2002 Mazda Protege 5 from North America - Comments

I live in Colorado, and during the winter, If the heat is switched to the windshield defog position, it forces the intake of air from the outside.

Therefore, if you are stuck in a highway commute, there's no solution, but smelling fumes from traffic. Really annoying...

The A/C is not powerful enough, and it takes a loooong time to cool the cabin. The flow is insufficient to the back seats.

The low-profile tires lasted only 20k miles, and are very expensive to replace.

I didn't realize how bad the tires were until I got caught in small "incident" during a snow storm. I lost control at a very slow speed and ended up hitting the curb. Front axle broke, 600 bucks to fix.

If you get the sunroof, the wind deflector is definitely required, for about $60.

The stereo and the speakers are not that great, but I never bothered to spend more money on that anyway...

Despite all of these complains, I would recommend it: For about 17.5 k, with a 100k Miles extended warranty, it is a great buy.

Overall, it is a very nice car. It averages about 29 Mi/gal in a commute/city traffic. Very nice looking and it has a GREAT interior finishing.

The reason the heater forces the intake of air from the outside when switched to the windshield defog position is because when you use the re-circ option in the winter it will fog up your windows! So it's a smart design, albeit an annoying one when that clunker in front of you is burning oil.

Solution? Switch out of de-fog and hit the re-circ until you pass the stinky car!

"I didn't realize how bad the tires were until I got caught in small "incident" during a snow storm. I lost control at a very slow speed and ended up hitting the curb. Front axle broke, 600 bucks to fix."

Tires that wear badly are one thing, but any owner of a vehicle in snowy climates should know that just because you have a new car, doesn't mean you are immune to the powers of mother nature. Snow tires, my friend. Snow tires are what you use in snow, not just any kind of tires. 600 dollars would have been more than sufficient to supply yourself with a set of snow tires.

SNOW TIRES!

It is generally agreed upon that tires made of snow are worthless.

"It is generally agreed upon that tires made of snow are worthless."

...Unless you are in a snowmobile. :)

I actually have some doubts about the tires, myself. I am in no danger of running into a snow slick, since I live on the coast of North Carolina, but when I took a test drive, I noticed how severely I felt and heard every little crack and bump in the road. To all you who own this car, I am just wondering, are the tires really a good choice for this car? Would changing the tire size (i.e. rims) take care of that problem? Or, is this more of a suspension issue?

Also, I had noticed the wind noise as well when the windows are rolled down. I have to wonder if mere wind reflectors just above the window on the doors (sold at Wal-mart for about $20 a set) would not take care of that, too? Has anyone tried this, or is it just the design of the car that makes it so noisy regardless? I ask because it seems to be a common complaint.

Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy your zoom-zoom!

I've owned my P5 for 2 years and am looking to trade in because I put Lots of miles on cars. I agree that the tires are a problem. I live in Virginia so we get some snow, but not enough to use snow tires. This car does not handle ice, snow- not even the thought of it. I ran off the road during the first time it snowed, but was able to get out the ditch quite easily.It slides easily so allow extra stopping/sliding room.

I've had to replace tires once and they are expensive. Gas mileage is great. Get up and go is great. The seats are hard to position to get the comfort I desire for trips.

Its greatest feature is what you can pack into it.I've had many comments from people when they see what I can fit in it. Due to a bad experience with my last Mazda (a 626) I'm not sure if the P5 can do the 200,000 + miles that my old B2000 did.Enjoy-put money aside for the tire bill.