2003 Mazda Protege 5 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Plenty of ZOOM ZOOM for less green!

Faults:

There has been nothing wrong with this car to date.

General Comments:

I am glad that this car isn't seen more on the road... It is such a great little car!! I feel like I own the road in it, and it's so rarely seen still that it ALWAYS turns heads.

The performance that this car makes out of 130 horsepower is quite amazing. Although I must admit, I was quickly looking for more ways to boost the power without voiding my warranty.

The stability and handling of this car are amazing! Incredible brakes, tight suspension, and it still rides without jarring your kidneys over the rough California roads.

We got ours with the manual transmission, which I highly recommend. This is a sportcross car. It is meant to be driven with authority, and to maximize the power, the stick is the only way to go.

The interior is quite comfortable, and with only 400+ miles on the odometer so far, I haven't put it through the long distance test yet. I cannot imagine that I will be sore after a 500+ mile trip though.

I really love the car - I got it for my wife whose specifications for the car were this:

1) A four door that looks sporty.

2) A car that has some power, but gets good gas mileage.

I think that our choice fit the bill quite perfectly. She is very happy with all aspects of the car, all of her wants were met, and I get to sneak away with it every chance I get!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th October, 2003

19th Jan 2004, 17:27

I have owned my Protege 5 for two-years now and after 53,000 miles of trouble free driving, I'm convinced I made the right purchase. The 5-speed manual adds to the fun. I am finally headed to the shop for my first repair -- new brakes. Not bad!!

4th May 2004, 16:58

7 months, 36,000 km (90% highway) on the car and I do still like it. I don't drive like a maniac and I gave the car a fair break in period before I tested it out. 4 oil changes, 1 "major" service (24K) and two other attempts to find the problem... there is a rattle (not the valves)...and apparently nobody at Mazda Brampton can hear it. Their 7th try at finding it was today and yet again they failed, oh yea, and they damaged my right rear door when they replaced a leaky 1/4 window seal. Nice car, lousy service.

20th Jun 2005, 13:23

I bought my used protege 5 in '03 and all I can say is I love it as if it were my child. The sporty look turns heads and all the accessories I get to add on make it so much fun. So far I've added 18' rims some decals and a set of eyelids. I'm thinking about a sound system, some carbon fiber tail lights, and a carbon fiber spoiler. I may sell my rims though and get 19's instead. We'll see what happens. The handling of the car is perfect, I am actually the one driving the car not the car driving itself. I feel like the road is mine. What can I say I just love this car. It represents me and my style.

2003 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 from North America

Summary:

A sporty car you can afford

Faults:

So far, nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:

The engine does not make enormous amounts of power, but compared to a Kia it does! The protege has a very smooth ride and likes the twisties. I drove a Mazda6 with the 4 cylinder engine and the Protege comes across as being quicker, at least as far as the automatics go. The interior is very comfortable, while not wide open like the Rio (which is a good thing), it doesn't quite have the cockpit feel, just in between, which is nice. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a solid, reliable, sporty, economical car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th September, 2003