1993 Mazda Protege DX review from North America
"Comfortable, peppy and a quality vehicle"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The rear tires were making a thumping noise that increased with road speed. I found that the tread was 'cupping' - wearing like a saw tooth. It was determined that the rear struts were worn. This was not so much due to mileage, but more to age as the car was not driven much. The rear struts were replaced and I had all new P185-80-R13 tires installed and a four wheel alignment was performed. This certainly solved the problem.
The gas pedal had to be depressed a few inches before the engine would respond. A tightening of the throttle cable solved this.
A rough idling problem was solved by installing new NGK Platinum plugs, distributor cap and rotor.
An auto-transmission flush and fluid change smoothed out a hard shifting issue.
General comments?
The car is a peppy performer that feels solid on the road. There is plenty of passenger room (I'm 6'-1").
The engine runs well and is smooth. Even with the SOHC engine (102hp), I find there is plenty of power to accelerate uphill, merge with highway traffic, and sometimes surprise newer model cars.
There is no body rust and the paint job is still smooth and shiny. The interior has comfortable cloth seats with good support.
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| Quick, comfortable, economical, and CHEAP. Need I say more? |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1993 |
| Year of manufacture | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 SOHC Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 58000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 67000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 9th April, 2009 |