Mazda Protegé

ashutoshsm · December 2003

I had one on my (older) Pro - made a world of difference, combined with the lower profile tires and light wheels I put on at (almost) the same time.

And you can do a lot better than 99 - look on ebay for used ones, or non-Mazda ones. Mine cost under 30 shipped, and the finish and quality were very high - yes, it didn't have the cool look and interesting cross-sectional profile of the Mazda one, but IF its 25mm sphero-ellipsoidal cross section was THAT effective, I shudder to think how much better the Mazda one needs to be to justify triple the price

ashutoshsm · December 2003

Yeah - manufacturers (and Mazda in particular, if they want to be serious about this 'sporty' image

) should chose their performance tires more carefully!

I loved my Falkens on my Pro, and having driven one of the newer Pros with the Dunops, I can say they were equivalent in the dry, and (going anecdotally for the Dunlops, my own experience with the Falkens) around 74,391 times better in the rain and snow.

And when Mazda decides to NOT use performance tires, they use solid rock-like tires (All Season Michelins on my 6) that hop and bounce (especially on turns under torque) even when its slightly wet and slip and slide when its wetter. Ugh!

Mazda, just cause the Michelin MX4 is good enough for Honda/VW or even Audi, doesn't make it good enough for a Mazda!

blueguydotcom · December 2003

Found on eBay:

99-02 MAZDA PROTEGE JDM FRONT STRUT TOWER BAR is priced at $10?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate- - gory=33591&item=2449373247&sspagename=rvi%3A1%3A1

How can that be? Little worried about that too-good-to-be-true price.

theparallax · December 2003

Isn't JDM at all, that's just tricky marketing.

The fact that it is only connected at two of the four strut tower bolts at the sides would completely cross that bar off my list.

I for one would go for the tried and proven OEM bar for 99 bucks than to risk performance for "style" because it's cheaper.

protege123 · December 2003

Hi, I thought I'd post this here since there seems to more discussion on it.

I've got the price of a new 03 lx down to $11,900 from a local dealer. Is this a good deal? I was the one who posted an earlier message saying I had been offered $12,500...after waiting a few days, the dealer called back and reduced the price.
The lx is an automatic has the abs/air bag and moonroof/6-cd package.
Tax is $873 and doc fees are $160. They're also charging me something called govt. fees at $15.
So the total out the door price is $12, 956.
Should i go for it?

Thanks for any advice...appreciate your time.

blueguydotcom · December 2003

I figured it was a bit shady just based on the price and dubious JDM moniker.

I'll shop around, check some forums to see what others are buying and from where.

speedypt · December 2003

Whether you drive a Protege, Mazda3 or any other vehicle, all the best to you and your family!

Holiday Regards,

Pete

lawman1967 · December 2003

Just took the Protege round trip from LA to Vegas, including through the big storm that ripped up San Bernardino wiht high winds and pouring rain.

The car was very comfortable for most of the trip, though wind noise was high on the return trip (40+ MPH winds hitting us head-on). Going up the car was very quiet at 75MPH with wind noise not at all annoying.

In the wind and rain the car tracked well and was very stable, though I did keep it slow. All-in-all, a very pleasurable car for the drive, and my wife felt very safe and secure in it.

chiyo · December 2003

Hi all!

My 02 protege LX auto is acting strangely. My car is at 30,600 miles. I haven't done the 30,000 maintenance yet [I had 800 mile round trip, it hit 30,000 on the way]. The last service was oil change 3500 miles ago.

When I drive, it feels like my car is lacking some push. For example, I was entering a fairly stiff-hilled highway entrance. When I use this ramp, under normal condition, my car revs at about 3 rpm and it slowly reaches 60mph. Yesterday, it revved at 3.5 but it could only reach 40 mph and would not accelerate with some more foot. Also, the O/D OFF light came on, even though I did not touch that button. Today same problem happened, but the O/D OFF light did not came on. Once I reached flat road, the car was able to reach 60 mph at 2.5rpm. But when I tried to get my car to go at 70 mph, the rev needle would rapidly move to about 5 and come back while making some engine noises, but the speed would not increase at all. The car seems to rattle a bit at 10-20 mph also.

