Mazda Protege5

meinrad · April 2003

How many miles did you have when you got it done and did Mazda pay for everything?

Just to get an idea about this. They have led me to believe if the dealer can replicate it, they will replace it. But the dealer feels the clutch is a 12/12, so that Mazda might not cover it.

But I say, why agree to pay for a rental car to diagnose a problem you are not going to pay to repair.

revka · April 2003

Hi Everyone- Just a reminder that we also have an active Protege5 problems discussion where you can also post your problems.

If you have a chance, please also share (copy/paste) your problems/updates in that discussion. This will be helpful for others, later on down the line, that are experiencing the same kinds of problems. Messages in this discussion are more likely to get lost in the crowd. For future reference, you'll find a direct link to our Protege5 problems discussion in the Helpful Links (left side).

Thanks for your participation! ;-)

Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

schmadam · April 2003

Got it... midnight blue, 5 speed, leather, six cd/moonroof & the roof rack. The car drives like a dream and I think I did pretty well on price too. Got it like 2 days before this 0% thing started going on which kinda bites, but i'll deal with it. Got it at about $4000 under MSRP which made me really happy.

Broke it in with a 250 mile trip to see my girlfriend... she loved it almost as much as me. The six cd changer was really nice for the 4 hour drive.

All she needs is XM radio and maybe an amp and some new speakers. A couple 12" subs would be nice too, but that may have to wait a bit.

boggse · April 2003

Congrats. Does yours have the spare tire mounted sub? We purchased ours before they added that. I am curious to hear what people think of it.

icvci · April 2003

I got the spare tire sub, it's okay. I think I ned to play with it a bit. There is a phase switch and an output adjustment that can be used to fine tune.

Of course, it'd help if Mazda included some info about the sub...but they don't. Zip. Nada. Zulch.

rworrell · April 2003

I just took delivery of an '03 P5 and they gave me a supplemental sheet with info about the sub. I haven't looked at it yet, so I don't know if it gives you what info you need, but you might want to ask your dealer about it.

pciskowski · April 2003

I had right at 25K when I had it done. My understanding is that the 12/12 on the clutch is only if it needs adjustment, not defective parts replacement.

Mazda paid for everything, including 4 days of a rental car.

icvci · April 2003

THANKS!! I'll give them a call. I know it used to be a Pioneer product but, they discontinued it and I can't find any other info on it.

I really appreciate your post. I know a bit about subs (thanks to Polk Audio and the sub I bought for my home theater) but, I wanted to know what this manufacturer has to say.

dwryter · April 2003

When you mount tires that are taller than stock, the speedometer and odometer are not the only things affected. The change also results in a higher effective gear ratio. The downside is a bit less power on take-off, maybe requiring a little more clutch action for sticks. The upside is lower RPM at freeway speed, which might translate to slightly higher MPG for that type of driving. A shorter tire, of course, has the opposite effect. Remember the tiny tires on the original Mini Coopers? Imagine how fast the engine had to run to spin THOSE little boogers.

rworrell · April 2003

If they can't get it for you, let me know and I can get mine scanned and email it to you or something.

bluong1 · April 2003

is absolutely right. However the protege LX has a smaller tires and the MP3 has a larger tires than that of the P5. Both use the same gear box (manual for sure, don't know about the automatic) and both work just fine. True that the MP3 has different engine, but the gain in torque is marginal and mostly at high RPM (138 vs 135 ft.lb).

Sporin · April 2003

A miniscule 1.3% difference will be almost undetectable to your butt-o-meter or the car.

kizeh · April 2003

I read the previous posts and run into the same problem of there being almost nothing available in 195/50R16. Admittedly, my original 5000s are now at 26,000 miles and still have a decent amount of tread left, and don't have any other problems either, but I think by years end I want to be getting a new set of rubber.

Now, how wide are the stock rims? How wide can the new tire be and still fit on the rims? Also, are there some tires in 205/50R16 that will fit on the rims and some that won't, width wise? How does it affect the performance of the new tires to mount a wider tire on a rim that had a narrower tire originally? How about a set of Toyo Proxes T1-S in 205/50ZR16? (I'm in Florida, so there's no need for all-season tires, but great need for wet traction so I can escape from hurricanes!)

