Used 2003 Mazda Protege Consumer Reviews
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Wow, this car is fun to drive!
delrey, 11/15/2012
2003 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
24 of 25 people found this review helpful
This car is a lot of fun to drive. The handling, steering, and road feel are top notch for this car, especially for this class. It puts some newer and more expensive cars to shame. With that said, the car wasn't perfect. The best gas mileage I could get was 28MPG. Despite regular detailing, the car had a decent amount of rust. I went through front wheel bearings like crazy and I had to replace my front struts twice within the 130,000 miles of ownership. Interior is rather nice for the year but the radio is quite weak. A fun car to drive with minor flaws.
One-owner Review
randallwhitted, 04/23/2015
updated 10/31/2019
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2003 Protege ES new based on handling and ride - and looks. It's been a great car, extremely reliable and is still fun to drive. The sway bar bushings wore out at 85,000 miles and the tubing to the mass air flow sensor cracked, but a redneck duct tape fix still works. The passenger side electric door lock stopped working at about 50,000 miles. The worst thing on it by far is the rust in the rear fender wells. After 105,000 miles, everything else still works great. At 150,000, I've replaced the right rear strut because it rusted apart. The timing belt et al has been changed and the car continues to run great. Rust wreaks havoc on these cars, though not as bad as some other cars. Still no mechanical problems or break-downs. Both passenger side electric locks no longer work. The main frustration is the rust. It runs perfectly - if it wasn't for rust, it would look and work very much like new. Shortly after 150,000, my son rear-ended another car. I have not had an estimate for repairs yet, but the hood is crumpled, the grille is gone and headlights smashed, but the fenders seem OK. Hopefully it doesn't cost too much because this car still has LOTS of useful life in it. The engine still runs like new. Really a great car. Repaired the hood and front-end plastics myself summer 2019. 16 years later, it's now the teenager's car. Still runs great, which means in over 155k miles it has never had a mechanical problem. There is now a hole in the back seat floorboard from rust and the seat belt mechanism broke - replaced with junk yard piece. The exhaust rusted apart just after the downpipe so it's a little loud but fixing that means a full exhaust replacement. Car is now in Nevada away from salt. Should last forever at this point!
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
Best Car I have owned
mazdafan8, 05/27/2011
2003 Mazda Protege DX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
I love my Mazda. I bought it used in 2004 with 25,000 miles on it. It now has 88,000 miles. I have only replaced brake pads, tires and one hose in addition to oil changes. My engine runs flawlessly. I get better than rated mileage. She handles great for a sub-compact. Has road feel instead of the numb feedback of a Toyota. The stick is smooth with shifts. Seats are comfortable. I will keep it until it dies since it has no resell value. I hope to get at least another two years.
gas tank leaking & rust
fuel tamk leaking, 08/24/2009
2003 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
This car Just over 5 years old, the gas tank was leaking, cost me $1400 to replace the pump, gas tank and etc. Complained to Mazda company, but they did not care. I will not buy any Mazda again. The Mazda company cut too much cost to build this Protege, not only the rust on the gas tank, but also other areas. I make a big mistake to buy this mazda protege. Gas tank leaking is a safety issue!! I can accept other problems, but not gas tank.
I wish I could buy this car again new.
Bornaleo819, 03/21/2010
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
My brother passed this car on to me in 2005 after my car was totaled in an accident & he wanted to get a new BMW. He has regretted that decision ever since. I still have it today in 2010 & he has gone through about 3-4 cars still trying to find the right one. This car is reliable, does really well with gas, has good power acceleration to it, is comfortable and besides normal wear & tear with tires, the only thing that happened was a leak with the radiator & in the air intake hose there was a hole. I replaced both parts & runs like brand freaking new. Unfortunately, I have a small daughter so this car can feel tight sometimes but this is a car you will not regret getting. She's a beaut.
What a car!
SOB, 08/26/2006
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I have to say that I really enjoy owning and driving this vehicle. Mind you most of my driving miles are roughly 60-70% highway miles and I have experienced excellent mpg. I have to add that my maintenance costs have been relatively low as well, the only major repair was scheduled maintenance for the timing belt interval, two brake jobs and 2 sets of tires. I do talk highly about this car and would recommend it to someone looking for a similar type vehicle. Other notable points that maybe trivial but are annoying is the "hey your seatbelt is not buckled" alarm when you are in an idle state. It does have a stiff ride and have noticed that road noise creeps in louder as the rubber gets thinner.
Still reliable after all these years
caneshooter, 12/17/2009
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My fourth consecutive Mazda. Still very reliable at 112k miles, only routine maintenance performed thus far. ES model's 2.0 motor is peppy even with the 4-speed automatic. A major negative is road noise. DX & LX Proteges were already noisy and the ES model's low profile tires take it up a notch. That's why I only rated the car a "5" for comfort.
Maybe the perfect "cheap" car
FenderCalderon, 11/16/2009
2003 Mazda Protege LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
A picture of this car should be alongside the dictionary entry for reliable. In 5 yrs the only unexpected repair was the main engine belt -and it was probably my fault. After owning a lemon it feels great knowing you can rely on this car. As far as routine maintenance goes you can DIY and save even more money. The interior materials won't be winning any prestigious awards but regardless for a car in this price range the interior is more than ok. I like to have fun when I drive and this is a good car for that; just don't expect to have great gas mileage this way. Sometimes I think the car may be boring but when I find an open stretch of road to let 'er rip I always end up smiling.
very happy owner
wtkidd1972, 08/04/2009
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought this car without truly being interested in a Mazda Protégé, just interested in a small, inexpensive, economical way to get to work. I had never owned a Mazda before, but the Protégé seemed like exactly what I was looking for. Six years and 95,000 miles later my Protégé runs just as well as the day I brought it home, and is still just as fun to drive. All I do is keep up with oil changes, and keep putting new tires on it. Ive replaced the brakes once. This car has been amazing. Would love get a the new Mazda 6, but find it hard to get rid of the Protege when it still feels like a new car.
03 Mazda Protege ES - 5 speed
03 Mazda Protege ES, 08/09/2008
2003 Mazda Protege ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This really is a great solid little car. Fun to drive! Very reliable, always starts, never needs repairs. The ES has several added features, alloy wheels, power sun roof, spoiler, 4 wheel disc brakes. NICE! I have the five speed and it helps the gas mileage about 5 mpg over the automatic. Get about 27 in town if I drive it right! Car is tight, and everything always works. If your looking for a (not too) small, and dependable car that gets good mileage, this is it. I've had Hondas and the Mazda is very comparable. I can't say there's much I would change on the car, except the 5th speed overdrive design. (not enough difference between 4th and 5th speed). Brakes are excellent.
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