Used 2002 Mazda Protege5 Consumer Reviews
Used Protege5 for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
I love this car. bought it new 5 speed manual
GColleen, 10/02/2016
updated 04/18/2017
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
The car is Over 15 years old and I know I should replace it but I just can't let it go. I have another newer car that sits in the driveway while I drive this one every where. It has ~170K on it and I expect to get a lot more out of it. I put 20K on it the 1st year because it was so fun to drive. It hugs the road in corners and gives a surprising amount of power on acceleration as long as you know the right shifting RPM. I rarely have to back off when getting on the freeway due to lack of speed. The 5 speed manual is the only way to go. I had a friend with an automatic and it broke down a lot but who knows how it was treated before she got it. I've kept up the maintenance on mine per the owners manual. I have had a couple of repairs in year 13 and 14 but I've definitely gotten my money out of it. It has always had road noise but there are no wind noises or rattles due to poor craftsmanship or quality. The power moon roof and windows still work. The floor mats went south so I had to buy after market and the gear shift writing has worn off but other than that the interior still looks almost like new. The exterior paint has held up well, though the spoiler has oxidized. Probably nothing a little elbow grease would not remedy. When I have this car detailed it does look almost like new. The car sits very low to the ground and as I age it takes a little more effort to get out of it than it did 10 years ago. I would not recommend it for anyone who has trouble lifting their own weight or trouble standing under their own power. The car is really light and will slip in the rain without the rain tires. That was the only fault. Scared me at first but it was largely due to the cheap stock tires. Soon as I put a set of Goodyear rain tires on it, the car handled much better in the rain. The best MPG I've ever done is 30 MPG on a flat highway. I do a mix of city and highway driving so the mileage is around 25. If it drops below 23, you probably have something going on with your tires or your tuneup.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Mazda Protege5
mkn, 06/12/2006
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This is a great little car. So fun to drive and extremely reliable. I drove a Honda Civic for several years before I bought this car and what a difference with the Mazda. Its so much more comfortable and driver-friendly.
2002 Mazda Protege5 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 6 listings
- Base WagonMSRP: $5,990917 mi away
- Base WagonMSRP: $7991,474 mi away
- Base WagonMSRP: $5,6811,607 mi away
See all 6 listings
Can it be any better?
cycling40, 02/19/2002
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Picked up the car on President's Day. Put on a hundred miles on it. Best car I've ever owned if you compare to the cars I've driven and owned (Trans Am, Camaros, Datsun 280ZX, Toyota Corolla/Camry, Honda Civic/Accord). As others have said, could use a little more power but quite adequate as is. Bought the car based on reviews, no test drive. The five-speed manual is a honey. If the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe can improve on this, I'd truly be disappointed. Just a gem of a pocket rocket.
Still Happy after 60K miles
garv214, 03/13/2006
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Bought my car new back in 2001 and have enjoyed it thoroughly. A blast to drive in day to day driving (great handling). Replaced the tires at 40K with Firestone Fusions (uprated to 205mm) which fixed the poor wet weather traction of the Dunlops. A couple of common minor gripes: burned out headlight bulbs (4 so far - what is up with that?), wind noise from the roof rack is present, passenger window rolls up more slowly than driver's side, and had to replace the coil to correct an engine miss. Overall, the car has been a joy to own. I get 28-30 mpg routinely, can fit 4 adults comfortably, and haul a bunch of stuff as needed. Add good looks and great handling and you have a real winner. =)
A Blast To Drive...
DuManchu, 04/13/2009
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought this car in the spring of 05. I put on about 30K miles in the time I owned it. Only had to replace brake pads and resurface the disks. The car has been perfect. The only other problem with it was the 12V socket pulling out from me overusing it, but I understand it's a common problem on these. This car is just hands down a BLAST to drive. I'll recall a time I was on "Peak-to-Peak" in Colorado (west of Denver) and I was trailing an Acura 3.2CL. While I couldn't keep up with him on the straights, I gained serious ground on the turns. I was cornering so hard I got DIZZY at one point but the car never wavered. The only thing this car NEEDS is 30-40 more HP.