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Hey again,

My used car saga continues.. I decided to start a new topic since this one specifically deals with the Mazda Protege, I car I wasn't considering before.

Does anyone drive a Mazda Protege? I'd like to hear thoughts on those who own one.. Any pros and cons, unexpected problems or experience would be great!

I sat in one and test drove it today and it was pretty good. It was a 2000 AT, with air, CD, power locks and windows at 89000 Kilometers. The car was listed at 10700 Cdn.

The biggest problems I had with it were that the exterior (bumpers and parts of the body) were scratched up quite a bit. Of course the salesman said that they would get it buffed and repainted.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Marc

I've had 2 Mazda Proteges. A '96 and a 2000. The first one has over 160,000miles and the newer one has 75,000. They both still get over 30mpg. Never had any major problems with either. They both have manual transmissions. They are great in the snow.

Kim

My Sister has a 93 Mazda Protege with 200,000KM on it, she paid 4700 for it Canadian. It is a cool little car, however, no matter what people say, I cannot be convinced that a car no different than a Chevy Cavalier except for the sloping front hood and rear fin, can retail at twice the price than a chevy cavalier. In my experience, and looks, and engine wise, they are almost the same car.
I am going to drive it down to Victoria tomorrow, so I will let you know what I think of it in direct driving comparison to my 91 Cavalier.


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I drove a mazda 626 for several years. Mazda makes a good car. It seriously got around in the snow, got great gas mileage, had a lot of get up and go, and was mechanically dependable well into the 180k range. I abused the heck out of that car. If v6 is an option in the one you're looking at used, go for it, but the little 4 cylinder one had a lot of get up and go as well.

Empty chairs at empty tables, the room silent, forlorn.

i was driving next to one with a fartcannon and a large spoiler when he burned out......

of course, being me, i couldn't allow this type of behavior so I went 3/4 throttle and FLEW by him....i really didn't think he was floored but I guess he was..

It will never die but it's slow

Last edited by DarkRealm Overlord at 21-Oct-2004 22:37

I'm currently looking at a 2000 Protegé LX at 89 Kilometers, with Air, CD, power locks and windows... listed at 10700$ Canadian.

This seems to be a good price. The biggest problems that I can "see" are that the bumpers and part of the body is pretty scratched up. Of course the salesman said he would be able to buff and paint the bumpers.

Anyone know to what extent I could negotiate this down to?

Well, Considering one can purchase a 2004 Chevy Cavalier or Pontiac Sunfire for 14,000 Fully Loaded, I think 10,700 for a 2000 is a little steep. You could probably and should probably try to talk them down to 9000 and no more, or 9500 and no tax.
Heres some info on your car of choice and its close competitors:
Mazda Protege: 2000 Model: Engines 1.6L 105 hp I4
1.8L 122 hp I4
Kelly Blue Book Price $6,825 - $8,250

Chevy Cavalier: 2000 Model: Engines 2.2L 115 hp I4
2.4L 150 hp I4
Kelly Blue Book Price $5,950 - $9,425

Pontiac Sunfire: 2000 Model: Engines 2.2L 115 hp I4
2.4L 150 hp I4
Kelly Blue Book Price $6,250 - $9,700

Toyota Corolla: 2000 Model: Engines 1.8L 125 hp I4
Kelly Blue Book Price $7,325 - $8,825

Ford Focus: 2000 Model: Engines 2.0L 110 hp I4
2.0L 130 hp I4
Kelly Blue Book Price $6,100 - $7,650

I hope these reviews help you any, they came from MSN Autos.com
I drove my sisters protege today, and in comparison to the cavalier, I found it slow, slow acceleration, but agile, responsive ride. Nice car overall. On a side note: the trip to victoria cost around 15 dollars in gas.
My Chevy Cavalier makes this trip for around 9-10 dollars.
For a smaller engine, not quite as good on gas, which is surprising. It really doesnt have much get up and go.
Also, Keep in mind that all imports burn oil. Domestics tend not too.




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Thanks for your help and interest.. Well, I can tell you're a proud Cavalier owner..

The cavalier is probably the #1 Car I'm staying away from. My parents have a cavalier and it's been absolutely horrible in terms of repairs and quality
I didn't consider the Protegé or Civic (the other car I'm looking at) to be in the same class as the cavalier. The imports are rated much more highly in terms of reliability and mileage (thru ConsumerReports for example).

Another thing we have to consider is that Prices of Cars will vary considerably from location to location. Within Canada, car prices are different depending on province and I know that in the US, cars are generally cheaper, even when you take into consideration the exchange rate.
It's for that reason I can't really take the Kelly Blue Book Prices for comparison.

Canada has their own price guide, available through most banks. After a phone call.. The retail price of the 2000 Mazda Protegé I was looking at was around 11500$ Canadian. So it seems the price of 10700 is pretty decent especially if I can negotiate it down some more. It almost makes me wonder if anything is wrong with the vehicle.

Thanks for your help.

Your parents have found their cavalier to be horrible on repairs? Im amazed. My Boyfriends parents had 3, and I have 2, and I have found them to be amazing reliable and cheap on parts and repairs. To date my 91 has only had the starter replaced. Everything else is good as new!
I know 95's had problems with the head gasket, but that was recalled and paid for by GMC.
I am in Canada as well. Its interesting cuz I was just reading last night on one site (got interested after posting info for you), that said Cavalier was voted most reliable car of the year in 91, 94, 99, and 2003. Just remember as well, a part on a domestic car (ford, gmc, dodge), say the starter for example, runs around $145 from Napa, and then labor of course. The total to replace the started on my 91 was $186 canadian. On an import this cost may be as much as 300-350 dollars for the same part, and labor can/likely will cost more as well, and take longer as imports with smaller, more compact engines are more difficult to work on.
We were considering purchasing either a Volvo or a Toyota when we first bought our car, and after pricing common parts from mechanics such as brakes, starters, etc, we decided it was purely too expensive for parts on Imports. Some imports such as Mitsubishi for example, on Vancouver Island there is only 1 mechanic who works on them and he charges 105 dollars an hour!!! And Parts are 3 times the price of domestics.
Im not saying you should rush out and buy a Cavalier. I am just saying that you should consider a Domestic Made Vehicle. Espescially if money is tight, or repairs are an issue. Call around and ask mechanics the differences in rates and prices of parts: Say Fuel Pump, Starter, Alternator, and Brakes. And check out the costs of mechanics for imports and make sure they arent more. Over here in BC, imports are definetly more expensive.
Also, 9 times outta 10, when I see some hunk of junk smokin black down the highway, its an import! (honda espescially, but also toyota, mazda, and vw).
However! The best thing for you to do is just do research and buy the best car you can get for your money, that suits your lifestyle. If thats the protege, good luck and enjoy your ride! Im sure you will find the right car for you!
Best of luck!


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