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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Prices Paid & Leasing Experiences Archive Mazda Protege Prices Paid and Buying Experience 
265 messages, Last post on Jul 08, 2008 at 6:05 PM
You are in the Prices Paid & Leasing Experiences Archive Forum. Your Hosts are car_man & kyfdx
| I'm searching for a Protege and found a 2002 LX, auto, ABS w/ cruise control w/ 29k, very clean w/ minor scratches at rear. The asked price is $9500. I have lowered it down to $8300. Is this a good deal? | |
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Hello! I am interested in buying my first car and I found a 2002 Mazda Protege LX and I would like your opinion on it. The dealer asks $8,485. It is a certified pre-owned, 5-speed manual, sold "as-is" (no extra warranty) and comes with bucket seats, power locks/driver mirror/steering, sunroof, alloy wheels, driver/passenger airbag, A/C, radio + single CD player, Cruise Control, bucket seats but -no- ABS. They told me that for their inspection they changed oil and filter, did some work on the breaks (something about rotors), new wiper blades, fluids, installed newer tires (Toyo, with pretty good tread depth, but not brand new) and also did alignement. I was wondering what do you think about this car? Is it worth the $8.5K? I intend to use this car for the next 3 years as my only car so I am looking for something reliable. Also, I am a graduate student, which means I do not want to spend a fortune in servicing the car (although I am thinking of byuing an extended warranty). All info, comments and help is appreciated! Thank you!
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Replying to: mythrantar (Nov 15, 2005 10:21 pm) Before buying any used car it is wise to have it checked / certified by an independent garage that you trust or that a friend recommends. What you want to avoid is a car that's been involved in a serious accident. It is also wise to ask for all the service records to get an idea how well the car was maintained. Unfortunately, not every driver keeps track of these. An extended warranty can be pricey but may bring you peace of mind. |
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Replying to: autonomous (Nov 16, 2005 4:54 am) Also, if there is no extended warranty, then how is the car CPO? That is pretty much the whole point of the certification process... so that you get an extended warranty... otherwise, it's just salesmanship.. regards, kyfdx Host-Prices Paid Forums |
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Replying to: kyfdx (Nov 16, 2005 6:41 am) |
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Replying to: kyfdx (Nov 16, 2005 6:41 am) As for the certifiaction, they certify that they did the 150-odd point inspection that the manufacturer reccomends, and that they have corrected any problems found during that inspection. They do have extended warranty plans, but at additional cost. I guess my question is whether I should look more into this car, or I should keep looking around for something better, even if it would cost a bit more.
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Replying to: mythrantar (Nov 16, 2005 10:11 am) The Protege is a good reliable car but the question is: Is the price fair? Have you tried the Edmunds Used Car section? The site uses Autotrader to show the prices of similarly equipped used cars selling in your area. You could use this information to guage if the price you're being asked to pay is fair. |
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Replying to: mythrantar (Nov 16, 2005 10:11 am) I'm pretty sure you could get an '03 ES with manual and 50K miles or less for under $10K... The price on the one you've found doesn't seem too bad, but there should be plenty of 35K-50K mile Proteges to pick from.. regards, kyfdx Host-Prices Paid Forums |
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I'd pick the Pro over the Civic, but that's because of my personal tastes. My '99 ProLX has been very reliable (other than an annoying EGR valve that gets clogged with carbon every now and then....if yours clogs, just replace it). Statisticaly, I think it's pretty even across the Civic/Corolla/Protege models. Why I'd pick the Pro: more fun to drive, more aesthetically pleasing, more comfortable, more utilitarian (rear seat in the Corolla still a bit too puny). Why I'd pick the Civic or Corolla: potentially more fuel-efficient (depends on your driving style...I get an average 31.5mpg with my 1.6L AT-equipped Pro, though I get only around 24-25mpg if I drive more enthusiastically). |
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i own a 2003 mazda protege es with about 50,000 miles on it. it has been pretty reliable. i have two other cars (2005 pontiac grand prix and 1978 chevy malibu). i have never own a foreign car and only bought this one because ford owns mazda (33% of it anyway). my experience has been pretty good with my protege'. i am going to sell it soon because i only keep newer cars for about 2-3 years and only keep classics. nevertheless, if i were to sell today, i would probably sell for a little less than $10K. so if you were a little more willing to pay more more features and convenience in buying an 2003 es (the last year they made protege's) instead of a 2002 lx, you should keep looking. the car is a lot more stylish and i love it. it looks a lot better in the interior and runs like new. i am sure the 2002 lx for $8.5K is a good deal, but maybe you should wait a year. you can prolly get a something like mine if your willing to pay a bit more..... |
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