Mazda Protegé

the_big_h · April 2001

I'll do it if there are more people that wants to do it... how many folks on this board are from MD/VA/DE area?

vocus · April 2001

We had a pretty good turnout last year at the MAPP. We all met in Front Royal, Va. in this park (the name escapes me right now). It was a pretty good time with music, a little cookout, and good conversation. I think last year 7-8 people attended, including family/friends of Protege owners. It was kinda a far drive for me though, about 125 miles one way. Maybe they will have it closer to Maryland this year, if they have it again.

Then again, there are at least 3 people down here in the MD/DC/VA area who have Proteges. We could always hook up and do something together.

hboyd · April 2001

We also eventually need a Southern Calif. (or Southwest) area Protege Picnic!!!! SoCAPP!!!
It's getting warmer here too... although with bits of winter weather occasionally popping up!

My chief at work asks me many questions about my '01 ES nearly everyday... she may jump the Nissan ship and buy a Mazda soon...

MARTIN

maltb · April 2001

How many Proties on this board live in So Cal. As far as my memory serves, You, Jerry, and PCalvin are the only ones. Any others?

sfrat · April 2001

I'm in the MD/DC area, currently near Baltimore, will be moving to an apartment in Bethesda in the near future. I would be up for a get together of some sorts.

Also, got my new issue of Road and Track, they have a "First Drive" article on the 01 Pro ES. Its a very favorable review of the car, I'm sure they have it online somewhere as well.

Taking my Pro on its first road trip, going to North Carolina for the weekend. Zooom! Have a good weekend everyone

vocus · April 2001

I kinda thought you would be involved in the get-together, because I knew you were in the Baltimore area already.

The road test from Road & Track should be posted online (http://www.roadandtrack.com) within a matter of days. I cannot wait to read it myself.

Steve, enjoy your first road trip and have a good and safe one!

mdaffron · April 2001

Meade here, back at your service! I, yes, I, who do not suffer from any kind of self-importance complex at all, single-handedly organized last September's Mid-Atlantic Protege Picnic! (Well, I did have SOME help ...)

If you want the rundown and pics, go to Prototech (http://www.geocities.com/negatize/prototech.htm) and click "Town Hall Group" and then click the text link to the Protege Picnic photos.

I may have to delegate my leadership role to Paul or Larry if we have another one this summer. I'll be up to my earlobes with a new baby and a new job. (Unless, of course, you guys want to hold it down here in Richmond for me ...)

HA HA!!

Meade

vocus · April 2001

Is it a further drive to Richmond than it was to Front Royal? I am not trying to drive my butt all day long to get to some picnic!

I drove 125 miles last time (I think we all did), and it almost killed me!

Let me know.

gitarzan · April 2001

That www.geocities.com/negatize/prototech.htm is a great web site.

I got another link from there for a Protegé web ring: nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=mazdaprotege&list

That Mid Atlantic Picnic looked like a nice day out...

tocan · April 2001

Here is a link to YET ANOTHER positive review of the Protege ES. Ho hum. ;-)

It comes from The Globe and Mail (Canada's National Newspaper).

http://www.globeandmail.com/globemegawheels/20010405/mazda.html

Nomi

theparallax · April 2001

That website was made my me, thanks for the comments!

fowler3 · April 2001

..it's sort of a mustard color with lots of metal flake in it. Unusually bright for a Mazda color choice. Parked in a row with other Pro's, even the Silver looks dull. But for some reason it grows on you each time you see it. You should see the ES version...the black interior and alloys are fantastic with this color.

fowler3

speedypt · April 2001

And have the MAPP, SoCAPP, and the CAPP (Chicago Area Protege Picnic) all on the same weekend. Maybe we could even get Mazda to spring for some goodie's or coverage in MyMazda.com? Meade, you up for writing a letter to Mazda North America?

Hmmmmmmm?

Pete

gitarzan · April 2001

Here's the review of the 2000 LX that pushed me over the edge:

http://www.automotive-review.com/protege.htm

I was about 80% there and this made up my mind to get my Pro'.

tocan · April 2001

The review gitarzan mentioned above is the 2000 Protege LX. There is also a review of the 2001 at http://www.automotive-review.com/2001protege.htm

This was the review that first told me about the five door that I am eagerly waiting for.

