Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Mazda Protege5

1…137138140142143…154

Comments

  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    The following tach readings are all in 5th gear in a 2002 P5 with manual transmission:

    50 mph: 2300 rpm
    60 mph: 2800 rpm
    70 mph: 3250 rpm

    While the tach gauge does not permit precision readings, it appears that in 5th gear there's about a 500 rpm change for each 10 mph change.

    Are these readings different on your automatic-equipped P5?
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    - I should have written it down the other day when I was on the interstate, but I'm thinking around 3150 @ 70 mph with auto. I'll have to check again.
     - I saw a P5 with 205/55R-16 tires in the lot at Wal-Mart last summer, and it looked good. I'll bet it rides nicer, but the speedo and odo must be off several percent. I might go with that size when I replace the Dunlops, because I'm more interested in a less-jittery ride on bad roads than I am in cornering at breakneck speeds.
     - My snows are Pirelli Snowsport 210, 205/50R-16, and they are considerably wider than the stock Dunlops. I know you're supposed to have narrower snow tires, but they look great and still perform amazingly well, even on ice. I suppose most any true snow and ice tire would be better than the Dunlops in winter!
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    - With auto, approx.:

           60 mph @ 2650 rpm

           70 mph @ 3150 rpm

    Interesting that the auto 4-speed would turn fewer rpm than the 5-speed manual.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    "Interesting that the auto 4-speed would turn fewer rpm than the 5-speed manual."

    Same thing with the 2000 Proteges with the 1.8-liter engine. I have a 2000 ES 5-speed; a good friend has a 2000 ES auto. My engine's turning about 200K faster at 70 in fifth than his is in overdrive. We did a side-by-side on the interstate one day after we bought the cars.

    Meade
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    My wife's '03 gets 28-29mpg in mostly stop-n-go highway traffic with occasional non-stop-n-go freeway driving.

    Pretty good, IMO, considering her typical commute.

    Of course, my '99 LX gets 32mpg in mostly local traffic (but her 2.0 trumps my 1.6L in oomph). :)

    Both are AT-equipped.
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    - I think I read here a while back that the P5 brakes needed a pin lubed to prevent calipers from sticking. Does anyone know where these pins are, what they look like, and how to lube them? I'm getting nervous with winter weather not too far off! Thanks.
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Hi jimmcknight,

    There are 2 large pin/bolts that are on each caliper. They have allen heads on them, I forget the size. They need to be lubed with special brake grease when you change the pads. Not a big job. They are on the top and bottom of each caliper. Can't miss them. They hold the caliper in place.
  • fz1jpfz1jp Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I have a 2003 P5 and I'm very happy with it. Would anyone know where I could buy a service manual for it? I usually try and do my own maint; brakes, plugs and whatever else I can do. But of course I need the proper torque's and all that.

    Thanks!
    Jack
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Hi all,
       Here are my numbers for my P5 2002 AUTOMATIC.
    The table shows the speed in kilometres (KM/HR)
    followed by the tach reading (RPM). The mph
    is for conversion from KM/HR.
    Example: 50 km/hr @ 1450 rpm

            KM/HR @ RPM
    31 mph 50 1450 rpm
    37 mph 60 1600 rpm
    43 mph 70 1800 rpm
    49 mph 80 2200 rpm
    56 mph 90 2400 rpm
    62 mph 100 2700 rpm
    68 mph 110 3000 rpm
    74 mph 120 3200 rpm
    80 mph 130 3500 rpm
    86 mph 140 3800 rpm

    Comparable to kauai215's 2002 P5 with MANUAL:
    50 mph: 2300 rpm
    60 mph: 2800 rpm
    70 mph: 3250 rpm
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    -Thanks, reitrof. If the brakes are O.K., should you lube those pins or wait till you change the pads?
  • isseyvooisseyvoo Member Posts: 121
    After yesterday's torrential rains, realized that the original tires are no longer safe. Ordered a set of 4 Toyo Proxes TPTs (as per the past recommendation of someone on this board, can't remember who). Set to get them installed on Saturday. It will be interesting to compare their handling characteristics with the Dunlops. Hope they last longer then the 32K on the originals!
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    I, too, am interested in this.