I am guessing it's transmission problem, so I was thinking about bringing it to dealer. I think I still have some warranty left. But would Mazda say that my warranty is void they can't apply the warranty because I'm 600 miles past the maintenance?

I am planning to go to Mazda tomorrow, but I need some advise.

chicagopro · December 2003

(not sure about your problem, Chiyo...maybe somebody else here knows the answer)

Happy holidays to me...the day before Christmas, I received my six-month insurance bill from Allstate.

Thanks to a speeding ticket this summer, I now pay $1700 for six months on my '00 ES.

Happy New Year, everybody!!

--Dale

mazdafun · December 2003

They don't do anything with the transmission at the 30k service, so I don't see how they can use that against you. Plus, you were mid-trip.

Sounds like an issue with the transmission. Probably a sensor going bad.

Definitely take it in. At the very least, to have them log it into their records on your vehicle.

mazdafun · December 2003

Man, that bites. So, how many years good behavior do you need for that to go away?

Anyways, have a happy new year.

meinrad · December 2003

In my sleepy stupor after a day of skiing on Saturday I put a nice 14" scratch down my door with my ski pole. Of course it has to be right where I put my hand every day to get in the car so I can think about it all the time!

Dale: Geesh, if I had to pay $3400 per year for insurance I wouldn't be driving. The worst I ever had was $2000/year on my CRX. I was 18, had 1 ticket, and they considered it a sports car since it had only 2 seats.

chikoo · December 2003

ask the dealer to check out:

1. spark plugs and wires
2. ignition coil
3. Leaky intake manifold gasket

mazdafun · December 2003

Due to their newest vehicles: 2, 3, 6, 8. Glad to see them on the upswing.

lawman1967 · December 2003

I test drove a Mazda 3 sedan with the 2.0 liter engine and automatic (the base car, not the S). I was expecting similar sporty character to the Protege, but was dissappointed that despite the aggressive look, the 3 was almost generic.

Don't get me wrong, the car is fast, handles well and is much improved over the Protege in terms of NVH, but it just doesn't seem to enjoy being a car as much as the old one does.

mazdafun · December 2003

I can't confirm as I didn't test-drive any 3 (just sat in them...couldn't see out well enough to drive any).

kaiserhead · December 2003

I test drove a Mazda3 about a month ago, and I too, wasn't all that impressed. I have a 2000 SE with the 1.6L engine and the 2.3L Mazda3 really didn't feel anymore zippy than mine, despite a 60+ horsepower and torque advantage.

What I've always loved about the Protege is the stripped-down feel of the car, you feel every groove and bump in the pavement and the tight handling lets you have a lot of fun tossing the car around city streets. The Protege is a little flimsey on the highway and I'm sure the more substantial Mazda3 beats the Protege in this realm, but lets face it, highway driving is boring as hell, I want a zippy city car. The Mazda3 has a much more muted connection to the road, the downside of it moving up market.

I have a Mazda dealer down the street from my apartment and they have about 20 Proteges still on the lot, I keep thinking I should pick one of the last Proteges

gee35coupe · December 2003

I couldn't think of any car I'd rather commute in if I lived in a congested area.

newcar31 · December 2003

"I have a 2000 SE with the 1.6L engine and the 2.3L Mazda3 really didn't feel anymore zippy than mine, despite a 60+ horsepower and torque advantage."