After discussing the pricing of the different trim levels, he goes on to state that the hatchback is "simply the most stunning compact extant".

Nomi

topazmoon · April 2001

Hi Kids!!

I've been lurking around here for the past week and thanks to all of you and your wonderful posts about your Protégés, Jerry aka jstandefer and John Hine Mazda in San Diego, I'm now the proud owner of a 2001 Millennium Red LX 2.0, automatic with keyless entry. Thanks to Jerry, I hooked up with Tom Lopez at John Hine and he managed to locate a Protégé in my desired color, offered me John Hine's bottom line price (4% over invoice) with no haggling, gave me a good price for my trade-in, got me approved for the Mazda 4.9% financing and had me in and out the door in 2 1/2 hours. Finally a pleasant car buying experience where I was treated with courtesy and respect.

I had been in the market for a new car for the past three months. While I was happy with my 2000 Toyota Camry LE, I wanted something smaller, easier to park and more fun to drive. I loved driving my roommate's Echo (for a small car with 108 hp, it's super fun and peppy and nearly 30 inches shorter than my Camry), but I didn't have quite enough legroom. So I began my hunt for the perfect car. I test drove a variety of cars (Saturns, RAV4, Highlander, Corolla, Civic, Elantra, Accent, Prizm, Sentra, Golf, Jetta, etc.) and couldn't seem to find the right combination of what I wanted in a car. I loved the equipment/options, gas mileage, reliability and resale value of the Civic, but I was unimpressed with the power (believe it or not, I thought the LX felt more zippy than the EX). I liked the Elantra since it had the same options as the Civic, had more horsepower, a longer warranty and a great price, however I didn't like the style of the car (I thought the Accent was cuter). The rest of the cars didn't exactly impress me or were out of my price range. Until last week I had resigned myself to giving up on my search for the perfect car. All I wanted was the fun and pep of an Echo with the power, options and comfort of a Camry plus good reliability...it seemed my dream car had not been invented yet:-(

Then after I ran across a post in Edmund's Town Hall, I took a second look at the Protégé. Early in my search I had test drove a Protégé LX, but was disappointed in the power...so I crossed it off my list. However, after reading nearly two years of posts in Edmund's Protégé boards, plus reading reviews in Consumer Reports, Edmund's, CarPoint and Epinions.com, I decided to take a second look. On Tuesday, I test drove the ES and was impressed with the power and the fun factor. I felt like I had finally found the perfect car. However I wasn't keen on the dark interior, the spoiler or the alloy wheels. Luckily I learned about the LX 2.0 and was able to test drive it the next day...it was perfect :-)

While my local dealer had a very nice Light Sandalwood LX 2.0, my heart was set on a red Protégé. So I asked him if he could locate one. He told me that only the ES came in Red and it was next to impossible to locate. I told him I needed to think about the Sandalwood Protégé and began to wrack my brain. I knew the LX 2.0 came in red and I was determined to get one. I then remembered that Jerry aka Jstandefer worked for John Hine Mazda in San Diego so I decided to contact him. Unfortunately, Jerry no longer worked for the dealership, but was able to hook me up with Tom Lopez and the rest as they say is history. I emailed Jerry on Wednesday, talked to Tom on Thursday and tonight my baby is sitting in my driveway.

While I had to drive 75 miles to pick up my car, I feel it was well worth the trip. Not only did I get the car I wanted, but I met Jerry and was able to thank him personally (Big Thank You, Jerry!!!). I also got a better price for my trade...$1300 more than all the other dealers and wholesalers had offered me for my car. Plus I got the 4.9% financing...E-Loan offered me a 60-month loan at 16.95% and PeopleFirst turned me down (I have very good credit, but a high debt/income ratio). I was also able to take care of most the details via phone/fax which saved me valuable time.

I can't wait until tomorrow to get a good look at my new car in the daylight. She's a darker red than I expected (Jerry's Protégé is a gorgeous shade of red), but she looks classy. I also need to give her a name then arrange to have a cassette player installed (I'm addicted to audio books). After playing musical cars over the last five years (Civic, Camry Solara, Camry), I want to "zoom zoom zoom" with this baby for a very long time.

