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Comments
I beg to differ on the new Corolla though. With the right wheels that car is gonna be gorgeous. But they "decontented" the IRS away for the "lux look" interior and classy interior. They also skimped on seat track length. I can't drive it at all. Oh well.
Protege still ranks as the best new car out there for the "Andretti on a budget".
Larry: I'm no expert on this, but if you get larger wheels, then your PRO will travel less (less wheel spins) as far as the odometer will show.
Corolla: Sometimes it looks good with the skirt and alloys and the spoiler from the back/side, but when you look at it from the front, it still says "Boring conservative, Corolla of the past". Nice try Toyota, but no thanx! I still believe te PRO is the best new car out there for "Andretti on a budget" as FX said.
Dinu
You must register to see the posts, pics, etc.
Yesterday, when this all happened, it was snowing and cold...wind gusts up to 50 mph (sorry, don't know how fast that is in millimeters
Anyway, I guess I just have to suck it up and go back to my friendly dealership to have it replaced.
And hope they don't break anything else in the process.
(Sorry, maltb, couldn't resist)
--Dale
To the best of my knowledge, speed is measured in km/h, millimeters are 1/1000 of a meter.
1km=1000m
1m=100cm
1cm=10mm
As a general rule, to convert mph to km/h:
50mph / 5 x 8 = 80km/h
To converrt km/h to mph:
160km/h / 8 x 5 = 100mph
Dinu
(But thanks for the math refresher
--Dale
http://homepage.mac.com/tboggs/PhotoAlbum1.html
It was relatively easy. As soon as I receive my rears, I will get them in as well and post the some photos of those as well. The new fronts make a BIG difference. The sound quality is immensely better, and I don't have crank it up to hear it on the highway. I highly recommend the Kenwood KFC-6808C as a replacement. It almost makes my happy that Mazda installed the crappy speakers they did so I could have fun with my PRO.
ROTFL!! Dale, that's Reeeeeal fast.
paddler1: I can tell you the cruise control is the best I have ever had. It does not slow down going up hill nor does it speed up going down hill. It holds the speed you set.
Whether you like the ES or not is your decision. If you were looking at the Jeep Liberty I think the ES is not your car. Maybe you should drive the Protegé5 instead.
fowler3
The dealer said, "They are firm to make them more comfortable on trips." My reply, 'If I can't stand 5 miles sitting in one how can I make a long trip?' They bought it back in 30 days. I got a phone call from Honda and three questionaires.
I think female loyalty to Honda is like the way women buy shoes; they will wear shoes that are killing their feet just for the style.
fowler3
Soooo she has a Protege and I drive my jalopies. All is happy.
So the difference between the 205/55/r15 RE730's and the 195/55/r15 re92's is only 7 revolutions per mile which works out to be about 0.8%. I'm sure as a tire wears out you get a bigger differance than this (new vs. 50% used tire). I think I'm going to go with the RE730 as replacement summer tires. Excellent dry and wet grip and less noisy than the RE92. Only thing is that you'll need deticated winter tires as well, these are summer tires only! I live in Canada so you really should have real winter tires. I found this tire for 200CDN bucks at a local tire place and 200CDN online. A little too pricey for now. Anybody in Canada (more specifically Montreal area) know of a place with good tire prices?
Other tires I'm considering include Kumho ECSTA 712, Toyo Proxes TS-1, and Dunlop SP9000.
I'll try keep this short. (BTW...Did anyone notice I've been given credit for creating this discussion??? Cool!)
Trigger is now officially 2 years old as of 3/1/02. 26,000 nearly perfect miles. I am a year older as of 3/5 (Thanks for the warm birthday wishes Dale!)
Phoenix was warm, sunny and beautiful. Just as expected. Wish I could move back, but my wife and daughter need to be near family. I'll deal with it. Drove my brother-in-law's '99 Accord for the week. Nice car, pretty good handling, great overall ride quality, roomy and comfortable. Dead overly stiff steering and not too impressive fuel economy (22-24mpg in mostly city driving). Very good on the highway, stable and comfortable at 80 mph/3000 rpms.
