Mazda Protegé

dinu01

And like Todd (newcar31), I had a black car before (Civic) that was a pain to keep clean. Even rain would leave spots all over it. No mor4e black cars again. Silver hides dust well.

If I had my choice a rally/lapis/sonic blue or firetruck red would be nice.

Dinu

newcar31

I've had a red Subaru, a red Prelude, a maroon 626, a dark green Mustang, a black Integra, and now a silver Protege. Silver is by far the easiest to maintain. The only thing that stinks is that you can't see left over wax very easily after you wax the car unless you look at it in the right light. Besides that though, I've been really happy with silver. I think it looks sharp with the black interior and my 35% tint windows.

dinu01

Silver ES and 35% tints?

Dude, that's my car!

Dinu

newcar31

Sounds like you have a good looking Protege.

dinu01

Although I don't have the alloys and ABS (and most importantly 4 disc brakes - yes my brakes fade at times. Maybe I should drive more conservatively?). Mazda Canada just made these standard this year on the PRO ES.

Dinu

protege_fan

fowler3

cooler in the summer and easy to keep clean, except in winter. But then all cars look bad in the winter.

My 2001 Pro LX is Sand Mica. Previous vehicle was a Honda Odyessy with Heather Mist (similar to Sand Mica) and the one before that an Accord, same color. Not as shiny as darker colors. Next car will be some other color, Sand is easy to get tired of, although, it stands out in parking lots making your car easier to find.

Silver is good, probably the best of the bunch.

Mazda changed the Sand color for 2003, it looks more like Silver, has a different name.

I don't know what color will be next: I have had 10 blue; 4 green, 3 gold (Sand); 2 white; 3 silver; 2 burgandy; 2 grey; and 2 ivory. I'm not bragging, guys, I'm complaining. The total price of all these cars from 1954 to 2001 is $175,610! That's a lot of money down the drain. Keep your cars as long as you can and make wise choices when you trade. Many people buy only 4 or 5 cars in a lifetime.

I read a review of a book with the title, "The Millionaire Next Door." The author interviewed people who were worth at least $1-million. All of them bought cars used, at least two years old, and in good condition. They invested the savings (initial depreciation) the rest of us lose when we buy new. Dealer's are still happy to see you, they sell used cars, too. Something to think about.

One way to choose a color is to see the car you like, in a color you are considering...when it is a little dirty. If it still looks fairly good put that color on your list. You might not always be able to wash it weekly.

fowler3

fowler3

In 1981, I bought a Mazda GLC hatchback, the two-door version of the 323, special edition, in Silver with black houndstooth trim. A sharp little car that inspired the Ford Escort. Price $6,295, only competition was the then small Accord for near the same price.

In 1986, I traded it for an Accord. A few weeks later the dealer called and said he had sold the GLC to an elderly couple and they had brought it back, the heater didn't work. I told him THAT's why I traded, but not to worry he would probably sell many new cars from the GLC.

When I traded the '86 Accord for a '92 Accord, the dealer told me he had sold the GLC to five different buyers, all had brought it back because the heater couldn't be repaired. All had bought new Hondas -- Civics or Accords. He was happy, they were happy, and I was happy. That's the car business.

fowler3

protege_fan

Just get the colour you like.

mazdafun

Too bad they discontinued that on the sedan. Looks great on the P5 though (although I am a bit more partial to the yellow on the P5).

mdaffron

... to extoll the praises of Emerald Mica, since he owns two in that color. Mine's Emerald Mica as well, a very popular Miata color.

Emerald Mica is the best.

Blue is offered on every car under the sun. Blue is commonplace.

Dark green is harder to come by. Very sexy. Sorry guys.

Meade

dinu01

How are those tires holding up? The Potenzas.

