2002 Mazda Protege 5 from North America - Comments

Nothing major has gone wrong with the car although the brake calipers tend to rust really quick on these cars. Mine got to the point that they looked like a ball of rust. But than again I did not have the car for long enough to expereince any problems.

The handling on this car is really superb, although a bit on the stiff side. Fuel consumption is quite good if you keep your speed below 100km/h anything past that and the car has some serious appetite. Over all I was really disappointed with this vehicle. The car is really loud on the highway anything above 100km/h and the engine sounds like it's about to explode! I have no idea why mazda does not do anything about it... but the engines on these cars are very very noisy to the point that on a long trip it gets really annoying, not to mention the wind noise! Another problem is the rust!..i had one of those electro-magnetic rust modules installed and the car was already beginning to show signs of rust especially on the welds. On the plus side the seats are comfy and the cabin has a sporty touch to it. But this was not enough to convince me to keep the car and I got rid of it just after 3 months!..if you get this car be prepared to invest in some serious ear plugs or a big bottle of tylenol for your head-aches! Currently I purchased a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder and I absolutely love it!

Many years ago I bought a brand new Mazda 323 and was so disappointed. The rotten thing rattled from every corner of the interior, and the manual gearbox felt like an iron bar in a bucket of rocks.

Like you, I put up with it for 3 months, then traded it.

Mazda have an undeserved good reputation achieved mainly via clever advertising.

I would never consider owning one again.

You folks should go buy Toyota Camrys...you'll be happy with your sloppy, boring cars.

I've put over 150,000 miles on my various Proteges, and they're wonderful cars. those complaints are going to attach to any Japanese economy car. fortunately, the protege has enough good things going for it to make up for them... the tight handling, the high-quality interior, the SUPERB brakes. oh, and zero problems. great little cars.

Lol - rusty calipers? ALL cars with steel calipers will rust after getting wet.

"Nothing major has gone wrong with the car although the brake calipers tend to rust really quick on these cars."

I have no idea where you live, but that may be part and partially the reason. Why? Well, I live in Alberta and I bought my car pre-owned with 79, 000 kms. There was no rust, and after driving my Protege for about 10, 000 kms, there still isn't any.

"Fuel consumption is quite good if you keep your speed below 100km/h anything past that and the car has some serious appetite."

You can apply that theory to any vehicle.

"The car is really loud on the highway anything above 100km/h and the engine sounds like it's about to explode! I have no idea why mazda does not do anything about it... but the engines on these cars are very very noisy to the point that on a long trip it gets really annoying, not to mention the wind noise!"

These cars are 2.0L 4 cylinder DOHC engines. They are going to be loud because, after all, they are mechanical. And, they aren't a racing machine. They are a 4 door sedan, not an F-1 racer. They are going to have wind/road noise. If you are bothered by the wind noise, turn up the radio/music.

I have driven on highways with my Protege, and the wind/road noise isn't that bad. It is normal, and expected.

"But this was not enough to convince me to keep the car and I got rid of it just after 3 months!..if you get this car be prepared to invest in some serious ear plugs or a big bottle of tylenol for your head-aches!"

I have had my Protege for 6 months, and I love this car! This car is comfortable, nice on the eyes, has good fuel economy, has nice interior, and feels just right.

The complaints that I have read, from the original topic starter, don't fit this car. But, to each their own.

Obviously, the Protege isn't for everyone. But, to complain about rust, wind noise, gas guzzling above 100 km/h, or a loud engine over 100 km/h, then you need to seriously spend more time in a vehicle. As well, the Pathfinder that you purchased is heavier, has a bigger engine, is a bigger vehicle, and will cost you more in the long run. I am sure that you will be here, in about 3 months, complaining about the same issues.