2002 Mazda Protege Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by *BarnacleCar

Powertrain performance

The power train is a lot of fun. Paired to a 5-speed manual transmission, the Protege5 can be a lot of fun to drive considering it is essentially a reasonably priced "economy" car.

Handling

It is a maneuverable car, and provides a satisfactory amount of sportiness. It is essentially an "economy" car, but provides just the extra bit of fun handling to keep things more entertaining.

Safety & braking

The car has 4 disc brakes and is fairly light (around 2750 lbs?). It stops well. The car received all around good safety ratings when new.

Quietness

Once up to highway speeds, the car is not that good about keeping out the road noises.

Materials & workmanship

It is a rust magnet. I have had some serious issues related to corrosion, which is a comment complaint for this model (particularly for those who live in snowy/salty places). This is the biggest complaint I have about the car (from my own experience).