Saw the aftermath of a 94 Protege DX/Chevy Silverado King Cab pickup truck accident. Happened at 67th St and Thunderbird in Scottsdale, AZ. Protege was totalled for sure. Front end very deformed from a "t-bone" into the the side of the Chevy Pickup. All parties were A-Ok and the passenger compartment on the Protege held up perfectly. No deformation at all of that section! I would estimate the accident speed at 35-40 mph. Chevy was pretty banged up too and the bed of the truck was hanging off. Sorry no pics to show...digital camera was at home at the time. I have yet to see a Protege do poorly in a wreck. (This is not a challenge to show me accident pics BTW). Makes me feel good to drive a Pro.
I was dead set on getting Pioneer replacements for my factory speakers, but after seeing the pics and reading about the Kenwoods, I may go with them.
Meade...I too had the Bob and Doug cassette. "Towel off you Hoser!"
CAPP....date has been set for May 18th, 1:00pm at Busse Woods in Schaumburg, IL. Likely attendance right now is 5-8 Protege's and associated owners. Most of the planning taking place on Upper Midwest discussion at Protegeclub.com All are welcome to attend from here of course! Elec3...hope you are home for the summer!
Off to bed now. Nite all!
Regards,
Pete
And speaking of speakers, I'll ask again if anyone knows if Polk Audio's will fit in the Pro?
Meade
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mazdaprotege/
Meade
Glad somebody was able to enjoy some good weather last week, while the rest of us here in the Windy City froze our you-know-whats off.
BTW, I was not the only one to wish you happy birthday...several folks here and at yahoo remembered the date, as well.
Good to see the CAPP plans moving forward. Come on, Chicago folks, let's get zoomin...those Mid-Atlantic people aren't going to show us up!
--Dale
The air vent, door locks are THE BEST that are out there...neat and tight.....not loose and fickle as found in some expensive cars like the Audi.
I was at the Phila auto show last month and the one thing that I was able to say is that the detail quality of the PRO dash(even though hard plastic) was as good as the expensive cars on the show.
And No, I am not bragging not is it "only my perception". It's the reality.
None Whatsoever. In fact, Michelin tire book shows 205/55/15 as a "Plus 0 size" for the Pro ES.
Tirerack does not recommend because u cannot put on snow chains with the 205/55/15 size.
>>>I'm a little confused, how do manufactures set up odometers? Maltb, speedy pete, anyone? <<<
No speedo is perfect.
In fact in a test conducted it was found that BMW cars showed up 72.5 mph when it was actually 70mph. Acura showed 71.5 mph. As far as I remember, a 3% variation is acceptable by the auto mfgrs (anyone??).
I liked the 205/55/15 size because I like to get more rubber between the Alloy wheel and the Road.
Makes the ride really comfortable. No jarring road bumps (I keep 30psi on the front tires).
I went with BFG 'cause of the deal. Otherwise Yokohama Avid V4 205/55/15 was my first choice.
Cruising speed up the I-5 between LA and SF was somewhere about 85-90mph with spurts to 100 on occasion. Top speed was 110mph and that little car wasn't going to go much faster. Stability was never an issue so I'm still curious why people are afraid to go over 80 in their Pros.
Gas mileage was between 25-27 for the trip. I didn't expect much better as I was above 80 the whole time.
On a humorous note, as I was nearing LA on my trip back down, I slowed to 70 as a Sherrif got on the freeway and edged up behind me in the left lane. I moved to the right, let him go by, and ended up following him going 80-90mph for the next 40 miles. I guess we Californians just live in slightly faster pace.
-Larry
In the Jetta I have now, it works the same way. Except in the back, you pull the door handle on the inside 2 times to get the door open instead of one time. If you activate the child lock on the back doors of my Jetta, it works the same as the Protege (inactivated inside handle). The little door lock button will still pop up on the first handle pull, but the door will not open on the second handle pull.
-Larry
-Larry
My '99 civic handles reasonably well - better suspension than the new civics - and is (so far) quite reliable (as you'd expect). But it could use some more power, and I'd like ABS, and while I'm at it I wouldn't mind side airbags, a roof, and more distinctive styling, more power and better handling. Civics are everywhere - for a reason, but I'd like something different.
