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2002 Mazda Protege Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by stewian

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Reviewed: 2002 Mazda Protege5

4dr Wagon 130-horsepower 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Why the 2002 Mazda Protege5?

Handling

It corners very well, always feels in control and lets you know well in advance of where its limits are.

Safety & braking

the brakes stop the car very quickly with good pedal feel. Also comes with standard ABS in the protege5 in canada, which is great. 3 point seat belts in all the seating positions also a nice bonus.

Materials & workmanship

All the interior and exterior parts fit well together with even panel gaps. The paint has held up pretty well, and the interior materials feel like they are high quality when you tough them.

Why Not the 2002 Mazda Protege5?

Powertrain performance

It is underpowered for a car of its size. I wish that I had about 15 or 20 horsepower under the hood when I drive on onramps or have to merge with traffic. I also wish that the top gear was a little taller for reduced revs at highway speeds.

Ride smoothness

A trade off for the great handling is the jittery ride, especially on rough roads or when it is cold.

Quietness

Quite loud inside, both from road noise and engine noise. The engine turns over at quite high RPMs on the highway and this makes for a bit of drone in the cabin.

Price or payments

Held its value quite well, which made it more expensive to buy used than many other competing cars. Of course, this also means that it still has a good resale value if I were to sell it.

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