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I might be biased though, because I filed a complaint to BBB about their sales practice and right now is in arbitration with them. I'll discuss the detail of the complaint once the arbitration is over and the case is closed.
they gave me a free tank of gas, but that doesn't really do much for the bad impression they gave me during the whole sales process.
The car is great, it's just who I got it from that sucked.
There is a perimeter alarm available at the dealer. P/N 0000-8F-C03 and it should be about $195.
About the mudguards... This particular dealership is a couple hours away so I haven't been to try the car out. I've never seen the mudguards on a protege and am curious what they look like. I have this image of ugly flaps with Yosemite Sam on them or something (ala 18wheeler mudflaps). Are they flaps or something else?
One last question for people who've purchased Pro-es's recently. Do most of you buy the floormats or negotiate them for free?
Also I like Valvoline because they keep your maintenance records on the computer and can print a history and they can change the oil in under 3 minutes, but are their oil and FILTERS good stuff?
How much does Valvoline charge for an oil change, synthetic and non-synthetic?
Hope that helps.
Steve
When I worked at a parts wholesaler, the lube shops would call when their major distributors were out of filters. The shops would cry when we couldn't sell the cheapest filters available for less than $1.50. I can only imagine that they were getting some real garbage at less than a buck.
When you pay $14.95 for an oil change, remember that you aren't paying for quality.
I've never used a Mobil 1 filter, but I've heard some really positive feedback here at Edmunds about them, and Mobil seems to have high standards. I switched from Fram to the factory filters for the anti-drainback valve in the factory filter. I personally would stay with one of the name brand filters, and stay away from the generic brands. Mobil 1 synthetic oil is my first choice of oil, but I also used Valvoline Durablend for a long time and really liked the way it protected my engines too.
Getting rid of the oil is easy. Pep Boys by my house takes it for free, and every other month my neighborhood has a hazardous waste collection for batteries, oil, etc...
Get a set of ramps, it makes the whole thing a lot easier.
Regards,
Pete
I as a consumer, would take the 00 over the 01 with the same miles? especially if there wasn't a major body change. if it was a 00 vs 01 Civic, I'd take the 01 civic. but that's not the case here.
I see a car that is 6 yrs with the same miles as one 5 yrs old. which means the 5yr was driven more. now they could have been bought the same day, but would you as a seller tell the person you bought it in 01? i wouldn, I'd say I bought it new, here's what I've driven.
and depending what options and what depreciation is, that is what the cost its. As for trading it in in 5 yrs, You probably won't get much either way via a dealer so it be a wash that route.
as for oil filters.. here's the website on some guys' study on different ones.. http://members.nbci.com/minimopar/oilfilterstudy.html
I still disagree on the subject of used car values. You now used the subject "I" as if you were simply stating how you'd value the two cars if you were a buyer. But the original topic was when someone suggested buying a '01 instead of a '00 because he thought the '01 would be worth more than the '00 years down the road even though the two cars would have the same mileage. For example, according to the Kelly Blue Book (of course not necessarily accurate), the trade-in values on a '96 and '95 Protege ES, both with 75,000 miles and in "Good" condition, are $4,450 and $3,900 respectively. Maybe I'm missing something and I invite others to give their opinions.
The '01 ES is a dream come true. The new Honda Civic EX pales in comparison to this well- engineered, -designed, and -contented vehicle. I' ve owned Mazdas now for about 13 years and I can say without a shadow of doubt that this is Mazda's best small car ever!!! The ES is VERY quiet at idle and normal driving -- no shaking or vibrations whatsoever. Not a squeak or rattle anywhere inside. No visible defects so far. Build-quality is impeccable. Small things were left out of the '01 compared to my '95 ES: courtesy door lights, map pocket behind passenger seatback, and wheel locks with the standard alloys. Oh well... still a bargain. ZOOOOm...ZOOOm later....
MARTIN
About filter, I used castrol max and fram. I didn't notice any differences. But I change the oil every 3000+ miles or so. I wouldn't worry about the filter too much, it is the oil that is important if you change the oil often.
Henry, I not sure what your concern is about? You are in the market for a Mazda Protege or maybe a truck? Maybe you are looking for a 2000 left-over, maybe not? Maybe you are going to buy a car soon, maybe not? I not sure what you currently drive, you don't say? So why are you concerned with my post to jay82174, in regards to the merits of purchasing a new versus a left-over PRO-ES? I would be more than glad to explain to you my OPINION, on that subject. If,..... I understood your interest in my post to Jason.
