you have the ES so you at least have the 1.8... but it still only puts out 122hp /120tq
any power mods are going to be just about worthless thanks to the slushbox automatic tranny
keep everything from the intake to the exhaust stock... anything you do here will be little more than a noise maker
things you can play with if you want is the suspension and brakes... upgrading these will make the car more fun and overall more rewarding to drive hard... but its still an automatic so it will never be
that much fun
i have a 2003 Protege5 (2.0 130hp/135tq) 5 speed... the previous owner put on an intake and cat back exhaust
its slightly faster than my friends stock 02 P5 was but still very far from "fast"
the P5 has better suspension thn the standard Protege and its still nothing to write home about, which is why i suggest upgrading that if anything
also the brakes on these cars suck... at very least get some Brembo rotors and some Hawk HPS or HP+ pads, swap out for some braided lines and get some ATE Super Blue brake fluid in there... that will make them "good" still not great
over all my P5 is a nice car and i like it very much... its not "fast"... hell its barely "quick"... but it handles well... the brakes suck (but thats on the short list of shit to replace)... overall its a great everyday driver... but having had an automatic protege as a rental before... seriously you couldnt pay me to drive it everyday if it was an automatic...
if you want a protege that IS fun to drive... look into the mazdaspeed version