Mazda Protege5

Sporin

Good idea, but probably not. The bulbs are held fast in the housing and there is usually some screws or something that let's you adjust the whole light housing around.

There are so many screws and nuts back there though, that I am afraid to just start twisting them till I find the right one.

My old Volvo had 2 white, knurled knobs you could just reach down and turn with your hand... very easy to adjust.

compensate

There is one more factor than can affect acceleration: the torque curve of the car.

Some cars have very sharp torque curves, while others have smooth torgue curves.

Case in point: the 1989 Mazda 626 GT (turbo). While it was only rated at 145 hp, it had 190 ft lbs of torque and a very smooth torque curve. What this means is that the engine delivered good torque across all rpms. For 145hp, this car was a bullet. Mazda actually published the torque curve in their borchure - it was pretty level from about 3,000rpm to redline rps.

Just another view of hp/torque and their affect on acceleration.

1phat5

does anyone know of any company that makes either lowering springs or coil-overs for the car yet?

bluong1

Kevin,

yes, torque curve certainly is an important factor. But IMHO, a flat-torque-curve engine is less dynamic than a flat-power-curve engine. In the second case, even greater percentage of maximum power comes already at low RPM, whereas a flat-torque-curve engine will give a power curve almost lineally proportional to RPM. A flat-power-curve engine usually characterized by a maximum torque reaching at very low RPM. Turbo engine and Diesel engine usually have peak torque at low RPM. The new 1.8Turbo engine on the 2002 VW Jetta has peak torque at 1950RPM, and I think it's one of the best engine out there. Unfortunately, less and less commercial brochure publish these curves. BTW, anyone ever seen the brochure for the P5?

Bruno

csuftitans

Meade, I would've come if I live anywhere near DC, but I'm in SoCal. Anyway, I wish we could have something similar to what you guys have over there.
BTW, I've seen about 15 P5 on the road since we bought our black P5, most of them are silver and white.

If anyone looking for Protege MP3, I saw one at a Mazda dealership in Glendale, CA.

zoom-zoom

iamz

Morrie's Mazda in MN has a YELLOW MP3. Absolutely beautiful. Better hurry if you want to see it.

newcar31

I can vouch for that. The 626 turbo was a bullet. I used to have one, a 5sp. They were actually faster than the newer 626 V6 5sp cars. Everyone who rode in it swore that it had more than 145 hp. That thing was truly a ROCKET. It was my first car. I was looking at accords and camrys and I stumbled upon one of those gems. After I drove it, I was hooked by the turbo rush. It completely blew away all of the camrys and accords that I have driven. For its time, it was a FAST sedan. I remember racing my Dad in his fairly new 92 camry V6 automatic with 185 hp and I absolutely blew his doors off. It was really funny too because my Dad was talking trash about how his car had 40 more hp and it was a V6....bla bla bla. I said, OK Dad, lets go race on the frontage road. Thinking he was going to wuss out and he would never race; I watched him go grab the keys to the Camry. After the race, it seemed like he had about 50 LESS hp than the 626; the results made it seem like an unfair race. I miss that car. It was a genuine beast of a sedan. It was THE car that got me into cars. It was stolen from the local mall and when I got it back, I sold it. It still ran solid though with 144,000 miles on it. If only the Protege had that engine......

jstandefer

Look for the 2002 Mazda Protege MPS... should be quite interesting...

Sporin
The passenger side headlight has a high cutoff that angles upwards towards the right. It always looks high and some drivers think you have the high beams on (I have the ultra-white lights in mine, so you can imagine what I put up with). If you are concerned about the headlight alignment, take it to the dealership. It is an adjustment issue and is covered for the first year or 12,000 miles. They should check the alignment and re-aim them to factory specs as needed. Should you get a ticket for them, at least you'll have the paperwork saying that the dealership aligned them to factory specs.

Sporin

jstandefer,

Thanks. :-)

newcar31

Yeah, I heard that car will have a turbo or something. They are cool, but I would want something a little more understated. The MPS series of Protege is a little too "boy racer" for me. Part of the beauty of the old 626 turbo was that it was a sleeper. It was fast and it looked classy at the same time.

dallas_fella

Thanks for all the great info on this message board. I purchased my new silver P5 last night in Arlington, TX. Not only did the dealer knock $1500 off the sticker, he gave me 4.9% financing. I feel like I stole the thing. I pick up the car tomorrow morning. I sure hope I like this little machine...sounds like you all do.

alana3

Hi,

I just wanted to let y'all know that I bought my new Blue P5 yesterday. It is so wonderful. Thank you so much for y'all helps.