Dinu

meinrad

Jim, if we didn't buy new cars, there wouldn't be any used cars for those people to buy!

and who cares what Meade says, my blue car is best!

vocus

The black is really hard to keep clean, and shows every little mark. The silver (my 99 DX was silver) was very easy to keep clean, and didn't show hardly anything. The white on my 96 Cavalier and my current car was/is pretty easy to maintain as well.

protege_fan

Maybe dark green isn't easy to come by for a reason (ie. it's fugly)?

vocus

You just had to say that, didn't you?

protege_fan

Heh...just offering some food for thought.

vocus

I personally don't think the green's that much different (until you get close up) from the black. I like both though, but silver seems to be the favorite with Protege buyers, that's what color I see the most on roads.

protege_fan

I agree...I remember Meade posting a pic of his car and I thought it was black.

The Pro does look good in silver. I almost pulled a "Vocus" and traded in my '01 Pro for an '03 Pro w/ the new blue colour (MP3 blue?). I was so tempted...but really, all I'd be getting is a new colour and some side-markers...oh and that hideous chrome on the trunk...ugh.

Still...trading in for an '02 might not be too bad...the financing rates for 60 mos are a full 2 percentage points lower than my current loan!

chicagopro

"...the new blue colour (MP3 blue?)"

Laser Blue Mica.

Keep up.

:P

protege_fan

I think it has a different name for the P5/Pro sedan, although I hear it's the same paint code.

You keep up.

protege_fan

It's laser blue...no mica BS....Mica would indicate "flakes" in the paint.

Bite me.

maltb

What's colour?

Is that something you do with Crayouns?
.
.
.
.
keeping it light....

vocus

If you could trade the car without going negative, and don't mind extending the payments for 2 more years, then there you go. Keep your wheels though, the new alloys on LX models are veru ugly (IMO).

That color is very pretty, someone here at work had one in the lot the other day that was the laser blue color. Someone also has a black 02 one, just like my 01 ES was, only with a stick shift and different nameplate on the back of it.

protege_fan

Well, the LX Laser Blue '03 Pro I was looking at still had steel rims (avec crappy hub caps) and manual windows. If I bought an '02 ES-GT (moonroof, AC, etc), my payments would only be 30 bux higher than they are now...assuming I put down about $1500. That said, I KNOW I could talk them down in price by a fair margin. Maybe it'd end up being the same as my current payments...oh the hamster's running on that wheel now!!

Maltb: You'd have to come up to Canada...then you could see all the colours in the rainbouw. (BTW, that's NOT how we spell rainbow)

chicagopro

I guess we're both right.

According to Mazdausa, the colour for the sedan and P5 is Lasour Blue Mica.

MICA.

USA!

USA!

maltb

are you off today or breaking the rules?

chicagopro

Sigh.

I'm breaking the rules.

Okay, back to my dungeon now........

protege_fan

Wanna see mica flakes?
http://maniax_00.tripod.com/goonspage/id5.html

Click there and scroll down a bit. I guarantee the Laser Blue doesn't have that.

Take your Hacksaw Jim Duggan rantings elsewhere.

protege_fan

But what about the resale value???????

maltb

nice price, but 55k and a new front end?

a serious test drive should tell you what you need to know about it though. If it's still sound, you'll fall in love with it.

maltb

Be respectful; Gee and Anon always do the same for us.

protege_fan

I'm gonna have Dale email you a copy of her new Pclub avatar for me.

protege_fan

You know I was just messing earlier.

Anyway, what about an aftermarket moonroof?

h109

Mine is a 00' sand mica. I bought it for a reason, though I like the white best. I live in an apartment and cannot clean it as often at the car washes. Now, don't tell me to go to those DIY washes :-( sand mica hides so much dirt that I some times have to remind myself to get it washed ;-) And, after a rain or at night the sand looks so clean & new. Btw, even a faded Sand or silver looks fine. i liked the silver too for similar reasons. But, too many silver cars on the road made me think twice :-)

But if you can keep it clean (i.e. washed), a white with alloys & a spoiler looks so cool (elegant???). How I wish...

vocus

Aftermarket roofs lower the value of the car. I don't know why, because they are covered for the lifetime of the car. But I was told they do lower the value, by Carmax, when I went to sell them my 99 DX (which had an aftermarket roof).

vocus

The white on the Protege is 'too' white, if there is such a thing. Dale's car is white, and it's a little brighter than my white is.

the_big_h

The original person that was suppose to organize it at VA Beach this year couldn't do it, so he passed it to someone else in the area. So far I haven't seen any updates regarding the meet from these new organizers....

kids, what do you expect *sigh*

protege_fan

I don't think they're worried about the value of the car.

