Nitty Gritty of the 2003 Protege
March-31st-2004, 12:47 PM
#1
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 32
Nitty Gritty of the 2003 Protege
I wana know all the bad things about the 2003 model of protege ... I may be interested in buying one and would like to know what problems it has, things that need to be fixed, and basically wana hear what you guys have to say about it ... thank's a lot .... i currently have a 99 grand am and am looking to get a new car. so please ... lets hear what you gotta say! 
March-31st-2004, 01:06 PM
#2
Protege Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Indiana
Posts: 24
Well I just bought a '03 Protege LX with 15k miles about two weeks ago. Theres nothing to really complain about other than I'm suprised that the engine doesn't idle quietly. The car handles great, has pretty good brakes, decent acceleration, fairly quiet interior, nice exterior and interior design, and excellent headlights. I like the standard wheels too. The sound system is a little dull though. Thats because I was used to the Memphis speakers in my Saturn. So far, so good. I just hope the Pro lasts me for a while. I would look into it. It will be more fun to drive than your Grand Am.
Kevin
Kevin
March-31st-2004, 01:56 PM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Elizabethtown, PA
Posts: 809
i've had my 03 pro es for about 5 months now and so far so good. i don't really have any complaints about it. its a fun car to drive but i would have to disagree with delrey, my 96 grand am i had before this was a lot more fun to drive. didn't handle quite as well as the pro but it had a lot more power. if i wouldn't have gotten a good deal on the pro i would probably be driving an 00+ grand am right now. just my two cents though
March-31st-2004, 02:43 PM
#5
The man behind the mask
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 11,572
i love my protege....I would recommend new motor mounts first to help control some of the engine slush and maybe a few small bolt-ons to help out the top end pull of the motor.
I would own 6 mazdas before buying 1 pontiac
I would own 6 mazdas before buying 1 pontiac
March-31st-2004, 03:02 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Posts: 70
If you want the P5, you won't regret it, yeah compared to a Grand Am or my old 3.0 Shadow, the 'umph' isn't ther, (nothing a turbo can't solve.)
I have 100 000KM on my ride and no major problems.
Keep any eye on the brakes, need to get them lubricated at least once a year to avoid the slider form seazing and 5 speed is a little notchy but solid.
-great looks
-handles amazing
-good growing aftermarket
I have 100 000KM on my ride and no major problems.
Keep any eye on the brakes, need to get them lubricated at least once a year to avoid the slider form seazing and 5 speed is a little notchy but solid.
-great looks
-handles amazing
-good growing aftermarket
if you guys were to pick a model of the 2003 which version would you guys most recommend?
March-31st-2004, 11:34 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Prescott Valley, Az
Posts: 85
My only complaint about my 03 P5 is thin paint and the gear sincro for reverse on my 5 speed.
I've got 35 thousand miles on the car in general and 7 thousand miles on the MP3 ECU.
No problems with the car. I'm getting 30 MPG with a top speed of 135 (fuel cut off).
The protege5 handles the corners better than my old IROC-Z did.
0-60 speeds can be improved with a little $$$.
Over all its a great car.
Glad I got it.
My old Mazda B2200 truck had 300 thousand miles on it before my brother rolled it.
So Mazda's are good cars and they are only getting better.
I've got 35 thousand miles on the car in general and 7 thousand miles on the MP3 ECU.
No problems with the car. I'm getting 30 MPG with a top speed of 135 (fuel cut off).
The protege5 handles the corners better than my old IROC-Z did.
0-60 speeds can be improved with a little $$$.
Over all its a great car.
Glad I got it.
My old Mazda B2200 truck had 300 thousand miles on it before my brother rolled it.
So Mazda's are good cars and they are only getting better.
April-1st-2004, 12:06 PM
#15
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 32
i've got a ton of water in my trunk, ... just dont want this to be a sign of what's ahead for me
replaced one alternator: $250
need to replace 1 head light: $295
need to replace 1 tail light: Prob close to front one
Broken Windshield: insurance
Water in trunk
Clunk in front area
Burnt out lights somewhere almost every other week
But what gets me is it's in perfect shape:
No rust or anything anywhere .. very clean ... just dont wana have problems
http://myweb.nmu.edu/~pwehmane
That's my car ...
replaced one alternator: $250
need to replace 1 head light: $295
need to replace 1 tail light: Prob close to front one
Broken Windshield: insurance
Water in trunk
Clunk in front area
Burnt out lights somewhere almost every other week
But what gets me is it's in perfect shape:
No rust or anything anywhere .. very clean ... just dont wana have problems
http://myweb.nmu.edu/~pwehmane
That's my car ...