2003 Mazda Protege5 consumer reviews

Overall I love this car and will drive it until it dies. Performance wise it lives up to its look and handles great although the engine could be a bit faster. Its a lot of fun to drive especially on curvey mountain roads. Everyday i grow fonder and fonder of the look of this car even though its a wagon. The interior is just cool with the carbon styling around the radio. This car is a total package its both reasonable and flat out insanely fun to drive. I love my protoge 5

fun, reliable car, good gas milage. Great car car for family. We had tow car seats in the back and still had extra room. The hack-back is also very useful. The back seats can fold down for extra space for moving.

The car is very nice! Roomy but when it comes to the transmission it will surprise you how cheaply it is done. Do not buy this car it will over load you with problems.

I've had my Protege 5 for almost 2 years now. It was used, with 72k+ miles on the odometer now. I've only had to keep up with regular maintenance (oil changes, spark plugs, new tires, new battery), nothing has gone wrong. I live in NY and see all sorts of weather and driving conditions. It hasn't hurt the car yet aside from a little surface rust around the rear drivers side wheel well. This car is really a blast to drive, and you can tell it was meant to handle very well. Incredibly agile and firm ride. The 130hp 4cyl is peppy in city driving, but I wish it was a little more powerful for passing at highway speeds. This is the only reason I gave it an average performance score. If they could have eeked out an extra 20hp out of the engine, or gave it the option of the Mazdaspeed turbo, it would feel a lot more powerful. The clutch is easy to drive, and shifts really smooth. Mazda really hit the nail on the head with the styling of the Protege 5. Everyone I know who isn't a "car person" thinks it's a brand new car. I don't see it going out of style anytime soon. My Mazda came in Yellow and it turns plenty of heads for a compact wagon. Comfort is exceptional for a small car. I'm used to compact car seats hurting my lower back for long rides...not so with this car. My car came equipped with power everything, sunroof, and 6 disc changer, which I later reluctantly swapped out for an iPod read Alpine unit. Everything in the interior is conveniently located and felt natural and familiar to me even on the test drive. Very smooth ride for a 5 speed. Road noise at highway speeds is my only complaint in this department. Get it up past 70mph and you'll have trouble hearing your cell phone or radio. I wish Mazda isolated the interior a bit more. Fuel economy varies for me between 23-27 city and 29-32 highway depending on the weather and how I'm driving. All in all, with the Mazda Protege 5 you're getting a quality reliable compact wagon that comfortable and won't go out of style anytime soon. It won't win a drag race, but how many cars are this practical and fun at the same time? If you're considering a used 4cyl hatchback/wagon, definitely go out and test drive one of these.

This car is great for city or highway driving. It's fun to drive, due to great handling and speed ability. Incredibly reliable - never had any issues in 3 years!!!

Was tired of the honda civics and accord I had in the past as reliable and wonderful as they were. Found this at the end of the model year 2003 and got a GREAT deal. $15000 fully loaded with leather, 6disc CD changer, sun roof, rims. More than I;d had on any other car. What a pleasure to drive, even 3 years later. Road trips, camping, moving, lugging furniture, naps, tailgating. No complaints. Amazing car. What a shame they don't make them any more.

This car is awesome! It's stylish and best of all fun to drive! I've owned it for 2 years now and still love it, as the day I bought it. It's the car I've always wanted-elegance and beauty, but sporty-and it's sweet looking dressed in black with dark, tinted windows!

This car is great,if you want to be different from others.Handles great,good brakes,and reliable.The Dunlop tires I replaced with 215\45\16 Haankok rs2-S.They fit perfect and much better in rain.What a great car to have.Too bad ,they stopped making them

I must admit that it is fourth Protege in our family. We bought this one December 31, 2004 because Protege5 was going out of production and my wife didn't like newer Mazda3. The car is sporty but have very forgiving ride. Handling is better than BMW 325i, steering is linear and spot on, stable at high speeds. The only issue is Dunlop tires which I recommend to replace with Bridgestone Potenza 92 (or 950). Low-profile (50mm) Dunlops are prone bulging and last 30k miles only.

The car had great handling. No mechanical problems, and very nice looking. What else could you ask for? GREAT BUY