1993 Mazda Protege User Reviews

Reliable Little Beater! —

My husband and I purchased this car at Christmas time in 2008 because we needed something more reliable than what we were driving to make it out to our family gathering. A rather plain and ugly looking little thing, it has grown on me immensely over the last three years. My biggest complaint with it is the exhaust leak. The car is very loud, but still drives like a charm. We rented a 2010 Mazda3 for a road trip that we took recently because we wanted something a little quieter. I was amazed to find that I was actually happy to settle back into my little Protege after the trip was over. My brother also owned a '93 Protege for a few years as a student. He drove it around Winnipeg and also made numerous trips with it from Saskatoon to Winnipeg. He never had any complaints about it and never had to do any major repairs. This summer he drove it out to Montreal and sold it to a wrecker once he got there - still mechanically sound with over 300,000k on it. (Getting it safetied in Quebec wasn't worth it). An awesome little car that I would recommend to anyone looking for something cheap and reliable.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Nice To Have But Only For Serious Car Lovers — it is fun to drive but a bit weak in the acceleration department. that is easily remedied if you find the model with the DOHC engine. has a few squeaks but that due to it being 16 years old. i like the lines of the car thaey are very subtle but eye catching. mileage is great, it is comparable to our other car. ( 2000 ford focus)

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Beat To Hell But It Had Some Really Good Years — When this car was finally taken to the "big junkyard in the sky" the steering bearing was going, it had a headlight out, the radiator was leaking bucketfuls and the horn had been relocated to under the dash since the foam in the steering wheel was too weak and kept triggering it. But let me tell you, this car was the most fun I've ever had. It lasted until just about my Sophomore year of college and it had over 150k on it. The body had been eaten away by seeming cancerous rust but that car still ran. And what's more it got more than 35 miles to the gallon. I'll never forget that car.

The Most Cost Efficient Car I've Ever Owned! — Very practical and reliable car! Took it to LA and Las Vegas in '98. Never had any serious issues during the time I owned it. It was actually the GT model, but that choice was not available here.