Alana

jstandefer

Here's a sleeper that currently sits (heavily discounted I might add) in Mazda's line-up: 626 LX-V6 5-spd You could easily get into one of those for under $16k after huge rebates and discounts. These things fly...

Otherwise, I am absolutely positive that we will see a forced induction system that will be available for existing 1.8L and 2.0L Protege's.

bluong1

Jerry,
What are those forced induction system?

razorrabbit

razorrabbit

This is why 145 HP would be ideal for the P5!! But I drive the car for the looks...

Looks First then performance for me!

csuftitans

The Lexus's IS300 Sportcross looks very similar to our P5's design. The roof-line is almost an exact copy of the P5's roof-line, it would be hard for most people to tell which one is which if they look at it from the side. Remember that Mazda came up with P5 about two-three years ago in the form of Mazda 323 Astina/Lantis. Mazda's been selling this car for the past couple of years in other countries like UK, Australia, Japan, hong kong, etc... So which company copy the design??? This really bugs me, kinds like the way Infinity copy Millenia's taillight design for it's I30.

vocus

Would it make you feel better to know that the Dodge Neon that beat you probably was broken down on the side of the road up ahead?

jstandefer

The Neon has always been an excellent performance oriented economy car. Reliability is another issue...

I have no idea what forced induction systems will become available. I have heard that there are a few companies working on a turbocharger for the '99 and '00 ES models with the 1.8L engine. It wouldn't be that hard to modify it for the 2.0L engines (if any modifications are required at all).

butler11

Just checking to see if anyone would be interested in putting together a P5 meet somewhere in Ont.Let me know and I,ll will see if there is enough people interested.Thanks

boopoppa

is this offer still going on??

boopoppa

my dealer like alot of other places puts their name decal on the back part of their cars. Is there a way to have them not do it? Do they charge some sort of advertising fee? My pro5 is finally en route and I can't wait. However, I would much prefer not to have a big decal of my dealership on the back hatch.

boopoppa

mudflat

Simply tell them that you don't want one on the car, but try to tell them before they slap it in place. Some dealers will give you a song and dance, but they'll fall all over themselves heeding your wishes if they think it'll cost them the sale.

elec3

I've also noticed that the P5 looks uncannily similar to the Lexus sport utility vehicle (RX300 is it? I can't remember but they only have one model). Anyway, if you see one, take a close look. It looks a whole lot like a tall P5. Roof line and rack are very similar. The body lines and window shapes are very similar. The rear hatch and taillights are similar. Even the wheels have the same design. It's kinda cool IMO

protege_fan

I agree with Mudflat. I flat out told them that I did not want the dealer sticker on my Pro. They said no problem and that was that. I did let them put on the dealer license plate holder though.

mazdadude1

I have noticed the imitation also. But the angle of the back is different and I prefer the Mazda look here. After three weeks of driving my new Phat Protege5 I am still grinning as I drive. I go out of my way and take the long-cuts around town just so I can spend more time in my Mazda. I like the sound of the engine under acceleration, the seat fits me like a glove, all controls at finger tip, and the car holds a curve. Plus it just looks sharp. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I guess we Protege5 owners should be flattered about the Lexus attempt.

vocus

If it's already on, then get some Goo Gone and peel off the sticker, then wipe away the residue from the sticker with it. I did it with my 2001 ES, and you can't even tell there was a decal there. Took off the paint stripe with the same stuff.

duh_ster

i 4got to tell them to take it off, so i just took it off myself. no biggie...i think the back end looks a lot better without the excess clutter...(IMO)!

peteach_3

Does nobody have any advice on the best car wax/polish for the P5? I ahve found myself being very careful with what I use. I have not waxed the car yet because I want to do it Right. Hope yall have some advice!!!!!

Thanks

boopoppa

it's still available? how do i know if my dealer is truthfully telling me that I don't qualify? my credit record seems pretty good to me, i.e., no late payments.

pittdp

I got mine about three weeks ago and am finaly getting to drive it since it is now broken in, zoom zoom zoom.

bluong1

Teresa,

I don't know what is the best polish/wash for P5, but I guess P5 paint is not much different than that of others cars.
I think more important is doing correctly the waxing procedure, i.e, you need to perform the following: wash you car, clean the paint, polish it, and then wax it. Never do it under direct sun light and hot temperature. A good care requires about 1-2 waxing per year.

Bruno

dallas_fella

Hey pittdp, I don't know what I was thinking! I purchased my new P5 at Freeman Mazda in Iriving, not Arlington. Did they tell you that you needed to break it in somehow? Like Toyota says to not go over 50 mph for the first 1,000 miles (or something like that)? I drove mine off the lot with 3 miles on it, and had to gun the engine to get on eastbound 183 (ugh), so I hope I'm not ruining it already! Hope you're having fun. I love this car so far.....

bluong1

The user manual say that "no break in is necessary, just few precautions at first 600 miles (1000 km)". As far as I remember, the precautions consist of:
- avoid brutal breaking
- not hard acceleration
- not staying long on high RPM,
- not cruising at the constant speed (alternate with different speeds).

