Used 2002 Mazda Protege5 Consumer Reviews
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More power to me
Pr5 Owner, 06/14/2002
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I love this car. I've owned sports cars suv's everything. This has got to be my favorite. I had a guy in a Jag tell me how nice my car is. I can't believe the looks it gets. And the handling is superb. All I ask is just for a little more power. Other than that who cars.
Happy
englishmastiffzeus, 04/11/2002
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I am happy with our choice. We got the car with moonroof, ABS, side airbags and alloy wheels for $16,750. Excellent value. Fun to drive. Pretty big inside, even for my 6'7" frame. My biggest beef is that the car has some wicked interior rattles on the highway. They drive me crazy. I will be taking it in to the dealer to take care of these. Also, you absolutely cannot store anything in any of the storage compartments without them rattling. A power point in the cargo area would be nice. Right front cupholder is unusable if you need the 12 volt power point at the same time. Handling is awesome. Would have liked a 175 hp version like the Matrix/Vibe.
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Love My Protege5
pciskowski, 04/16/2002
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is an excellent vehicle. I don't think it is underpowered like the press does. I think the styling is better than the Matrix or Vibe. I have removed the roof rack, and the ride, noise, and gas mileage improved considerably. I have noticed a rattle in the front passenger door. On the plus side, I find the seats to be very comfortable. Given the wheelbase, wheel and tires, and suspension, the ride is somewhat harsh but the handling is excellent. Note that the tires develop a slight flat spot after 24 hours and need 5 minutes of driving for the ride to smooth out, so don't judge the ride before that point. I would buy this vehicle again in a second!
One recurring problem
Peter R., 12/22/2008
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I was initially happy with the car. The handling was superb and it suited my needs. However the odd size tires 195/55 16 are hard to find and expensive. The worst part has been the brakes. The left rear caliper siezed after 18 months and was fixed under warranty. I have had the same problem occur two more times in 7 years of ownership. I have replaced the rear rotors twice and the rear calipers once in 80,000. Plus 2 sets of pads and a rebuild of the the seized caliper twice. This is an unacceptable issue in my mind. My benchmark is my 1994 corolla that had zero problems in 120,000 miles.
Great Car
JOHN LEE, 06/15/2002
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I own a muscle car (Mustang 68 Fastback) but needed a new daily driver. Tested the Vibe, Matrix, and Corolla. Car handles the turns almost as the car I sold 240SX Nissan. Read all the reviews by the mags as well as USA Today's ... the car has more than adequate power. Can handle highway inclines without downshifting or losing power like the cars I tested. Matrix with the 180 horses doesn't have the torque power at the 30- 70 range of the Protege 5. Plus, I didn't want a car that gets its power at 6,000 rpms ... too noisy. I'll take the Mustang for that, plus that's much faster.