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 Blue Book® Suggested Retail Value  Fuel Economy (city/hwy) 
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Owner
Mazda #5
by hans on 09/12/2011.
Trim: 2003 Mazda Protege LX, Owned 9 years.
2
Pros:
Bought it new oct'02. Easy choice since my '91 protege gave me 306,000 miles without problems. Dealer paid me to keep that one, donated it. '03 is my fifth Mazda!
The steering is very responsive, the geometry is so good that I cannot get a squeal tearing around on-ramps.
Cons:
Desperately needs 6th gear. The 2 liter is torquey enough for a taller drive. sway bar links rrattle after 70.000n miles,replaced easily.
Overall review:
Love it.
Review ID: #554272
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Owner
ES could mean "excellent sedan"
by Geoman on 03/25/2008.
Trim: 2003 Mazda Protege ES, Owned 6 years.
1
Pros:
A sharp looking, reliable, fuel-efficient vehicle with go-kart handling
Cons:
needs a sixth gear.
horn sounds like a wounded goose squawking through a cloth sack.
exterior paint very "thin" (easily penetrated by stones).
Overall review:
Currently at 170,000 miles (and I am the original owner) and only significant repairs ahve beeb=n a new battery and ne wbrake pads and rotors (once.) I consistently get 30mpg even with aggresive acceleration and ave. cruising speed in 60-65 mph range. Stereo is very good, suspension and interior are holding up well and aside from one rattle somewhere in the dashboard the car seems to be as tight as the day I picked it up new at the dealers lot. A solid candidate for a used car bargain, if you can find someone who is willing to part with theirs!
Review ID: #525630
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Owner
My Mapro!
by Wade from Minden on 04/15/2007.
Trim: 2003 Mazda Protege DX, Owned 2 years.
1
Pros:
I bought it 2 years ago cause I knew they got good gas milage. Now, the more I drive it the more I like it. It started out being a work car. Now I go everywhere in it. For the 1.6 liter, the accelartion aint bad. But the handeling is where I say it shines. It is a lot of fun to "drop back 2 gears" and take on a sharp curve in it. The car is real responsive. Lot of fun to drive with the 5 speed. And did I mention 35 mpgs! You can cram way more stuff in the trunk and back seat than you think you could. The looks of the car isn't all that bad for a small 4 door sedan. Me and my wife have always had (and still have) sports cars and a big truck. Don't look bad next to them.
Cons:
Have had a few mechanical problems. Of course bought it used no telling how, who drove it before I got it. Had to have new bearings in transmission and a new clutch put in. And I need to have some front end work done. It has a little more road noise than what I like. And the back seats do get kinda small with a baby seat in it. Word of advise for you parents with baby seats in the back. Put the child seat in the middle of the seat. That way you want have to "eat your knees" The baby don't care if they are in the middle. Little odd putting them in the mid. but well worth the leg room. Other than that not too much bad to say about the car.
Overall review:
All in all I love the car. Great gas milage, don't look all that bad, runs good, and handles great. More room in the interior than you think. User friendly on the inside. Would recomment to anybody. I love my Mapro!
Review ID: #509274
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Owner
MaPro 2.0
by An MSN Autos Consumer on 10/09/2012.
Trim: 2003 Mazda Protege LX, Owned 9 years.
Useful?
Pros:
bought used with 100 000km a few years back, great on gas, responsive pedals and smooth shifts fairly quick for being ten years old and handling to back up more then what the car can do. the interior is comfortable, spacious and easy to clean.
Cons:
the charging system has given me a few problems as well as rear suspension, windsheild wash pump and minor rusting
Overall review:
awsome car great on gas, fun to drive, cheap to fix and comfortable seats.also holds up well through winter and in newfouldnland it faces alot of road salt which means rust but they cannot be killed! would recommend to anyone buying a used car and have convinced a friend to purchase one recently which he quickly thanked me for
Review ID: #565191
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Owner
The Easy Rider Car
by Cee from Washington, DC on 07/27/2009.
Trim: 2003 Mazda Protege LX, Owned 6 years.
Useful?
Pros:
I have had this car for over 5 years- fully paid for. I have enjoyed driving this low-maintenance, mostly trouble-free, mostly clean-looking car. It is a light car and also good on gas. It rides well and is easy to manauver. Have had little work done. When needed, the parts were reasonably priced. Labor as always is a different story. This is an ideal second car
Cons:
The a/c system is weak and needs to be cranked all the way up to be felt, then eventually unleash with force. The tire traction is weak. I initially thought the factory tires were low quality. I have since replaced all four and the traction only improved moderately. This may be due to the lightness or low weight of the car? Be VERY careful when roads are icy or even just wet. Acceleration is also slow, especially comimg out of an exit and trying to merge into rapid-moving traffic.
Overall review:
Minus the first scare of that poor traction thing, my experience with this car has been good. If this car is redesigned the traction needs to be increased. I have owned older cars with better "feel of weight and grip of pavement" than this, even when it was brand new.
Review ID: #541491
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