I guess you can go over 50mph. I was cruising mine in the range of 60-80mph for its first 600 miles.

Bruno

vocus

I know someone upgraded the stereo of their P5 not too long ago, and wrote about it in here. Can someone refresh my memory about it? What did the person do, and also is there speaker wiring in the back doors behind those grilles or not? Just curious. Thanks.

bluong1

See elec3's posts #1112 and #1113

Bruno

iamz

Polishes are abrasives. Do not use ANY polish on your new P5. Wash it well like Bluong1 says, but then go directly to the waxing. I use 100% pure carnuba wax.

The only time you need to use a polish is if your paint is oxidized.

audia8q

When a customer tells me they dont want our dealer sticker on their new Mazda...I mention that if they let me put our dealership sticker on the car...I will make sure a "Zoom~Zoom" sticker will find it's way on the buyer new car...
so far, I've managed 100% dealer stickers..LOL

Rich

mustang87

But then offcourse that Zoom-Zoom sticker is probably free if they ask for it anyway, right?
So, you are cheating them?
I think those dealer stickers are rediculous and i got lucky. My yellow did not have one. They put license plat holder/frame in place in the back but its the kind that does not cover the plate in any way, so it does not contain the dealer name or any stuff like that.

Financing.
THE DEALER FINANCE DEPARTMENT WILL SCREW YOU OVER. EVERY MONTHLY PAYMENT THAT YOU MAKE IS AT LEAST A $1 MORE THAN IT SHOULD BE. SO in 3 years you paid the dealer ripped off from you another $36 bucks if you are carefull, more if you are not.
I guess its not a lot, BUT THE FACT IS THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF.

In 4 years, (i am 21) I have not had one late payment to my credit cards and always pay my balance off monthly. My credit report and grade? is above 700. I think/believe 700 is average.
When I went to see the finance guy he tried pushing me 9.9%. This Jamaican guy WILL BE fired from Marlin Mazda. If it wouldn't be for my dad i would have slapped him back to ...
I calmly told him about 4.9-60 months and 1.9 for 36. He was like "oh, yes i forgot". Then he started giving me 4.9% for 36 months. Dude, are you stupid or something. Finally he told me the right monthly payment at 1.9% for 36 months. And it was a little more than it supposed to be. I had computer prinouts with me. Generally if the monthly payment they give you is $2 over what its supposed to be or less that is good. There is nothing you can do THERE to show them that its wrong. If its more than 2 bucks they are screwing you over. And don't get that stupid gap insurance if your ins. cover the car when you drive it off the lot.
There are programs on the internet for free that do the computations for you and you can change all the variables like down, term, rate. Run it. Print out all the diff combinations so there in their office you can see what is better for YOU. Bring the forms with you. If you don't, god help you.
Never trust the finance guy. ITS YOUR MONEY. My sales guy was good but still an airhead.
Oh yes, check your credit report when they finnish printing it out. At this point the sales guy will point out how good it is and some of its features. If it is good you should get the 1.9 or 4.9. If not tell them to show you why its not good.

BTW, Mazda offers coupons on its Mazda.com -> My Mazda site. Oil changes, brake jobs, and 10% off parts and accesories. I didn't have a chance to go back to dealer so I don't know what accesories they have for PR5. Anybody has a list? Thanks, Dima

audia8q

kinda quick to assume to somebody got cheated arent you?

try to find a zoom-zoom sticker at your local dealership..LOL

mustang87

No, I am not assuming, i am asking. And if its not the case then i'll gladly offer an apollogy.
What does the zoom-zoom sticker looks like? Anybody has a pic?

BTW, went to Gunther Mazda in Ft. Lauderdale. They did not have any accessories for p5. Protege winshield sun blocker is $24 (That's not cheating?).
The guy did not know anything about the paint that could be bought. Told me to get the part from the door. Isn't that his job? I tell him what I want and he finds the part # and the part? Am I missing something.

To audia8q:
I guess you work at the dealership. Any tips/hints on how and where to get one of those protege5 posters sales guys hang in the cubicles? Thanks.

Would anybody in this group be interested in posting to a usenet discussion newsgroup if we had our own?

aardvark_mark

So much for dealer loyalty.. The customer is paying over 16k for a car and he has to negotiate for a sticker.. yeeeeeah I'd buy my next car from that guy..

ugh too much tension in the air these days..