Cynthia

*My Deal*
Protégé - $15772 ($150 less than CarsDirect.com and $86 less than Edmund's TMV)
Tax - $1187
Doc - $45
DMV - $255
$17259 out the door

theparallax · April 2001

Congrats on the new car! Looks like you got a great deal!

notminehers · April 2001

Congratulations on your new PRO !! You made the right choice!! We also spent much time looking for the perfect car and test drove most of the vehicles you mentioned. For fun factor, price, styling and reliability you can't go wrong with the PRO. We are planning a weeks vacation to L.A. and San Diego in early May.....while flying makes the most sence I would much rather "fly" down I-5 in style at 80 mph. If I see one of the Pro picnics scheduled in that area I will be driving!! Have fun and keep us posted......Greg

glideslope · April 2001

Stopped by my local Mazda dealer today. They have 4 Red ES'. Yes, that's right 4! three autos and one 5-speed. They have around 25 01 pro's on the lot. Mostly ES' and LX 2.0's. It's too bad they build up on the lot around here. There are a couple of Green ES's that have been on the lot for close to 3 weeks!

Take a drive up to Central New York. I'll bet you could get a great deal. Hopefully the Honda, Toyota mind wash will fade up here some day.

I could spend an hour just walking around the lot!

Mark.

protojay · April 2001

I just bought an air filter for my 99 Porotege LX, but the damn thing doesn't seem to fit. I checked the part # and it supposedly is the right part. Anybody ever install a K&N filter on ya protege? What was the part# you used? Appreciate the help.

chikoo · April 2001

Since 195/55-R15 are not available easily, i was surfing arounf for the next best available size. My first thoughts went to 205/50-R15 since Jerry is already using it as a one size plus equivalent to 195/55-R15.

Look what I found:

Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 205/50WR15 Revs Per Mile: 875

Yokohama Avid T4 205/50TR15 Revs Per Mile: 897

Bridgestone Potenza RE910 205/50TR15 Revs Per Mile: 902

Dunlop SP Sport 8000 205/50ZR15 Revs Per Mile: 906

Bridgestone Potenza RE010 205/50ZR15 Revs Per Mile: 911

How come so much discrepancy in REV/MILE between different tires of the same size?

for your reference:
Bridgestone Potenza RE92 195/55VR15 Revs Per Mile: 887

newcar31 · April 2001

I just drove my 01 ES from Minneapolis to my school here in WI and this thing is really affected by cross winds. Its really windy here now, but I couldn't believe how the wind had its way with my car. The Road and Track article probably won't be on the web for a while. I know with Motor Trend, it can sometimes take 2 months after the issue hit the news stands. They basically loved the chassis and the looks. They also said that a chassis this good deserves a better engine because of the 2.0L's unwillingness to rev. I actually prefer an engine that doesn't have to work its guts out just to get up to speed (can you say "Civic"?) Congratulations to all the new owners of the "best in its class" protoge.

chikoo · April 2001

you cannot have best of both the worlds in an engine, meaning willingness to rev and low end torque. The just do not co-exist in a single engine.

If you got low end torque, you get better pickup without working it's guts out but then the egine is not going to rev easily.

that's engg. limitations as of today.

chikoo · April 2001

I find my ES just as affected by winds as my ford taurus station wagon.

In fact the ES does extremely great. My friend who has a 300M thinks there is hardly any difference between the ES and his 300M in crosswinds.

go figure.

newcar31 · April 2001

Actually there are many cars that rev and have good low end torque. They are usually turbo or supercharged engines though. I'll name a few: Toyota twin turbo I-6 (almost no turbo lag), General Motors' LS-1 V8, Ford's DOHC 4.6L, Nissan's new 2.5L I-4 (sentra SE-R), Ford's 2.0L zetec motor in the new Focus-R,---all these engines rev like crazy but also provide good low end grunt. The idea that you can't have both is an old idea. It is true on many cars you can't have both, but not all. I would prefer to have low end power however, if i couldn't have both. In reference to the cross winds, I was comparing the ES to my old integra and mustang.

jstandefer · April 2001

Cynthia,

It was an absolute joy to meet you finally. Again, congratulations on your new Protege!! The Millenium Red is quite a classy color- it complements the Protege's more formal lines. From what Tom told me, you were absolutely thrilled with the way the Pro drives and that you are quite an aggressive driver (at least on the test drive)... that makes you the perfect owner for a Protege! ZOOM ZOOM

I'm just stepping out the door for a trip up to Northern California. This will be a good 12 hours and by far my longest trip in the Protege. I'll report on the trip when I get back on Wednesday. In the mean time, everyone keep ZOOM ZOOMING!!