Respectfully;
Larry
1. My comment that I might buy a truck instead was meant as a joke and was meant for unmarkedcar. I hope I'll never own a truck, SUV or minivan. unmarkedcar kept trading in cars every six months to a year. He's owned, all new, a '97 Tercel, a '98 Civic DX 3-DR, a '00 Civic EX 4-DR, and '00 Nissan Frontier XE King Cab and, at least for now, a '01 Protege LX 2.0.
2. I'm driving a '99 Civic EX 4-DR. I know how much a new '01 Protege ES 2.0 will cost me (S-Plan). Whether I'll actually buy a Protege depends on how much I'll get for my Civic.
3. With regard to your post to jay82174, I'll try to summarize. You suggested to jay82174 to perhaps consider a '01 instead of a left-over '00. You implied that, for example, five years from now the '01 with 75,000 miles would be worth more than the '00 with 75,000 miles. (I agree with you)
4. nikecar (post#296) seemed to disagree with that. He said, "second on protegextwo Feb 15, 2001 1:15pm mentioning a 00 with 75K and 01 with 75K. the 00 will be more apealling because in 5 yrs you won't tell them you had it 5 yrs. the buyer will see a 00 with the same lmiles as a 1 yr newer car. they will equate that with an extra yr of driving and still it has a lower per yr mileage. in 2005 the 00 will be 6yrs old (regardless of when bought) have the same miles as a 5 yr car".
5. I disagreed with his logic/opinion/claim, but I wanted to make sure I understood what he meant exactly. I asked him to confirm that he actually felt that five years from now the '00 with 75,000 miles would be worth more than the '01 with 75,000 miles.
6. He replied by saying,"I as a consumer, would take the 00 over the 01 with the same miles? especially if there wasn't a major body change. if it was a 00 vs 01 Civic, I'd take the 01 civic. but that's not the case here. I see a car that is 6 yrs with the same miles as one 5 yrs old. which means the 5yr was driven more. now they could have been bought the same day, but would you as a seller tell the person you bought it in 01? i wouldn, I'd say I bought it new, here's what I've driven. and depending what options and what depreciation is, that is what the cost its. As for trading it in in 5 yrs, You probably won't get much either way via a dealer so it be a wash that route."
7. I was still confused and asked him to explain further. I also supplied trade-in values of a 5-year-old Protege and a 6-year-old Protege according to Kelly's Blue Book. Maybe you or others can join in.
Got a 35% discount and a free car wash... that should offset the $30 labour charge...
Anywayz it looks great b/c it's discreat and it blends in with the car... hey maybe I should start taking some pics of the car...
Almost forgot... going to the car show so I'll bring my sister's niffty digital camera along...
Well this is the case... the guy that sold me the car doesn't work there anymore... Heck I don't even know what happened to him. When I picked up the car I saw on the reciept that the sales was changed to the "House", meaning the dealership itself. A new guy was assigned to show me to the car and explain it's functions... He was pretty helpful although we only met him once.
Also I've been getting letters and phone calls saying that anything I didn't like about the car would NOT go uncompromised... that's a good thing but it could be a ploy just to get them good marks... However I'm still a bit pissed off for making me wait an extra month when it was supposed to come much earlier... they said they threw in floor mats for my wait but when I checked on the brochure it says that ALL MODELS come standard with floormats... I don't know what kind of score I should give them b/c overall I have mixed feelings with these guys...
*Check out http://www.kiplinger.com/php/2201" BTW, I feel these dollar values are closer to wholesale/auction/trade allowance values, then they are to retail values!
*KIPLINGER'S RESALE VALUES:
Mazda Protege ES....53%/39%
*2year/4year depreciation value is indicated as a percentage of the original MSRP. Henry, assuming a MSRP on both the 2001 and 2000 PRO-ES is $15,000. Lets crunch the numbers. 2 year resale value.....$7,950
4 year resale value.....$5,850
------
$2,100
Aprox. $1,050 per model year. So, in the year 2004, a 2001 model Mazda PRO-ES might have a trade allowance of $6,900 and a 2000 model year PRO-ES might have a trade allowance of $5,850. So if you factor in the $1,500 end of year customer incentives MAZDAUSA is allowing right now, it is getting pretty close to break even. I would recommend the 2001 PRO-ES if the new car budget would allow it. AGAIN, just my 2 cents!
I am going to bed.
