2002 Mazda Protege 5 review from North America
"We got a lemon"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket required replacement at 103k miles, timing belts changed at same time, then had radiator problems. Those three things cost well over $1000 to repair, and the radiator/cooling system still is not 100%
Engine mounts completely rotted out at 120k miles, and there is now a grinding noise in the front end drive train. To repair those two things is going to be another $1000 at least.
Get flat tires about once every two months. Tires wear out fast, and are expensive to replace because of their unusual size.
General comments?
We got this car based on reviews and I had previously owned a Mazda MX6 that was a great car, but this Protege5 has been a lemon.
Were it not for all the mechanic troubles, it's a fun car to drive that handles really well. I really like to drive it around town because it is agile, small (but still enough room in the back for strollers etc.), and quick enough to get moving. It handles well at high speed, and gets consistent gas mileage in the high twenties low thirties range.
I wish it wasn't such a bugger mechanically, otherwise I think it's a nice little car. We have dumped $2000 in to repairs in 2 years + replacing tires every few months.
Recommended reviews
| Very reliable and worth it! |
|
| Drives like a 3 series costs like a Mazda |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 102000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 130000 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda Protege |
| Date of Entry | 6th January, 2009 |