BTW, if anyone is interested: the Protege 5 (the Sport Wagon) will hit dealership floors in the next couple of weeks. John Hine Mazda, my local dealer, didn't order any of the Sunburst Yellow ones :-( Oh well... I guess I'll just have to wait...

the_big_h · April 2001

as I was driving down Leesburg Pike near Tysons Corner today, I noticed in my rear view mirror a car that I haven't seen before on the road. Sure enough, it was a emerald green 01 protege (still got the temporary license plate!). No doubt about it, this car looks GOOD.

but whether it looks BETTER than the 99-00, I shall let you guys be the judge...

here's my .025:
IMHO, I think the 01 looks just as good, but NOT BETTER than the 99-00...

fowler3 · April 2001

..real performance and high fuel economy. It's a trade-off, that's why you bought a Protege instead of a Civic. You'd rather ZOOM between fuel stations rather than putt-putt.

Getting there can be ALL the fun.

fowler3

chikoo · April 2001

When I say smooth revving, I mean light tap on the gas pedal and the tach goes up effortlessly...just like that...

I guess I have yet to drive one such naturally aspirated car that does have both low end grunt and silky smooth and SWEET revving. all FORD engines I have driven -Duratec/Zetec- don't sound sweet when revving up....somethin' missing... can't really say what tho'.

newcar31 · April 2001

What I meant by the ability to "rev" had nothing to do with smoothness. What I meant, and what Road and Track meant, is the ability to pull reasonably hard almost all the way to redline. The 2.0L in the protoge is smooth, but the power noticably drops off well before redline. With that being said, I can say that the GM LS-1 and Toyota twin turbo I-6 pull furiously all the way till redline AND they are smooth, I have driven cars with both engines. I know these engines are found in relatively expensive cars (supra, camaro, firebird, corvette) but saying that you can't have it all is wrong. The new 2.5L nissan and 2.0L zetec (focus R) are also supposed to be smooth, with good low end torque, a healthy midrange, and a good high end. These cars are N/A too.

the_rock73 · April 2001

Anybody know the MSRP for the 2002 Mazda Protege 5 Sportwagon.

tocan · April 2001

I've been watching really carefully. They have not yet announced the Canadian MSRP. In the Mazda 5 door Sport discussion on both the hatchback and station wagon boards (it is linked to both) the resident Mazda expert has given his view of the US MSRP. Since he seems to have inside knowledge I assume that he is correct, although the US MSRP has also not been announced.

Nomi

stanley8 · April 2001

I just test drove the 2001 Protoge ES auto. What a car! I have been shopping around for a compact and made the rounds at all the dealers. The Mazda has them all beat, no doubt about it. The others can't compare for the $$$, looks and performance.

Now, all I'm waiting for is the rumored new hatchback model due out in a month or so? I love to see what it looks like.

groharlem · April 2001

www.protegetech.com and scroll thru there. It should have a listing for the 5 door sport hatchback on the homepage (i might be mistaken) if not, check the news section.

tocan · April 2001

In the discussion "Mazda 5 door Sport" on both the hatchback and the station wagon boards there are quite a few postings with links to pictures.

Nomi

norcan · April 2001

Why is there open body space around the trunk lock? I don't recall seeing this on any other cars. Could this be a problem in future? - concern is moisture/ice trap.

vocus · April 2001

I saw my first 2001 Protege on the road besides mine, yesterday. It was a silver DX model. I haven't seen any more ESs besides mine on the road yet, and no black Proteges (in person, anyway) in 1999 or newer form. I feel special now!

Lovely day here in Baltimore. Didn't go to work today (allergies), so I was out earlier ZOOM ZOOMing around with the sunroof and windows open. (It's like 80 or something here!) Realized I will need to tint the windows a little darker, or roast this summer. Next project for the car I guess.

