2001 Mazda Protege Consumer Reviews

Great car

Written by: Zuumer on 04/10/2008

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I bought my Protege new and have had very little trouble with it. I usually get 32-33 mpg on the highway (occasionally 35-36) and 25 in the city. It accelerates well and handles great. Plenty of head room and great visibility. Sunroof still works perfectly after 7 years, no leaks. CD player's LCD screen often goes partially blank until I push on it. Right rear door power lock broke around 60k. Replacement tires (195 55 15) are expensive.

Favorite Features

Compact, responsive, fuel-efficient.

Suggested Improvements

Less road noise on the highway.

10 out 10 people found this review helpful

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Mazda Good, but Needs Improvement

Written by: Freebird on 08/02/2007

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Quality car, with great handling, solid build quality and lots of interior room. Handles like a $25000 sports car. This is a reliable car with great mpg. Problems include constant idle shake, LR power lock went at 65000 miles All 4 suspension links failed around 80000 miles. Come on Mazda! Suspension is also a bit jostly on bumps. Seats are also uncomfortable on long trips. Trunk is too small.

Favorite Features

Handling, fuel economy, interior room, build quality.

Suggested Improvements

Suspension links, power locks, bigger trunk, slight improvement in corrosion protection (fasteners).

2 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Dependable

Written by: Big John on 07/17/2007

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege DX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Needs more head and leg room. Only one problem, the ground wire on the wiper motor broke and I fixed it myself. One new set of front brakes put on at 80000. Interstate MPG up to 39 at times. Great little car unless you're a great big or tall person.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Unbelievable car for the money

Written by: nyminute on 06/01/2007

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I have a 2001 Protege LX 2.0 with a 5 speed, bought it Sept. 01. It has over 150,000 miles and still runs great. But what's really incredible about this car is it still gets 30 MPG on the highway and other than brakes, tires, timing belt (which you should do before 120K) and an oil change every 8-10K miles, it has not been one single problem! Never in the shop, never on the side of the road, starts right up every day for almost 6 years and still runs like a champ! Same battery even!. Great car, if you can get one with the optional 2.0, buy it!

Favorite Features

Handling, ride, build quality, reliability, sunroof.

Suggested Improvements

A little more horsepower.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Mazda missed some small stuff

Written by: CoronaRob on 05/12/2007

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

A fun and sporty car to drive. Replaced a '90 Protege. The 16" tires are nice but the originals (Dunlaps) only lasted 30K. Bought replacements online (Kuhomo) that are 2x better at half the cost. Could use a 6th gear or taller 5th with 3500 rpm @ 70mph the hwy mileage is low 30s. Cup holders only in front and are terrible. No variable setting on the wipers. A lot of road noise (just like the '90). Would have liked a trunk release on the remote. There should have been a power lock switch on the passenger side. Even with the shortcomings I would buy this car again in a minute. My kids are fighting over who gets it when we get rid of it.

Favorite Features

Styling, handling, sun roof, spoiler, gauges, fog lights, cruise control.

Suggested Improvements

Variable wipers, better cup holders, more power, 6th gear, less road noise.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Not that Great

Written by: protege666 on 04/26/2007

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege DX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I just paid off my Protege and I am sooo ready for a different car. I bought it for the four door and fuel economy aspect. Those two things aren't disappointing...pretty much everything else was...teh electronics were always if-y and the drivers seat kills your back...theseat belts in the back have all but ceased to function. It's just NOT THAT GREAT of a car.

Favorite Features

The steering wheel is cute, and there is plenty of trunk space.

Suggested Improvements

The electronic system is not good (i.e. clock/cd display and so on)

1 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Gets ahead, stays ahead

Written by: Daro on 04/15/2007

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege MP3 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Have you ever taken the curves on Lower Wacker Drive or on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago? Have you ever tried to enter a busy metropolitan expressway at the speed of traffic - say, 75 mph before the end of the entrance ramp? This car does it. It adheres tightly to curves and accelerates smartly into traffic. Great gas mileage, strong performance, enduring reliability, roomy interior, and distinctive looks combine to make the MP3, all at once, both affordable basic transportation and a pleasurable driving experience.

Favorite Features

Sound system. 2.0-liter 4-cylinder DOHC 140 hp engine.

Suggested Improvements

Better interior soundproofing at highway speeds.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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2001 Mazda Protege LX - Minor Problems

Written by: kevin111 on 07/16/2006

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Quality compact with excellent fuel mileage. 35 mpg on a trip with automatic and the air on. Overdrive sips gas. Tight build quality. Great handling. Impressive interior room. Stylish exterior design. Relatively quiet except when engine is pushed. Very compliant ride. Quality car but Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic might be better.

Favorite Features

4 speed automatic with overdrive. Fuel mileage. Handling. Superb visibility.

Suggested Improvements

Fasteners corrode too quickly. Seats are a bit too firm causing sore legs on long trips. Driver side rear power door lock failed at 61,000 miles. A/C fan very noisy when cycling. Brakes could be of higher quality. Steering wheel needs more turns lock to lock. Better interior lighting.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Awesome Car

Written by: Liz on 04/28/2006

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Great car for a woman! NEVER have any mechanical problems; the only thing I do to this car is the routine maintenance that it needs. It already has more that 100,000 miles and is still running like the first day I bought it :)

Favorite Features

I love that is has 4 doors and that the trunk is that big for a car that small. In addition, it has a great sound system and the interior is very cool looking. Most of the cars that I tested had cheap and horrible design interiors.

Suggested Improvements

More leg room on the back seats.

9 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Great Little Car

Written by: John on 01/27/2006

Vehicle

2001 Mazda Protege DX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Great mileage, at times getting 36+ on the interstate. Other than routine maintenance, never had a problem with almost 85,000 on the odometer. Highly recommend this car.

Favorite Features

Sturdily built.

Suggested Improvements

Bit more leg room for 6 footers.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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