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Mazda Protege5

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    berry6berry6 Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone. My name is Tiffany and I'm a college student doing a report on the Mazda Protege5. Could a couple of you answer a couple of questions?
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    tetonmantetonman Member Posts: 73
    I would post a link....
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    pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    Go ahead. We're the most questionable people you'll find...
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    the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    questionable people they are :-D
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    pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    1. My Protege5 is:
    Yellow__5__14%
    Red__5__14%
    Black__5__14%
    Blue__5__14%
    Laser Blue__2__5%
    Silver__11__30%
    White__4__11%
    37__100%

    2. My favorite color for the Protege5 is:
    Yellow__9__25%
    Red__5__14%
    Black__4__11%
    Blue__4__11%
    Laser Blue__5__14%
    Silver__6__17%
    White__3__8%

    3. My transmission is:
    Manual__21__58%
    Automatic__12__33%
    Sport Shift Automatic__3__8%

    4. I have a moonroof.
    Yes__21__57%
    No__16__43%

    5. I think the horsepower is adequate.
    Yes__25__68%
    No__12__32%

    6. I have replaced the stock wheels or tires.

    Yes__2__5%
    No__35__95%
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    dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I asked my local MazdaSpeed dealer about their allotment of MazdaSpeed Pros. This was their reply (via email, quoted directly):

    "Spread throughout next year, we will receive a total of 14 MazdaSpeed Protege's for 2003 (Seven Sedans and Seven Protege5 Wagons)."

    Hold the phone - A MazdaSpeed Pro5 Wagon? Oh my. I had heard rumors to that affect, but had written them off. I'm guessing that they come out after the MS sedans are gone, which shouldn't take long.
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    that's a terrible terrible news. What am I going to do with my current "normal" P5? I don't want to trade it so early, but then the MazdaSpeed wagon is so tempting. I hope they have other colors than this horrible Halloween orange.

    Bruno
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    dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I'm in the same boat. I may be getting a new job, and it may net me a big pay increase. I'm thinking about maybe replacing my 02 Pro ES with ... ???

    I vote for Laser Blue.

    BTW, the person who relayed that bit of info has since said that Mazda will "wait and see" and build the MS Pro5 only if MS Pro sedan sells well, building not until probably late next year if at all. I think he wasn't supposed to tell me about it - and I went and blabbed it to the net. Ha!
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    ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    Rumours and misinformation ;)

    Great news, really, if a MS version of the P5 is in the pipeline! I might prefer that over a Mazda6i hatch!
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    waydewayde Member Posts: 198
    I'm in the same boat as you, kinda of.
    I got my P5 a month before I got a new job with a great pay increase. Although I love the P5 - I would like something with the same handling dynamics that's a little bigger, with a little more "luxury" (not ES300 lux - sport lux). What else have you been thinking about?
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    dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I always have all sorts of potential future cars in the back of my head. I bet you're no different.

    My pay increase, if it comes, will be good, but not huge. So I've been thinking Acura RSX-S, TSX (4-door similar to RSX due out maybe next year) or WRX wagon.

    Or maybe just keep the pro and fix it up right.

    Those aren't quite what you say you're looking for (same handling, bigger and more lux). Do you want to stick with a wagon? Maybe the Mazda6 (wagon maybe due out next year?). IS300 SportCross (just how big was that pay increase? ;-) ).
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    groovypippingroovypippin Member Posts: 264
    I believe this is misinformation. There are two different MazdaSpeed protege sedan models for this year. The Great Pumkin we've all seen and a yellow model with a HUGE rear spoiler that is coming early in the next calendar year.

    My old man is a dealer principle so I normally know what is in the pipeline (at least for the current model year).
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    pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    What mileage rating do these Dunlops have? What can I reasonably expect to get with normal rotations, etc?
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    jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    You are probably better off saving your money. In general the "mods" that don't void your warranty don't deliver much HP for the dollars you spend. Not too many people are in the market for a used "mod" car; usually means it has been used and abused.

    I really like sport wagons and I like the looks of the P5 and the new Mazda 6 wagon. I feel lucky to have a SportCross, it has a great combination of LUX and performance. Yet at around 2x the cost of a P5 it surely isn't 2x the car, maybe 1.5x. The .5 can be nice at times though.
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    dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I wouldn't mod for power - the real power comes from the turbo kits - too much money. I'd probably just MP3 the suspension and brakes. I drive them until they are dead, so resale is of no consequence to me.

