However, I got the correct color, Blazing Yellow Mica (Titanium Gray was the most common color by a couple hundred units as I recall). I had mine for about three years before trading it in for an S2000. 1. 2003 Mazda Protege Mazdaspeed 2001-03 MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS Mazda F25M-R, G15M-R & G25M-R 5-Speed Overhaul . But it remains the best FWD car I’ve ever driven at an autocross or smaller road course (the OEM Garrett T25 runs out of steam fairly early). Engine 2.0L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder producing 170hp @ 6,000 rpm and 160 lb-ft torque @ 3,500 rpm Turbocharger System Co-Engineered w/Callaway Cars featuring Garrett T25 ball-bearing turbocharger, high-performance factory air-to-air intercooler, and MAZDASPEED logo Underhood insulator pad See More Reviews. It wears a boot, and we’ll have to decide if this extremely stock sedan comes with a price that might have you giving it the boot. Is Mazda reliable? Are Mazda cars any good? The worst complaints are engine, suspension, and drivetrain problems. 1 and Fig. We have 14 2003 Mazda Protege vehicles for sale that are reported accident free, 4 1-Owner cars, and 23 personal use cars. If you're interested, we advise haste: Like the MP3, the Mazdaspeed Protegé will have a limited production run, just 2000 units. in order for a mazda dealer to sell the mazdaspeed protege, they must purchase the "mazdaspeed" car line from mazda. They also behaved somewhat finicky when going beyond stock boost levels. Number One Forum For Gen 1 and Gen 2 Mazdaspeed 3 and 6 platform. Those miles were reflected in its price however, and at $5,500, it earned itself a 70-percent Nice Price win. A revised Visteon engine-management program increases fuel flow. It sprints to 60 in 6.9 seconds, covers the quarter-mile in 15.4 seconds at 91 mph, and hits 100 in 19.4 seconds. But the upholstery looks like something straight from Air Force One compared with the exterior paint. They call it Spicy Orange Mica. LARRY WEBSTER Since the Mazdaspeed Protegé is available in black, I won't harp on the shocking peach color that had kids smiling and grown-ups asking, "Is it supposed to look like that?" mar 26, 2009 - new hope , mn - manual transmission the 2003-2003.5 mazdaspeed protege poorly designed limited-slip differential has seen a failure rate of over 125 documented cases online. We compared it to "an aspiring welterweight fighter with all the moves but no punch.". Click here to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your Kinja handle. It's a fun car, but I wouldn't call it reliable. He has too many cars, and not enough time to work on them all. Flood the country with zoom-zoom commercials, and sooner or later you gotta deliver. Adding insult to injury, that company plans to sully the name by applying it to some sort of electric crossover concept. Compare These Vehicles. Or, is that in fact a deal killer? Looks good. See Fig. Although we liked the Sparco foot pedals -- the first such we've seen that actually seem to enhance function -- and the shorty Sparco shifter, we were unimpressed by the upholstery chosen to lend distinction to the interior, a silver-and-black-cloth combo that looks just a little low rent. Get the best deals on Complete Engines for Mazda Protege when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. The Protege5’s reliability has been excellent, with one big exception. Mazda rightly figured there aren't many of them. Compare against other cars. 2003 MAZDA Protege MAZDASPEED Sedan 4D Comparison. We weren't disappointed in the turbo Protegé's hustle, however. Better buckle up. CH-R; CI-R; Concept One; Enkei; HRE Wheels; Niche . That's why its steering is unusually sharp and responsive, its suspension transmits everything happening at the pavement surface, its engine pushes the limits of torque steer, and it's painted a color I can only describe as "neon nectarine." 4. Is Mazda worth it? CSABA CSEREIt shouldn't surprise anyone that this Mazdaspeed Protegé has a harder-edged feel than most of its competitors. If zoom-zoom is going to have credibility, some of the other Mazdas gotta get some zoom, too. Much like last week’s Audi S4 that maintained important mid-year updates, this .5 Protege is noteworthy as it features a slew of changes over the 2003. It's no secret that Mazda wants to be perceived as a purveyor of vehicles that stimulate the driver gratification glands a little more than competing products. Turbocharger Keychain. It was eminently tossable, had a great factory sound system, and it looked just interesting enough to set it apart from most of the other sport compacts of the day (particularly in the $20k range). The turbocharged, intercooled sport compact Mazdaspeed3 delivers a healthy dose of pure adrenaline, and with the addition of bolt-ons, the factory engine management system (EMS) responds well to … Although the cast of characters is essentially the same -- Mazda, Racing Beat, RacingHart, and Kenwood -- there's one new player on the team this time around. Looks more like Toxic Wasteland Persimmon to us, and we're pleased to report that the car also comes in black. On the positive side, it handled stupendously. There are 9 reviews for the 2003 Mazda MazdaSpeed Protege, click through to see what your fellow consumers are saying ... 5 out of 5 stars Reliability. TL;DR - Despite some cheap parts and minor issues, I loved mine. Now owned by Mazda Motor Corporation, they build production model vehicles, become involved in motorsports development, and offer performance parts and accessories. Can’t really tell from the picture of the engine bay, but it seems that the original BPV is in place. I’d be mad if I gave a double dookie about anything Mitsubishi does these days. 2003 MAZDA Protege + 2010 Chevrolet Aveo + 2010 Nissan Versa. Is this used car a good deal? The Mazda folks who dropped off our test vehicle were in a festive mood and presented us with hand-exercise balls and T-shirts. If any of those glued bits came apart enough to leak air, the car would stall out during idle or deceleration. Yes, torque steer could be an issue off the line. As for me, I think it's time for my nap. Mazdaspeed 3 The Mazdaspeed 3 lays down 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque from the factory. Buying a Mazda? I had two go bad on me in my three years of ownership. Our list of 11 known complaints reported by owners can help you fix your Mazda Protege. These little rockets are super reliable. Comes with a 1 year limited warranty. Help me out with NPOCP. Here's the sequel. At 183 feet from 70 mph to standstill, the Mazdaspeed Protegé came in just a foot shorter than the MP3. $3,600 isn’t much money for what is a seriously fun car to drive. The paint looks like it could use a clay bar, but is intact and doesn’t seem to suffer any highway pepper. In the hot-compact class, this Protegé charts its own course, and it's the better for it. Avoid buying used Mazdaspeed cars from the dealers as they have zero service history records and would hide every possible problems from you. I have a few tiny concerns that, after 14 years, the car won’t run like it did way back when. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. - Duration: 24:01. Was: $1,955.00. Brakes are also larger and are also from Mazda’s European parts bin. Well, it’s Mazda’s titular successor to the MP3, the earlier hot Protege massaged and upgraded by Mazda tuner, Racing Beat. Mazda car review. 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