Respectfully;
Larry
Brief history: I currently in the market to replace my 1990 Honda Accord. After test driving several 1998/1999 versions I realized my 1990 is smaller than the newer version so went on to try the new Civics on for size and like this size vehicle better. Of course had to research other cars in in this class and so, just last night, began to look at the Protege. Wow! We went to the dealer but they were just closing so will have to wait until later today to test dirve. I have read all of the posts in this string and many in the Honda string and a few in the comparo string. You guys have me convinced and I can't wait to test drive! But I have a few questions:
1) We did sit in the car and, just at first glance, found the rear seats to be a bit stiff. Can anyone comment on passenger comfort- this will be my commuter car (curvy back roads, no highway) but also the run around car with two kids, possibly the long distance car for family trips.
2)I hate car shopping and will keep this car for a long time- possibly passing it on to my daughter in 7 years when she can drive- is the Protege reliable enough to think that long term?
3) Any strong argument for the EX vs the LX2.0 or does it just come down to preferences? I will want the keyless entry, airconditioning, and ABS. So it looks like it comes down to the difference in brakes and tires and then the interior details of the guages and upholstery. I do not really like the white guages but could get used to them if the brakes and tires weigh in favor of the ES.
4) Are there any other women in this forum?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Lynn
1) Coincidentally I was just sitting in my backseat today fixing some things, and I did notice that the back seats are a little firmer than the front seats. But for the 7 months that I've owned the car, I haven't heard anyone that sat in the back for an extended period of time complain, or moan and groan when they get out of the car, so I would assume it is relatively comfortable back there.
2) Obviously I only have had the car for 7 months, and this is my 1st Mazda, so I can't give you an opinion based on years of experience. But for what it's worth, during the 7 months that had the car, barring the accident that I had with a deer, there was ZERO problem with the car. It still performs as if it just rolled off dealer's lot yesterday, maybe even better as the engine has now been broken in, much like how sneakers fit better after a few months of wearing. And from what I've read from people that owned Mazdas before, I would believe they're just as reliable as Hondas and Toyotas.
3) '...it comes down to the difference in brakes and tires and then the interior details of the guages and upholstery'
For brakes, personally I would always go for all disc brakes. My brother's 95 Neon has all disc brakes + ABS, and the difference in braking performance is definitely noticeable. All the small cars I tested last summer when I was shopping for my car had rear drum brakes, so I had no choice, oh well.
As for tires, I would think that bigger wheels would result in better driving performance while sacrificing ride 'cushiness,', for a lack of better word. But definitely go for at least the 15" alloys so you can actually feel the 'zoom-zoom'. ES 2.0 has 16" ones, in case you don't know already
And lastly, the interior upholstery of the 2001 seems a little bit odd to me, especially the white face gauges, but I guess it's just that I'm used to the colors in my 2000 ES. You probably won't notice it though, cuz you'll be too busy enjoying the zoom-zoom. (Mazda should pay me for each time that I help them spread their ad slogan)
4) Not sure how many women actually posts in this discussion group, but curiously, most of the drivers that I've seen driving a '99-'00 Pro around my area (Northern VA) have been women, very interesting observation....
hope these helps
H
"Woman Motorist".
http://www.womanmotorist.com/review/mazda/bl-mazda-protege-9902.shtml
http://www.womanmotorist.com/review/mazda/bs-mazda-protege-9903.shtml
On a personal note, after looking at the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, I replaced my 91 Ford Escort with a 2000 Mazda ES-PRO last year. After owning this car for two weeks my wife was driving it more than I was! Two weeks later, she replaced her 94 Toyota Corolla with her own 2000 Mazda ES-PRO! So, we are a two Protege family! We have a 5 year son. We often take him and a couple of the neighborhood kids for trips to baseball games, soccer practice, amusement parks, etc. and there is plenty of room in the rear cabin! Lynn, the Mazda Protege has small sedan class leading 95 cubic feet of interior cabin space. Our five year old loves to zoom, zoom! We both have 18,000 miles on our ES-PRO's and not a single problem with them! I can't tell you,if this car is the best choice for your family, nevertheless I will tell you that in my opinion it IS the best value in the small econo-sport sedan class. Jumpmom, you would be the coolest MOM in the neighborhood zooming around in your 2001 Protege!
Respectfully;
Larry
Martin, you seem very happy with your purchase, lol! Well, good for you, dude. I wish you many happy zoom zoom miles! BTW, you really got your PRO-ES loaded! Keep us updated on your ownership experiences.
