Used 2003 Mazda Protege Consumer Reviews
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A true sleeper
Dnasty, 07/04/2008
2003 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Protege is one the best handling front wheel drive cars in its class still to date. The car moves any where you want it move without much effort. The interior is pretty good better then average. Gas mileage is great on the car. I've had my protege for about 3 years and it's on 93,000 and never gave me any problems as long you take care of the car. I suggest buying some performance parts for the car, cold air intake, and exhaust system. For ride comfort suggest getting 17 inch rims no bigger with sporty tires. Will make a world difference.
Still happy after 4 years!
J-man, 12/19/2007
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought this loaded out ES model new in 2003 w/ nearly 4K off sticker. My wife drove the car daily but now after 4 yrs it's my car. Very fun daily driver. Always liked the sporty firm suspension. Very nice road/steering feed back. Like a 4 dr miata! :o) We took a 12 hr trip and I'm a 6 footer so it was a bit too cramped after a few hours (lots of breaks). Ideal small car for most uses. Car still looks sharp after 4 years, and still happy! Gas mileage is near the sticker claim of 30-32 hwy. The small tank means affordable $35 fill-ups @$3/gal. Great Mazda reliabilty and no maintenance issues so far. Still have orig. brake pads after 49k miles. Highly recommend this car for anyone!!
Reliable as the Sun
trogglbey, 06/01/2009
2003 Mazda Protege DX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have a paper route; that is 60 miles a night of continuous stop and go with a heavy load of newspapers. This car never complains. Still has excellent get up and go with almost 150000 miles of hard driving. Never been in the shop for anything aside from a belt replacement and an AC recharge. Most reliable and solid little car I've ever owned. No rattles, clunks, or squeaks to drive one crazy. I love this car.
Good Car
Kurt, 07/15/2009
2003 Mazda Protege DX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have had my 5 speed for 5 years and absolutely love it. Pros: Decent gas mileage, (not as good as a Corola, but more fun to drive) Fun to drive, responsive handling, good road feel comfortable seat. Good shifter. Very reliable, (just brakes and tires are the only parts replaced. Con. Noisy to ride in.
Some flaws after a few miles
Cheaprick29, 08/11/2008
2003 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car about a year & 1/2 ago. Paid $8k w 55k and now has 82k. The A/C doesn't work on 2 or 3 setting. The transmission makes a 'growling' or humming noise and continues to get worse the more I drive it. The trunk leaks due to a faulty trunk seal; My car smells like mildew all the time because water gets under the carpets. Had to replace the drive belts around 60k due to squeaking. Hit curb and cost $3800 to fix; not the best car to get into an accident in due to thin sheet metal. Other than that, the car is a great car. I switched out the stock head unit for a Pioneer; the CD player didn't work properly. I like the aux connection on my new head unit.