The fact that it's been in an accident lowers the value much more than adding a moon roof would...at least that's what I would think.

protege_fan

Ok, so I've been playing around at www.mazda.ca and configuring Pro's.

For a 2002 ES-GT (Includes 16" Alloy Wheels, 195/50R16 All seasons radial tires, Rear Disc Brakes, Moonroof, Body Coloured Rear Spoiler and Air Conditioning for $2,695.00), the price, including taxes and freight/pdi is $23,470.45 CDN (payments of $431.19 at 3.9% for 60 mos).

Now, for a 2003 ES-GT (Includes Air Conditioning, Moonroof and Rear Spoiler for $1,895.00), the price including taxes and freight/pdi is $23,454.40 (payments of $441.54 at 4.9% for 60 mos).

I realize that the '02's should be discounted, but according to MSRP, the '03 is cheaper (not taking financing into account).

Ok, ok..I'm bored and thought this was interesting.

protege_fan

Just to offer a relative price, try $23807.50 CDN for a Civic LX-Sport (5-spd sedan) with Honda Canada's best financing rate of 6.8% for 60 months.

vocus

Dang, Canadian prices suck big time! They currently have Civic LXs for lease in the US for $139 a month for 3 years I think. Honda is also offering 1.9% financing for either 36 or 60 months. And Mazda has been doing 0% on pretty much all their cars for awhile now.

protege_fan

Mazda is doing 0% financing on 24 or 36 months here in Canada (for 2002's)....but who can afford payments of $977/month???

I hate our economy...our dollar is worth less than yours AND the cars cost like 50% more! ARRRGGHH!!!

meinrad

you had nationalized health care.

Isn't that supposed to make it all better?

vocus

That explains why Civics, Corollas, and Proteges are always the best selling cars there. Some automotive specialist I talked to a long time ago through work told me that Canadians have less 'expendable' income for cars, so they buy economy models more than larger models. Now I see why.

protege_fan

For me, a guy that rarely sees the inside of a hospital/doc's office, it bites...for the poor/ downtrodden, it's great.

You're right...it does make it all better.

Oh Canada...

tomciviletti

Black paint is the softest - scratches easily.
Silver is the most likely to beakdown from UV exposure.
Purple tends to fade.
Bright yellow, chartreuse, bright orange, are the most visible.

fowler3

car paint, but green sign paint fades the worst. Blue cars fade quickly, too. And red is bad. How often do you see red cars with paint down to the metal on the roof, hood, and trunk lid? Pretty often here in the South. At first I thought they washed and waxed them too much; it's the sun. On some, though, it's just thin paint.

The Mazda3's will have a medium grey, wonder how that will last? Of course, I've never had a car long enough to see the paint fade.

BTW, "colour" is the Oxford (dictionary) spelling, learnt from the Brits. And so is "learnt", as opposed to the American "learned".

fowler3

fowler3

Right about used cars! In my time I have made more than a few affordable for co-workers.

Oops, lights flickering. Another danged ice storm.

fowler3

mdaffron

You never told us the aftermarket roof had a negative effect on your trade-in value. So maybe THAT'S a reason for all your moaning on resale value?

Are you ever worried that all the aftermarket stuff you've done to the J---a might adversely affect your resale val -- er, I just remembered you LEASED the car ... with the add-ons (chip, suspension, etc.) plus the high mileage, you're in for quite a rude awakening come end of term!!!

Meade