Anyways.. I now have 725 miles on my silver manual p5 and I'm loving every mile!! It's so much fun to drive I actually go out of my way on the way home from work and explore new areas of my neighborhood. (recently moved)

I was looking for a 4 door car that was

- around $16k
- fun to drive
- reliable
- good looking
- got good gas milage
- and had plenty of cargo room

and now I find myself smiling as I drive, happy in the fact that I found everything I was looking for!

Thanks for everything Mazda!! (except for the dealers who make you beg for stickers)

-Mark

bigfish2178

peteach_3, consumer reports did a review of car polish and wax a couple of years ago and Nu Finish (bright orange bottle, usually around $8 -$9)finished first and got their best buy rating as well.

mp5freak

Just wondering what everyones thoughts were about the Elantra GT. I bought a Blue P5 a couple of months ago, before the Elantra GT (EGT) was released. If it had been released before I bought, I certainly would have looked at it.

From what I can see (and I don't claim to have done a thorough comparison), the differences are:

- EGT has more options (leather?)
- EGT has slightly more power
- EGT is cheaper
- EGT is uglier (IMHO)
- EGT is made by Hyundai - cheaper make, but with the longer warranty...

I'd be interested in what other owners, or hatchback shoppers think about the two. I'm more than happy with my P5, and don't regret it a bit. But since the EGT is a few thousand less I believe, I can't help but wonder whether I would have got as good a car and been able to afford to do a few other things with the cash I saved...

Thanks!

mp5freak

Just my 2 cents about the polish question for the P5.

There are two different ways to "polish" your car really. You can use an all-in-one "cleaner", polisher, waxer. I believe Nufinish is one such product, but they are also made by Mothers and Meguires and are called Cleaner Wax. These types of all-in-ones usually contain mild abrasives (or sometimes chemical cleaners which are supposed to be gentler). These types of products are meant for those of us who don't care about keeping their car absolutely sparkling 365 days a year. So they are meant to be used 1-4 times a year to clean off contaminents that don't come off with regular washing, and give your car a protective coat of wax.

The second way you can protect your car is to use a "system". Both Mothers and Meguires have a traditional 3-step system. Step one is a cleaner, which only needs to be used 1-2 times per year. The second step is a polish, which really makes your car shine, prior to the third step which is applying the coat of wax to protect that nice shine. The shine gained by using this system is usually superior to the all-in-ones.

Hope that helped a bit. I personally used an all-in-one about a month after I got the car. Probably wasn't necessary to wax at all, and it definetly wasn't necessary to use a product with a built-in "cleaner". But I was lazy, so that's what I did. Quite frankly, water beaded up quite nicely on the paint before I waxed, so I'm sure I could have waited a few months, until winter was near.

At a bare minimum, I would recommend washing your car once a week (by hand using cotton terry towels or touchless car wash), and waxing with an all-in-one twice a year. And get any bird crap or road tar off immediately! By following those simple rules your paint should be protected reasonably well with a minimum effort.

If ya need more info, take a look at the waxing forums in the Maintenance & Repair section.

vocus

I have a 2001 ES, which is about the same inside as the P5 (I have been in both). In the Elantra, the center console rubbed my leg too hard and was uncomfortable. Not so in the ES/P5. Also, there was a very unpleasant smell to the interior of the Elantra, true of most Korean cars (the undercoating, I think). Not so with the P5/ES either. The Hyundai warranty might be longer, the at least with the P5 you won't have people saying, "you bought a HYUNDAI????".

meinrad

I test drove both back to back one day, I would seriously consider the Elantra except that I could not sit in the rear of the Elantra comfortably without hitting my head on the roof (I'm 6'-2). In the P5 I had no such problem. Besides the Hyundai name I felt as though I was driving a Mazda or Honda or whatever. Price not a condideration it's all P5 for me, but if price is a condideration, I truely feel the Elantra would not be a bad choice.

pocahontas

For more discussion on this subject, you may also want to check out our ongoing Hyundai Elantra HB vs. Mazda Protege5 HB discussion. Happy Motoring! ;-)

Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards

audia8q

if you had bothered to read the post...the trade was a sticker for the dealer sticker on the car.....so perhaps you should learn to read better to understand what your replying to.

Our Mazda E-care score(dealer CSI) us one of the highest in the zone so I guess trading sticker for sticker is a good business practice... i am only basing this on the results of our many buyers. BTW: We are also the #1 sales leader for the P5 in our district...

Rich

vocus

What kind of idiot would trade a sticker on the car for anything? I think personally that dealers should give you a discount to carry their name around on the back of your car that you are paying for in that case anyway. Someone got really attitudey when I was shopping for my 2001 ES about that sticker. So I walked out of their dealership.