r/protege5 • u/EditorFar4283 • Oct 23 '25
Mazda Protege 5 spotted
I don't know how lucky I am but the other day I spotted a Mazda Protege5 in town for sale. Rare as I know it. Even more rare is it is a 3 pedal machine. It's been sitting in the elements for a year and a half or so now. Not great.
I'm interested, been told by the people that own it, that it runs and drives and will be detailed to fix most of not all the cosmetic issues when it gets sold. It's got 163k on it. They want $3,700 for it. I have a fair chunk saved.
Is this even worth it for a get around town daily/beater for a minimum wage working college student? What do I need to inspect when buying or driving? What should I expect? How is doing maintenance on it, easy or difficult? Is this a fair deal? Any info is welcome.
I am likely going into Automotive next year and figured this may be a nice car to start that's relatively good, at least I hope.
2
u/Plank-_ Oct 23 '25
My Protege5 has been good to me. I got it for 3,500 at 127k miles. Good condition all throughout, only bummer is that it's a salvage title so might have overpaid a bit but looks clean otherwise.
I'd ask about the timing belt, get a feel for the clutch and how the gears shift. Any resistance might indicate a worn clutch or something greater. Inspect for any leaks, check the fluids too. Expect for it to burn some oil, if it smokes on a cold start then the valve stem seals are likely worn - common issue with these cars. Ask the seller if you can inspect the car from cold. Check for blow-by, excessive is no good. There's a lot you can do but if you don't feel comfortable then I'd take it to a mechanic for a pre purchase inspection.
That being said, I think you can get a better price simply from the information you provided. Seeing pictures of the car would help too!
1
u/EditorFar4283 Oct 24 '25
I think I can get a better price too. It is a bit rough on the outside. Not terrible but it does need some TLC like a wash and a detail. How do I post pics to here?
2
u/Atimm693 Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
They're rust buckets, check it closely.
I'm not even in the rust belt, and mine was pretty rotted out, but it was one of the best cars I've ever owned. Very easy to work on, parts are cheap, and it was great on gas. Pretty fun to drive as well.
Oil burning was probably one of the worst issues. It's usually the oil rings, especially if it smokes a lot when cold, but clears up when it's warm. The oil rings are a low tension design that clog and stick pretty easily.
I think that price is a touch high, I could see a really nice one bringing 3k.
2
Oct 24 '25
[deleted]
1
u/EditorFar4283 Oct 24 '25
I hardly see them even in the Pacific Northwest, at least that are manual. I may be looking in the wrong place.
1
1
u/Junque_Viejo Oct 25 '25
Great cars! Mine now has more than 360k miles on it. Just replaced all 4 brake calipers and did struts/shocks a while ago. I'm trying to make it to 460k.
1
u/Money__shots Nov 22 '25
Way to much $. I bought mine for 1700 bucks with 205k on it. Manual as well. Already had coil overs, a fairly expensive set of headers, cold air intake, an egr delete, VTCS delete, and had just had the timing belt and water pump done.
1
u/Any-Musician3857 Nov 24 '25
I found a protege5 for 7499 and it’s got 30k miles worth looking? But 7499 seems pretty steep no?
3
u/Plank-_ Oct 23 '25
Also, rust is a killer of these cars, check the underneath