    My recollection of past posts is this:

    Pins are inadequately lubed from the factory and/or are especially vulnerable to corrosion, particularly from winter salt on roads. In consequence the brake calipers do not slide freely and "stick” closed after applying the brakes, failing to release properly, thus causing the pads to drag against the brake disk as though the driver were continuing to lightly apply the brakes. Naturally, it doesn't take long to erase the pads in this situation. I expect the heat build-up might damage the rotors as well, maybe even boil the brake fluid.

    This is a good reason to maintain a gas book and compute fuel mileage at each refueling. I have to believe that if one's brakes are dragging in a perpetually applied state, be it ever so lightly, that the fuel economy would be noticeably poorer alerting one to a problem.

    It seems the rear brakes, as I recall, are the ones suffering with this malady. But the rear brakes carry very little load and can easily last 60,000 miles and more between pad changes. I can make my front pads last 60,000 miles; I’ve never replaced rear pads, but I usually sell my cars around 60K anyway.

    The caliper pins need to be lubed now, not later, in order that you might preserve the pads natural long life, not to mention the disks, etc.

    That’s most of what I recall. If I’m mistaken, hopefully someone will correct me here.

    If I’ve made sense explaining the nature of the problem, you can see that regardless of how well your brakes are currently performing, you need to lube those pins anyway. Otherwise, you won’t “discover” the problem until it’s too late, which may require an expensive repair.

    Can someone point us to a P5-specific website that details the procedure for lubing the pins and perhaps the pad backing plates as well? For those who have ABS, does that alter the procedure in any way? (I don’t have ABS on my P5.) I seem to recall that there was some “trick” to doing this job on the Mazdas, but I may be confusing this with another car.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    What size did you buy?

    32K on the Dunlops is much more than what many have gotten; 20K seems common for these.

    I’m hoping to get 30-40K on mine, but it depends on when winter arrives in the wear history.
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Unless you are having brake issues, like binding or sticking I would leave it alone.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    How will he know when he is "having brake issues, like binding or sticking?"

    You wrote:
    "...I would leave it alone."

    For how long? 60,000 miles? More?

    Or until the brakes break?
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    - Brakes seem fine at this time, but when I change over to the snowtires I'll take a closer look. We are exposed to tons of salt on our roads here in the winter, and I would like to be sure there won't be any problems. Thanks very much for advice.
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I would check them now. I had the pins stick on my P5 and had to have the whole rear brakes replaced (rotors, pads and calipers) from this. I don't remember if you said how many miles are on your car but mine was diagnosed at 50,000 kms (30,000 miles). My car is now at 130,000 kms and my front brakes are still in great shape with its original pads (I drove mostly hwy) so I imagine I should get over 200,000 out of the rears.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    cdnp5 wrote:
    “I would check them now. I had the pins stick on my P5 and had to have the whole rear brakes replaced (rotors, pads and calipers) from this.”

    Exactly.

    THAT’S how you find out whether you’ve got problems. My guess is that there are few, if any, overt symptoms to alert the owners to this problem. You find out when it’s well and truly broken. This problem is analogous to some medical problems: You don’t find out until it’s too late.

    cdnp5 wrote:
    “…so I imagine I should get over 200,000 out of the rears. [pads]”

    Exactly my point. If one waits until it’s time to change the rear pads before lubing the caliper pins, the wait will be a very long one.

    I think this is a poor strategy. Rear brakes suffer very little wear in ordinary use; it’s the fronts that do the brunt of the work because of weight transfer under braking. For many of us the original rear pads will still be good long after we sell the car.

    While I’d never heard of this before, my Honda dealer was pushing this very service when we had our ’02 Si in for warranty work in recent weeks. We needed the “reluctant” handbrake adjusted on the car. (Si’s have a bad reputation for rolling off on their own even with the handbrake applied.) The dealer tried to push their new routine brake service on us: They disassemble and lube the caliper assemblies, including the pins, irrespective of whether you need new pads. I think they want to do this every 7500 miles. It can’t hurt, obviously, but in my experience it has not been necessary heretofore.

    Given Mazda's history of “sticking” calipers on these cars, and other models, too, apparently, prudence would seem to dictate attending to this proactively as a preventive maintenance task rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.

    Remember the old commercial? “You can pay me now ... or pay me later!”

    It’s possible that your Mazda dealer will perform this service under warranty. I’d like to tackle the job myself, though, since it looks like something that should be done periodically.

