What Makes The Mazda Protege So Great? 

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I love your respect for “low power” cars. I get sick of spoiled car enthusiasts who aren’t impressed with anything less than 350 hp. I couldn’t agree more with what you’re saying about the fun factor of driving “slow” cars fast.

as a p5 owner this car is fucking amazing and so much fun to drive

I love the Protege5 so much. Especially those large rally style fog lights

The mazdaspeed protege was the best car I've ever owned. I've had 20+ cars. Plenty of them good. I've owned all the mazdaspeed cars except for the speed miata. I've had subarus, civics, integras, a bmw and more. This car handles the best out of everything. I miss mine so much. I have an order in for the new morizo gr corolla and I'm still looking for a protege to come fill that void in my life again. Love the speed 3 but the protege is where it's at

I picked up an 02 protege5 5spd 2.0l with only 92k original miles, no rust, florida car....always wanted one and it's everything I hoped for and more :) def not fast but a great daily.

Great deep dive. Very underrated Japanese gem!!! Great vid Mark!

I daylied a 1.6 Miata for a bit before I had to sell for a bigger car, I bought a Subaru thinking it would be awesome and it was ok lol. 3 years later I bought a 99 Mazda protege with the same 1.6 motor and a 5 speed manual trans and it honestly reminds me so much of the Miata it's insane. Amazing handling car I can outrun most of my friends in the mountains even tho it's bone stock with its 100hp and somewhat grippy tires on stock rims lol. Truly the best daily I've ever had

I actually own a Mazdaspeed protege and it’s really fun it’s like a turbo go kart 🤣

He'll yea We riding SLOW and SERIOUS not FAST and FURIOUS..good handling, easy to work on and very economical. Fun car for a daily..i love to see this car is still being talked about over 20 yrs later..man I love em zoom zoom zoom

I have a 2002 mazda protege hatch that i have owned for over a year, and i love that car to death, it was kinda sad seeing very little anything on the car, but im glad it's getting the recognition it deserves!

The 1990 protege lx with the DOHC 16 valve was better than I realized. 125 ponies in a cardboard box was pretty potent. 0 to 60 times are better than most ecoboxes today.

despite the fact that my 03 protege looks like some grandma's car. I love it, this video is good thanks.

rock solid chassis, analog as hell 2.0L engine, and the reliability of legacy mazdas over the decades. you now have a perfect blank canvas for mods and wont put yourself into mountains of debt for the money=fun factor. i've had my 2003 P5 for well over 10years, and not once has it let me down. me and my lil red wagon against the world.

Back in 1998 i had a Protege ES with the 5 speed manual i loved it. I was always remembering the Mazda RX-7 and the RX-8 when i drove it . I didn't have a RX-7 or a RX-8 but i would go to the Mazda dealership all of the time. Back in highschool

love the new documentary style format, would like to see more of the different formats marky

im about to buy a 2002 protege5, been subbed for a while. You know ive never known anyone else with the same last name as me that wasn't my family. Love your content, keep it up.

Lets goo Mazda gets some love 🔥

I have a Mazda sport protege. It’s my first car I’ve always loved jdm cars but couldn’t find anything in my price range. I saw the Mazda on Facebook and fell in love. I know it’s a cheap car but I love it. Plus it’s so rare (apparently mines a 1/200) and gets a lot of looks

Thanks for giving this car some love. The key to enjoying this car is to not compare the power output to it's contemporaries, like the 2003 RSX Type S which achieved 200 hp with no forced induction and with the same displacement - and around the same curb weight. Unfortunately, Mazda spent no money in strengthening the motor for forced induction, so it's relatively weak for it's application (read the engine will break if you diverge just a tad bit from stock boost levels). I think Mazda missed an opportunity to make the engine in the Protege5 and the Mazdaspeed Protege a little more interesting. It does redeem itself though with its understated looks and handling. It's awesome that they included a limited slip diff, while even the RSX Type S didn't. Still, it would have been nice to see a factory 200-220 hp Mazdaspeed Protege especially since it had an LSD.

I recently just got mine back in the road after buying it w a blown motor. Still had the stock lsd, seems to be in pretty good condition, love the car a lot.

