![]() I really wanted a 5 speed in yellow, but the only yellow one in stock was saddled with an automatic, so I took a red 5 speed for a test drive. I was already committed to buying one of these little wagons before I had even sat in one. She was enthusiastic, but not in a pushy way, and the buying experience went pretty well. My salesperson was a woman, a first for me. So anyway, one fine spring day, I headed over to Polar Chevrolet and Mazda in White Bear Lake to take a look at one of these little wagons. ![]() At least that’s how I rationalized it to my wife. The Saturn was fine, no issues, but it lacked the flexibility we wanted in a second car. Our second car was a 1996 Saturn SL2 which came into the fleet when I remarried in 2001. Since it was winter and I didn’t buy new cars in winter, the idea of going to take a look at the Protege5 just sort of simmered on the back burner. I came very close to pulling the trigger on the 323 derived Mercury Tracer wagon but ended up with a first gen Camry wagon instead. I have always liked the Mazda hatchbacks, going all the way back to the first gen GLC, but for multiple reasons ownership had continued to elude me. This was back when Car and Driver was still relevant and I was still a subscriber. In the fall of 2001 I had received a mailing from Mazda promoting their new little hot hatch and coincidently, Car and Driver had run a favorable review in their October 2001 issue. If you’ve been keeping track, this was my fourth Mazda, all of which had premature rust. This piece by Michael Ionno from 2016 captures my experience perfectly, right down to the inevitable rust problems that continued to plague Mazdas in northern states. In fact, they’ve been the subject of two previous COAL articles. I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Protege5 has some fans here at Curbside Classic. the slightly twisted spokes on the 2002s. Mine were 2003 painted 5 spoke alloys with squared off spokes vs. The only difference I can remember was the wheels. My Protege5 was late enough in the cycle that the dealer actually called it a 2002-1/2. I’m ready for a change once the snow has melted. I always seem to buy my cars in spring I suspect the boredom of winter and six months of driving salt stained cars wears me down. air filter? The cabin air filter in a Protege5 refers to the filter that filters the air inside your vehicle (where you and your passengers sit) whereas the air filter filters the air that goes into your engine.I really wanted one of these in yellow, but I settled for a red one late in the 2002 model year. If your Protege5 has a funky odor when you turn on the heat or air conditioner, or it seems like the fan doesn't work as well as it used to, replacing your cabin air filter is a quick and cheap fix! Cabin air filter vs. Newer cars are more likely to have a cabin air filter than older models. Not all Mazdas have a cabin air filter and for some models, the inclusion of a cabin air filter depends on what trim level you have (Base). However, if you pay to have the cabin air filter changed for you, that can easily cost $50 - $100. These filters are fairly inexpensive, the cost of a cabin air filter is usually $10 - $30 (tip: buy several - they don't expire and you will be able to quickly swap the old one out for a fresh one). Replacing the cabin air filter (also known as the dust filter, hvac filter, pollen filter, air conditioner filter and hepa filter) will improve the air quality of your Protege5, will put less strain on your heating and air conditioning system and can increase your gas mileage. If you drive in dusty conditions, lots of stop and go traffic or have sensitivities to pollen, road dust and pollution, change your cabin air filter more often. How often to change the cabin air filter? Change your cabin air filter frequently: at least once a year or every 20,000 miles. The cabin air filter in your 2002 Mazda Protege5 filters the air that is blown from your heater or air conditioner into the cabin of your Protege5.
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