Mazda Protegé

newcar31 · March 2001

I like the black interior color, I would rather have it than a light colored interior anyday. My integra's interior was tan and it got dirty easily. The only thing I don't like about the ES interior is the fake aluminum center counsol and I think I am going to paint it black as soon as I figure out how to take it off. Any Pro drivers from the Twin Cities in here? I haven't seen a 2001 yet, but I notice the 1999s and 2000s a lot.

norcan · March 2001

I am now used to the ES white guages and the red backlight at night. Took a couple of days but now is fine. The dark interior shows dust and all the cat hair I drag into the car with me but it doesn't bother. Obviously I bought the car!

Does anyone have the cargo net installed? What do you use it for specifically? The one I saw at the dealer would not really hold groceries or even prevent them from moving around. Is it worth $74 + tax?

protegextwo · March 2001

I feel your pain, my friend. I have NEVER used the cassette player in my Protege, I sold all my cassettes in a yard sale last year, lol! In defense of Mazda, they don't sell a ton of Protege's, in comparison to say, the Corolla, Focus or Civic. Mazda does try to configure the different optional equipment in "groups" that appeal to different shoppers. Most of the "mass" auto manufactures do the same to a lesser extent, (build more cars offer, more equipment options). Alex, the cassette player and power moonroof options will set you back roughly $975.00 or so. However, they will definitely increase the appeal and value of your PRO-ES at re-sale/trade-in time. I own two, 2000 Protege's with power moonroofs and absolutely love this option. I am 6'1" and the moonroof does not negatively effect head room for me. We have 20,000 miles on our PRO-ES's and have had zero problems with the moonroof or anything else, for that matter!

If you need the ABS and side air bags and don't wish to bite the bullet on the cost of the moonroof/cassette player optional equipment, you should speak to a sales manager. A top box Mazda dealership should be able to find out if there are any other options. I do not think you can "custom order" most Japanese imports like you can domestics. If I remember correctly, you can ask your local Mazda dealership to contact Mazda USA. Mazda will search for your preferred model, color, and options in their inventory of incoming stock from Japan, for a match with your desired vehicle config. I believe your local dealer will ask for a small deposit ($250 or so, is customary) and have Mazda USA divert that vehicle to their list of incoming cars.

Alex, we are all on a budget, just ask my wife, hehe! However, the $750.00 custmer sales incentive will almost pay for the moonroof/cassette options. BTW, you will not be sorry you purchased a Protege, my friend. Zoom Zoom Zoom.

Respectfully;
Larry

mdaffron · March 2001

Changes come in twos, right everybody? Well, to go along with the new baby, who's still 10 weeks away from entering this world, Meade also has added a NEW JOB to the pile of changes going on in his life!

Instead of working in an 80-year-old streetcar maintenance shop doing PR work for the local transit company, I now (effective April 2) will be Public Relations Manager for the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, the local authority that oversees Richmond's toll roads and "The Diamond," home of the minor-league Richmond Braves! (Free tickets, I hope ...)

So besides extra money, what are the benefits?

For me:

- 11th floor office with a window overlooking downtown and the James River! (Sure beats a second-floor window overlooking a bus maintenance yard)
- More flexible work hours
- Lower-cost health, dental and vision
- Power, prestige and importance

For my beloved Protege:

- his own, free spot in a new parking deck
- no more tolls - I work for the toll collector!!!

ZOOM ZOOMMMMMMM!!!! I'll let everybody know my new e-mail address after I make the move. My last day here at this job and address is Friday, March 30.

Now maybe you'll understand why I've been so vacant on this topic lately! Busy with painting, baby stuff purchasing and JOB INTERVIEWING!!!

Meadeball

protegextwo · March 2001

Let me be the first to offer their congratulations, my friend!!! Great job!!! ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Yea baby!!! Hey, can I borrow a couples of bucks from you, until next payday, hehe.

-Larry

vocus · March 2001

Meade: Congrats on the new job. The extra money will definitely come in handy when the baby comes. Just to intice you a little, all 2001 Proteges come with the LATCH/ISOFIX child seat restraints in back, as well as INTEGRATED upper anchors for the seatbelts (look neater to me).

Black ES interior: Mine has the black interior, and I notice it gets hotter than hell inside when the sun is out (my car is black, too though). It also collects little pieces of paper and stuff too, but it's gonna be alot cleaner than the gray I used to have in my DX (mats were shot after 6 months).

