2002 Mazda Protege5 Review
Price Estimate: $434 - $723





+13
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Tight suspension, powerful brakes, superb steering feel, comfortable seats, attractive exterior styling.
Cons
- Cargo area too small to be considered for real station wagon duty.
What’s new
The Protege is now available as a slick little sport wagon, adding another body style to the Protege lineup.
Edmunds says
Essentially a Protege sedan wearing a backpack, think of the Protege5 as a Lexus IS 300 SportCross for the masses.
For sale nearby
6 listings
- $5,990fair price
- 158,241 miles
- 1 accident, 2 owners, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 22 City / 28 Hwy MPG
- TESTAROSSA MOTORS INC (900 mi away)
- Rear Bench Seats
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
- Audio and cruise con...
Close
Located in League City, TX
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
24 Combined MPG (22 City/28 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JM1BJ246121548652
Stock: 548652
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 05-14-2025 - $799great price$1,355 below market
- 254,038 miles
- 1 accident, 2 owners, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 22 City / 28 Hwy MPG
- Marshall Auto Exchange LLC (1,441 mi away)
- Rear Bench Seats
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
- Audio and cruise con...
Close
Located in Marshall, MN
This vehicle is sold AS-IS Seems to start and drive ok but has extreme rust and clunks in the rear-endBE SURE TO WATCH THIS VIDEO LINK OF THE VEHICLE!...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
24 Combined MPG (22 City/28 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JM1BJ246921500509
Stock: 250432
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 09-14-2024
Vehicle overview
The Protege sedan has been an appealing choice in this segment for the past three years and now this model becomes even tastier with the addition of a sport wagon to the lineup. The Protege5 has added seating and cargo flexibility, combined with sporty styling that reminds us of the Lexus IS 300 SportCross wagon.
All Protege5s get a 2.0-liter engine that makes 130 horsepower. Torque is rated at 135 pound-feet.
The Protege5 is one of the best-looking economy wagons on the market, as it shares the front-end styling, grille, hood, fenders and headlights with the sedan. The attractive 16-inch brushed-aluminum wheels go a long way toward giving the Mazda an upscale appearance, as do the jewel-like headlight reflectors, angular taillights and chrome accents. In wagon guise, the car also comes with front and rear spoilers, lower rocker-panel side sills, a roof-mounted antenna, a roof rack, front fog lamps and a rear roof spoiler.
Inside, the firm seats are comfortable, and the driving position is excellent, with a thick steering wheel rim to grip and a well-placed dead pedal for the left foot. There's also a proper Germanic front-passenger door grip, nicely padded upper door panels where elbows often rest, lots of storage nooks and crannies, a large rear seat and a cargo area that easily triples the sedan's 12.9-cubic-foot trunk when the rear seats are folded down. Inside, Mazda carries over the Protege's center stack design, seat and trim fabric, modular audio system and the 60/40-split folding rear seatback with a double folding function.
On the road, the Protege5 is a bit louder than expected, but it does provide an excellent drive. Credit goes to the first-rate steering system that provides gobs of feedback, perfect weighting and no on-center dead spot. Enhanced by a taut and well-damped suspension, the Protege5 is the "driver's car" of economy wagons.
The Mazda Protege lineup is a long-time favorite of ours, and the Protege5 version deserves the attention of people looking for a unique commuter wagon with spicy style and a good reliability record.
Performance & mpg
This Mazda is motivated by a 2.0-liter engine putting out 130 horsepower and135 pound-feet of torque. While sprightly, especially when matched to the standard five-speed manual transmission, Protege isn't going to win any drag races with souped-up Nissan Sentras. If you so desire, there is a four-speed automatic available.
Safety
Four-wheel disc brakes are standard; to get ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, you've gotta buy the package that bundles them with side airbags. Each of the three rear seating positions gets a three-point automatic locking retractor (ALR) seatbelt, and an ISO-FIX child-seat latching and tethering system further contributes to passenger safety. As of yet, no Protege5 crash tests have been performed, but the sedan version has fared decently in the NHTSA's frontal impact tests, earning five stars (out of five) for the driver and four stars for the front passenger.
Driving
On the road, the Protege5 is a bit louder than expected, but it does provide an excellent drive. Credit goes to the first-rate steering system that provides gobs of feedback, perfect weighting and no on-center dead spot. Enhanced by a taut and well-damped suspension, the Protege5 is the "driver's car" of economy wagons.
Interior
Inside, the Protege5 is dressed up with fake carbon-fiber accents and satin silver trim pieces. Black-on-white gauges with amber nighttime backlighting exhibit a slightly italicized font to enhance the impression that this is a special Protege. The driver seat is firmly padded with good bolstering on the sides, and it includes manual bottom-cushion height and tilt adjustments to help find an optimal driving position. Folding the rear seat flat opens up 24.4 cubic feet of cargo.
2002 Mazda Protege5 models
The Protege5 is a four-door wagon. Its features include power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, tilt steering and an AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers. Goodies like a power sunroof, leather upholstery, 16-inch wheels, automatic transmission, antilock brakes with side airbags and an in-dash six-CD changer comprise the options list.

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Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Florida
$149/mo for Protege5 Base
Protege5 Base
vs
$157/mo
Avg. Compact Car
See Edmunds pricing data
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Mazda Protege5 Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
mazda protege 5 2002
4.38 out of 5 starsmyras, 05/15/2013
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
This is a great car! The best i have ever had! I just had no choice to take it off the road due to the frame holes all through it. Rust is very bad on the car its had alot of body work done to it! All floors, All wheel wells, Bottoms to all the doors! Motor out lived body! Motor is great! Runs fantastic! Rust is my whole problems with this car!
Great, practical car
4.75 out of 5 starssrutig, 08/06/2013
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
This car is so fun to drive! It feels fast even at lower speeds and handles great. It is still a joy to drive with the automatic transmission. This is an extremely practical car- great for everyday commutes or for first time drivers. This car is also very reliable and running great after 11 years.
Great, Reliable, Versitile, Fun to Drive Car
4.88 out of 5 starsmidwestboiler, 05/19/2011
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
I got this car in 2005 and have loved every mile I have driven in it.
While it's only a 4 cylinder 2.0 liter, the protege5 definitely doesn't slack on pickup.
The ride seems louder than normal, but that is due to how low to the ground the car is.
The Protege5 has held up extremely well.
Other than changing the oil, tires, brakes etc. the only actual maintenance I have had done was … replace the air intake at about 80,000 miles.
The seats are very comfortable.
While the car is on the smaller side, it is easy to seat 4 adult males well in the car.
If needed, I have added someone in the middle seat.
There is still room, but a little more cramped in the back seat.
Awesome little car
4.88 out of 5 starsacroy, 08/10/2010
2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
We have 7 yrs and 105k. We like how it looks, drives, and handles. Its been very reliable, very practical. It is sporty and involving. 5 spd drivetrain is responsive, a bit noisy but not bad. Mileage is 28 mpg mixed. Ride is firm and responsive. 195 width tires are not common but 205 are easy to find. Reliability is outstanding. I redid the brakes at 40k and nothing since. Interior … fits like a glove, Mazda knows sport ergonomics. Supportive seats etc. Build quality is great. No loose trim, leaks, suspension wearing out, etc. It rides and feels solid. Overall: for the money you can get more mpg, more space, more cush. But you will not get more combined fun & practicality.
2002 Protege5 Highlights
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $16,455 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 24 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $149/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 19.8 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalAcceptable
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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