Dman, I wonder if you negotiated such a great deal, that you got your original sales person fired, hehe!!! Nonetheless, fill out your CS survey as you see fit, my friend. I have had very competent, knowledgeable service from the guys who sold me my last three cars at Lancaster Toyota Mazda. The deals were "mini-deals" for the sales people and I felt their help was worth more than the $50-$75 dollar commission they received from the Mazda Dealer. Rating the CS survey a %100 across the boards gave them an opportunity to get an extra incentive bonus at the end of the month. They MUST keep their CS surveys above a certain level to qualify. BTW, ALL manufactures do this to some degree or another. In all honesty, I really didn't care for the sales manager or the finance manager as people, however I didn't let that effect my rating the CS survey. Just my 2 cents, my sales guy Erin Mulroy worked his but off for me and he deserved the %100 CS survey score.
Respectfully;
Larry
Anyway, 2001 ES is flawless... no factory defects or dealer prep mistakes anywhere... even all tire pressures (32psi) measure as certified on the door label! No paint flaws anywhere (I had a small one in my '95 ES under the trunk sheetmetal -- obsured, of course). You can't use the spare tire compartment to store anything -- not even safety flares!! (16" spare donut is too big!!) hehehehehehe!!! They still use particle-board as the spare tire compartment cover...yukkk. However, they did upgrade the trunk compartment lining with soft, fuzzy material instead of hard plastic....thank you Mazda!! And, we have two (2) trip meters (I've never seen this feature on other small cars)!!
By the way, the New 2001 Honda Civic EX does NOT have the following features compared to a similar '01 Protege ES: ashtray (or tiny trash recepticle), cig. lighter (or emergency fire starter), spoiler with LED stop lamps, 16" alloy wheels w/Dunlop tires (Honda has 15" Firestones), 4-wheel disc brakes, covered cup holders, noise-insulating material under hood, floormats, foglights, more HP/torque, longer warranty, should I continue?.... just my 2 cents.... sorry
MARTIN
So far, no drivetrain problems what so ever. I just arrived at the big 30k yesterday. In a year a half I put down about 30k miles, and I didn't see any problems at all.
I also noticed that too before we got our 00 ES. They were the hardest of the cars I drove. The bottom doesn't seem "butt" sculpted, but again, no complaints.. and since I drive!! heh heh heh.. But it definitely has the most leg room of the other cars..
2001 ES in from another dealer. I am getting emerald mica, 5 speed,
with ES premium pkg for $16001 ($200 over invoice minus $500 rebate).
I'm taking $500 rebate plus 2.9% for 36 months instead of full $750
rebate. I also test drove the Civic, Corolla, and Sentra, and I think the Protege definitely is the nicest of the bunch, especially considering the price. The Sentra would have been my second choice.
The Protege will be sitting in the garage next to my 2000 MPV. I am having to sell my '91 MX-6 to make room for it. I have been very happy with my current two Mazdas, and look forward to the same from the Protege.
This is truly sad. He was one of my favorite drivers.
Godspeed Dale. You will be missed.
Regards,
Pete
http://carpoint.msn.com/Vip/Jedlicka/Mazda/Protege/2001.asp
Regards,
Pete
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
I bought those clear corners from procarpart.com. Installed them and they look great. My only gripe is that it looks like it may be difficult to the turn signals during the bright day. Aneyone else that have them notice? I'm thinking that replacing the orange bulbs with higher intensity ones would help- if I can find some.
Any ideas?
Regards,
Pete
With the S-Plan, how long is it effective by joining EAA? Anyone know? How does the pricing work again? Sorry for asking repetitive questions, but just want to be sure what I am doing with the S-Plan thing.
Thanks and ZOOM ZOOM!
If you join EAA online, you can call them the next day and they will give you your membership number, which you then use to access the S-Plan signup from a link on the EAA website. Takes about 2 minutes time and you are on your (zoom zoom) way. S-Plan allows you to buy 2 Ford-family vehicles a year (i.e Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar ,etc).
Don't let dealers pretend to be unfamiliar with plan. And don't let them pretend that the rebate on 2001 models doesn't exist. It does and you are entitled to it!
So I bought new 1157 orange bulbs, swapped sockets & harnests & replaced the water seals from the factory sockets with the seals from the new sockets and they work just fine. They don't fit as well as the factory corners, but they sure do look unique.
I could potentially save alot of money by choosing the 2000 model over the 2001. But like I said, the deciding factor is going to be seat comfort. I have to drive the 2001 ES model to check out the seat comfort, then will decide which model year I want. I hope it's the 2001, because it looks plain HOT!!!
ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!!