Cassette player: It only costs $150 for the cassette and I am sure if you threw a big enough fit about it, the dealer would eat the cost. I like the dual playback option though, because I still have some cassettes I listen to.

Cargo net: I went to Pep Boys and got a cargo net from them for $17 or so. I am having it installed in my car when I go for the first oil change, at $35. Total of like $50, which is better than $75.

Protege durability: Before my 2001 ES, I had a 1999 DX automatic model that I basically beat the crap out of and commuted 104 miles a day in without a problem. I had a little shift issue (never resolved), and the CD player used to like to hold onto the CDs longer than I thought it should. For all the miles and abuse that car took (used to hit redline almost every shift), it held up extremely well. Only a little squeak in the door panel when traded at 37,800 miles, so that isn't bad at all.

ES color: I liked the Seabreeze when I saw it, and I have black. Black is hot inside sometimes, and hard to keep clean though I don't mind washing it.

The Millenium red is nice too. I didn't like my 1999 silver DX after getting it, because nicks in the paint and bumpers show up very easily. But you couldn't go wrong with any of the colors on the Protgee palette.

Happy driving! ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!!

maltb · March 2001

Congrats to you Meade. The clincher to your new job must have been the fact that you took your Prote to the job interview. They can see success coming down the road.

Cassette Deck:
6 months ago I thought they were a waste, but then I started to get books on tape for my commute. Now, since I am stuck in this DX for two months, I have no cassette and I'm bummin'. My wife keeps asking if I have listened to my birthday presents yet, and I just have to give a tearful response.

protegextwo · March 2001

I know you told us what happened, but I can't remember what you said? Sooo, what happened to your PRO-ES?

-Larry

maltb · March 2001

My lease was up and my next vehicle is not due in until the end of April(at least). Fortunately/unfortunately my next vehicle will be a B3000 Dual Sport. I need a truck for all those runs to Home Depot doing projects to keep the queen happy. However, the Protege always has a place in my heart and I'll make sure that I spend a weekend in one from time to time.

lindathomp2000 · March 2001

I just used the dealer installed cargo net for the first time. I put two bags of groceries in it and they held fast for the 10 mile trip home. I like it. The next time, I will try a gallon of milk; the ultimate test!
Love the cassette player. Judy Collins rules...
Linda

sfrat · March 2001

I love the dark interior despite the extra heat mainly because you don't see the ground in dirt and stains. You'll be able to see all the little pieces of stone, dust, grass, whatever gets tracked in. However, a quick run of the vacuum will clean it all up and make it "look" clean. What you won't see is that large footprint left by your foot after you stepped in a dirty puddle of water in the parking lot.

vocus · March 2001

I would rather vacuum the car and have it clean than have to go and have the carpeting cleaned inside. Alot cheaper and easier if you ask me. Even though the carpeting is dark inside my Protege, I still have the clear plastic "junk" mats inside to try and prevent stains. Can you all tell I am a little obsessed with it?

norcan · March 2001

OK, thanks for the feedback - folks seem to like 'em. Since I've never used one before I have a question: is the net supposed to suspend items off the trunk floor? Why? Won't the anchors get ripped out? I had pictured something that would just prevent stuff rolling from one part of the trunk to another.

maltb · March 2001

When you place items in the cargo net, the weight allows it to stretch to the trunk floor. So to answer your question, no, it doesn't hold them up, but it will keep a limited number of items from going crazy in your trunk.

glideslope · March 2001

Linda,

Did your zooming in your new ES include a romp up Rt 10? It is a Car and Driver 10 best roads in America. I'm taking my ES up it Memorial Day Weekend on the way to Lake George (slight detour.) I can't wait. We did it in our Quest last July. Nothing like the smell of brake pads against the pine scented backdrops.

Regards,
Mark.

glideslope · March 2001

Why does everyone except me post with a nation flag by their name?

