2003 Mazda Protege Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Caveman on February 15, 2023

18 year old ES model with 77,000 miles from original owner. Car was very clean and very well maintained. Son has driven it daily for 1 year with no issues. Runs fantastic for its age and price. Did need to replace the tires due to their age. Wish I could find more cars like this one for my other kids. A very well built car!!!!

Benito Colima on August 6, 2022

I bought a second-hand Protege from the dealer in 2004. It was a 2003 model, leased by a company for short drives around the city, then returned for resale a year later. It had about 12,000 kms on it and was exactly the colour I was hoping for (sand/champagne). I loved it. It's 18 years later and I still love it. My car's in excellent condition, with low mileage (less than 100,000 kms) and no rust, thanks to walking to work and parking underground all these years. Virtually every time I take it in for servicing, the mechanic asks if I'm interested in selling it. My latest mechanic said he's on his fourth Protege and doesn't care that they have none of today's bells and whistles. It's just a really good little car. In my experience, there are a few drawbacks to the interior. One is that you can't readily reach the passenger-side, outer-mirror adjustment knob. It's on the passenger's door, so you have to adjust, sit back and check, adjust, sit back and check. Of course, that's only a pain if you have multiple drivers. The other thing I dislike is the low seating. It's a sport suspension so you "feel" the road, which is all the more reason I'd prefer to have higher, better-padded seats. I bought seat covers and have a cushion under both front seat covers. Allows us to sit higher in the vehicle and to feel less of the road. My previous vehicles were all Fords so I was used to navigating using the crease down the hood. With my Protege, there is no crease so that took some getting used to. Of course, I'm perfectly comfortable navigating now. I know exactly where the car is on the road or in a tight parking spot. Over all, it's been a great car and I'll miss it when the time comes to change. I admit that I wish it had the built-in GPS, back-up camera, USB port, etc. of new vehicles but I've been using models that plug into the cigarette lighter for many years and they work perfectly fine. If you can find a Protege that's been taken care of, I recommend buying it.

HondaFan on May 30, 2020

This car can go for another 5 more years, very reliable. I hope Mazda will sell protégé again. I paid $20,000 (new car) in year 2003, almost fully loaded, so far, only changed alternator, oil pan, oxygen sensor, and regular maintenance, almost everything is original parts. the mileage is almost 30,000km, no burning oil.

Doc_Holladay on March 11, 2020

My family bought a 2003 Protege in 2014 with over 200,000 miles on it. It was not necessarily my car, but I drove it whenever I had the chance. It was a fun car to drive with the manual transmission and handled like a dream. Of course, the exterior wasn't flashy nor did support a racy-type look to the body, but it was a car I loved to drive. It took corners great, had a little zip in the acceleration, and handled well in the rain. We had the car for around four years and put another 80,000 miles on it before it broke down and was not reasonably repairable. Me and my younger brother drove it about It about 70 miles a day to and back from community college Monday through Friday. My brother drove it on the weekends to and from work as well. It didn't have a major breakdown once between that time. We had to replace the battery once, but that's just regular maintenance. Reliable beyond comprehension. But when the car decided it was time to retire, it did so pretty much in a week. But it was a good long haul before it decided to retire. Now I am thinking about getting another car and was hoping Mazda continued the line of Protege's, but unfortunately, it appears they have not. Once I realized they stopped the Protege production, it was like I was missing an old friend whom I haven't talked to in a while.

Zoom zoom on September 25, 2019

This car is perfect in every way. Simple design, easy to fix, very reliable, and great fuel economy. Only downside is the fact that parts may take a few days to be obtained.

Mkar117 on December 16, 2017

This was a great car. We were looking for a reliable car for our son before he heads out to college.

PF on September 18, 2017

I like this car immensely. It has a large fuel tank and will traverse large areas of Montana without any fuel stops. It is "Zoom-Zoom" as advertised. What they do not tell you: 1. The alternator and starter are buried on the firewall side of the engine and are difficult to access. 2. The key and ignition is an overly designed nightmare, and it will require service and repair after you cannot remove the key, or engage the starter. 3. The A/C evaporator coil develops leaks inside the heater box, and that is a very expensive and time consuming repair. 4. Disable the entire airbag system, and buckle up.

Jams11 on June 20, 2017

This car is a very good value for the price. They run well and are very dependable and reliable. Just enough frills, but not too many, very low cost to maintain and own. Great gas mileage. Car is tidy and sleek - good for a new driver/college kid, or someone who appreciates low cost ownership.

HeyM on June 16, 2017

This car is the most reliable car I know. I only paid $2,000 for this car and I still run smooth. Regular oil change and maintenance are important but this car doesn't require much. Sadly, I believe the Mazda protege 2003 was the last model they made. Right now, my car has over 160,000 miles and it's still going strong and I know it will last a longer. I will definitely get another Mazda!!

Tiffy on January 5, 2015

I bought my Mazda Protege new in 2003. I have about 96,000 miles on my car. I have had very few problems with my car. Had a belt replaced once and everything else has been your typical maintenance. I love the way it handles, it turns on a dime. On Christmas Eve day I was on my way to work and someone ran a red light and hit the drivers front side. I have no idea at this point if the insurance company is going to have the damage fixed or if they will have it totaled. It will be so sad for me if it it totaled as with such low mileage and just had new tires put on this past summer I will never find anything even close to what I have in this little car. I can say one thing, if I have to start looking for a car I think I might start with the Mazda 3.