2003 Mazda Protege Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I love my Mazda. I also have a 2001 (LX) too that just keeps going and going and going - and it's at 230000 miles at the very least! And it's like a tank. Got into a slight accident and it took it like a champ but completely messed the other car up. The only thing about my ES is that you sometimes have to buy 2x the parts (recently replaced boots and wires, had to buy 2 different sets of wires that were more expensive than that for an LX). Other than that it really is great car!Mar 18, 2014

Overall, a great Compact Auto. Ranks well in its class. Automatic Transmission - 1 and 2 are great, but the rations on 3 and 4 are not good for higher speed driving. On the interstate at gear 4 at about 75 MPH you will be at about 3,000 to 3,500 RPM (NOT good for gas consumption) Would be better served if the stock 4th gear in the Auto Trans would have lower RPMs at 80 to 90 MPH. At these speeds, you can watch your gas hand move (Yes, I do speed sometimes when travelling, but I am a cautious and courteous driver)Jul 13, 2013

The Mazda Protege' 2003 LX is an overall fun car to drive. It's responsive, handles great, gets good gas mileage, and I feel safe it's a safe car. The controls are easy to access without taking your eyes off the road, a big plus for me. The only downside is this model didn't come with anti-lock brakes as a standard option. Overall, I like it and think it's a great little car!Jan 16, 2012

Really reliable little cars, if well taken care of. Relatively inexpensive for parts. The performance is lackluster, but what do you expect for a 4door and 4cylinder. Mileage is a little lower than you might expect, only around 25mpg. AWESOME in the snow, hard to get stuck. Fun to drive, handles very well, especially for front-wheel-drive. Slight bit of torque-steer, due to the low gear ratio's in the lower gears. Sep 14, 2009

I purchased this car 30K miles used, my first used car purchase, in mid-2005. It now has almost 90K miles and has enjoyed a couple road trips across country and survived a flooded parking lot at work where I was able to limp it out of the drink while other cars were left totaled. Overall, it's been a good car. Air con and temperature controls failed under warranty. Original owner told me no warranty work was required while he had it. Three power door lock mechanisms have died this year, but they're mounted near the bottom of the doors and I suspect they died a delayed death due to water exposure in the flood. Driver-side window also expired, last year. Replaced the brake pads around 65K. When you buy an inexpensive compact you're gonna have to deal with price-oriented compromises and this is no exception. It's the perfect compact for me, though, as its lows are mildy in the arena of ride quality and amenities, and especially in sound deadening, but that money was spent on making it athletic. 4-wheel-disc brakes (ES trim only), front and rear sway bars, taut tuning to the 4-wheel-independent suspension. The car's very responsive, and I view that as a requirement when procuring one. It has a little push to the balance, which is probably for the best on public roads. I autocross raced it a few times in '08 and very much lamented the lack of a limited slip differential (and RWD!) leaving the corners with the hammer down, but it eats up back roads like as though the boys at Mazda custom designed it to do so (and maybe they did) and is a blast to drive otherwise. Very good handling, exceptional braking, but only adequate acceleration. It has a very lightweight, athletic feel to it. It came shod in pretty worn OEM Dunlop "ultra high performance" all-seasons, which I never got near that mileage out of from the Khumos of the same rating I'd driven since. I'm a damned spirited driver, though! Now switching to Pirelli's for a little extra $$. All in all it's been a good car, reliable, pretty efficient, and an absolute driver's car as long as said driver looks for balanced performance rather than straight-line thrills. I recommend also looking at the newer Mazda 3 if you're looking for a used car and have the funds to buy one, simply because Proteges are old enough that finding a low-mileage one is unlikely and you'll never know how the previous owner maintained it. Nitpick: The fold-down sun visors are annoyingly inept. Move it to block the sun at your left and take a left corner hard -- and fix your hair when it swings in and hits your head. Even Car and Driver expressed annoyance at them back in the day!Aug 29, 2009

This is a solid little plain car. It was like putting on a glove driving this car because of the previously owned 323! It's a tad more powerful (if you want to call it that! lol) But it's so darned cute and handles exactly how I want a standard enjine to handle. I'm disappointed with the mazda 3 as popular as it is. I had to chance to drive it and I didn't love it. Also what was up with the lack of view. How did the small car suddenly feel big? Is that what people want? I can't see out the damn rear window or over the hood. Although more power!! lol! I'll be sad when this protege goes, I like the old fashion standards, not semi automatics (it's really an automatic folks) and not steering wheel shifting. Those are for driver wannabes! I like to DRIVE.Jul 09, 2009

Over the past few years this car has been my mainstay. I got it after selling my last 240 and I needed a 4 door car. I tried the Civic, Corolla, and Sentra. The mazda however didnt feel as rubbery inside, and the brakes, suspension, and snappiness of the gearchange were far superior to the traditional budget vehicles. it dosent have enough power for the grip the car has (I run Hankook 212's) but its enough fun for the moment..Feb 17, 2008