Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Man, am I glad winter is over (crosses fingers that there isn't another snowfall....)!!
I purchased a new Vibe for my wife, yesterday. We tried the Mazda3 Hatchback. Sharp looking wagon, excellent handling and tasteful interior styling! Nonetheless, the 3 felt too confining, didn't have the mini-van like driving position Trudy prefers and I've never been crazy about buying any car in it's first year of production.
Also, checked out the Subie Forester. The sales staff was too busy joking around to pay much attention to us? However, we were dressed well and ready to make a decision fairly quickly. My wife doesn't need to drive in bad weather, so the Subie's AWD was not a huge deciding factor. If the truth be known, the inflated Subaru Forester MSRP and the lack of shoulder to shoulder interior room in a $25,500 tall wagon was a deal killer.
The Vibe's good looks, commanding seating position, versatility, price point, Toyota engine & drive train quality and 29 city / 34 highway mpg (gas costs $1.86 per gallon today in Lancaster, PA.) sealed the deal.
2004 Pontiac Vibe
1.8L DOHC 4-cyl Engine
Auto Transmission
Frosty (White)- Premium Monotone Appearance Pkg.
Moon and Toon-(Sunroof & 200 Watt Premium Audio System Upgrade)
Power Group
17" inch Alloy wheels
Antilock brakes
Total MSRP with Destination- $21,265
less Rebates -$2,500
less Negotiated Discount- $1,055
less Trade- $4,700
Cash Price of Vehicle: $13,010
We walked into my home town Pontiac dealership with a Capital One Draft Check with a financing rate of 3.85% and a GM Buy Power quote of 1% over invoice from another nearby Pontiac Dealer. I made our Lancaster, PA. Pontiac Dealer (Jones Pontiac-Buick-GMC) a 1% over invoice offer for our new 2004 Vibe and this price was accepted without haggle. The Jones finance manager beat the 3.85% Capital One rate with local bank financing at 3.49%. Very easy! No pressure or hard sell tactics. The sales, service and finance staff was excellent and easy to work with. The Vibe with 17" inch alloy wheels in white Premium Monotone Appearance Pkg. looks awesome. After, about 100 miles of driving, she is hooked on the Vibe. The Vibe/Matrix tall wagon should serve my spouse well for the next 48 months.
Respectably,
Larry
I drive our 2000 Mazda Protegé ES, #2! Trudy is driving the new Vibe. ;-O After 20 years of marriage, I surely know whom is boss! ;-)))
If folks post questions about the Mazda Protegé and Meade does not respond 1st, I'll chip in! Only kidding Mr. Daffron.
Thanks for the congrats, Pat!
Respectfully,
Larry Kline
Meade
(Father of Sean, who'll be 3 next month. WHAT?! THREE ALREADY!!!???)
P.S. ENJOY HIM WHILE HE AIN'T MOBILE, MY FRIEND!
I'll be replacing the Dunlop SP Sport A2s late this summer. There's enough tread left for the spring and summer, but I'm not risking a wet fall or winter on what's left, even if the tread hasn't worn down to the wear strips yet. That means I'll probably have put just over 30,000 miles on them (I installed them at 22,000 miles); not bad for a very grippy performance all-season tire (yes, I know others have had worse experiences in terms of miles put on them than I).
By the way, I have about 22,000 miles on my BFG Touring T/A VR4s now, and they're showing a little wear, but not much! Love 'em!
Meade
New KN Air Filter seems to work fine. No complaints thus far.
Perhaps it's because my LX rolls in corners more than your ES, flexing the dust boots more. Just a guess. The ozone levels around here don't help the boots any either.
I got to check if it is covered under the bumper-to-bumper extended warranty I have from Mazda. That and them creaking struts in all 4 corners.
any ideas?
Congrats to Gee35 and partner on their spanking new baby boy.
And don't worry in 4 years time, your son will goad you into driving "zoom-zoom" like mine does.
Thanks for all of the well wishes. Parenthood really is the most amazing experience I can think of.
