Used Mazda Protege5 for Sale

I've found the Mazda Protege5 to be a reliable vehicle without too many issues. I had this vehicle since I was a college student and even now, with more than 110,000 miles on its odometer, I feel safe driving it all over the country. The engine runs smoothly, and I haven't had to make any major repairs to it. The seats are comfortable, which is perfect for the long drives I frequently have to make for my job. I got it when it had about 40,000 miles on it, and it's been a great investment. I've only had to replace the windshield once since I've had it, and it can easily go thousands of miles without requiring an oil change. Steering is smooth and efficient as well, and the spare tire that the trunk is equipped with has been a lifesaver as well. I would definitely recommend this vehicle to someone who doesn't want to spend too much money on a used car but needs a comfortable vehicle that won't spend too much time in the shop. I'm hoping I can get another few years out of it (and tens of thousands of miles more) before I have to get it replaced.

I cannot express how much I loved my Protege5. It was dark blue metallic, gray interior, a manual with polished wheels. There were some minor negatives to it, but they were easily overshadowed by the pure driving experience the little Mazda gave. It was like having a Miata wagon, just light and nimble, handled like a go-kart but rode much softer. I made 14 trips in total that were 1500 miles along with normal day to day driving. It never left me stranded, it always got great gas mileage (around 35 mpg), and it was just pure joy to drive. It wasn't the fastest thing out there, but the manual gave it a little more pep than its little 140 hp 4 cylinder would suggest.

After my old and incredibly reliable Mazda 929s got totaled in a broad side collision, I had all intentions of remaining loyal to what I thought to be this great car manufacturer. The 929s at its death had nearly 250,000 miles on it and still ran perfectly well and looked great. Even the collision seemed to do little overall damage to the car, but the insurance company considered the vehicle totaled and so I parted ways with that great car. I soon decided upon the 2002 Protege 5 Sport Wagon. Its design appealed to me and after the test drive, I was truly impressed with the car's handling and performance. Being a powerful 4 cylinder, I expected good fuel economy as well, so I purchased the car. 14,000 miles later and enjoying my Protege up this point, the transmission fails! Luckily, the tranny was under warrantee and the replacement didn't me anything, though it was an inconvenience to deal with. When the transmission failed again at 78,000, I was not so lucky and shelled out nearly $3000 to have it rebuilt. The transmission has been the major issue with this car, but it's suffered all sorts of other problems and defects. And even with a 4 cylinder engine, the gas mileage is nothing spectacular. My protege did however survive a major collision with minor structural damage. Like most Mazdas, this car too seems to be well built and durable, though nowhere near as sturdy as the 1992 929s. I must admit that the sound system in this car is excellent, particularly for music with organic tones such as stoner doom metal. In fact, many of my albums actually sound best in this vehicle for some reason. Perhaps, the car's acoustics factor into this as well here. All in all, I'm rather disappointed in Mazda because of this car's mediocre performance over the years. Yes, it still runs but it was certainly not built to last like the old 929s.