2000 Mazda Protege

1.8L 4 Cylinder Gasoline Fuel

Automatic

JM1BJ2218Y0221087

KBB says the private party price on this car with this mileage is between $2,000-$3100 and the Trade-In value is between $1,100-$2000. Well, first and foremost, the car runs and there are currently no known problems. Yes, it really does have 338,000 miles on it. I brought the car brand new back in 2000 and now that I have a wife and 6 kids, we needed an updated 2nd car (my commuting car). I've been the primary driver on this car and since I bought it I have taken good car of it driving it with care and also maintaining it as best as I knew. I've always tried to never stress the car's engine. I don't "gun" the gas pedal when first accelerating and I don't speed excessively. The great majority of the miles on this car are highway miles where I routinely set the cruise control between 66-72. In many ways I drive like a grandparent! :) In regards to maintaining, I personally change the oil on average every 7,500 miles which is exactly what is prescribed in the manufacturer's car manual. I have changed the spark plugs and the belts twice; once around 125,000 and again around 250,000-260,000. The only manufacturer's recommended maintenance I didn't do is flush the transmission fluid at 100,000. I didn't remember it needed to be done until around 200,000 and at that point 2 separate mechanics told me I was better off not flushing it and if I did do it there was actually a chance I would cause a problem (something about sediment settling and it would be disturbed and possibly get lodged somewhere it shouldn't). If it were solely up to me, I'd still be driving this vehicle. It's my little baby and has treated me very well over the past 12 years. Perception is reality and with 338,000 miles, the perception from my wonderful wife is that she's worried she'll be driving the vehicle when it dies one day (however, it's like worrying about an 60 year old guy that seems to be in great health and has had almost perfect health throughout his life . . . chances are he's not dying tomorrow, and hopefully neither is this car). Like I said, the car runs and honestly I think it runs great. For the first 4 years this car was driven about 22K per year and for the last 8 it is up to 32-36K per year. I commute ~58 miles to work each way. Here are some of the other good things about this car: The car gets GREAT gas mileage. It is listed as 24 in City and 29 on the Highway but I know that I get 30 MPG (I do almost all highway miles and I don't speed excessively and I don't "gun" the gas pedal almost ever). The car has only broken down once and otherwise is a model of the cheapest car to maintain ever (is this where the infomercial says, "past performance is not an indicator of future results). It's an AUTOMATIC! I personally change the oil in line with the manufacturer's recommendation. The spark plugs, and all belts have been changed twice. Once at around 125K and again at around 250-260K. All other parts are original (except for the driver side mirror which had to be replaced after someone hit it). The NEWER TIRES were bought a little less than a year ago and were rated for 70K so they're probably a little more than half of their life remaining.When I bought the new tires last year I also had a wheel alignment completed.NO SMOKING has happened in the car.POWER WINDOWSPower Locks (only works on 2 of the doors but probably is a minor fix). Here is the things wrong with the car or that you should be concerned about: I never had the transmission flushed (see above). One long scratch on the driver's side (see picture) Other nicks and scratches on the car (it's 12 years old and has driven lots) One section of where the exhaust pipe connects to another section is being held together by like a wire clamp (see picture). It's worked well for almost a year now. I didn't want to spend the about $100 to fix this item when I knew I might be getting rid of the car soon. The check engine light has been on for probably 2-3 years. I haven't seen this result in a more serious problem yet. The power locks only work for 2 of the doors. The windshield washer fluid container has a hole in it so if you pour stuff in there it just goes out the bottom which means you can't spray anything on your windshield. The back right rim is bent so that when you drive, from behind, it looks like it's contantly wobbling. (I've been told it's about $75-$200 to get a new rim from a junkyard). The arm rest where the driver puts his left elbow, has a hole it it (hmmm, guess how I must sit during those long commutes . . . ) Here are some other specifics about the car:1.8 Liter DOHC 16 Valve, 4 Cylinder engine4 wheel independent suspension15" alloy wheelsIntermittent wipersCruise Control Cloth UpholsteryRear seat is 60/40 split and you can lay either side down and get into the trunk (I've used this a few times to fit bigger or longer items in the car) Obviously this car is being sold as-is. I'm hopeful that this car lasts the next buyer for as long as they desire but obviously there are no guarantees. Well, that's all I can think of right now. If you have any questions please let me know. On May-05-12 at 19:51:38 PDT, seller added the following information: Also, NO PETS have ever ridden in this car!On May-06-12 at 19:23:27 PDT, seller added the following information: 2 other things I just remembered: The passenger side handle to open the car isn't there (it's visible in 1 of the pictures). For the past 6 months or so months and only about once every 2-4 weeks and only if I make a sharp right turn while driving over like 20 mph, there is a "clunk" noise (the noise is just a one time noise).