belt has only about 7,000 miles on it, so I'm feeling lucky to have made this deal.

The real news in this review is that in May, a guy from out of town ran a stop sign and wrecked this car. The impact snapped the tie rod and ruined the strut, axle, wheel and tire on the passenger side.

But I have a great body shop here, and they fixed it right, as always. Last weekend I finally had a chance to try out the new front end repairs by driving it hard on some back roads here in Pa. It passed the test and remains a great driver's car. Five speed stick, twin cam engine, etc. I'm hauling more weight than a Miata, but I have the same horsepower...

Still lovin' Mazda.

Matt.

General Comments:

This car is a step down from the 1992 Protege I previously owned, particularly in the interior. Both cars were very good on the curvy back roads of Pa., but the 2001 is a little bit better. Maybe. The '92 had a tight gear ratio that made it fast through the curves and hills, so it's hard to pick on over the other.

The Protege from 2001 -- and the other years for this model -- are rated a "best deal" by Consumer Reports. The Mazda 3, which replaced the Protege, is regarded as superior. I suppose I'll be looking those next, when they are old enough to be affordable.

Matt.