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2002 Mazda Protege5 User Reviews

2002 Mazda Protege5 Review Ratings

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Average Ratings from 30 reviews

  • Performance:3.8 out of 5 stars3.8 out of 5 stars3.8 out of 5 stars3.8 out of 5 stars3.8 out of 5 stars 3.8 / 5
  • Appearance:4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars 4.2 / 5
  • Build Quality:4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars 4.1 / 5
  • Overall:4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars 4.2 / 5

Review Highlights Click to filter reviews below

PROS
"ride" 14 reviews
"handling" 11 reviews
"fuel economy" 9 reviews
"power" 5 reviews
"reliable car" 4 reviews
CONS
"power" 6 reviews
"interior" 3 reviews
"build quality" 2 reviews

User Reviews

Displaying 1 - 10 of 30 reviews 123 Next
Adam writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Reliability, performance, economy

Cons

Very few really

75

Great Car — Have had several Mazdas. This is a super cool car, fun to drive, reliable, economical, low maintenance, cheap and easy to repair, What more can you ask for? Only minor glitches really- rear brakes wear out faster than average, low profile tires are very expensive, etc. Take care of your Mazda and it will take you anywhere anytime!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Alan writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Its utility.

Cons

The lift gate supports but no big deal.

55

Works As Good As It Looks. — Seems to get about 44 MP Imperial G @ about 98 kilometers per hour (cruise on).. I think it is an attractive 4 door car. Rear lift gate supports don't last. I'm OK with the car especially since mounting 195 - 60r 15 Triple Tread tires, they improved the general feel a great deal from the smaller tires it had when I bought it used.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Mark writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Great looks, very sporty.

Cons

Too much road noise, weak audio setup.

55

Frank The Bumblebee — First off- its not a station wagon; its a sport wagon. I call it The Bumblebee or Frank. This car is very fun to drive and looks great. It's not very fast from the factory, but it gets good gas mileage and the engine is very solidly built. It handles well- sporty and stiff but still streetable. The stock shifter is spongy and tall. I upgraded to a TWM Performance short shifter and it was well worth the money. There was too much road noise for my taste (I'm a music fanatic) so I have begun wrapping the inside of the car with Dynamat to reduce road noise and improve sound quality from my speakers. The car was not built with the sound system in mind. It's going to take a lot of work to improve the audio, including adding a subwoofer because the small speaker sizes in the doors aren't capable of producing the low notes. Overall the car is great, it just needs some fine-tuning and customizing to get it how I like it.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Gabriel writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Looks good, drives great.

Cons

Gas mileage isn't great.

45

Mp5 Review — Performance: Peppy little car. Good braking... but emergency break does not hold up to abuse. Handles good with right tires on. Build Quality: No complaints. A plus for car guys is it's loud. That would be a downer for non-car-enthusiasts. Appearance: At that point it was the best looking car that Mazda had made in a long time. Cost of ownership: Not great on gas, needs the usual maintenance... rust proofing is a good idea. Fun: Yes, but needs more power... lots more.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Emmanuel writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

cheap on gas, handles good, really easy to maintain

Cons

rust/clearcoat problems, power,

45

2002 Protege5 Es — its fine superior handling to other cars in its class at the time (especially now with a front strut bar, eibach springs, tokico blues, 22mm anti sway bar, megan racing rear strut bar) fuel milage is ok, 700km per tank if i dont bag the crap out of the car power sucks but a $3000 turbo fixes that (250 WHP in a 1700lbs car) crappy after market support space (leg room, trunk, etc) WAS great but not in mine with 2 subs no critical mechanical failure yet, had a problem with clutch chatter (just noisy when backing up), replaced under a technical service bulletin rust problems, mazda sucks at painting (not enough clear coat!) its a good reliable commuter car

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Christopher writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Handling

Cons

Electrical system

35

A Neat Little Car — Had some small electrical issues with the windows, not to mention the lowpro tires that came with the car only last 10,000 miles. Throughout the life of the car I had alignment issues and brake issues. Oh, and the aerodynamics of the car are kinda weird. You can't open both rear windows without some weird vibration and "thump-thump-thump" sound filling the car. However, I loved owning this car most of the time. Surprisingly quick, great handling, big inside, small outside.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Justin writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Gas mileage not bad. Space is exceptional. Nice mid-range power.

Cons

Needs more torque for off the line performance. Interior often noisy.

55

Awesome Handling Out Of The Box But Needs More Power — This car has so much storage space, some have claimed to fit entire queen sized mattresses in them. If you want a reliable car that handles corners well than this car is for you. Great aftermarket parts are available and there is large following for the original zoom-zoom machine. Interior is also great, controls are easy to read and guages are sporty orange a-la bmw. Stock stereo needs upgrades, but great acoustical value for audiophiles. Farthest throw headlights in its halogen class, standard roof rack and 16'' alloy wheels.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Biggplanns writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Back Seats:
Cargo Capacity:
Family Car:
Fuel Economy:
Front Seats:
Handling:
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Power:
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Pros

Fun to drive

Cons

Small

Biggplanns
25

Silver Bullet — Been to four states and I've owned it since 2009 . Few trips by myself and a few with others. Love my bullet gets me where ever I need to go. AC was fixed last year and new struts the year before and brakes also. I grill a lot and everything fits in one trip

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Marvin writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Back Seats:
Cargo Capacity:
Family Car:
Fuel Economy:
Front Seats:
Handling:
Maintenance Cost:
Price:
Power:
Reliability:
Looks/Style:
Overall:

Pros

Rides and looks good

Cons

Little slow

45

Very Very Nice Car — Just got the car not that long ago.But i think its the best car i have ever owned in my life.I will drive this car till the wheels fall off of it i plan on buying one more soon..I tell all my friends if there looking for a used car the find a mazda 5

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Gina writes:
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Fun, handling, comfortable ride

Cons

None

25

Great Car For The Money...fun & Value All Rolled Into One — This car is fun to drive. It handles well. A lot of torque gets you out there. A good driver can do a lot with it. It has been relatively cheap to maintain. The only things I have done to it was add wheels and exhaust. It came with a cold air intake. I've replaced wear items...Tires, brakes, oil, timing belt, water pump, belts, & clutch. Gas mileage is about average 28 mpgs. I just enjoy driving it daily.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Similar Cars Compared to a 2002 Mazda Protege5

2002 Mazda Protege5 2002 Mazda Protege 2002 Honda Civic
2002 Mazda Protege5 4 Dr STD Wagon picture, exterior
2002 Mazda Protege picture, exterior
2002 Honda Civic picture, exterior
Cost $5,623 Average Instant Market Value $4,777 Average Instant Market Value $6,078 Average Instant Market Value
Gas Mileage (highway) 28 28 36
Horsepower 130 130 115
Crash Test Rating 5 5 5
Front Leg Room (inches) 42.2 42.2 42.5

Reviews From Other Years

2003 Mazda Protege5 Reviews

5-door Grocery Getter That Feels Like A Go-kart By Jay

I bought the car new in 2003 for it's handling, looks,equipment and unparalleled value at the time. It's been a fun car, handling daily tasks well, being practical and making a good long distance c... Read More

I'll Never Buy Another Mazda Due To Poor Service At Dealer (i Think This Car Was A Lemon) By anubis44

Purchased in Dec. '04 w/ 16k. Had vehichle rust protected by dealer since I live in ON & use salt brine in winter. Still a rust bucket. ABS/ ebrake sensors gone @ 40k. Brakes done 4x under 70k. Im t... Read More

Read all 30 2003 Mazda Protege5 reviews
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