My rental is a 2004 Kia Riobunchocrap Sedan. Last time they gave me an Echo which I really liked. This car has 6k miles and feels like 50k. My front right tire is about bald.
Here is an excert of my conversation with the write up dude. It's a VW/Mazda dealership.
Dude: How is the Protege doing so far.
Me: Great, nothing to really complain about.
Dude: I've been here 6 months and it seems these Mazda's are really well made, VW, well, I wouldn't let a friend buy one.
Me: 'laugh', yeah, that's been my experience.
There were a few looks from the two other people waiting to be written up. One had a new beatle in for it's first oil change, and the other was dropping off a Jetta. Not sure what the Jetta was in for as my rental car arrived before I got to hear any more.
can you say intra-dealership rivalry?? lol
New struts and boots are in. They new boots are weird. First off, they're white in color. They also don't cover the top of the strut. Supposedly, they clean out the strut on the down-stroke. Whatever. The new struts make a noticeable difference in muting impacts. I was surprised at that. I didn't think my original struts were that worn.
The Protege I had as a rental was good, but reeked of cigarette smoke. And it had a moonroof, so my head was rubbing against its frame.
The tech didn't find anything wrong with the brakes. However, it stopped making noises, so I guess disassembling and cleaning it did the trick.
He did note that I need new tires soon, so he didn't do an alignment (and didn't charge me either). Yeah, I know....
Their quote for a replacement set of like tires was $108 each! Yikes! I could get them for $67 each (including S&H) and pay about $12-15 each for installation, new valves and road hazard coverage. Definitely a big profit center for them. No wonder they started carrying more tires.
Is that the line of the day? I got a call and they said my tires would need replaced soon. Did I want them to do it now for $138 per tire!
I said they only had 10k miles on them and looked fine when I brought the car in. He just said fine, and told me he'd see me later when I picked up the car.
how many miles were on the struts you had replaced?
Of course, I've only done this once, with my '89 323. I'll probably hold-off on this for my '99 Pro until the 120k mile service.
I was thinking of trading it in on a 2002 Protege ES (Dark Green) with 50K miles. It has a spoiler, moonroof/sunroof and side air bags...along with the all other things you get in an ES. The deal I have worked out currently puts me at about 3.5K plus tax and tag...which I would pay cash for.
OR, I could get a 2000 Nissan Altima SE, with the same options (car is black) with 63K miles at about the same price.
What woudld you guys do?
And of course that is a testament to the loyalty the Protege creates, at least in our TH community, so that's a pretty strong recommendation in and of itself.
Glad to see you also posted in the Altima discussion. If you want, feel free to create a comparo on our Comparisons board.
Good luck!
I'm mulling over either adding 17s, a better suspension and a turbo kit to my daily driver Pro or a tax deductible spa. Decisions, decisions...
And the window lock thing?
My auto-down but not auto-up window is annoying too. This 5 cent widget can't be used to auto-up and down ALL windows in my car? I understand some cost cutting but come on...
Speedypt, Mazdafun and I were there yesterday, along with several hundred other people.
Hopefully none of them will blab about how I spun off the course on my second run.
In the April issue of Consumer Reports (page 13), they talk about pushing to have more car makers include window controls that have to be pulled up, to prevent accidental closure on hands and arms and whatnot. In the article they don't mention auto-up specifically, but I think the same theory applies.
When the doors are locked it makes sense to require the door to be unlocked before pulling the handle will open the door. When the window controls are disabled, I want them all disabled, including the drivers. Not including the auto up for the window follows the philosophy.
Unfortunately, I did not witness said spin-out. However, it means Dale pushed the envelop further this year (alright!!!).
It was a blast. I think the 3 does out-handle the 6. They had 6 hatches on one skill clinic course, 3 hatch on another and 3 sedan on the 3rd. Competition was all in 3 sedans (s trim, I think). I didn't have the patience to wait in line to test-drive the RX-8 though. Those lines were long all day. But I test-drove 6 (wagon doesn't handle as well as the sedan or hatch, but very well for a wagon, and outward visibility is better than in the 3 hatch), 3 and even and MPV to my heart's content.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/ZoomZoomH/nj_meet_04_17_2004/
enjoy the pics, or ridicule at your own leisure pace, whatever tickles your fancy I guess *shrug*
Mazda Mania
Liven up your evening and join your fellow enthusiasts every Tuesday from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for our Mazda Mania Chat!