That doesn't seem right. The 2.3L must've been running on 3 cylinders. The 2.3L in my heavier 6 is much more peppy than the 2.0L in my Protege. You should feel a huge difference between the 2.3L and the 1.6L.

mazdafun · December 2003

Though it's whether to pick up a P5. I really like my wife's '03 P5. But my '99 LX is still pretty good to me.

jlally1 · December 2003

I have an 02 Protege ES with 16 in alloy wheels and dunlop P5000 sport tires. I would like to go to a 15 inch wheel and same Diameter tire to get it to ride better on these New England Back roads.The Dunlops are not very good in snow and they appear to have a short tread life. Plus I not use to paying $162 for a new tire. The 16in wheels have a 5 lug pattern. Any suggestions on wheel/tire combinations. Thanks

mazdafun · December 2003

From what I found on Tire Rack, the '02 ES requires a 5x114 bolt pattern. Not sure about the offset, but the few I checked range from +42 to +45mm. Better check the clearance you'll need on the inside diameter for the brake calipers and anything else that might hit the inside of the wheel. It may pay to ask your friendly service dept what the specs are on the wheels.

Then check what wheels fit those measurements. On tires.com, what pop up under 15in, 5x114.3mm are a bunch of steels (black and chrome finish...doubt you'd use a chromed steel one as they all seem to use zero offset) as well as alloys of many different offset values. On tirerack.com, you can search 15in wheels if you select a set of winter wheels & tires. They won't let you choose anything smaller than the stock 16in using their regular wheel search.

I'd try to match the stock offset as closely as possible, without going under (I'm sure they pad it a little, but do you want to be knocking your brake calipers?). The more offset you have, the more tread wear you'll likely see on the insides of the tires, which may affect your car's handling (as the load is less evenly spread across the tread).

Too bad you can't use the 15in wheels from an '00 ES. They seem to use a 4-lug pattern (4x100), from what I find on tirerack.com and tires.com.

mazdafun · December 2003

You might be able to talk them into selling you a set of smaller wheels without having to buy a set of winter tires.

meinrad · December 2003

chiyo · January 2004

I took the car to the dealer, and the service advisor test-drove it. After a mechanic took a closer look, he decided that the transmission is slipping (he transmission could not transfer the engine power to the wheels, so the rpm would go up but the car would not accelerate).

They're replacing the transmission, and I got a rent car until they replace it. This could have cost me $1800!

(If anyone is interested, my car is 02 LX auto at 30,600 miles.)

kaiserhead · January 2004

Based on numbers, the 2.3L should blow the 1.6L out of the water, but "subjectively", it didn't feel all that more powerful. Maybe my expectations were too high, I thought that I'd be flocking to the dealer to get a Mazda3, but it wasn't enough of an improvement to give up the 2000 1.6L. I had a similar experience with the MINI Cooper S, another car that blows the 1.6L out of the water, but really didn't impress me all that much.

Now, when I took a V6 Mazda6 through the Mazda Rev It Up track (and a few pylons), I was totally impressed!!!!

mazdafun · January 2004

Good for you!

What exactly was slipping, BTW? Just curious.

fishytaco · January 2004

Hey all, I have a 2002 Mazda Protege ES with about 45k miles and the rear brakes have worn out. My front brakes are good condition. I have not had any brake work done on the car. It is all original. I have never heard of the rear brakes going before the front ones do. I am going to make an appointment with the dealer to bring it in to see if there is some defect with the calipers. I was told by the dealer that it should be covered by the warranty. Hope so. It is odd for the back brakes to go that soon. Has anyone had a similar experience?

moparbad · January 2004

Probably the cold weather in Antartica caused the rear brakes to freeze up and wear out quickly.

newcar31 · January 2004

"Now, when I took a V6 Mazda6 through the Mazda Rev It Up track (and a few pylons), I was totally impressed!!!!"

Well, a 5sp Mazda3 2.3L would surely blow that automatic V6 Mazda6 that you drove right out of the water.

blueguydotcom · January 2004

I couldn't think of any car [than a pro] I'd rather commute in if I lived in a congested area.

I could. My other car. My Pro's fun, economical and it gets the job done but I tell ya, on the weekends I'm back in heaven.