    Thanks, cdnp5, for alerting me to this potential problem on my P5. Yours was one of the original posts on this problem, as I recall. You may well have saved me much grief and a good bit of money, too. It is helpful tips like these from helpful folks like you that make it worth my while to read in this forum. :-)

    Now, I just need to get out there and lube mine, even if it doesn’t see much salt driving.
  • isseyvooisseyvoo Member Posts: 121
    Stock size -- 195-50-R16 Bloody expensive. $128 per tire plus install. Hopefully they'll be worth it! Seemed a lot quieter than the originals on the way home from the shop.
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    That is the great thing about this board, sharing information.
    My dealer fixed everything under warranty which was great. But I have talked to others that could not get their's fixed under warranty so press your dealer if there is a problem. Mazda does know about these problems.
    Now that I'm way over my warranty (130,000kms) I will make sure I get mine done once per year.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    It seems most of the 195/50 performance tires are pricey, which is not to suggest they're not worth it; there just doesn't seem to be a large selection.

    I was wondering if you'd gone to a larger size with a taller sidewall and, if so, how it affected both ride and handling.

    If you have the time, perhaps you could post a review of these tires comparing them to the OEM Dunlops.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    You wrote:
    "That is the great thing about this board, sharing information."

    Yessir. If it hadn't been for you sharing, I'd never have known about this problem. The Internet is one of the greatest developments on this planet, I think. It brings people together in a way that wasn't possible before. We can reach out and talk to one another and help one another.

    Thanks again my Canadian friend. :-)
  • redpr5redpr5 Member Posts: 23
    My Dunlops are worn out at 27,000 miles. I put Fusion ZRIs 205/50/16s on last week. The ride is better, almost as good as my wife's Mazda 3 hatchback. The handling on turns is almost as good as the dunlop OEMs, except you can feel a little sway just as you start to make a turn. However, after a few days you won't notice it as much.

    The dry handling is very good with these tires. It rained very slightly only one day so far and turning and braking was very good. These tires are much cheaper than the Dunlops. I got them for $89 before mounting and balancing at our local Firestone dealer. Going up this one size should only affect the speedometer by about 1 mile an hour at 60mph. So far I am very happy with these tires.
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Well let's not go off the deep end here. Binding or sticking would result in a brake burning smell. Now if the driver can't understand what that means then take it in and get it checked by a trusted garage.
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I disagree. I had no burning smell at all, ever. I did have on only two occasions a squealing sound. The weird thing was it happened only after driving on the highway for 15 minutes, then it would squeal for 1 minute and then just stop. About 2 weeks later it happened again. It didn't sound like a caliper squeal, more like a stone stuck between your pad/rotor sound. After I had the dealer diagnose the problem I still had to wait 8 weeks for all of the parts to arrive. So I wore the rear brakes and rotors right off the car as they dealer said he would replace any part from this issue. Even at the end there was never any burning smells, just a lot of squealing due to one side having no pads left.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    reitrof wrote:
    “Well let's not go off the deep end here.”

    I disagree with your approach, advocate an inexpensive alternative approach to yours, and you characterize my disagreement as “going off the deep end?” How very gracious of you.

    We have opposing philosophies here, that’s all.

    You advocate “leave it alone,” absent clear evidence that one’s P5 is experiencing this brake problem. Or more generally speaking, you appear to be espousing: “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken,” or “Don’t meddle with a going concern.”

    There are occasions when I adopt that approach, too, but not often, and certainly not for this sticking brake caliper problem.

    I advocate a proactive, preventive maintenance approach to this particular brake problem.

    Jimmcknight declares that he "would like to be sure there won't be any problems." He alludes to putting many miles on his car on salt-ridden roads -- the very conditions that promote this brake problem. His concern is valid.

    How on earth can he have any assurance at all if he “leaves it alone?”

    I cannot think how to _rationally_ assure myself that I will avoid this problem on my own P5 except to perform a basic, inexpensive, maintenance procedure and lubricate the caliper pins. This is not even a “repair,” nothing is broken, it’s just appropriate (I contend) maintenance given the Mazda HISTORY of this problem.

