2002 Mazda Protege 5 review from North America
"Zoom Zoom - fun, fast, reliable and efficient car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
After getting a new timing belt at 90K miles the car began to misfire (run rough followed by check engine light). This issue is very likely to have been caused by the technician who performed the timing belt change. The solution to the problem was to get both ignition coil packs replaced.
General comments?
This is a great car. I docked it a few points on performance because it is a 4 cylinder and lacks some acceleration; however this car handles great, and the 35mpg I get on the highway is well worth it. My only other complaint is that it is not very insulated from road noise - especially the rear wheels.
Other good things about this car include:
Very easy to fit a mountain bike in the back (with seats down).
Handles well in snowy and icy conditions.
A/C works very well.
Very decent sound system.
Interior has held up very well to wear.
Recommended reviews
| We got a lemon |
|
| Nice in a lot of ways, but overall unrefined and illogical |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L DOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 62000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 92000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Pickup |
| Date of Entry | 24th July, 2007 |