2003 Mazda Protege 5 review from North America
"Sharp car; leaves you feeling satisfied"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Rear 1/4's started to show rust bubbles; they were fixed by Kieswetter Mazda in Kitchener free of charge without hassle under the Mazda corrosion warranty. 78,000km.
Odd small rattle/knocking noise while under low speed acceleration.
Engine ticks at idle sometimes; I will be sending it in soon for valve adjustment.
Occasionally the right rear brake squeals at all speeds and emits brake dust; a sticky caliper is the suspect.
General comments?
I love the car - overall the handling, driving feel, cargo capacity, cabin comfort and appearance made me hang up the keys to my turbocharged sports car and get into this machine.
I love the color (laser blue) and the finish still looks as new.
I have driven almost 9,000km since I bought the car about 5 weeks ago, and seem to have no serious issues.
I would definitely buy another Mazda and I've been looking into the Mazdaspeed6 as a potential replacement.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2003 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 78000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 87000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Nissan 240SX |
| Date of Entry | 6th July, 2007 |