I was on the road this afternoon, and saw someone from middle school in his Civic EX. I always disliked him, because he was such a showoff in school. Well, we were at the traffic light together, then it changed. I dropped first gear at the 6500 rpm redline, and left him cold!

Sorry to gloat, but he didn't think he was hot then!

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!

protegenic · April 2001

Well, actually it is kind of a dull yellow at this time due the pollen we have in Atlanta right now. I have not had my windows tinted in this car yet, but I have not noticed it being too terribly hot either. Those summers in Texas must have toughened me up.

groharlem · April 2001

Well, i just got emailed that I violated the terms of service because I was promoting my message board, and website. I'm am deeply sorry for posting such things, as I guess the information on my website is worthless. After all, I haven't made a single penny off of it yet. I LOVE Protege's, and think everyone who drives them are interesting....compared to some of the honda civic drivers who like to cut me off on the highways, with their 200 dB exhaust >:(. Well I hope you understand

browntrout1 · April 2001

I think the Protege was always quick off the line (the 1.8L). I find that the wheels spin very easily in first gear and that's from only dropping the clutch at 2000-2500RPM. It had plenty of torque, you just have to be in the right gear to use it. In the end, high HP/low torque engines are always faster than low HP and high torque. Ever see the number on an F1 car...700HP and 200-250 lb-ft of torque. I think it would have been better of the new 2L engine was tuned to put out 140-145HP and 130 Lb-ft of torque.

Peak torque is very misleading too. The torque curve has to be flat as well. Honda does make engines with low torque but the torque curve is very flat...like and Integera Type R. Yes, I am somewhat defending Honda becuase they do make some very nice engines although the SOHC in the new civic is not a very good example.

Personally, I don't mind if the engine is somewhat of a screamer and it only has marginal torque output. I hope mazda decides to bring some of there V-Tec like engines to North America and slap them in the Protege. I think the Japaneese Protege (Familia) has a 170HP 2L or 1.8L engine in it. Sounds pretty sweet

fowler3 · April 2001

I have been to the largest Mazda dealer's business six times in the past three weeks and they haven't sold a single Protege from the first shipment. All the Pros they had I photographed several times on Sundays when no sales people were around. Must be hard to deal with. But the other dealer, in High Point, NC, sold only 4 last month, so he said.

Not to worry, the Honda dealer has about 40 Civics he hasn't sold. They stretch in a line side-by-side for about 200 feet. I'd hate to be paying interest on those.

Could you guys answer a couple questions?

What is the small button on the shifter? And what are the vent slots in the sunshade for? I have never noticed those on other cars with moon roofs.

fowler3

hkchan · April 2001

Assuming you're referring to an AT, it does the same thing as "D3" and "D4" on a Honda. Instead of having two positions, "D3" and "D4", Mazdas (and Toyotas, etc.) have only "D". The small button toggles between O/D off (D3) and O/D on (D4).

mdaffron · April 2001

But I'd be interested to know what kind of stuff everyone's been able to tote around in their Protege.

My most recent vehicle, prior to my 2000 Protege ES, was a 1994 Mazda (built by Ford = piecajunk) pickup. So I was used to hauling basically whatever I want, when the damned thing was running.

I surprised myself a few weekends ago by being able to place a Type 1A (heavy duty) 6-foot fiberglass stepladder in my Protege, with the back seats folded down, and SHUT THE TRUNK to take it home. And no, I didn't have to recline or slide the front passenger seat forward -- my pregnant wife rode home from Home Depot with me and the ladder.

Another amazing tidbit -- I went to Lowe's about a month ago and purchased FIVE 4x8 sheets of OSB (which aren't too lightweight), along with eight 8-foot 2x2s. Of course, I had to have the OSB cut into thirds (it was OK, I was flooring my attic), but with all that weight (and mine too -- check out my photo on Prototech; I'm not a lightweight either) the car did fine. (Well, my ES rode and handled like a Buick Roadmaster, but it made it home OK!!!)

Anyone else stretched the limits of Protege utility?

Meade

norcan · April 2001

Yep, let's see. Beginning of March, me and 2 of my neighbours headed off to Costco. Put into trunk: 4-40 lb boxes of kitty litter, 6 cases of 24-cans pop, 6 jugs of juice, 2 cases of laundry detergent, and about 10 bags of groceries. I still had my curling broom and a small shovel in back. Closed the trunk with room to spare.