    How do find that inline 6 in your SportCross? I drove the sedan, and found the engine a bit lacking in thrust compared to the TL-S I drove just before it - but no wagon version for that. I was also a bit puzzled with the low EPA fuel economy rating. Other than that, the car was an absolute blast to drive up into the mountains west of Golden CO.
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    waydewayde Member Posts: 198
    I'm not "locked" into a particular body style. This is actually the first 4 door I've owned. Previous cars in last 6 years: Civic EX coupe, Integra GS-R (miss it), GTI (hated it - reliability issues), Ranger, and now my P5.
    Ranking from fave to least: GS-R, P5, Civic, Ranger, gti.
    A nice increase - nothing that means I'm runnin out to buy an M3 though.
    I've test driven SO many cars in the last month or so: WRX, TL-S, RSX-S, G35, Mini Cooper S, 4 Runner, new 03 Accords, and IS300.
    The IS300 feels completely different depending on whether you're driving the auto or the 5 speed.
    I kinda want an auto in my next car (not sure) so that's why I didn't get the IS300 - LOVED it in the stick, but no the auto. They seriously feel like different cars!
    loved the G35 too - but too much $ (not dealing like on the IS's)
    WRX/RSX - didn't feel like enough of an "upgrade" - the door panels and dash of the RSX really let me down - very hard plastic - th e P5 is much nicer in that regard.
    TL-S - nice, but too bland.
    Cooper - too little - wasn't impressed with the power - even in the S.
    New Accord - nice but too soft and normal.
    4Runner - liked alot but couldn't see myself drivin an suv everday.
    Gonna start to look at used: SC300/400, GS300/400. Maybe the new SAAB 9-3 - they look awesome!
    Thanks for readin this whole thing!
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    waydewayde Member Posts: 198
    do you have yahoo chat? I think we could talk about cars much better that way. My email is: waydeaschultz@mac.com

    I won't ever buy another vw/audi product - poor reliability and when you do go in the service is very poor (at least here in minneapolis).
    BMW - love 'em - but again, the dealers here are not very good.
    Volvo - too much for what you get. Maybe I just don't like em enough.
    New 9-3 has me wondering though....
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    stealthscottystealthscotty Member Posts: 4
    Greetings All! New to the group, certainly looks interesting.

    Just purchase a preowned '02 P5 in Vivid Yellow. Had more than usual chips in the paint on the front that I attributed to hazardous conditions frequented by previous owner. Unfortunately, with greater than my usual care, I am seeing more and more chips in the paint and I've only been driving it for 10 days! Has anyone seen or heard of problems with the paint on a P5 being overly fragile or lacking adhesion? This would be a tough warranty claim, but seems to lack ANY durability. Thoughts?
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    thelthel Member Posts: 767
    Could it be that the previous owner had some body damage and went to Maaco? I hear their Ambassador paint jobs are often prone to this sort of damage. Haven't heard anything about the P5 paint being real flimsy though.
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    jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    The SportX is not as fast as some of the competition for sure. As you have found with the P5 there is more to life than 0-60 times. I have had some fun with evil BMW 330s. Flat out the 330 is faster but the margin was a lot smaller than what I thought it would be. It would take an M3 to get me excited.

    Driven hard you will probably see 17-18 MPG in town and 20-22 on the highway. The climate control runs the AC a lot which probably doesn't help. When I first got the car I checked MPG a couple of times; now I just add gas and go. After feeding gas to big pickups for many years, to me the SportX is good on gas. I will take the smiles per gallon over miles per gallon.
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    m3fanm3fan Member Posts: 30
    Hi everyone.
    I was thinking of getting a 2-door VW Golf GL as my first car, but have found out that VW will not offer any 2-door Golfs in Canada for MY 2003. So, my choice was now 4-door Golf GL or Jetta GL. I really wanted 2 doors and didn't like the 4-door Golf, and as such I was down to Jetta. Then I walked by Mazda dealership and fell in love with the Protege5. I test drove it last summer and loved the way it drove. Even more stunning was the amount of features for the CDN$20,000 price tag. So, here I am looking for a P5 I just can't decide on the colour. Yellow screams too much for me although I love it. White is out of question, black looks good but IMO too serious for the zoom zoom. :) I remember really liking the Midnight Blue.
    Does anyone have pics of a Midnight Blue P5? I cannot find any on Google.

    thanks!
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    is fragile and this is a well known fact. There are several posts long ago in this forum about this problem, and someone even go father and speculates that Mazda doesn't produce many yellow because it's a difficult and expensive process and eventhough the paint doesn't stick well to the car body. My yellow P5 also has more chips than I would like. Since then I learn deliberately not to follow too close other car when I could, which is not a bad thing after all.