I'm really after a tire with a reasonable tread wear (250+), good wet grip, good grip, and preferrably low noise. Oh yeah, and cheap too ;-) Any experiences or recommendations?

boggse · April 2003

Stock rims are 16x6. I loved my Proxes T1-S in 195/50R16 (V rated like OEM Dunlops). I got them on my 2001 ES which took same size as all P5s. Toyo.com does not list them as being available (I have asked them to correct this several times, to no avail), but they are. However, they are not cheap. I paid $135 each plus mounting/balancing. They were definitely quieter than the SP 5000m toward the end of life, but it is a different noise. A sort of low hum which is barely there.

Plus 0 size would be 205/45R16 which is the same as my 03 Miata. There are tons of tires in that size. I would expect increased tire squirm by going to 205s with a 6" wide rim. They might stick better overall, but I would expect them to track less accurately.

I decided not to get the Kumho ECSTA 512 due to speed/load ratings. I disliked what I read about the Dunlop FM901. The Dunlop SP 9000 looked nice, but was more expensive than the Toyos.

If you don't want to spend the big bucks for the T1-S, Toyo just recently came out with the TPT touring tire. Should cost about $97 per tire.

allen53fl · April 2003

I turned in my leased '99 Toyota 4Runner Ltd last Wed. I was kinda depressed....such a great vehicle, no problems, very solid, etc. We were going to try to get by w/one auto, at least for a few months. Still, I missed my 4Runner. Well, my depression didn't last too long (2 day span, btw). We stopped by a Mazda dealer in the WPB, FL area to check out the P5's, (it has been on our short list for a while now,) and I think we got such a good deal, we just couldn't wait another 6-7 months! White, 5-speed, leather and in-dash 6-CD were the only options purchased. With the $1500 rebate, price was $15,150 + tax ($1029), title/tag ($125), and dealer fee ($499), + (misc fees ($8.50), OTD= $16,811.83. Pick it up this coming Mon afternoon. With no muss, no fuss. Very easy, mellow and honest sales person.

Test drove it in heavy traffic, clutch very smooth, like glass, didn't notice any clunky starts others have mentioned.

Still can't believe it! Looking forward to some "fun" driving now!

Cheers!

allen53fl · April 2003

FYI, Just to let Mazda shoppers in the East central FL area know, (or at least be aware of), we also stopped by Boniface-Hiers Mazda in Melbourne that Wed (just after dropping off my 4Runner)...in the area, thought we'd check 'em out. They were not willing to deal at all. Every vehicle had been "marked up" and that was their starting point/procedure. We said, sorry, we start from invoice. They were trying to start at around $19,680, (white P5, w/roof rack, cargo net, 6 CD player, cloth int). We offered $16,500 minus the $1500 rebate. They said said NO POSSIBLE WAY. Okay fine, thanks anyway. We will be in the area again this Thu, and are thinking of stopping in w/our new P5, just to sy "Hi!" and rub their noses in it a little and say deals CAN be had.....thank you and GOOD-BYE! We won't be back!

Looking forward to Mon and zoom zoom!!!!!

iamz · April 2003

Congratulations on your new P5!

revka · April 2003

Thanks for sharing all the details of your P5 purchase. We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience. Zoom zoom... and happy motoring! ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

revka · April 2003

it was not within our Town Hall guidelines. In addition, another message in direct response to this post was also deleted for the sake of continuity.

To those concerned: Please check your email. Also, feel free to email me if you have any questions/comments. Please do not address this matter with me here. Thanks!

And now, back to the subject of the Protege5! ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

mdaffron · April 2003

45-series tires are great for Miatas and race cars, but some of us have Protege5s that serve duty as work car, daycare mini-minivan and mom car. My wife's Protege5 has 20,000 miles on it and its SP Sport 5000s are getting thin; two are ready for replacement (yeah yeah yeah, we haven't rotated as often as we should have).

Does anyone have a recommendation on a decent, ECONOMICAL, maybe 55- or higher series tire that will fit the stock Protege5 alloys? We'd like something decent that doesn't break the bank.

For those of you who don't know me (and I don't know how that could be), don't get me wrong. I'm a Mazda fan. I've owned two '92 Proteges in the past and currently own a 2000 Protege ES sedan -- and we bought my wife a Protege5 in January 2002. Love the cars ... just wish Mazda would stop using such off-size tires that are so hard to find replacements for.