The chat room opens 15 minutes before the scheduled chat time, so come early and get a good seat! Hope to see YOU there on Tuesday!
Mazda Mania Chat Room
PF Flyer
Host
Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
fowler3
Children have nothing to do with this.
When the doors are locked it makes sense to require the door to be unlocked before pulling the handle will open the door.
Somehow this is related to kids? Uh, bull. I grew up riding in cars where this wasn't so. Beyond that, my BMW and my old Jetta's backseats require you to pull the door handle twice. One pull won't unlock the door. Pull a second time, it unlocks. It's become second nature to pull twice as my German cars had autolocking - something Mazda doesn't have. Additionally, the button placed at the back of the door always gets pushed down by my elbow. Put the door button on the door panel or by the handle, but not atop the door!
When the window controls are disabled, I want them all disabled, including the drivers.
Why? That makes no sense. You don't trust yourself? If I lock the windows, it's because I'm master of the universe, not because I want to become as impotent as the people riding hostage in my car.
Not including the auto up for the window follows the philosophy
The cheapness philosophy?
And complaints about kids getting caught in doors...oh brother. I lived amongst insanely outrageous kids who always sported broken bones and cuts and stitches. Windows were a worry? Come on.
If people are worried their kids may bolt from the car they have much bigger issues than doors that don't lock...
It only takes one fingertip to unlock the doors and/or windows and you can be master of universe again. Then again, I'm not surprised there are items you complain about on the Protege given your past history of complaining about your Jetta, for me it was my 02 Civic Si that I had issues to complain about. Darn difficult to find a perfect vehicle that fits our personal expectations! The Protege leaves little to complain about for the price I paid for it. Main item I dislike is the tires.
I wish that were true. I think of window lock as lock out the rest of the world. As for the door locks, I hate it and wish it weren't so but I have no choice but to put up with that weird quirk.
Then again, I'm not surprised there are items you complain about on the Protege given your past history of complaining about your Jetta, for me it was my 02 Civic Si that I had issues to complain about. Darn difficult to find a perfect vehicle that fits our personal expectations!
Nah, I've got one - even if my manual's not perfect in my bimmer I wouldn't trade it for anything.
The Protege leaves little to complain about for the price I paid for it. Main item I dislike is the tires.
That's true. I'm beginning to see the 11.4 I paid for my 2003 ES was a screaming deal compared to people buying 2003 DXs for more! It's a fun, tossable little car that still blows away my Jetta in so many ways it's not funny. With 200 HP, stiffer suspension and and 17s (rwd too...lol), this car would be insanely fun. I know I made a mistake not buying the Mazdaspeed in November - 2-3k would have gotten me a car nearly as fun as my BMW for 4/5s the cost.
I sure have enjoyed the handling the past 5 years, though: not trivial.
I find auto-unlock doors to be very dangerous. I've had a few kids riding in back who repeatedly pull on the inside door-lock lever. Luckily, I had them disabled most of the time. My daughter actually opened her door once while we were at a red light (I had figured she was old enough then), after I had re-enabled the rear door.
I remember a few times from my childhood when either I or one of my brothers had opened our doors while the car was in motion. Heck, even now, I sometimes idly play with the inside door latch when riding in someone else's car and have opened the door unintentionally (I try to fiddle with other stuff now).
When I lock the doors, I want them to stay locked.
Now, for locking-out power window controls, I would like for MYSELF to still operate them when I lock others from using them. However, I rarely use this lock-out feature. I find it often ticks-off my passengers.
But I can see how it would be useful for owners of larger dogs who let them roam freely about the car. Depending on the position of the switch, they can stand on them (accidentally or on-purpose) and then fall or jump out the open window. I occasionally hear about some young child doing the same thing. Really, they should be restrained, but I still see many kids jumping around like crazy in moving vehicles.