Episode 66

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Published on:

24th Aug 2023

Owners Love Their Protege5's - The Perfect Small Wagon For An Active Lifestyle

00:00 - OPEN - The 2002-2003 Mazda Protege5

Today’s show is about a used car that would be perfect as a first car for a new driver, or would make an ideal second or third car for your family to run errands or take you, a friend and a full load of gear on a weekend adventure.  I like to think of it as the classic Swiss Army Knife of personal vehicles, but it’s so much more than that.    

01:40 - The Perfect Affordable Small Wagon For An Active Lifestyle

The 2002-2003 Mazda Protege5 is a stylish, sporty 5-door hatchback that’s not only pleasant to be in and look at, but it also offered an ideal combination of carrying capacity, convenience, fuel economy and fun that’s perfect for people of any age who live an active lifestyle. 

03:45 - What Makes The Protege5 Great?

It's a car that's stylish, sporty and attractive inside and out, plus it was reasonably well appointed for a vehicle at its price point. While not incredibly quick, it's rev-happy engine, excellent handling and fun-to-drive nature delivered a great deal of joy for drivers while also returning reasonable fuel economy in town (25-mpg) and on longer trips (over 30-mpg) using regular fuel. And over time the Protege5 has proven to be a reliable partner for long term owners.

07:25 - It's Not a "Numbers" Car

With only 130-hp motivating about 2750 pounds of sport wagon, the Protege5 is not a car that produces stunning acceleration numbers. Zero to sixty mph is around 9-seconds and the quarter mile is covered in 17-seconds or a little less depending on humidity, track conditions, etc. But none of that matters because the engine, transmission, drive train and suspension work together in harmony to deliver driving dynamics and fun behind the wheel that's so much better than the numbers might indicate.

09:10 - What Do Mazda Protege5 Owners Think Of Their Cars?

In a word, Protege5 owners LOVE their cars and 97% of them give their lovable Mazda 5-door wagon a rating of "four" or a "five" out of 5-stars in their online reviews. And that's out of hundreds of reviews, which is impressive.

Car and Driver Retro Review Video featuring a "Ron Burgundy" lookalike (I swear it's not Will Ferrell!) delivering the story behind the Protege5 from back in the day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmkRRYOOB04&t=1s

14:35 - What Should You Look For In A Protege5?

  • Low miles (under 100K, if possible)
  • Minimal owners (1 or 2)
  • Consistent maintenance with service records for proof
  • No accidents (if possible)
  • Avoid rebuilt title vehicles (again, if possible, but it doesn't take much now to total a Protege5, so if the damage isn't severe and it was fixed professionally, you might be able to get a good example even with a rebuilt title)
  • Get a pre-purchase inspection if you can
  • Look for P5s with recent major service already completed
  • Get the ABS+side airbags option
  • I suggest getting a manual to make best use of the power

18:20 - How Much Will You Pay For A Protege5?

  • $2000-$4000 - More rare, but you can find decent examples with higher miles and a couple of issues in this range.
  • $4000-$6000 - Good solid examples with reasonable miles will be found in this price range (be picky)
  • $6000-$8000 - You'll find the best cars in this price range. While attractive and fun to drive, the Protege5 is not a collector car, so I wouldn't pay more than this.

20:00 - Other Affordable FWD 5-Door Wagon Options In The Protege5's Price Range

  • 2004 and later Mazda3 5-Door
  • 2002-2004 Ford SVT Focus ZX5
  • Pontiac Vibe (2003-2010)/Toyota Matrix (2003-2008)

21:45 - CLOSE

So if you’re a new driver looking for a fun-to-drive first car with excellent handling, an engine that likes to rev and enough space to haul yourself plus three other people and their gear for a reasonable price, or if you’re looking for a second or third car with good fuel economy that’s ideal for commuting or as a back-up car that can do it all, then the 2002-2003 Mazda Protege5 should be on your list. 

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!