Mark.

maltb · March 2001

Click on your name in your post and edit your info to include a country.

the_big_h · March 2001

over my regular floor mats, it really makes cleaning the mats much easier, just take out the plastic ones, wash them, dry them up, and put them back when you finish cleaning up the regular mats areas that were not covered by the plastic mats. makes cleaning much faster, and the mats last longer!

btw the flags are cool...

hkchan · March 2001

After creating a pin online, it showed a five-step process for purchasing the car. Number four was "Provide proof of employment by an eligible Ford Partner through a pay stub, company ID, business card, W-2, etc." Is the EAA member ID and the pin sufficient?

borgf15 · March 2001

Yep, that's all you need!

hkchan · March 2001

Thanks.

mejd518 · March 2001

I just wanted to say how happy I am that I discovered the s-plan through reading your messages. I was able to get a great deal on a 2001 LX and am so excited about my new car!! Thanks again.

postnobills · March 2001

Trouble in zoom-zoom land. The sound system on my 2-month old 2001 ES just died on me. No radio, no CD, no tape, no clock, etc. Dead as a doornail. My first thought was that a fuse blew (can't imagine why, since we don't blast it very loud), but the display buttons light up (just the little buttons - the main display screen is blank), and if you puse the eject CD button you can hear a little noise like it is trying to eject a CD (except there is not one in the unit).
Anyone else experience a problem with their 2001 radios?
One note of irony - one of the reasons (albeit not a major one) that I chose the Pro ES over the Civic EX was all the problems with the Civic radio that I saw posted on the Civic board.

scottdude · March 2001

Does anyone know who the S plan dealers in Central Florida are? And more generally, how do you find S plan dealers anywhere? Is there a directory somewhere?

hkchan · March 2001

Call or send an email to as many dealers as you want. Specify the model you want to purchase through the S-Plan.

pcalvin · March 2001

I would have liked a choice for interior color, if the choices included Gray. I'm not a big brown fan, so Black as the only option wasn't horrible. On the same note, the color of the ES interior would have to have been something like pink and teal mix with Barney patterns for me not to get it! The car was just too sporty to turn down!

rsparrow · March 2001

I've got mixed feelings about the interior of the midlevel LX's, at least the one's I've seen up here. For one, it seems to me like they can't seem to make up their mind as to what shade of grey to include. The seats seemed to have a different shade from the armrest, which had a different shade from the dash, which had a different shade from the A pillar. At least that's how it looked on a silver LX model I saw at the dealer's lot. I don't think they were as varied for the 99-00 years.

protegextwo · March 2001

Sorry to hear of your bad luck, Perry. I owned two domestic vehicles, a 91 Ford Escort and a 88 Ford Taurus, they were not cheap to repair, either. Thank God for insurance. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Good Luck;
Larry

borgf15 · March 2001

Sorry to hear....that sucks!
It sounds like a LOT of damage, and I think any car with that much damage is going to cost the big bucks!

lindathomp2000 · March 2001

Hi Mark,
Are you sure it's not Route 9 you ae talking about? We are going up to the nothern part of Lake George this weekend. There you will find lots of opportunity to really drive your ES. Up towards Hague, over Tongue Mountain it is so.....beautiful and challenging.I have to admit, that this particular stretch of road is the main reason I bought this car.
Linda

vocus · March 2001

Someone decided to smack my brand new Protege this morning in its space right in front of my house! I almost cried when I saw it when I went out for work this morning.

They just swiped it enough to rub the paint off the bumper, but it still hurt, damn it! I already called the insurance and all, and am going to probably take the car to them today to get it repaired. I estimate the damage at about $500 or so. Thank God for $0 deductible insurance and rental car reimbursement.

aceman56 · March 2001

I was wondering what some of you paid in US dollars for your '01 ES's, including tax and other charges. And what if any options did you add.

maltb · March 2001

Must have been a jealous neighbor in a Civic. Check the other bumpers in the area for your black mica paint.

nikecar · March 2001

don't feel so bad.. I caught oour neighbor's cat on the hood, and I hit off the horn from the remote.. It look like the cat scratched the hood as it scrambled to get off. There I was at 12:30am washing off the hood with my cotton sponge and drying it to see if there were any scratches (car was very dirty due to rain storms). this morning I didn't see any scratches.. thank goodness..

so my wife now is driving with half of a clean hood.. Stupid cats...

chikoo · March 2001

For those who want a change...

the auto tranny is only auto if you put it in D.

If you shift in 1, it stays in 1.
if you [non-permissible content removed] to 2, it stays in 2 only.
switch of O/d and shift to D -> shifts to 3rd gear.
switch on the o/d -> shifts to the 4th gear.

great going.

