Used 2002 Mazda Protege5 - Compare to others! - cars & trucks - by owner... for sale in Oxnard, CA

UPDATE: As mentioned above and below, feel free to check out the other Protege5s currently for sale on CL and compare this one to those. For the shape this one is in, and especially the EXCEPTIONALLY clean interior, this Protege5 represents an exceptional value for the price.

ADDITIONAL UPDATE: Due to those who choose to make an offer and then flake or disappear i.e. not show up, and not even return texts (weird) etc., please note the following disclaimer: Offers are welcome, however please be serious and let's not waste each other's time. Thanks.

Now for the info:

For sale is my 2002 Mazda Protege5 (this is NOT the regular Protege, this is the Protege5 wagon, much more cargo room, very handy for hauling whatever you need to haul!). This is the precursor to the present-day Mazda 3 Hatchback or the Mazda Speed3. It's the perfect combination of economical fuel mileage (25 mpg city, 31 mpg highway), performance (this car is very zippy!) and handling (drives like a sports coupe) but with extra cargo capacity similar to a modern-day SUV, but without the modern-day SUV high price tag! This car has been very good to me, love the sporty handing and the above-mentioned great gas mileage and cargo capacity.

Features:

Clean Title
2.0L Inline 4 Engine (very reliable and surprisingly zippy Mazda engine, plenty of torque).
5 speed Manual Transmission - Much more fun to drive (and better gas mileage) than an automatic!
Front-Wheel Drive
Relatively straight body, a few small dings and dents, but nothing major (see for yourself in the photos)
VERY clean interior, remarkable shape for a car this age, and no rips or sags in the headliner.
Leather Seats - Quite rare for this model car, virtually all of the Protege5 models offered for sale have cloth seats.
Power windows and door locks
Non-Smoker

That's the good news, here's the not so good: the water pump gave out on the freeway and the engine overheated and thus blew the head gasket. Maybe just a new head gasket will fix it, or if you already have one of these with a good motor but with a not-so-good body, this might be what you're looking for. Obviously with the blown head gasket, the car is not currently running, so you will need to have it towed. I love this car and hate to see it go, but I don't have the time to fix it.

If not for the engine issue, this car would sell for at LEAST $2500 or more. Others have sold or are currently listed on CL for $2800 (and on that one the paint is severely faded) all the way up to $5000 - crazy! (not to mention those are in L.A. and Orange Counties - currently this is the only one in Ventura County ;-)). But don't take my word for it, search this section under "Protege5". Or, copy and paste the link below and see for yourself:
So, if not for the engine issue, this car would sell for MUCH MORE, but given it's current state, it is priced to sell for BELOW HALF PRICE at $1250. Find a new or rebuilt engine online (I have received quotes for as little as $650 for one) and if you are friendly with a mechanic (or you could do it yourself) you could get it on the road for MUCH LESS than the other ones currently for sale, with the added benefit that this one has probably the CLEANEST INTERIOR you will likely find anywhere. Come check it out and you will see that the interior in this car is in remarkable shape for a car of it's age. Plus, as indicated above, this car has a MANUAL 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION, more rare, better gas mileage, and MUCH MORE FUN than an automatic!. As mentioned, I love this car, and you will too!

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Thanks for looking.