    By lubing these pins, I WILL REASONABLY ENSURE that I will NOT be a victim of this problem. I can rest easy. The cost to me? Minimal. (What “deep end?” If this is the “deep end,” I like it out here. ;-)

    If I elect to follow your advice, I’ll “leave it alone,” and wait and see. I’ll gamble in other words. Maybe my car will never suffer from sticking calipers, in which case the time and money I would have spent on lubing them will have been wasted. I might consider that path if the cost was very high to lube the pins. But the cost is very low.

    On the other hand, if I “leave it alone,” as you advocate, and my calipers stick, it could prove to be very expensive indeed to repair. The cost of “losing this bet” is high.

    The cost/benefit ratio is heavily weighted on the cost side if one chooses to gamble on this issue. My experience tells me that RISKING AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR simply to avoid an inexpensive maintenance procedure is a poor strategy. I’m unprepared to assume that risk, to take that “bet.”

    At best one saves a little, while risking a lot. Age and experience have taught me to avoid bets like that.

    You’re entitled to do as you choose with your car. It’s your car, your risk, your money. You’re even entitled in this free country to encourage others, as you did, to follow your advice and take this “bet” themselves. I notice, however, that you have not offered to reimburse anyone who follows your advice should they lose this bet at considerable expense to themselves.

    I’m unprepared to encourage others to take such a poor bet, especially those who drive in the salt belt.

    -Kauai

    “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will
    learn in no other.” -Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    I appreciate your feedback on your tires; this is just what I was curious about. Obviously, different makes and model of tire also need to be considered (some are stiffer by design than others), but in general I expected the ride would be improved with the taller sidewall tire. I wasn’t sure how noticeable the ride improvement would be.

    I’d be willing to sacrifice a bit of performance for a less harsh ride on rough pavement. My P5 rides even harder than many, because I run higher tire pressures for predominantly highway driving as well as often being loaded up with kayaks and gear. I’m running 37/35 psi F/R. (The extra 2 psi on the front is to help reduce understeer.) Fortunately, I don’t encounter too much rough pavement, else I might want to change tire pressures daily depending on my trip route. ;-)

    You wrote:
    “Going up this one size should only affect the speedometer by about 1 mile an hour at 60mph.”

    Yes, I believe that’s correct. I’ve timed my P5 over measured miles on the USA Interstates (running OEM 195/50-16 tires) and found that my speedometer appears to be off by a bit over 1 mph at 70 mph; at an indicated 70 mph on the speedometer, the timed speed is about 68.5 mph. If my timing measurements are correct, then I predict that a 205/50-16 replacement for the OEM 195/50-16 would be just about perfect for correcting the speedometer calibration error, and a 70 mph speedometer reading would be very close to an actual 70 mph road speed.

    If anyone wants to check this, just look for those slim, green, vertical signs along the right side of the Interstates. They’re small and unobtrusive, and many folks are unaware of their presence. They’re mileage markers that are supposedly fairly accurately placed. I take a number of split times and average them.

    You wrote:
    “The ride is better, almost as good as my wife's Mazda 3 hatchback.”

    Ah, so you have both the old and the new? How do the two compare in your view?

    Thanks for your feedback. :-)
  • redpr5redpr5 Member Posts: 23
    The taller tires on my Protege5 does give it a better ride with some sacrifice on handling. I found that out this morning when I took a curve at around 42mph and found I had to correct my steering more than I was used to. The Fusion tires are a bit more noisier than the Dunlops, but thats why we have cd players.

    My wife's 3 hatchback rides and feels more like a larger car. On a recent trip, we were amazed at the substantial feel to the car. My Protege5's interior is nice, but the 3's is better. I've noticed that some 3 owners are having trouble with their a/c unit. Ours is a very early build date of 11/03 and have not had any problems. We live in Louisiana and the temp gets very hot and humid. Overall I am very pleased with both cars.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    I concur with Kauai; this is a situation when an expense can be looked at as a reasonable investment in one's peace of mind. Unfortunately, not having lubed calipers in the past, I'm going to have mine done by my dealer next month in anticipation of another salty wicked winter. I'll let you know what the service costs once I know.
    -- Autonomous
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Interesting comments:

    "My wife's 3 hatchback rides and feels more like a larger car. On a recent trip, we were amazed at the substantial feel to the car. My Protege5's interior is nice, but the 3's is better. I've noticed that some 3 owners are having trouble with their a/c unit. Ours is a very early build date of 11/03 and have not had any problems."