I love these things so much, I've had 5 of them and still own an 03.5 titanium Protegé speed. Great video 👍

My dad had a 2000 Mazda Protege with the 1.6l which had a ton of rust but was very reliable. Pretty underrated car when it comes to reliability at least in my experience. I almost bought one as a beater.

I lovw that youre not a hirsepower nut. Ice driven a 500hp M5 and its boring. The mist fun I've ever had was in a 189hp Z3. After driving maybe a hundred or so cars, i have a theory that the correct HP is 50-80hp/1000lbs. And, obviously, lowest weight poasible for max joy

Since this video being uploaded here is typically aimed to the North Americans, hence U.S., then as I expect that the previous generations of that 323/Familia/Protege (with the Protege name being introduced and used exclusively for the North American market) were deeply popular in Australia and New Zealand as the said model's mechanically-identical sibling from Ford. Hence, the Ford Laser - which was introduced as a rebadged Mazda 323 (aka Mazda Familia) - was not only popular in the Aussie/NZ market due to the strong demand for Ford vehicles there (in AU/NZ) thanks to the success of the Ford Falcon, but also the Laser was popular in Malaysia not only given the lack of recognition for the Mazda name in those nearby markets, but also the Laser was percieved by only few Malaysians for being sporty and elegant - given the Ford brand being known as a luxury brand in the Southeast Asian market - compared to its equivalents that time like Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sunny (aka Sentra in U.S./Canada and Tsuru in Mexico), Honda Civic and to a lesser extent the Mitsubishi-based Proton Saga (later Wira/Impian). On the other hand the 1990-1995 model year Ford Laser was also nicknamed as "The Boat" in Malaysia due to the car's exterior design - since having said that it was in contrast to competitors that time - whilst the Laser was also one of the closest to a western (American) car being sold in Southeast Asia especially due to the Ford-Mazda partnership that time. In turn, this 323 (aka Familia in Japan, Ford Lynx/Ford Laser and Protege in the U.S./Canada) even had its mechanical parts being suited for use in tuning Kia cars that were manufactured before the company (Kia) was taken over by Hyundai in 1998. As given by the fact that many pre-Hyundai Kia products were essentially Mazda-engineered vehicles that were also rebadged as Fords - for example the nuts, bolts, radiator and other mechanicals found in the car mentioned on the video and title are also suited in modifying for the first-generation Kia Carnival (aka Kia Sedona in the United Kingdom and N.A.) since the latter was based on the Mazda 626. (Especially shoehorning the Mk1 Carnival/Sedona with the engine from that 323/Protege is a useful alternative to the Kia diesel engine and British Rover and Mitsubishi-based Hyundai V6 motors that always caused reliability problems.)

Got a 3.5 MSP. honestly needs more love.... out of all the cars i've owned, i've had the most offers to buy the car on the spot. Not saying much really because a type of car comes down to personal preference....... I have never felt a fwd car at 90+mph that wants to turn so hard into a turn and barely understeer, all you need to do is (straighten out ) hit the throttle to pull you through the corner. Mazda really got the golden egg with the power to weight in this car. not fast but quick asf . really benefits anyone who can keep to a race line.

I just bought a Mazda protege 2003 for $4,000 with 80k mikes 🥰

I still have my 2003 MSP- it's 20 years old and runs like i bought it yesterday! It's still a looker!

Actually there's a 1.6 liters version in South America, the model is called Mazda Allegro actually

Thanks bro I own one myself and I love this thing slow and fun

My 98 Mazda protege makes 122hp but it weighs 2300 lbs it’s a manual and literally feels like a go kart. Threw a set of OZ wheels on and I fell in love with it. 4.8k into a $2200 car don’t regret a thing. Currently working on a transmission swap 💀

I love my Mazda protégé m/t has nearly 300,000 miles on it and still runs great and it’s a fun car to drive too

I have a protege5 2003:) Shout outs from Tijuana México:)

Just bought a 2000 Protegé yesterday for just under 3k. It's a nice little car for sure!

