Buying Advise: 2002 104K Protege5?

[Hatchy Zoom]

I'm looking for a car now. I've been wanting a Protege5 or a Mazda3 hatch for a long time. I've got a budget of about $4000. The Mazda3 is out of my budget, but I'm seeing some 2001-2002 Protege5s within my range. More specifically, I am strongly considering a 2002 manual Protege5 with about 104K miles and HID lights (not my preference, but not a detractor either). It also has sport shocks and is slightly dropped.

The owner says the check engine light is on because it needs to have one or both oxygen sensors replaced. We spoke at length. He has done regular maintenance to the car, but hasn't had it for very long, so the paperwork for the length of its history is not there. The car seems to have had one or two previous owners. I saw a vehicle history report and it shows an accident in its first or second year, but was not deemed totaled. He is asking $4,000 for the Protege5 and is pretty firm at the price. He lives far away from me, so if he brought the car to me I'm not going to bother haggling with him on the price (I already traveled over an hour to see the car in the first place, though). The body has some dents and scratched, but nothing too bad for a car this age. It does not have the original paint job, but overall it looks okay.

Even more interesting is that I don't know how to drive manual at present, so I would be learning with this car (this is part of the idea behind it). I am very close to accepting his price and buying the car, after having it checked out by my mechanic, of course. What do you guys think? Is 104K too much mileage? Is there anything else I should watch out for or that stands out? I am excited about the prospect of of getting a Protege5, but I am concerned about whether I am making a wise decision or not. I also noticed it was quite loud when he drove it to show it off. Could I quiet the car a bit to lesson the unwanted attention it might get?

Thank you!

 

[Bastian]

104k is really not much for these cars, there are members on here that have 270k on theirs.

Timing belt should be changed before 110k. Also, inspect the body for rust above the rear wheel wells, in the door sills, and under the hood. Either avoid a rusty car or offer a lower price due to rust.

If he has an aftermarket exhaust, etc, making the car loud, you would most likely be able to find stock parts on this forum. People part these cars out all the time on here, you just have to be on the look out. You could probably make some money on those parts if it's not what you're in to

Treat these cars well and they will treat you well.

 

[Hatchy Zoom]

Thank you, swag wagon. I will ask the seller about the rust (He lives quite far from me) and I will inspect it more closely before handing over any money. I will also have to consider the cost of the timing belt. I'm not planning on racing the car, and as far as I'm concerned, the less attention it draws from thieves and cops, the better. I am glad to hear that 104k is not something to be concerned about in a Protege5. I know I won't have the car forever, but I'm hoping for a good five years from it at least.

 

[Jordysoso]

If your still iffy, have a third party mechanic look it over.

 

[Hatchy Zoom]

It just occurred to me that it is lowered, which I'm none too keen on, and I have no idea how much it will cost to raise it.

 

[tweety2300]

with 104k and you not knowing how to drive a stick i would say to expect to replace the clutch within the next year or two unless your a quick learner

 

[tweety2300]

It jus occurred to me that it is lowered, which I'm none too keen on, and I have no idea how much it will cost to raise it.

depending on which springs it is you probly wouldnt be able to tell the difference. even droped these cars still look high

 

[Hatchy Zoom]

Here is a (bad, night-time) photo of the car:

A close-up:

 

[hat1018]

Why don't you want it lowered?

 

[Hatchy Zoom]

Why don't you want it lowered?

Speed bumps, rocks, and cops with a chip on their shoulders (dropped cars tend to call attention).

 

[hat1018]

It appears to only be slightly lowered, so that shouldn't get too much attention. Speed bumps are a different story, I wouldn't be overly concerned about them though.
If it is going to cause problems you could always keep an eye on the "for sale" threads and pick up stock springs. Then sell your lowering springs, which may be difficult since you may not be able to identify the brand and the effective drop.

 

[bazooka joe]

before you do anything you need to get the code read...i wouldn't go by what the seller is saying alone, have the mechanic confirm what it is...104 miles is nothing as long as it was well cared for..timely oil changes etc...have it thoroughly inspected top to bottom and take for a real good ride, an hour or so, get it up to temp...highway and back roads...it's sad, but many of these cars even at 104 miles have been beat on. because it has some mods, i'd be very diligent in my inspection!

 

[treybrad]

...take for a real good ride, an hour or so, get it up to temp...highway and back roads...

+1. I bought my second P5 last winter, thinking I knew what I was doing I took it for a quick test drive, looked over the usual trouble spots, and paid cash and drove off with the car.

A week later, I take it on a road trip, turns out the clutch chatters pretty bad (warped flywheel, common problem) once it's been warmed all the way up like running on the freeway for an hour or more. It didn't, and still doesn't display any symptoms of having a problem until you drive it for more than 20-30 minutes.

Just some food for thought.

trey