2003 Mazda Protege5 consumer reviews

A car!A really zippy mini station wagon. Puts Subaru to shame! Did I mention zippy? Comfortable seating position, great driving lights, powerful fog lights, roomy, reasonably priced for used, looks like it will keep going for a while. Saw a few advertised for sale with high 200k into 300's.

Best car I have ever owned!! Its reliable, comfortable and very stylish. It has a great gas mileage. Never give me any problems. Fun to drive.

I have the stick shift on my 2003 1/2 Protege5. Sadly, many of these that I see are rust buckets. They tend to rust out around the fender wells. I've always washed mine at a car wash with a strong undercarriage wash after driving on salty roads, and kept it garaged all these years, and mine isn't having that problem. I bought it from a kid when the car was like 3 years old and had 24,000 miles on it, so I've driven it for 250,000 miles. I've driven it on some long road trips, loaded up with camping gear. Most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.

It's hard to find another car that matches the Protege5. It's got the maneuverability of a well-designed passenger vehicle, the practicality of a wagon, and styling that sets it apart from other cars in its class. The hatchback design offers decent space for groceries or vacation gear, especially with one or both rear seats folded. For a car in this price range, the interior trim is extremely nice, with a stitched leather steering wheel and shift knob, among other thoughtful details. I've driven my Protege5 for over 12 years with no mechanical issues beyond regular maintenance. It's held up beautifully and is still a pleasure to drive.

great handling car. not much power. reliable and easy to work on myself. interior is nice and simple.

This car is small but makes it up in comfort, reliability, aside from a little ground noise the car is awesome and demands attention. Rick Browns

This car compares with my Ford Fairlane 500, slant 6 that had 275,000 miles when donated. The car is still running great

I've had mine for over 12 years and I'm just now going to upgrade. I never really had a problem with it, and if I did it was probably something I failed to do, like get an oil change. But it's gotten me from point a to b just fine. I'm sad to let my car go, but I'm 33 and need a car that has a bit more space for my business.

I loved this little car, but its bumper is coming off due to rust. The sound isn't great either, but other than that, its a great car to drive. Its fun and has excellent turn radius. Sad to see her go, but I cannot keep up with the rust. I have never seen one of these cars that hadn't started rusting.

I got this car when it was 10 years old, 80k miles, when I was 17. If you're looking for a cheap, reliable car that makes you smile every trip to the grocery store, look no further. Pros: -Steering, suspension, handling, this car just feels alive. You get the thrills of a much more expensive, faster car while doing errands at 35mph. If you find a twisty road, even better. -Seats. I haven't seen these mentioned in other reviews here, so maybe it's just me, but they just fit perfectly. They're kind of concave without having aggressive bolsters, so there's no sliding around. -Everything else aside from what I list in the cons. Standard equipment, interior, fuel economy, headlights, etc. No surprises in the little things with this car. Cons: -Engine lacks gusto, especially <2000 rpm or >5000. Sometimes you're reminded this engine was for the sedan, which is ~250lbs lighter. That being said, it feels fine in the midrange, just don't expect easy overtaking without dropping a gear or two. -Top gear is a little short for highway driving. In 5th gear at 70 mph, you'll be doing ~3200 rpm. At least that's in the best part of the rev range, but it is a bit loud for mile after mile. (There is cruise control, btw) I can't speak for the auto. -It doesn't drive itself In total, this is probably the best, most well-rounded car for this price range. It doesn't give up much for its greatness. I feel lucky looking around at the other similarly-priced cars other people my age drive, and feel lucky I went for this gem instead.