(And it isn't just the P5 that's got a difficult size ... the Protege does too!)

Meade

mazdafun · April 2003

I'm surprised you didn't just try Tire Rack.

You could probably go up a size (aspect ratio). Just watch you stay within the rim widths recommended by the manufacturer for that size, and note that your speedo will be reading a little low with the larger diameter tires.

Yeah, not looking forward to replacing the ones on my wife's P5 when the time comes. I'm signg back up for the Dunlop SP Sport A2 on my Protege, even though they seem to wear quickly. They just grip so well on dry and wet.

boggse · April 2003

How much would you like to spend? I would recommend the Proxes TPT, but I would not want to endanger your life by sending you to the wrong side of the river. Other than that, I couldn't find anything in 185/55R16 or 195/55R16 that I would consider recommending. If you didn't live in the ice belt, I would consider recommending the Kumho ECSTA Supra 712, but that is a summer tire. On second thought, I will say that you should take a long, hard look at the Proxes TPT in the OEM size. It has a treadwear of 400. Hopefully that means more that is does with Dunlop(AKA Good Year). The downside is you can't get them at the local Big Box.

PS- If you don't mind going to an S rated tire the BFG Radial T/A is available in 195/50R16 for $88 each from Tire Rack.

mdaffron · April 2003

I'm way ahead of you. But thanks for the advice. I was mainly wondering about any recommended plus or minus sizing that TireRack's formulas may not know about, specific to the P5. Looks like I may have a few other choices after all.

Still ... why does Mazda choose such zany tire sizes???

Oh well. Zoom. My new Touring T/A VR4s will be in tomorrow; time to say goodbye to the ... wait a minute! I was the one who coined "Poortenzas" for those awful Bridgestones ... now I need to make up one for ... here we go ... "Dumflop!!!"

Meade

boggse · April 2003

In my discussions with an individual who worked in sales allocation at Toyo, it came up that in model year 2001, only 5,000 cars with the 195/50R16 tire size were sold in North America. One can assume most if not all of those were Proteges. He described that size as "European," and said that they sell about twenty times as many in that size in Japan, Europe, Australia, etc. Apparently, we just need to catch up with the rest of the world.

I think the reasons Mazda chose it are it is a relatively low profile tire, so it looks and rides sporty. At the same time, it is a little on the narrow side, so fuel economy does not suffer too much.

golfboy · April 2003

Hi everyone,

I was at the dealer yesterday looking at the cars in the showroom and I noticed that the Miata stereo head unit looked remarkably similar to the one found in the Protege. Does anyone know if these Miata units are interchangeable with the Protege?

boggse · April 2003

Not sure if they are exactly interchangeable. I know a lot of people on miata.net are buying overstock 6-disc changers from the Tribute off eBay. The components have different part numbers on the various accessories brochures (except the 6 Disc changer in the Miata/Tribute). Why do you ask?

BTW- I have an 03 Protege5 & 03 Miata. It seems to me that the Miata stereo looks a little smaller, but I thought that may just be a perspective issue. The Miata stereo is nothing special either, and most Miata owners agree that the Bose system is not worth the money.

maltb · April 2003

...doesn't have rear audio controls, so I don't think you'd want it in your P5. The modular components(CD, cassette) are interchangeable which is why Mazda is using this design across most of it's line-up.

boggse · April 2003

Interestingly, my Miata stereo DOES have a fade setting. If I turn fade all the way to the back, I get no sound from the speakers. What does this mean as far as rear audio controls? Could I add rear speakers (assuming I found a place to put them)?

maltb · April 2003

maybe they have changed it since I last looked. I drove an '02 a couple months ago and I don't remember it having it. I have heard that Mazda is working on some accessory speakers for it so that's probably how they would tie it in.

audia8q · April 2003

After reading the last two posts I was curious...so I took a look at the Shinsen version Miata I have on the showroom....If you push the right side dial it rotates through bass, treb, mid range and fade. when you turn the dial to hear the rear fade the sound vanishes.

boggse · April 2003

Perhaps it is just Shinsens as that is what I own. ;-)

meinrad · April 2003

Met the dealer this morning and of course on our drive he doesn't feel any clutch chudder(shudder and or chatter). It's quite possible, as I didn't feel it yesterday either. It's a dry day today, and it mostly happens on damp mornings. Without dew on the car this morning I had the feeling I was in trouble. He still has my car thoughk, so I've asked him to drive it a few more times today.

