2003 Mazda Protege ES 2.0L 4 Cylinder

Summary:

Minimal performance, mom car

General Comments:

This car has good handling, however it would be better with better tires.

The acceleration of the 5-speed manual is only average, if not slow.

The cabin is very comfortable.

The stereo and gauges look almost futuristic. Very cool.

Car gets 20-25 miles per gallon in the city.

This is the first import car I've gotten, and am not very impressed with it.

My Ford F-150 base model had better acceleration (yes, the truck's acceleration was better than the sport compact's).

Car is very ugly from the back.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th June, 2003

8th Sep 2003, 14:05

I just bought a Mazda Protege ES and I like it very much. The car has a sporty look. The automatic/manual transmission gives it pretty decent acceleration for a 4-cylinder. A great sound system is also built in. Overall a pretty nice car.

29th May 2007, 13:51

Regarding the starting acceleration, I am not suprised that a Ford F-150 has more acceleration off the line- what do you expect with a V-8?

28th Jun 2007, 10:20

I have to agree with the last comment, you can't compare the acceleration of an f150 to a 130hp engine that you would see in a Toyota Corolla - it's an economy car not a boat puller. Even a v6 f150 would have much more torque and acceleration than this 4cyl. What a horrible comparison.

2003 Mazda Protege 5 2.0

Summary:

It's a fantastically efficient, affordable, sporty vehicle

Faults:

Granted I've only had the car a few weeks so my input may not be all that informative.

The only bad thing that I have noticed so far is that, twice now, while idling at a traffic light, the engine almost cut off (as if it wasn't idling high enough). It "revived" itself on both occasions.

The engine is peppy at 2.0, but I would love to have the option to have a stronger engine.

General Comments:

I'm 6'1" and my car has a sunroof. My head hits the edge of the sunroof every once in a while. I ended up moving the seat one click further back than I would normally like.

I like the zip of the car, nice performance and accelerates quickly.

The mileage is great, so far I'm still averaging 32 mpg highway.

The MP5 is a good looking sporty car, but still allows me to drop the seats and use it as a wagon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th June, 2003

13th Aug 2004, 10:03

It has been 2 years since I purchased my Mazda and I am satisfied with it. It's a great car and I haven't had any problems since I bought the car. I will be buying the new Mazda 6 very soon. (2 thumbs up for Mazda)

5th Mar 2006, 07:41

I've owned my 2003 Protege5 for 2 years now. Its been my first Mazda and will definitely be my last. I use the vehicle primarily for travel for work putting about 50,000 miles per year on it. This was the main reason I purchased a Mazda, for the "supposed" reliability. After 64,000 miles (14,000 miles out of warranty),I had to put over $7,000 into replacing the motor due to severe internal damage with the rods and pistons. Before that I had to replace 3 faulty sensors/solenoids on the transmission, cooling system & cruise control. It's now been about a year since the engine replacement and after hearing noises from the transmission, I stopped at the local AAmaco to see what the diagnosis was - another $1400 to rebuild the trans. The car just rolled over a 100,000 miles and has had ALL the regular maintenance recommended by the manufacturer, which for a Mazda, I thought this was an average amount of miles to have on it. You would think with all these issues I might have a "lemon". I thought the same thing, but unfortunately, Mazda did not see it that way. I purchased the car for around $16,000 new with only (5 miles) on the odometer when it rolled off the lot. I have since put over $10,000 into it between regular maintenance and REPAIRS. That amount kind of puts a damper on the "good gas mileage" it gets. No more Mazdas for me thanks!

2003 Mazda Protege LX 2.0

Summary:

A reliable zippy bargain

Faults:

Mazda name and logo on back of car has a rust on it already (3 months, 7,000 miles)

General Comments:

Very zippy car, much more than I had imagined.

Handles very well.

Shifting is very smooth, its hard to not shift well.

Plenty of room and comfortable seating.

Great Stereo and speakers.

Good gas mileage, about 30 miles per gallon.

Fun to drive!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th April, 2003