Used 2001 Mazda Protege Consumer Reviews
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Surprisingly Pleasant, Watch for Rust
Evan G., 07/03/2019
updated 01/05/2021
2001 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
First, a disclaimer: This review is for the 4-speed automatic, not the 5-speed manual. A separate listing for the automatic is mysteriously missing from Edmunds (I can only assume the "5M" in their trim listing refers to the 5-speed manual). Much like virtually every other Protege, mine has a lot of surface rust. To cover up all the rust, all I needed was 50 bucks and a couple hours' worth of light sanding and careful painting. As long as you continue to monitor the painted-over areas, the rust won't get any worse. The 2.0L engine has an acceptable amount of power for a compact sedan. There have been times when I wished it was quicker, but only when I'm really pushing it. My drive to work is 15 miles, 14 of which are spent on the highway. At 60-70mph, acceleration is still reasonable, but you'll have to plan ahead to pass people on the highway. My biggest complaint with the car is the automatic transmission. For moderate daily driving, it is perfectly fine. It downshifts pretty consistently about halfway through the gas pedal's travel (which is good in my opinion), but a second downshift won't come until you've mashed the pedal all the way to the floor. The automatic certainly isn't a deal-breaker for a daily driver, but if you want to get away with some high-revving shenanigans, find one with a manual. The handling in this car does not feel like a run-of-the-mill economy compact. I can only describe it as playful- steering feels precise, and the suspension feels tight (but not excessively stiff). There's less body roll than I would have expected (especialy for a cheap car that sits relatively high). If you push it just right, you can even get just a bit of oversteer! (That may have been the cheap tires on the back, though). It is comfortable enough on the highway, and very fun to throw around corners. The surface roads in my area are a pothole hell, and I cringe every time I hit one, but so far the car has held up well. As for gadgets and interior features, it's a very no-nonsense setup. It obviously isn't a high-end car (no power/heated seats, no power headlights, no buttons on the steering wheel, only three wiper speeds, etc), but nothing feels cheap. As a former owner of an early 2000s GM car where every button felt creaky and fragile, I appreciate that the controls in the Protege feel solid. The radio is about as normal as a radio can get, and the buttons are laid out sensibly. The speakers are pretty average, but they have better bass than I expected. If you own a 90s/2000s Toyota or Subaru, the cruise control lever will likely be familiar. Apparently there's a problem with the stock valve lifters that sometimes results in a rattling noise when the engine is cold. Feeding it synthetic oil is enough to stop the rattling for me. Besides that little quirk, I've had no maintenance issues. ...and now for why I sold it. As cheap cars do, it retained its value well. Bought it for 2500, drove it a few thousand miles, sold it for 2400. A hundred bucks for ~6000 miles of driving is quite good, but the Protege went away because of the rust. The front subframe had begun to rot through. While it still drove great, there's no telling how the car would fair in an accident. The new owner lives nearby, and I still see the car from time to time, so I can confirm it's still on the road, despite the rust. Some people aren't bothered by the risks of a rusty subframe- if you drive responsibly, you shouldn't be worried. For me, it got in my head every time I drove the car, so it had to go. Would I own another one? If I can find one with a manual transmission and no rust, absolutely.
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GOING TO MISS HER
Willowbefree, 01/08/2010
2001 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I've loved this car for the past 9 years that I have owned it. The tires have been the greatest disappointment...expensive to replace when I had to replace them after the first 30,000 miles. (Dunlop has a set that fits and lasts much longer...however still at $120.00/piece) Zoom zoom zoom is very true..I love this car during the summer here in WI..it grips the roads and I can fly! In the winter I need to change modes and respect what the season brings. I love the 60/40 back seat split as I take my xc skis and boating gear with me often. Overall, I'm going to miss my Mazda and hope my "new" Subaru treats me 1/2 as good. (needed room for more gear and a puppy)
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I agree with everybody else!
randomo, 04/05/2002
2001 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Wow, is the handling great! Tight, zippy -- just crisp, clean fun. Too bad they couldn't have given it more horses. I test drove a Protege LX a few years ago, and it was woefully underpowered; the much bigger engine in this ES seemed as if it would overcome that hurdle. Sad to say, it needs to go into 4th gear well before 40 mph, and into 5th in the high 40s. It strains a bit to maintain 65-70 on highways where that is the dominant speed of traffic flow. Give this car a 6th gear and you'd have something truly great! ;-) My only other concern is the dashboard illumination. The red glow works great in the dark, but at dusk the instruments are hard to read.
Great car
Zuumer, 04/11/2008
2001 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
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.
Bane of my existence
Austin, 02/06/2016
2001 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 4 people found this review helpful
Made a huge mistake buying this car at about 130,000 miles. As soon as I left the lot I got a check engine light, obviously this is more my fault from buying from the used dealer, however it only gets worse. Had issues for months where the car would refuse to start at completely random intervals, INFURIATING. Spent roughly 800 dollars trying to fix the issue, mechanic finally figured it out after a couple months. Along the year I owned this thing i had to fix fans, replace the catalytic converter, and various other things. Last month the car starting overheating on me while on the highway and the timing belt blew. Car likely needs a new engine. I'm completely done with it. Do yourself a favor and don't get a Mazda from the early 2000's, it's just not reliable and I'm 90% sure you will deeply regret your decision.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value