While on the drive he did feel the break pulsations I've had lately. I've avoided even bringing that up to anyone as I didn't feel like paying for new brakes already. He said he could replace the rotors under warranty which should fix the problem. Since I have the rental car till the end of today, I told him to keep mine and replace them. So maybe by the time I get back to pick it up he will have verified the chudder.

So at this point, if they don't feel it today, I asked him if he would consider driving it for a few days. I figure that's the best way to know for sure he will feel it. He didn't really respong to that, but I may pursue it further if I can't get Mazda to do anything else.

And btw, I I I I have have have an an an Echo Echo Echo. I think it's nice for what it is, cheap transportation. I do LOVE the center pod guages. It took me about 5 minutes to stop looking down for my speedometer and get accustomed to it and the center position is very natural. I would love that to become a design standard.

boggse · April 2003

The only reason that auto makers have adopted the center gauge design is to save money. They do not have to design 2 different dashes for different markets. Ergonomically, it is not as good as a having the gauges right in front of you. Instead of having to look down, as with traditional gauges, you have to look down AND to the side. The best place for gauges would be right in front of you, but that would tend to get in the way of actually driving the car.

meinrad · April 2003

Well, in the Echo I don't have to look down, I just glance to the right. It's at a great level for me.

On most cars, the steering wheel blocks my gauges so that a quick look down results in seeing nothing. I have to look down and adjust my head to see what I want to see.

Maybe all center pod designs are not created equal, but in this case I find it far superior to the standard setup.

meinrad · April 2003

Got my car back. Of course it's a sunny warm afternoon so even the 2nd drive didn't get me any results.

But at least I got my rotors fixed so now my braking is very smooth again.

boggse · April 2003

Well, I guess it is good that it works well for some people. I didn't find it so convenient when I test drove an Echo. I definitely had to look down and to the right.

tallstetson · April 2003

I became a proud owner of a brand spanking new shiny bright Vivid Yellow P5 last Friday...even my wife is impressed. Got the Moonroof/CD, Side Airbag/ABS and 5-spd manual, it's the first new car I've ever owned. I'd like to thank ALL of you out there who've posted your thoughts, as I read this forum (and others) voluminously to get all the info I could beforehand. Price was $16,500 (list $18,830, don't remember invoice off the top of my head), probably could have haggled another hundred bucks or so but I'm so happy I could just spit. Also test-drove the Impreza Outback Sport and the Vibe. I've always loved Subarus but the 2.5L drinks WAYYY too much gas for my taste (at 100 miles/day that's an issue) and feels confined due to the steeply raked side windows. Vibes with manual transmissions are few and far between, the shifter when you DO find one is set uncomfortably far towards the front, visibility out the back and sides is poor...AND the dealer said that they were selling so fast that they were getting sticker price for them. Even if it's true that's not a good start to bargaining IMHO.

First tankful on the P5 I got 33.5 mpg...not as good as the 40+ I could get on my old Escort, but the trade-offs are worth it.

Thanks again to all of you.

Ernie Lowell

boggse · April 2003

Congrats. I hope you enjoy your new wheels. Be careful not to run it too fast. I understand that yellow is becoming the new red as far as traffic cops are concerned. It doesn't help since yellow stands out much more than red. It sure looks great on the P5 though. Be sure to post some pictures for us in the Mazda Protege Owners: Photo Gallery if you can.

mazdafun · April 2003

I think the yellow P5 looks best, with red being a close second.

I think you got a great price on it too.

allen53fl · April 2003

It's what I say EVERY TIME I drive it or when I come into the house! Of course, I've only had it since Monday, but first impressions are very meaningful! I e-mailed a friend that it has a driving "fun factor" that I've missed for a VERY long time and that I feel like it's knocked off ten years in attitude, (only wish it could knock off ten years in the looks dept! Ha Ha -- I'm pushing 50 here).

Had it only a short time, but it's already getting a workout, Home Depot (garage storage units), and we are going to pick up a table tomorrow.