    I'd appreciate any additional comparative comments, such as:

    a) Driver's seating : is it only me or do you feel higher in the 3 than the P5?

    b) Performance: is the additional hp evident in the city or only on the highway? The P5 has a
    wonderful kick, do you find the 3 similar or has this been tamed?

    c) Weight: is the additional 150+ lbs. offset by the 30 horses; I find the P5 feels faster than it should considering it's only 130 hp; by comparison my brother's 1999 CamryV6 (195 hp) gives me the opposite impression

    d) Handling & Braking: do you find either one superior in handling or braking? I am impressed by the P5's demeanour in general

    e) Cargo: have you ever wished the 3's luggage capacity was larger? Strangely enough, this is one of the shortcomings I find about the P5 - fortunately we do not travel weekly with tons of luggage but when the need arises, there have been remarks made by my better half about the need for more, more, more room
     
    Cheers!
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Wow that is quite a rant. You have yours and I have mine. My view is that I had 50,000 miles on mine and no issues with the calipers grabbing.

    I have seen too many people get ripped off by garages on brake jobs they don't need.

    The other gentleman said he heard squealing, not jimmy, so I would assume he would take it in or have it looked, and not leave it alone.

    In the end if you are not sure then take it in and have someone qualified to take a look at it if you cannot make the determination on your own.
  • redpr5redpr5 Member Posts: 23
    a) The 3 does seem to be higher than my P5. The body is slightly taller on the 3.

    b) The 3's bigger engine does give it more kick both in town and on the road. When I want my P5 to go, you have to give it a good bit of gas. The 3's engine is much smoother and quieter with better takeoff capabilities. If you floor the 3 for passing, it only seems marginally faster than my P5, but if you take it easy in passing you can get to 80 or 90 very quickly.

    c) I can't tell that the 3 weighs more than my P5. It feels more substantial, like it is a large car, while my P5 feels more like a go cart, which I like.

    d) I think that the handling and braking on my P5 is better than the 3. The 3 is close, but not quite.

    e) The cargo space for both vehicles is indeed lacking. We put one large and one small suit case along with some smaller items in the cargo space and it filled it up. All other items had to go in the back seat. Thank goodness it is only my wife and I. It would be a problem with children and their luggage.

    f) You didn't have an f, so this is some more additional comments. Every one that sees my P5 and my wife's 3, love the way they look. I like my P5 and plan on keeping it a long time. It is the perfect car for me.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Fascinating, your comments mirror some of my impressions having looked at the 3. I have yet to do a test drive; my reluctance is due in part to the "helpful" salesmen. Once a few test drives are under my belt, so to speak, I should have a better sense of whether to switch in the near term (2007) or later.

    a) Seating: 3 is "higher than P5". This higher stance is more characteristic of SUVs/trucks; I prefer the lower stance of sporty cars. One reason the P5 is preferable to the Matrix and Vibe in my opinion.

    b) "The 3's bigger engine does give it more kick both in town and on the road." Great. I think one of the frequent comments about the P5 has been the need for more oomph. Mazda listened.

    c) "3 ... feels more substantial, like it is a large car, while my P5 feels more like a go cart, which I like." Go cart is right!

    d) "handling and braking on my P5 is better than the 3. The 3 is close, but not quite." Could you elaborate?

    e) "cargo space for both vehicles is indeed lacking." Isn't that curious! I'm certain that many of us bought our hatchbacks with the idea that cargo space would be plentiful. Fortunately, this is not a major demand of mine, but it does prove the rule: identify your needs and try it before you buy it.

    f) "Every one that sees my P5 and my wife's 3, love the way they look. I like my P5 and plan on keeping it a long time. It is the perfect car for me." Agreed! What kind of time frame do you expect to keep your P5? My 2002 will be 5 before I consider parting with it. I suspect that the Mazda 3 by then will have been improved to deliver even more hp and enticing features.

    -- Autonomous
  • redpr5redpr5 Member Posts: 23
    When I take a tight turn in my P5, you know exactly how much to turn the wheel, and you know exactly where it is going. Now this was with the OEM tires. I put 205/50/16s on just recently, and if I take the same turn, I have to make a little bit of a correction in steering. I knew it would be that way with the taller tires. The 3 handles in the same way as my P5 with the taller tires, just have to make a bit more of a correction. The 3 feels like it is not going to make the turn, but it does. This could be that I don't get to drive it enough to know the best way it handles.