    Bruno
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=88349
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    hardoohardoo Member Posts: 31
    You wrote "Just purchase a preowned '02 P5 in Vivid Yellow. Had more than usual chips in the paint on the front that I attributed to hazardous conditions frequented by previous owner. Unfortunately, with greater than my usual care, I am seeing more and more chips in the paint and I've only been driving it for 10 days! Has anyone seen or heard of problems with the paint on a P5 being overly fragile or lacking adhesion? This would be a tough warranty claim, but seems to lack ANY durability. Thoughts? "

    As someone who has been eyeballing the P5 as my potential next vehicle, I too have noticed the chipping, particularly on the yellow models. I don't know if this problem is a byproduct of the yellow paint specifically, as Bruno suggests, or one common to all P5's but more apparent in the yellow. For me, it takes the interesting but conspicuous yellow out of consideration. I'm down to silver and the new laser blue mica.

    P.J.Heff
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    jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    Paint chips on the front aren't limited to just the P5. This is an issue with a lot of cars. There is a solution to the problem but it isn't cheap. The clear bras from X-Pel and others really work. It cost me $500 installed for the frontend, head lights, and side mirrors. I struggled with the price for a while but after it was all done I wish I would have had it done to my SportCross the first week I had the car.


    http://www.xpel.com/paint/product.asp?make=Mazda&image1.x=10&image1.y=12

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    reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    I am an owner of a Yellow P5 and have not seen the issue of paint chipping.

    When I do long highway cruises I put on the bra to keep flying debris at bay. I leave it off when just running around town and short trips.

    Bruce
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    subyaudidudesubyaudidude Member Posts: 136
    I haven't heard anything to that extent, but my salesman, who's travelling up to Detroit (IIRC) to drive the new MazdaSpeed Protege, said the RUMOR is MazdaSpeed will offer a bolt-on turbo for the 2.0 engine that will not void the warranty. He promised to let me know more when he hears it, so I'll keep my ear to the ground on this.
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    groovypippingroovypippin Member Posts: 264
    I've heard the same thing - that the turbo used in the MazdaSpeed Protege will be made available as a dealer installed option as part of th MazdaSpeed line of performance parts.
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    audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    The Miata is the next factory MazdaSpeed car and then the P5. No specific timetable, but they want to do one MazdaSpeed car per year.

    Parts will be part of the mazdaspeed program. I have not seen details on the parts warranty info yet...but will pass them along when I see something specific.
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    That's the one for me. :)

    Zoom zoom with room.

    BTW, they can keep the fancy Kenwood head unit with the teeny buttons. The stock head unit with upgraded speakers would be fine for me.
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    stealthscottystealthscotty Member Posts: 4
    I did look the car over very carefully for any signs of collision damage. I have extensive experience in collision repair so I am confident that this one has never been wrecked. The big surprise is that it keeps getting damaged even with extra care. I hope to work out a re-paint with Mazda but need some ammunition when I go to them.
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    sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    I would have to say that I have read numerous complaints about the paint on the P5's...not just on this board but on others. It does seem like the yellow gets the worst of it...but complaints have come from all colors. I've had my red one for almost 5 months now and I almost immediately got to small chips on the front rt bumper and just recently on a long road trip got a nice one on the hood(as if the culprit skipped across the surface). That said, I've not heard of anyone getting Mazda to admit a problem or repaint! =(
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    allen53flallen53fl Member Posts: 41
    They finally updated their website to show the 2002 show dates, (11/08/02-11/17/02):

    http://miami.eventguide.com/Miami_Event/100589.htm


    Definitely looking forward to seeing the M6 that everyone is raving about....

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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Sharon: >>>That said, I've not heard of anyone getting Mazda to admit a problem or repaint! <<<

    But they did send out those touch paint bottles for free. ;-) BTW, does your P5 get any lower?

    Bruno
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    sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Bruno,
    What do you mean by that? "BTW, does your P5 get any lower?
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    hardoohardoo Member Posts: 31
    I stopped by the local Mazda dealership last night and took a look at the one Laser Blue Mica P5 on the lot. Not surprisingly, it was also the only 2003 model they have. It is very sharp. It is conspicuous like the yellow without that ostentatious quality that the yellow may strike some as having. And I bet it would look great with the polished alloy wheels.

    It also had the Sport AT automatic. I didn't drive it, but it looked like an automatic with a clutchless manual option to upshift or downshift. It was interesting as I hadn't heard anything about it. As someone who previously had only been considering the manual, but might appreciate an automatic occasionally for traffic jams or kids, I now have something new to ponder. Does anyone have any experience with such a transmission or any other information on it to share?

