2003 MAZDA Protege5 Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
Pros: 1. Follow the maintenance schedule per the owner's manual and it'll be good to you. 2. The driver's seat isn't showing any signs of tearing. 3. Super easy to drive, park and stop just like a go-kart. 4. Very good fuel mileage even now. 5. Very comfortable seats on long drives. 6. Compared to say a Volvo, the replacement parts of maintenance and repair are affordable. 7. Great 360 visibility. Cons: 1. The EGR valve gets dirty a lot. You'll hear the pinging when it does. 2. If you do a lot of winter driving, consider another car or get dedicated winter tires. It has the handling characteristics of a toboggan. 3. Slightly underpowered. Wish list: 1. Offered traction control or AWD for inclement weather. Repairs (from worst to least worst) since ownership (I bought it when the odometer had 5 miles on it!): 1. Radiator at 172,000. (Repair) 2. 2nd water pump replacement 160,000 (Repair due to mechanical failure) 3. 1st water pump replacement with timing belt at 120,000 miles. (Maintenance) 4. Ruptured/leaking/swollen radiator hose x 3 (72000, 142000, 190000 miles respectively). 5. Serpentine belt, power steering sliding bracket adjustment (repair shop mishap during 2nd water pump replacement). Considerations: 1. I've run the car on full synthetic since ownership and replace it every 10000 miles. 2. All fluids have been replaced at the manufacturer's prescribed intervals always. 3. Car has acquired most of its mileage driving in King and Snohomish Counties. 4. Never been in a car accident. Future plans: 1. Will keep the car regardless of mileage. Will replace cylinder heads in the next year to boost horsepower back to it's original setting (130 BHP) for $2500. 2. Will undergo complete body work and stage III repaint (same silver paint) at Maaco next year for $1500. I love this car ever since I've owned it. If you know airplanes, think of it as an A-10 warthog; it's not fast but you can drive it hard day in and day out, and every time you are behind the driver's wheel can trust it'll get you home all the time without fail. I've never ever been stranded on the road in this car ever. If this car had AWD, I would have never bought another car to get me through the winter...maybe (I love my 2006 Volvo V70R too!). But if no AWD and 130 HP is the trade off for such a near perfect car, I wouldn't change that for the world! I love my Mazda Protege5, even gave it a name, Matilda. Be good to this car and it'll be good to you. If you plan on buying used, save an additional $2-3K dollars to flush out all the fluids, replace the timing belt and water pump and do a full inspection and I'm sure you'll have a long lasting machine. This car has never ever let me down and at any time that it may knowing how old it is and how many miles it has, all can be forgiven since for so many years, hours and miles we've been on the road together, never once have I been let down. I will say this, love the Protege5 for what it is because it's not a lot of things but it has most of what a tight budgeted person who hates inconvenience (unexpected repairs constantly) desires.
VS
Critical Review
I had my mazda for about a year... I had to put two sets of tires on my car because they wear so quickly... it made this horrible noise all the time and nobody ever found out what it was... it was not the belts so our mechanic said. Other than that I put a good amount of miles on it and it was dependable, but the whole tires and noise making I had to let go of her. Fun and looked AWSOME! Good first car for a teen.
2003 Protege5 Reviews
Showing 8 of 264 reviews.
Awesome car! To be completely honest the best car I've ever had, most are manual shift but that's okay once you learn manual you'll find that the Mazda protege5 is superior to most other cars. Not only is it fun to drive and a smooth driver but the exterior of the car is very pretty to look at. Car loves to go fast. And for a smaller car it has a lot of space. I highly recommend the Mazda protege5 for a new driver or just someone who wants a fun car that will get the job done.
very yellow
very yellow
Dope. Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890 i hate writing reviews. Oh....did i mention....yellow!!!!
Reliable, affordable to repair, fun to drive, AC!
None!
I bought this car in April 2003 brand new. I regret not getting it in manual, but I can't complain. I added leather! 1)Florida is hot most of the year and a working AC is a MUST. I've never had to do anything to this car's AC in 18 years!...and it still blows COLD AIR. 2)The moon/sun roof has never leaked water and works as good as the 1st day. In reality, I've only done tires (with rotation/alignment, balance), a couple of batteries, air filters, oil changes and one radiator. The cargo space has been great for my wife and I. Even on a couple of occasions when we had to go to IKEA, we were able to fold the rear seats and fit everything. If you're fortunate enough to buy one used w/low miles and from a person that treated it well...you'll NEVER regret purchasing it!
Love this car fun sporty and great on gas.
I got this car from my grandma with 59,000 OG miles currently has 61,000.Car runs awesome great on gas.Its my little weekend car.
Very comfortable and fun to drive
no cons
This is my first car and it has just the right amount of power, it's comfortable, handles well, and reliable
I've owned this car for 12 years. There is a part on the undercarriage that isn't cheap that I've had to replace twice (I now carry a spare) because it was designed without protection, it gets damaged by heat, road wear, etc. The front wheels are tied together with a stabilizer bar that makes for jerky driving in some conditions. I've always felt like I've been wrestling with this car. But it has transported kids, dogs, plants etc. over the years and been a good sport about my driving (mountain roads; fast) without stranding me. It gets good gas mileage and takes regular gas. The stereo has a very smooth slot loading (CD) mechanism, which I've always appreciated, as I listen to books on tape constantly, but the tracking is iffy on bumpy roads. The sun bakes the spoiler, apparently very common on this car, I see bubbled spoilers on all of these older Proteges.
This one was built in Japan. I bought it when it was 1 year old in 2003. Nothing has ever failed or malfunctioned, this car does not even have a rattle. I replaced the timing belt/water pump and associated seals and parts. Also replaced the front struts when I figured they were worn, and realized I'd forgotten its super handling ability. It corners like it's on rails. Learn the transmission and when to shift, and it's a fun quick little machine... or don't bother with fun and it's a grocery getter that will never fail.
Great styling and fun to drive.
None
This car is very fun to drive, gets great gas mileage, even when pushed hard. Great styling interior and exterior. You can take this car to the track on the weekends and have a fantastic time. It rides like it's on rails. I have no complaints about my car at all. One of the best cars I have ever owned, and I have owned over 50 cars. I highly recommend this car to anyone lucky enough to find one in good running order with service records.
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