I love my MSP!! Winding curve roads are so much fun. Granted it came with some mods when i bought it, and I've added a couple more 😎

Keep making these videos man there great 👍

Hey :) I love this video. I think you should do a big video like the best 50 jdm car with the low powered gems. I love your videos and sorry for may bad english uf i say anything wrong

I love this series 🔥 more brother

I love mine! And I can safely say it eats on some curvy back roads!

my dad bought one of these in 04 beand new he still has it and loves it to death. it is going to be mkne once i get my licens

I love my mazda3 sedan a lot, you don’t feel like you’re going to get in trouble because it’s just ridiculously fast, I can corner so sharp in that car, it’s a lot of fun having under 200hp and being able to use all of it

I've always found myself going back to these little protégés even after all the other platforms I've tried as they're fantastic driving cars. The shift feel is up there with the best being a rod actuated over cable shifter. Very engaging to drive and fun to modify. Very good platform to learn to wrench on too. The move is to find a clean manual trans abs p5 and turbo swap it with the Mazdaspeed stuff (same engine) and good lsd trans. If non abs you have to more work to fit an lsd that'll work but even open diff they're quite fun and quick with the right turbo bits. I also get around 25-29mpg in my turbo swapped p5 with an average 28mpg which is great for a turbo car.

I like that you're not a hp freak, I've had more fun in my 136hp 2001 camry than I've had in a 500hp camaro or 650ish hp g body

Just picked up a 03 protege 5 interior and outside is really clean ans got a good price for it but the rear and front motor mounts were bad so i just did the front for now cause i stripped the first bolt on the back one lol

i have a boosted manual mp5 making about 230/240 hp, super fun to drive

Cool vid !

I own a 2002 protege lx with the 2.0L, it’s a very nice drive, I really enjoy it, would love some help finding mods for it tho lol, mostly an exhaust cuz rn it’s cut at the cat and I want it to sound nicer

I love my protege5 best car I’ve ever known

This car would make a killer sleeper

My cousin and her husband gave me their '99 protege recently after my '99 Tercel began overheating. While the Tercel is getting fixed I found the protege to be more fun to drive. My only wish is that it was a stick shift but it's still a zippy car. So I'll sell the Tercel (prices for Tercels now are stupid high because of the cheap maintenance) and keep the protege.

I have Mazda protege 1.8 es 2000 i want to make it turbo do you have more info about tuning this little Monster

I own a 2003.5 MSP in Blazing Yellow Mica, its pretty awesome. Good luck finding one for sale; the nice ones are always insanely overpriced, beat to hell, or zoom zoom boomed!

Ive bought one recently 6 months prior, because I needed a reliable daily, and its been great so far. Its called the 323f in europe, but I havent seen the mazdaspeed version of it, not one of them. Just wish they were rusting so badly.

5:35 that's my protege. I bought it in Seattle

Does anyone know if the mazda etude is the same as the mazda protégé, cuz I saw in South africa its the same but called the etude ?

I currently own one in trinidad for 3 years now..

what you like ab protoge? me: zum zum zummm

I have a mazda etude 160ie 2002, it's so hard to find parts

Lmao the gta solo money guide😂😂

Does anyone recommend getting the 2003 Mazda protege5 as a first car? If so why

I wish mazda made more of these :( so rare production was extremely limited. My brother had a 2003.5 in grey. It was such a great car. Unfortunately back in 2008 he wraoped it aound a tree and was killed.

❤

Touge battle mazda protege vs honda prelude two cars I'll build to race eachother

Is it just me or have these always kind of resembled Karin Sultan's?

Smiles for miles

One of my cars arch nemesis.

yeahhhhh

Shout out to mazda speed. The mazda speed 3 and 6 are under rated fun machines

no cap i agree another reason my dream car is a 1997 toyota corolla cheap touge monster from the mid late 90s that was making a killing in jtcc

I just found one for $500! Going to pick it up this weekend

I have one :) but not msp :( ^^

my brother had a mazdaspeed protege...that bitch was quick....was kinda sad when he traded it for a turbo A4...which was a basketcase

Bruh America got all the cool 323 we only got a sp20 with a 2.0L

I just bought one, tomorrow my tech will look at it to tell me what it may need. It sat for a long time and sputters . Im hoping its just bad gas and maybe a fuel filter, maybe injectors. Hopefully not much. Im excited to make it my daily.

If you Kswap it its a YES😅

I still don't understand if protege and mazdaspeed 6 the same

I just bought one for 250$😂😂

Hey next time label your vids right! Alot of the protege, and protege 5 parts do jot fit even though its the 2.0

Oi oi oi take this vid down, ion want other people finding out about it and start buying them. Im tryna get one or an integra this summer.

Bop