    P.J.Heff
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    sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Hi...I have the sport-auto...but I must admit I've used the manual side very infrequently simply because I'm not used to it. It's wierd for me to be shifting without using a clutch etc.
    If in the manual mode you just tap the shift lever one direction or another to shift/downshift and the gear you are in will display on the dash. With all the traffic around here I just haven't found a time where there's lots of open road to experiment with it.
    My brother who's driven my car a couple times seems to like it though. One time he was passenger and I was driving and he insisted on shifting while I drove...I must admit the downshifting was a lil awkward. I think it's just something one has to familiarize themselves with.
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    The auto sport shift is far from a manual gear box for many reasons:

    - The true manual transmission have clutch and flywheel, and bearing which actually transmits the power more efficiently than the automatic box. You'll get few extra hp at the drive wheels.

    - The auto has 4 (instead of 5) gears, which cover a bigger range of ratio (yes, the last gear is actually taller), i.e., there is a bigger gap between two gears in the automatic car, even if it's called "sport".

    - You can't possibly control separately the engine rpm as to match the car speed or the smoothness when you release the clutch. This can be a big advantage of the manual transmission when taking a curve.

    So beside some convenient in the traffic jam, if you are manual enthusiast, you are better staying away from the automatic transmission.

    Bruno
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    golfboygolfboy Member Posts: 35
    I'm interested in getting some winter tires for my P5. Anybody here have any experience with this? It seems very difficult to find a tire that fits the stock wheels. As a side note, how are the stock Dunlops in the snow and slush?

    Thanks.
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I ran 15" steel wheels with 195/55-15 Michelin Arctic Alpins last winter with great success.


    They sing a bit on wet pavement but are pretty quiet on dry roads. Absolutely amazing in ice and packed snow. Here's a fuzzy picture of it...


    image


    I'm going to get hubcaps this year to try and make it looka little better. :-)

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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    do you know what offset those 15" rims have?
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I think it looks better without hubcabs. Looks more like a serious winter machine. I have 15 inch steelies with 195/60-15 Dunlop Graspic snows for my 2001 ES. The 60 profile really helps out a lot with the winter time Mpls. craters in the road. I had hubcabs for them, but they looked cheesy and the craters cracked a couple of em, so I took em off. Don't you love driving in the winter now that you have snow tires? I like kickin' hockey Mom Jeep [non-permissible content removed] at stoplights when there's a few inches on the ground. Those hockey Moms think they're so tough with their 4X4 SUVs. ;)
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    reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Am I running the same as Sporin. Very nice, no issues.
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    estoesto Member Posts: 136
    Any advice on where to get cheap 15" wheels for winter use?

    Thanks.

    Erik
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I just called TireRack and ordered the package. Not sure of the offset. It was around $530 shipped to my house last fall.
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    golfboygolfboy Member Posts: 35
    Thanks Sporin! I've seen a couple around here last winter with a similar setup. Looks alright. I just wasn't sure about the matching of tire profile to wheel diameter so that you don't screw up the ABS sensors.

    Reitrof, can you give me an idea of what you paid for your tires and rims in cdn dollars and where you went to get them mounted and balanced? Thanks for all the help from everyone!
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    The total diameter of the wheel (in inches) is computed as following:

    2*w*r/100/25.4 + s

    where *w* is the width of the tire in mm, *r* is the aspect ration (unitless) and *s* is the diameter of the rim (in inches).

    For instant the P5 has stock tires of 195/50R16, so w=195, r=50, and s=16. Using the above, you will find that the wheel has a diameter of 23.6772 inches. If you downsize the rim, try to keep the wheel diameter constant, so you won't screw up the speedometer. The abs should work fine as the blocking detection depends little on the diameter of the wheel I think.

    Bruno
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    there is few posts about the recent comparison by Car&Driver of cars under $16k US. Our cousin, the Protege Sedan, is in the test and get very good result. Some interesting numbers concerning car performances are also given.

    Bruno
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    reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Sorry. I got them from the same place Sporin did and the same price, Tire Rack.

    I am Canadian but live in the US.
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    mustang87mustang87 Member Posts: 129
    "I haven't heard anything to that extent, but my salesman, who's travelling up to Detroit (IIRC) to drive the new MazdaSpeed Protege, said the RUMOR is MazdaSpeed will offer a bolt-on turbo for the 2.0 engine that will not void the warranty. "

    I talked with the service manager at Marlin Mazda here in south florida, we are really on good grounds. He was at the dealer get-together 2 weeks ago for a mazdaspeed testdrive and he said that there will be no turbo kit available from the dealership. I tend to trust him but I hope he is wrong. I also talked to a mazdaspeed representative who was at the dealership and he did not say anything about new performance parts being available but did say that if you mod your car and something breaks, they (mazda) will not cover it under waranty. However last wednesday i noticed a woman at the dealership together with a guy and they were talking with dealership management. I also noticed she had "mazdaspeed" written on the sleeve of her shirt. then they went out to drive a 2003 laser blue p5. Hopefully mazda will decide to make a mazdaspeed p5 but better yet an affordable turbo kit.
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