2003 Mazda Protege

Mazda is beginning to elbow its way to the front of the sport-compact category. The Mazdaspeed is a great 4-door speedster. Now, this is nothing compared to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII but it is still a great car.

I was attracted it's great style and a bumpin' stereo system. In some areas this is a tight car, in others it needs work. Here's what I found out...

This is like no other Protege!

This is the start of what could be a very positive Mazdaspeed legacy!

A Lil History:

As you may or may not know Mazdaspeed is the name of Mazda's racing team established in 1967. Their cars, most often the RX-7, have won dozens of trophies and titles. The RX-7 is the only Japanese car to ever win the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race. Now, Mazda has unleashed a street legal car that has been strongly influenced by the Mazdaspeed team.

Ford, who owns 33% of Mazda, wants a bigger piece of the pie. Mazda sold only a little over 250,000 cars last year compared to Toyota which sold over 1.8 million. This helps explain their jump into more youth oriented vehicles such as the RX-8 and of course the Mazdaspeed Protege.

Features:

- 170 HP @ 5,500 RPM
- 160 ft-lbs Of Torque @ 3,500 RPM
- 5-Speed Manual Transmission
- 24 MPG City/30 MPG Highway
- Turbocharged Engine
- 450 Watt Kenwood Audio System (Nice Feature!)
- Aluminum Pedals
- Anti-Lock Brakes
- Racing Hart 17" Alloy Wheels

Specs:

- 2.0 Liter 16 Valve In-Line 4 Cylinder Engine
- MacPherson Struts
- Tokico Dampers
- Garret T25 Turbocharger
- Wheelbase: 102.8"
- Length: 174.6"
- Width: 67.1"
- Height: 55.5"

Performance:

- 0-60: 6.9 sec
- 0-100: 19.4 sec
- 0-150: n/a
- 1/4 mile: 15.4 sec @ 91 mph
- Top Speed: 130 mph

Cost: $19,980 - 20,500+

Warranty:

The 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege is covered by a three-year/50,000-mile warranty that includes every part on the vehicle except those subject to normal wear. In addition, the MAZDASPEED Protege is covered by a five-year/unlimited-mileage corrosion warranty.

Competition:

Mazda's own Mazda6, Ford SVT Focus, Dodge Neon SRT-4, Chevrolet Cavalier (no contest), Nissan Sentra SE-R, and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

Overall:

I was seriously surprised that the Mazdaspeed only takes Premium Fuel. I know it's supposed to be a performance car but with only 170 HP...come on now! The low horsepower and torque are the only major flaws I could find in the Mazdaspeed. There is one minor problem too - this car is only available in two colors! Your choices are either Black Mica or Spicey Orange Mica. Black is great but orange? Yuk! The interior only comes in charcoal, but it's bearable.

The turning radius is fairly good. I almost able to make a complete U-turn in a neighborhood (mid-block). I had to back up a touch and then finish the U-turn. Not bad for a 4-door sedan, but not as good as my 2001 Ford ZX2. Redline is at 6,500 RPM and not surprisingly the engine is fairly loud at the higher end. For more relaxed city driving it shouldn't bother most people. It is not as quiet as a Cadillac or BMW but not as loud as a muscle car. When I looked at the Mazda6 I was slightly surprised to see that the 6 had more horsepower and torque (220-HP, 192 ft-lbs) than the Mazdaspeed (170-HP, 160 ft-lbs). I'm not sure how this is supposed to motivate someone to spend more on a car with less 'oomph!' in it. A feature that I'm sure the ladies and family men can appreciate is the LATCH child seat system. This helps you quickly, easily, and securely install a car seat for the little ankle biters. And for all those potential kidnapping victims, fear not, Mazda has installed a handy anti-trap device in the trunk. Just pull the cord and run away from the bad guys!

Shifting is smooth and sports oriented, which means it has a short throw (range between gears). The gas pedal was a little touchy, so take it easy or you'll waste all that Premium Fuel you're forced to buy. The suspension, which responded well for me in corners, were specially tuned by Racing Beat, a well known tuner that has been working with Mazda for over 30 years. The suspension has been designed to improve steering feedback and response, control excess motion, and keep the tires firmly gripping the pavement. It seems to have worked. The car is well balanced. I flew through corners much to the displeasure of the salesperson. It's a good thing cops never tend to be around while I'm test driving a car 'cause I really push it. I took it up to 100 MPH before I had to slow down. Acceleration is pretty good. It could be better with higher torque or maybe a twin-turbo system. Throw on some NOS and a custome paint job and you'll be making your own Fast and Furious movie! The performance brake system does its job well. You can practically stop on a dime! I was very impressed. For me great braking is a requirement. Driving on the roads I do, I often have to hit the breaks for a dog, cat, raccoon, deer, or a pack coyotes.

Below about 2,500 RPM the turbo is not impressive which is good. This means in normal city driving you won't burn through extra gas. The turbo kicks in around 3,500 RPM. It's a great feeling and I love the sound it makes when you shift that little hiss...

In the audio department, a major plus in the Mazdaspeed, you also have the option of purchasing a subscription to Sirius satellite radio. I don't think Sirius is as good as XM but it is still cool. This is a state of the art MP3 audio system. Kenwood components fill the interior with amazing sound! The deck is a Kenwood Excelon KDC-MP919, which features a fully motorized self-hiding faceplate that doesn't appear until the ignition turned on, MegaMotion Display readout that provides high-resolution visuals and moving images, five pre-set EQ curves, and 4.5V pre-outs that provide superior signal-to-noise performance.

The interior is every bit as sporty as the exterior. But at the same time is very comfortable and refined. The interior design is very modern.

The Mazdaspeed is safe too. Dual front airbags and available side airbags are featured. There are also pretensioners on the seat belts which improve their response. The passenger compartment is also reinforced for improved safety.

Pros:

- Handling
- Body Style
- Audio System
- Value
- Turbo Charger

Cons:

- Colors
- Not Enough Power
- Not Enough Torque
- Ride A Little Rough
- Should Be Twin-Turbo

Final Comments:

Seriously consider the Mazdaspeed Protege if other sport-compacts are out of your price range. This is a fun ride that, with a bit of work, could be more powerful and possibly make a name in the street. Burn that rubber! Or, if you're the family type...there's plenty of room for groceries, kids, pets, etc. in the back. The rear is surprisingly roomy. My knees didn't touch the drivers seat except when I had the drivers seat exactly where I would drive with it. But none of my friends are as tall as me (6'4"), so that shouldn't be a problem. I Highly Recommend the Mazdaspeed Protege for most people, especially if you want something fast but have a budget. For right around $20,000 it's really not bad at all. I enjoyed driving it immensely!


Thanks!