    The brakes on my P5 feel stronger than on the 3. You have to put more effort into the peddle to slow the same as the P5. This could just be a difference in the power assist unit.

    I always plan to keep my car 10 years or so. I haven't done this with the last 4 vehicle purchased. We traded more expensive cars and SUVs to get to these cars we have now. I think we will keep these Mazdas at least 5 years, unless something new that would be better and about the same price (fat chance) comes along.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Hi, Some followup on your earlier points.

    Tires:
    "put 205/50/16s on (P5) and ... I have to make a little bit of a correction in steering" (for) 3 ... have to make a bit more of a correction."
    As a result was the purchase of the 205 tires worth it? Why not continue with the Dunlops? Do you use winter tires?

    Brakes:
    "P5 feel stronger"; 3 requires "more effort".
    Curious: I thought the 3 had larger brakes. Have you noticed more brake dust on either one? P5 has outstanding brakes; they have saved my wallet and skin on several occasions.

    Depreciation:
    Planning to keep a car for 10 years is wise as one wins out in the depreciation game. The only problem is all that new candy that is launched every year. I understand that the P5 is holding up well. My inexpert rule of thumb of 10% per year leads me to hope that my P5 (assuming mint condition) will be worth approximately half of what I paid originally. Many domestic models would not pass this test, I have my fingers crossed for the P5.
  • cogs25cogs25 Member Posts: 39
    "b) The 3's bigger engine does give it more kick both in town and on the road. When I want my P5 to go, you have to give it a good bit of gas. The 3's engine is much smoother and quieter with better takeoff capabilities. If you floor the 3 for passing, it only seems marginally faster than my P5, but if you take it easy in passing you can get to 80 or 90 very quickly."

    Wow!. I think my P5 is pretty good off the line, so the M3 must REALLY haul!! Wish I could put the M3 engine in my P5. (I think the P5 looks better than the M3 Hatch)
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I find it interesting that I had the same opinions as others here. I took out a Mz3 about 6 months ago for a 30-45 minute test and also felt the steering lacked but did find the engine peppier. I even wrote a very short compare of the two cars.

    http://ca.geocities.com/dclintc516@rogers.com/2004_mazda_3_sport.- htm


    I will be replacing my tires on Tuesday after 130,000kms of driving on the original Dunlops (I did use winter tires though), also going to 205/50/16's so it should be interesting to see how they feel.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    I’m enjoying reading about folk’s thoughts about the 3-series vs. their P5s. As I recall, reading the automotive magazines, the road testers all had exactly the same experiences you guys describe. The new Mazda 3 series seems more “grown up,” more up market, but not quite as much fun as the P5.

    I was in my dealership last week (looking at a Miata) and I took a quick look at the Mazda 3. Wow. What a value. The interior was superb for a car in that price range. (If we were to get a Miata, the Honda would go, not the P5. ;-)

    I think Mazdas are the best hidden value out there. (A close out, price leader Miata was selling for $18,500! An even $18K if you’re a recent college grad. Amazing value.) I’ve never been able to understand why Mazda does so poorly in the market place. Poor marketing, I suppose. It sure isn’t because the cars aren’t good -- they’re outstanding values, and always have been.

    I agree completely with others about the cargo space. As big as it is, I need more! Of course that means a bigger car, more mass, probably not such spirited handling, etc. Everything is a trade-off. I was just reading a recent review of the Mazda 6 sportwagon. That looks very nice.

    Anyone else notice that the new Audi 3(?) small 5-door sportwagon looks, from the side, very much like our P5? The as-tested price, though, looks to be around $30,000.

    I have less than 14K miles on my 5-door go cart, but I am increasingly pleased with this car and what it gives me. While I’d like more power, this gets the job done quite nicely, thank you. My only gripe is that the seats are not so good. They seem like what the Japanese imagined Americans would like -- something real cushy (read sagging). I keep thinking I’d like to put in at least an aftermarket driver’s seat. I keep finding other things to spend that kind of money on, though. ;-)

    I did see the best seats on a production car ever, though, when I was at the dealer. They had one of the new VW Golf R32 beasts. Super seats. Even better than the great seats in our Honda Si (Recaros). While nobody wants the new Si, they steal the seats, apparently. The Golf seats had even bigger side and thigh bolsters.