That Melbourne dealer is up that way...still debating whether or not to drop in w/my new P5 and "rub it in" as to WHY I didn't purchase it from them, (BTW, "rub it in" is way too strong of a phrase, I guess -- my apologies). I would like to at least talk to them....(we are on good terms). Oh well, it's "their" business and they can run it anyway they like, not my problem.....

I am a VERY happy camper w/my new P5!!!!

Allen

tallstetson · May 2003

Just put a pic in the Photo Gallery (thanks for the suggestion)....

Over the last few days did 410.4 miles on 10.841 gallons (and I'm not even cheating on the numbers)...unless my calculator is broken that's 37.85 mpg.

And it's STILL the slickest-looking thing on the road!

mazdafun · May 2003

I think it's the best-looking thing on the road these days too.

My wife used to think she could tolerate the Matrix's looks (good thing the IP turned her off as well). She parked her P5 next to a Matrix at work one day and thought her P5 was much better looking. I guess the Matrix got Bangled up.

icvci · May 2003

I've been looking at some production photos of the Mazda3 over the last couple of days. It's looks really nice and I LOVE the interior. They really are two completely different looks IMO. I think the 3 is going to sell like hot cakes. If it has the handling of the P5 with the interior I'm looking at, it is a sure thing. There isn't a car in it's class that will compete.

mazdafun · May 2003

I'd be happy. I'm hooked on plugging my iPod directly into my car stereo. Much better sound than using an FM transmitter and less bulky than using a cassette adapter.

meinrad · May 2003

I've written 2 letters to Mazda about aux inputs. All it has gotten me so far is a few free movie rentals and a zoom zoom sticker.

I just can't understand why it's not standard in all cars. It's so cheap it's silly. Not all of us want to change out the head unit to get what we want.

My wife will probably be buying an Element in the fall and it has an aux input, yay!

audia8q · May 2003

My guess why they don't put the aux port is the lack of demand. The past two posts are the first time I have heard anyone asking for a aux port on the Pro5... I understand why it is a desirable feature for you and totally agree that it's a nice feature if you use it.

if you figure in engineering, part and install costs and then add that to lets say 300,000 proteges a year it works out to millions of dollars for a feature than maybe 5% of the buyers would use.. OTOH I think it should be available as an extra cost option for those who want the feature.

subyaudidude · May 2003

"if you figure in engineering, part and install costs and then add that to lets say 300,000 proteges a year it works out to millions of dollars for a feature than maybe 5% of the buyers would use.. OTOH I think it should be available as an extra cost option for those who want the feature."

Let's say that it costs Mazda $10/car to add the aux input. I doubt anyone would raise an eyebrow at a $10 MSRP increase.

dinu01 · May 2003

A $10 increase for AUX ports most buyers will not use could also translate into an extra $10/car increase for other options you or I might not find useful. Teh AUX port is nice to have and I would welcome one since I have a CD changer, but otherwise?

Dinu

mazdafun · May 2003

but I think I've mentioned it on the sedan and modifications forums here and I think on the 6 "what people really buy" (or something like that) discussion.

With the profileration of new audio sources (portable MP3, minidisc, XM & Sirius), it'd be silly for Mazda to ignore them. Some of us take our "boom boom" as seriously as our "zoom zoom" y'know. Remember that most automakers scoffed at built-in cupholders when they were first introduced. Now we have cupholders everywhere (and the Pro still gets dinged for lacking them for rear passengers). People actually base their purchase on little details like that. If Mazda truly believes "it's the little details", then they wouldn't ignore this.

meinrad · May 2003

someone doesn't ask for it, doesn't mean they don't want it.

My guess is the actual amount of people who would love to have the input would be pretty big.

These boards alone show you how many people have put in aftermarket head units to get what they want. More than a few might not have done so if they had a simple little plug on the dash.

Engineering, parts, and install would be minimal. Even if they would continue to use this stupid modular radio, all that is needed is a little plug and a wire. Sell it from the parts department for $20 and be done with it.

But the best thing would be for all car manufacturers to quit designing these radio systems and just design a hole for a standard radio and let us pick what we want. Offer something standard in the car, and make it easy for people who want more to add it. Best of both worlds.

......and I like the cupholder analogy

Mazda Protege5

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