I enjoyed it last evening around town.

hkchan · March 2001

In general (not specific to the Pro), if you start from rest with the selector in 2nd, it'll start in 2nd.
If the transmission is running in 1st and you change the selector to 2nd, it'll shift to 2nd immediately.
Changing from 2nd to D with O/D off will not shift the transmission to 3rd (unlike 2nd) unless the the transmission's brain determines it's time to shift to 3rd. You can only delay shifting to 3rd.
Same with switching the O/D on with the selector in D. You can only delay shifting to 4th.

vocus · March 2001

My ES was the first 2001 to be damaged at my dealer, because they had to enter the info manually. It's gonna cost $620.75 for the repairs, because the jerk skimmed the paint on the fender as well as the bumper. They have to replace the bumper, repaint the fender, and replace the deal and pinstripe. It will be in the shop for 3-4 days, and my deductible (since it was a hit and run and not a tree or something that caused the damage) is $250. I am so pissed! I am going home and checking the two peoples' cars who I think it is. God help them if I find black paint on either one of their cars!

The rental will probably be a Corolla or Prizm. Guess I will have fun the next couple days with my tall behind scrunched into a Corolla. Oh joy!

maltb · March 2001

I suppose that you are controlling the shift points to a certain extent, but it pales in comparison to a true clutch. The amount of slippage and the way the throttle behaves isn't much fun. When automatics start showing up like those on the Indy cars, I'll get one. Until then, I'll get a manual whenever it's available.

jstandefer · March 2001

With its 6-spd auto-manual transmission. You shift the car via a pair of paddles behind the steering wheel. Just like those Indy cars! Better yet, under the hood you'll find Mazda's new 250hp "RENESIS" (Rotary Engine geNESIS) engine driving the rear wheels. I got to sit in the RX-EVOLV concept from last year, and there was more room in the back seat than in my Protege! I hear the RX-8 is even roomier! Zoom! Zoom!

2003 Mazda RX-8

maltb · March 2001

I think BMW and Lexus will be doing something similar with their automatics in the near future.

vocus · March 2001

BMW and Lexus already do that with their automatics. Well, Lexus does anyway. Their GS 400 and IS300 have the paddles on the wheel for shifting up and down, just like the automatic in the Toyota Celica GT-S does. It sounds like a way-cool option, but some in the car rating industry say it's more gimmick than functional.

maltb · March 2001

but what I really want to see is the automatic manual transmission. Does the Celica have a fluidless clutch? If so, I need to get a test drive.

This idea has been around for ages but people always preferred the smooth torque converter over a friction disc. I believe it was a '70s Vauxhaul that had a vacuum controlled version but they just faded out. Now with all the good electronics, these systems are solid.

jstandefer · March 2001

It even has everything down to a good ol' pressure plate and clutch disc. The computer actuates the clutch and the gears shifting chores. It also has a paddle shift system. Sure, it's not the smoothest shifts, but imagine all that extra power to the ground once you eliminate that hungry torque converter.

Besides, I would much rather see the RX-8 with a true 6-spd manual transmission. There's no reason to have a rotary engine if you have an automatic. A rotary puts out too little low-end torque (although it IS excellent for only a 1.3L) to get any type of decent performance with an automatic. And... half the fun of driving a stick is the clutch! (Although I can think of many four letter words I have called the clutch when I'm stuck in wonderful Southern California traffic.)

maltb · March 2001

Now that I am in an auto, I don't think it's any more wonderful in traffic than a stick. I'm only 90 mi north of you Jerry and we know how to sit in smog too, but I can't complain when my left leg gets as good of a workout as my right.

jstandefer · March 2001

...Is when I'm up near or in LA. I don't recall it being such a pain when I was growing up (in Ventura with the Evil 101 freeway). Perhaps I'm just getting spoiled down in San Diego?

scudley · March 2001

I know from time to time the discussion moves to tires so I thought I would post this article for anyone interested. It is some basic advice for the novices (like myself). I don't necessarily know how to post links (if it is more than just copy and paste) so if need be just copy this into your browser.

enjoy,

Scud

http://slate.msn.com/shopping/01-03-08/shopping.asp

scudley · March 2001

so that's the Lithuanian flag ehh.

newcar31 · March 2001

I just got my cheeshead plates in the mail today. I am from Minnesota but I live and go to school in Wisconsin so I registered my pro in WI because its cheaper. The plates say "America's Dairyland" and they have a freakin barn on them. Nice. I like "10,000 lakes" better. Oh well, the price you pay to save a couple bucks.

windowphobe6 · March 2001

You mean they finally got rid of "Eat Cheese or Die"?

maltb · March 2001

Someone take a picture! We just hit 1000 posts. LOL

Ok, I'm sitting here waiting for rolling blackouts to hit my desk so I can go home. Does anyone on here work for So Cal Edison?

:
)

Mazda Protegé

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