    I do wish Mazda would install Recaro seat copies in their cars. I think they’re confused about what the buyers want when they look at sporting sedans, etc.

    I know that some folks like the Mazda seats, but I wonder if they’ve ever lived with Recaros before? They might change their views of seats if they did.

    Apart from the seats issue, the P5 is outstanding, and I expect it will cost a great deal more to get a better car in the future. I may actually keep this baby longer than the typical 3-4 years we keep cars.

    We have to stop buying new cars all the time; it’s nuts. But, oh they are tempting, aren’t they? ;-) We suffer depreciation losses, but we don’t have repair bills, just routine maintenance, which I do, such as oil and filter changes. There’s not much else to do on today’s cars. I think we’ve had one repair we had to pay for ($90) in the last 21 years. That’s it. No one believes that! But it’s true! ;-)

    The biggest expense is tires, but even there we’ve managed on a couple of cars to go 60K miles on the OEM tires. In fact (you may get a giggle out of this), sometimes we get new tires by going to the dealership and getting a new car bolted to them! And that takes care of the new tires we needed, typically around 40K miles, or so! ;-)
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    You wrote:
    "I will be replacing my tires on Tuesday..."

    What did you buy?
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    reitrof wrote:
    "Wow that is quite a rant."

    Wow, that is quite rude.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    Don't sweat it - it's not a major insult. But let's stay away from personal comments. If you don't like what someone says, skip their posts.

    kirstie_h
    Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I'm getting some Yokohamas and the best part is they are free as my Uncle took them off his car with little mileage on them. I don't remember the model number but will post that after getting the install done, but I think they look something like the ES100?.
  • redpr5redpr5 Member Posts: 23
    I only got 27,000 out of the Dunlops and they were very worn. The Dunlops are around $150 and the Fusion ZRis were $89. I did some checking on the Fusion Tires, and since they are new, there is not a lot of long term evaluations. The people who have bought them seem to like them. They handle as well as the Dunlops on dry pavement and handle much better on wet pavement. Its only rained once here since I got them, so I haven't tested them a whole lot. They seem to be a little nosier than the Dunlops, but thats why we have radios. In Louisiana you don't need snow tires, we just roll up the roads in case it snow.

    I don't know why more peddle effort is required for the 3. It stops very well, just have to push a little harder on the peddle. I guess I know my P5's brakes better and know exactly how it will react. My P5 has little to no brake dust. The 3 had a lot of brake dust on the rear wheels in the beginning. The dust has decreased somewhat now that we have about 7,500 miles on it.

    I too wish I had the 3's engine in my P5. However I am very satisfied with it just as it is. We should all keep our cars for a long period of time. After 5 years, the depreciation is very small. If we would save our payments after our cars are paid off, we would be so much better off. Its just that we keep finding new, better or just more interesting cars or things to spend our money on. I keep telling myself that when I get around $50,000 that I could just put on the floor and burn, then I might buy a loaded BMW 5. More than likely I would probably and buy the current generation of the Mazda 3 hatchback and take a long vacation with the rest of the money.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Based on some recent posts, here is a picture of tires for the P5. Prices come from Tirerack.

    Original equipment: Dunlop SP Sport 500M V rated (149 mph / 240 km) U$110 + road hazard

    redpr5
    OEM : lasted 27000 miles (about 45000 km)
    New : Fusion ZR1 205/50/16 U$89 + mount + bal

    isseyvoo:
    OEM : lasted 32000 miles (about 55000 km)
    New : Toyo Proxes TPT (size?) U$125 + install

    jimmcknight:
    OEM : unknown mileage
    Snows: Pirelli 205/50/16

    cdnp5:
    OEM: unknown mileage
    New: Yokohama Avid ES 100 ; gift

    autonomous:
    OEM : 16000 miles (26000 km) and in great shape
    Snows: BF Goodrich Slalom 14" ; C$700 all inclusive for tires + rims; 8500 miles (14000 km); reliable but ugly
    New: Due in 2007

    As many Canadians know, snow tires defer the replacement of OEMs. Handling is improved but performance (read speed) is affected; personally I do not like racing into a snow bank.