BTW, I must hand it to mazda for crafting the pro's suspension. I can get some nice oversteer with the right inputs. Nice switch from my old 01 Jetta that took a 28mm sway to get a hint of oversteer.

chiyo · January 2004

mazdafun-I am not sure what it exactly means, but my car would not accelerate beyond 65 mph.

Today I got my car back from dealer, but it says "remanufactured." I am concerned - what if the transmission breaks again after my warranty period? Do they usually do their warranty service with remanufactured parts? Regular OEM would give some more piece of mind.

lawman1967 · January 2004

If my car had 30-40K miles on it, remanufactured would be a like-for-like swap, but if the car was nearly new, I'd demand a new replacement tranny.

chiyo · January 2004

maybe that's why they have put the remanufactured one. But I'm just not sure about the quality of remanufactured transmission. I'm hoping that if it is going to break, it better break before the warranty expires.

boggse · January 2004

I would not worry about a reman tranny. Essentially what they do is only reuse the parts that meet the original tolerances. Everything else is new. This is a good thing as it keeps the price of cars down since warranty costs are lower.

kaiserhead · January 2004

The Protege faced its first true winter challenge today, the temperature dropped to 1 degree in Toronto and I had to drive the car to work after it sat in the parking lot for a few days. It groaned a bit as it tried to turn over, but after a few seconds, it just fired right up and was heating the interior in no time.

Its days like this that make me forget about all the little problems that I've had in the last year and is a great reminder of why I purchased a Mazda. All four Mazdas we've had have never left us stranded over their combined lifetime of 30 years.

mazdafun · January 2004

And was I glad to be back in my Pro, after sitting in that uncomfortable airliner seat. The air smelled a lot better too. Man, I really hate flying these days.

chicagopro · January 2004

Three years ago today, I took delivery of my lovely white '00 ES.

I'm now at 31,000 relatively trouble-free miles.

And now my warranty expires.

--Dale

the_big_h · January 2004

uh, do we need to recount all the stuff that happened to your white Protege????

meinrad · January 2004

kept your windows up the interior would be perfect too!

not parked where things would fall on it!

not had the dealer crack your windshield!

not got purse jacked!

mazdafun · January 2004

And condolences on the lapsing of your warranty.

But you probably won't need it.

chicagopro · January 2004

for that vote of confidence, Chow-chi.

Hey, most of that bad stuff wasn't the car's fault; it was my fault or an Act of Nature (or vandals or punky kids who wanted fast cash...)

Anyway, I'm still glad I bought a Protege.

subtone · January 2004

I'm thinking of getting a 2003.5 Mazdaspeed new for $17k
has anyone had any problems with this car?

other choice would be a Honda Civic "04"

please help

speedypt · January 2004

The Rev It Up event is happening again this year! I've already signed up! Same website as last year. Who will be the fastest driver in our group?

www.mazdarevitup.com

Check it out if you don't know what it is...one of the absolutely BEST ways to spend $40!!!

Regards and ZOOOOOOOM!!!!

Pete

the_big_h · January 2004

subtone, do a search on msprotege on google and click "i'm feeling lucky", you should find what you're looking for.

oh, and there's a day & night difference between a MSP and a regular Civic in terms of driving fun!!!

chicagopro · January 2004

Which day/time did you sign up for?

(and btw, I'm a little peeved...I registered at the site months ago to receive more info as it became available, and have heard nothing....what's up with that??)

boggse · January 2004

I have heard of no problems with the 2003.5. Earlier models (2003.0) had problems with vacuum hoses coming off when autoXing or at the track, but that was resolved before the 2003.5s came out.

Ted

mazdafun · January 2004

I'm all for a repeat!

Thanks for the heads-up.

I registered for a notification too, but haven't received any as of last night. I'll check when I get home today.

zoom zoom (oh darn, there are those cones again!)

kaiserhead · January 2004

Considering that I ranked 9046th nationally, I don't think I'll be much competition for you guys...but I plan to do it again and highly recommend it!!!

I just passed 63,379 miles on my 2000 SE, still have the original brakes, no squeeling or scraping.

Mazda Protegé

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