The Mazdaspeed Protege - Hidden Gem of the Sport Compact Genre

Better Than New

00:00 - SHOW OPEN

In a world where the average new car costs more than $48,000 and the average used car costs more than $27,000, an affordable price truly matters if you’re looking for a something fun to drive on a budget. And the focus of today’s podcast episode is on a car from Mazda that’s a performance bargain today, because the average used car buyer likely doesn’t remember that this car ever existed.

00:58 - Today's Focus: The 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege Sport Sedan

While today’s episode will focus on the 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege, it is also about being open to possibilities - like, the possibility that a less-known, but still really interesting and desirable vehicle, that could be perfect as your next used car, might pop up for sale at any moment on Craigslist, Facebook market place, Autotrader, or wherever you shop for used cars.

You simply have to: A) know what to look for, and B) be open to the idea that this could happen. If you do that, the next time you search for a used car, you might be surprised by what you find.

04:35 - The 2001 Mazda Protege MP3 - The first performance Protege

Now if you are a real Mazda nerd, you may remember that the Mazdaspeed Protégé isn’t the first Protégé that got a performance upgrade. That distinction went to the 2001 Mazda Protégé MP3. Yes, there really was a car named after music audio file.

05:50 - Details and Performance of the Mazdaspeed Protege

In 2003, the Protégé’s final year before being replaced by the Mazda3, Mazda decided to turn up the volume by releasing the turbocharged Mazdaspeed Protégé – the company’s first Mazdaspeed-badged car.

And in spite of being overshadowed by many other awesome sport compact offerings available at the time, such as Subaru’s WRX, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Neon SRT-4 from Dodge, the Mazdaspeed Protégé was still a stunning farewell performance for the Protégé sedan.

06:25 - Mazdaspeed Protege Upgrades From Callaway Cars, Inc., Racing Beat, Tokiko, Racing Hart Wheels, Sparco and Kenwood

• Performance
• Suspension & Brakes
• Interior Upgrades
• Kenwood Audio System
• Exterior Upgrades
• Colors Offered
• Total Number Built

11:20 - What To Look For In A Mazdaspeed Protege

When looking for a special edition vehicle like this, you really want to find one that has been owned and well cared-for by an enthusiast. That’s the best way to guarantee that it will still be a Mazdaspeed Protégé you want to own.

Try To Find One With The Following Attributes:

• Low miles is good, but condition matters more
• Look for an example with only one or two owners
• Should have extensive maintenance records
• Make sure it as all it’s original factory Mazdaspeed parts (Racing Hart wheels, side skits, rear wing, stereo, etc.)
• Still in its factory color

13:10 - Prices For The Mazdaspeed Protege

Kelly Blue Book values cars like the Mazdaspeed Protege lower than what they typically sell for on the open market, but there aren't many cars to choose from, so prices vary widely.

That said, you might expect to pay $8,000 to $10,000 (or more) for one in excellent condition with lower miles and one or two owners. Of course, owners can ask what they want for their car, so you may find examples of the Mazdaspeed Protege with much higher asking prices.

However, since there are many interesting and desirable sport compact cars from the early 2000s era, including the Subaru WRX, the Lancer Evo, the Dodge SRT-4 Neon, Honda's Civic Si, Ford's SVT Focus, etc.), having more interesting cars for buyers to choose from may help keep prices for the Mazdaspeed Protege lower than expected.

16:55 - Wrap up

Let this episode be a reminder that if you keep your mind and your eyes open, you can find limited or special edition used cars like the Mazdaspeed Protege that are still in excellent condition.

You just have to know what to look for.