With 3 adults and trunk loaded handling didn't seem to be affected at all, plus I saw my ES reflected in the Costco building as we pulled out of the lot and the back end of the car looked normal.

Meade. Re. Sun shade vents - good question, need to ask someone with Mazda insight, right maltb?

Trunk lock - I'll ask again, why the air space around the lock?

sfrat · April 2001

I made it to North Carolina and back this weekend. Got caught in the traffic on 95S on Friday afternoon when a truck full of treated sewage spilled south of Fredericksburg. Yuck. Stop and go for three hours. Protege ran wonderfully, no complaints. Saw a 2001 Millenium Red Pro ES in Virginia from Quebec! He was a long way from home. That's the second ES I've seen so far.

maltb · April 2001

I took home a new front door from Home Depot the other day. Although I couldn't fit it all the way in, a ratcheting tie down kept it from coming out. I have the same problem as you Meade. After coming out of a truck, I don't consider what I purchase. I buy it, take it out to the car, scratch my head for a minute, load it up somehow and go.

My guess is that the sunshade vents allow you to tilt the glass up and keep the shade closed.

Norcan, explain your trunk loch question. The only time I worry about ice is when I go to the quicky mart and hope that they have ice in the soda machine.

norcan · April 2001

Hmmmmmm, there's a wee space around the loch, it's just floating i'there I tell ye. Take a closer looch.

maltb · April 2001

I'll take a look at lunch.

Note to Malt:
LLL (look lock lunch)

This issue may be as elusive as the beast of Lochness.

Can you tell I suffer from sleep deprivation?

mdaffron · April 2001

I love the humor here. Just go read another topic -- this one looks more like a fraternity -- or even maybe a family. It has ... dare I say ... SOUL!

Aye, I doon't recall any wee bit o'space arewnd mah loch, man, but I'll lewk latair fer ye.

One little idiosyncracy that did take me by surprise occurred this past Sunday when I was installing new license plates on my Protege. The two threaded holes for the trunk-mounted plate go right through to the trunk! My original plan was to take off the old plate and wash the car so I could clean off the grit and dirt that had built up behind the plate, but I had to block the holes with the screws so I didn't shower the trunk! I guess this is common on many cars, but it just kind of surprised me -- kinda makes me want to put some silicone or something in there with the screws so moisture doesn't weep its way in there.

Norcan, I wasn't the one who asked about the sun shade vents, but I agree with your idea.

Sfrat! You drove right by me here in Richmond! If there's a next time, let me know ahead of time and we'll meet up somewhere.

Norcan, I don't know how long you've been on this topic, but last winter I discovered a neat feature about our Proteges that involves icing in another way. I had the misfortune to turn on my windshield wipers to try and clear ice (no snow, just ice) off my windshield, not realizing that the wiper blades themselves were frozen to the windshield. I saw them move about 1/4 inch and stop, the motor obviously straining to pull them free. By the time I stopped the car on the side of the road and freed them manually, they wouldn't move at all. I tried turning the switch off and on for at least a minute or two. "Damn," I thought, "I've burned up my wiper motor." ... or at least blown a fuse. Nope, all the fuses were fine. Oh well, I thought, back to the dealership. Just as I was beginning to fabricate a tall but believable tale so I could get the motor covered under warranty, I tried the wiper switch one more time. Swish swish!!! (Not to be confused with ZOOM ZOOM, of course.) They were back! There must be an overload protection feature in the wiper circuit that resets itself after a few minutes. They've worked fine ever since!

Meade

norcan · April 2001

Meade. Sorry, you're right, sunshade was fowler3's question. Talk about out to lunch.

Re. wipers, I sure hope the motors are protected because I do that all the time - turn the wipers on without checking if they're frozen. I hate when that happens

Pro'ers, IMO, the red is absolutely gorgeous, saw it when I first went looking, a 2001 ES with a 'sold' sign in the showroom. It sold me! Only reason I didn't get same was that my last 2 cars were 'reddish'. Just haven't seen one on the road yet. Of course, I also like black, silver, sand, seagreen, etc

Mazda Protegé

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