![]() The 1.6-liter engine, previously standard on the DX sedan, has been dropped. Only 1,500 units were built initially, and they were sold out before they reached the United States, but Mazda is considering bringing back the MP3 later in the 2002 model year.Įxcept for the MP3, all models now use a 130-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine designed by Mazda. The MP3 also is fitted with a high-output 140-horsepower engine and a number of performance-oriented components from racing suppliers. Now, Mazda is helping to revive the small hatchback body style with its new Proteg�5 sport wagon, launched as an early 2002 model.ĭuring the 2001 model year, Mazda introduced another variant of the Proteg�, dubbed MP3 to denote its Kenwood audio system. Once I realized they stopped the Protege production, it was like I was missing an old friend whom I haven't talked to in a while.The Proteg� sedan received a front-end face-lift for 2001. Now I am thinking about getting another car and was hoping Mazda continued the line of Protege's, but unfortunately, it appears they have not. But it was a good long haul before it decided to retire. But when the car decided it was time to retire, it did so pretty much in a week. We had to replace the battery once, but that's just regular maintenance. It didn't have a major breakdown once between that time. My brother drove it on the weekends to and from work as well. Me and my younger brother drove it about It about 70 miles a day to and back from community college Monday through Friday. We had the car for around four years and put another 80,000 miles on it before it broke down and was not reasonably repairable. It took corners great, had a little zip in the acceleration, and handled well in the rain. Of course, the exterior wasn't flashy nor did support a racy-type look to the body, but it was a car I loved to drive. It was a fun car to drive with the manual transmission and handled like a dream. It was not necessarily my car, but I drove it whenever I had the chance. My family bought a 2003 Protege in 2014 with over 200,000 miles on it. If you can find a Protege that's been taken care of, I recommend buying it. of new vehicles but I've been using models that plug into the cigarette lighter for many years and they work perfectly fine. I admit that I wish it had the built-in GPS, back-up camera, USB port, etc. Over all, it's been a great car and I'll miss it when the time comes to change. I know exactly where the car is on the road or in a tight parking spot. Of course, I'm perfectly comfortable navigating now. With my Protege, there is no crease so that took some getting used to. My previous vehicles were all Fords so I was used to navigating using the crease down the hood. Allows us to sit higher in the vehicle and to feel less of the road. I bought seat covers and have a cushion under both front seat covers. It's a sport suspension so you "feel" the road, which is all the more reason I'd prefer to have higher, better-padded seats. The other thing I dislike is the low seating. Of course, that's only a pain if you have multiple drivers. It's on the passenger's door, so you have to adjust, sit back and check, adjust, sit back and check. ![]() One is that you can't readily reach the passenger-side, outer-mirror adjustment knob. In my experience, there are a few drawbacks to the interior. My latest mechanic said he's on his fourth Protege and doesn't care that they have none of today's bells and whistles. Virtually every time I take it in for servicing, the mechanic asks if I'm interested in selling it. My car's in excellent condition, with low mileage (less than 100,000 kms) and no rust, thanks to walking to work and parking underground all these years. It had about 12,000 kms on it and was exactly the colour I was hoping for (sand/champagne). It was a 2003 model, leased by a company for short drives around the city, then returned for resale a year later. I bought a second-hand Protege from the dealer in 2004.
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