    Anyone else want to share their tire history?
    -- Autonomous
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    - Thanks for tracking all the tires, autonomous! Maybe we'll get even more in the future. I don't think there's any way I would pay over $100 each for these Dunlop originals, but I've only got about 6,000 miles on them and,yes, it's nice to have the snows for winter! Real snow tires give me added peace of mind on ice, especially, because they are so grippy. The Dunlops might last several years, because I put on the snows in November and leave them on till late March or early April.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Likewise: my P5 gets its snow boots and annual Krown treatment in late October/early November. The other advantage of snows is that you save your alloys from all that salt damage. By the way Tirerack recommends that you wax your alloys the same as the rest of the car.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    After scanning the posts for the last year or so, here is an updated picture of P5 tire history. It appears that the original Dunlops last about 30,000 miles (almost 50,000 km) on average. Prices shown are quotes by members / Tirerack.

    Anyone else want to share their tire history? It would also be worth knowing how the replacements are faring.

    OEM shows mileage reached by original tires before they were replaced; the original tires are Dunlop SP Sport 5000M 195/50/16 V rated (149 mph / 240 km) U$110 + road hazard
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    ginto
    OEM : 22,400 miles (36,000 km)
    New : Toyo Proxes TPT 195/50/16/ V-rated

    redpr5
    OEM : 27,000 miles (about 45,000 km)
    New : Fusion ZR1 205/50/16 U$356 + mount + bal

    Sporin
    OEM: between 25,000 – 30,000 miles (40,000- 48,000 km)
    New : Kumho Ecsta Supra 711 195/50/16 U$360 complete
    Snows: unknown

    isseyvoo:
    OEM : 32,000 miles (about 55,000 km)
    New : Toyo Proxes TPT 195/50/16/ V-rated; U$500 + install

    iam2
    OEM: 35,000 miles (56,400 km) as of May 2004
    New : planned to replace summer 2004

    Dagpotter
    OEM : 36,000 miles (58,000 km)
    New : OEM (Dunlop Sport 5000M 195/50/16); Jan. 2004

    122856
    OEM : 38,000 miles (61,200 km)
    New : planned to replace; considered Toyo Proxes TPT

    cdnp5:
    OEM: unknown mileage;
    New: Yokohama Avid ES 100 ; gift
    Snows: unknown
    Notes: current total over 70,000 miles (113,000 km)

    reitrof
    OEM : unknown mileage
    New : Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 205/45/17 + upgrade to 17” wheels

    jimmcknight:
    OEM : 6,000 miles (10,000 km)
    Snows: Pirelli 205/50/16

    autonomous:
    OEM : 16,000 miles (26,000 km), in great shape, plan to replace in 2007
    Snows: BF Goodrich Slalom 14"; C$700 all inclusive for tires + rims; 8500 miles (14000 km); reliable but ugly

    Cheers!
    -- Autonomous
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    My Mazda dealer has quoted C$70 (approx. U$53) to have the rear calipers lubed; this service involves removing the parts and clearning off rust to prevent the pads from sticking and encountering premature wear.

    Cost to replace rear pads: C$215 = C$100 (parts) + C$115 (labour).

    This is a followup to post 7165 and earlier.
  • kauai215kauai215 Member Posts: 190
    Autonomous,

    I found this site for everyone who might be affected by sticking rear calipers on their Proteges.

    Go to: http://web2.airmail.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/

    See: “REAR BRAKE NOISE / DRAG, PADS SEIZED IN CALIPER”

    Evidently, Mazda does indeed have a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin (to dealers only)) addressing this problem. It’s my understanding that problems need to occur with some frequency before a TSB is issued.

    Autonomous, if you were to approach your dealer with this information, he might be cooperative and perform the service under warranty. Alternatively, he might agree to split the cost with you since it’s a TSB, not a recall, and you, apparently, aren’t suffering this problem just now. Then again, maybe you are and just don’t know it yet. Measuring the rear pads should reveal whether they’ve been dragging.

    Note that there is not only a TSB, but Mazda has also designed _modified_ replacement parts. Clearly, Mazda takes the problem seriously.

    Hope this is helpful.
  • cdnp5cdnp5 Member Posts: 163
    I would say that $70 would be fair as its probably an 1 hour job. I also think that asking the dealer is a good idea but may not work. If there is already a problem, then its warranty work, if not it's considered preventative maintenance, that is your cost. Keep us up to date with what happens.
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles