Learn Me Mazda Protege5

Hello GRMers,

I test drove a '02 5 speed today. I think I like these.

Are there any horror stories or hidden problems with these little cars?

How are the autotragic transmissions reliability-wise? (SWMBO prefers automatics)

I have heard about the rust problems in the rear wheel wells, Is this an issue if I live in the Pacific Northwest?

Thanks in advance for your input.

I live in the southeast. No issues for me, and I'm on my third one.

This one is an automatic. Po never serviced, I did a fluid changeat 150k. No iissues and I just hit 170.

Stock brakes are a little weak. Mazda 626 upgrade fixes that. Roofracks crack and generally suck. Some parts for body are hard to come by.

Ive heard that they eat wheel bearings, but have never experienced it.

Timing belt is a pain to service.

They like being lowered about an inch. Sway bar end links are a routine job on mine. Same with sway bar bushings.

Tbey need sound deadening added, as they have a ton of ambient noise at highway speed.

They need tinted here in the south, as they double as an oven if parked for more than ten minutes.
5 speed cars benefit tremendouslyfrom front motor mmount inserts.

All I can think of at the moment.

Oh, auto average 25-27 over the last 52k. 5 speeds saw 29-31 over two cars and 200k. Obviously there are outlier tanks, but this is consistently over the life of my ownership and travel.

In any states that use salt, brine, etc., they rust like there is no tomorrow!

I had one for a couple years. Loved it. Miss it.

Awesome cars, don't fair too well against deers though. Avoid them

Love mine, biggest problem I can tell you is even with the 5spd it is SLOW so the auto will not necessarily be fast at all.

The MPG is not as good as a comparable civic and the Mazda 3 if you can afford one is so much better, but the P5 is still a stout little pig as long as you can keep away the rust.

Usual problems are wheel bearings, (done all 4 on mine so far) motor mounts, (also updated with 88mm AWR f&r mounts) high oil composition with higher miles, freezing calipers if you dont grease the sliders enough are the more common issues.

If you do get one you can switch a bunch of parts from the Mazda 6, 626, mx6 as well, good luck!

Really, really want one. Something about those cars and the interior that I really like. I have never driven one, but I hear they are like a 1.6 Miata. Unbelievably underpowered, but the driving experience makes up for it.

I've put about 165k on mine from new and still love it. Had one O2 sensor replaced under warranty and I replaced front wheel bearings only once and that was after 100k miles. It's starting to use a quart of oil ever couple thousand miles now, but other than the above, I haven't had any other problems and I don't drive it lightly either.