And the new Consumer Reports makes clear that the new civic (based on preliminary latest-year info) has only near-average reliability, and Honda hasn't seen fit to update the engine in quite some time. The April CR actually has the civic -slightly- below avg in reliability - open circle on one chart, just in the red on the bar chart.
I haven't decided on the protege - waiting for news and a drive of the 180 hp variety of the sedan or hatchback. I've ruled out the 6 - don't want to wait that long, and Ford's horrendous job on the Focus reliability makes me think I'd wait several years before buying a ford-produced (even if mazda-engineered) product. A subaru is also a possibility. If Honda put a Si engine in the 4-door, that might be of interest.
As to the sound system on the protege - I don't care - I always replace stock sound with an aftermarket head unit and speakers (currently Eclipse). I've yet to regret doing that. It makes a difference on long drives.
As to Protege reliability - I sold my '91 protege with 160,000 miles on it, and the engine was as strong as ever. I'd like more power than the 2.0L, though.
No Thanks. If I lock the doors, I want them locked.
I think the auto-unlocking is not. I wouldn't want a door popping open by accident because someone was fiddling with the door handle. I've done this myself when I was a kid, and my daughter has once (which is why I still have that child lock enabled). Maybe an interlock that allows the doors to unlock only when the car is fully stopped? Besides, it would be one more thing to break down.
My 2 cents.
Dinu, you were absolutely correct. The Windstar has been plagued by major transmission and head gasket failures on the 3.8L engine since it's inception. It appears Ford never felt it necessary to actually correct any of these recurring problems.
Here is a small sampling of some of the posted Windstar issues...these were very common....
Brief history: 95 Windstar
Original Purchase Date April 1995.
Serviced by ONLY Ford Dealers (2 dealerships).
ALL fluids checked prior to service visits (so that I would know if levels were falling).
No towing or excessive hauling.
JAN 1999 - 47000 - New Transmission (warranty)
MAY 1999 - 52000 - New Transmission (warranty)
MAY 1999 - 52000 - New Head Gaskets (warranty)
MAY 1999 - 52025 - New Motor (warranty)
JUL 1999 - 53000 - Replace O2 Sensors (warranty - $50)
OCT 1999 - 56000 - New Transmission (warranty)
JAN 2000 - 59600 - New Blower Motor (et al - only $400!) - Extended Warranty is about to expire...
FEB 2000 - 61000 - New Front Brakes & Rotors ($225)
APR 2000 - 63000 - New Inner Tie Rods ($300)
At EVERY oil change from this point forward, I indicated to the service rep that we were constantly smelling coolant....
MAY 2000 - 65000 - Front Brakes Line Failure - @70 MPH no less ($300)
MAR 2001 - 75000 - New Motor (warranty)
APR 2001 - 76000 - New Outer Tie Rods ($300)
DEC 2001 - 85000 - New Motor (warranty)
1998 Ford Windstar GL 3.8L V6
Problems, Defects, Recalls
* Defective factory Head Gaskets at 60K miles. White smoke, coolant in engine oil. Replaced under Ford Recall but I still had to pay $200 for "fluids & environmental fees".
* "Hood Separation at high speeds" Recall. Dealer applied more Glue to the plastic hood!
* Gas Tank (plastic) needed Reinforcement for hot weather climates. Recall. They installed re designed straps on the plastic gas tanks.
* Sliding Door needed reinforcement/welding.
* Transmission Oil pan leaked constantly since vehicle was new at 0 miles. I was original owner.
* Engine oil pan started leaking at 10K miles.
* "Check Engine" light came on ALL the time! Usually on long drives or change of altitude. Dealer could never explain, and refused to fix it as there was no "problem".
* Hesitation/Jerking/Loss of power at certain temperatures, elevations, engine speeds. Dealer could never reproduce problem so refused to fix.
* Trim, body panels, weather stripping falling apart. (20K miles)
* Radio buttons and knobs falling off. (20K miles)
* Windows came off their tracks (30K miles)
* Defective rim that leaked Air! There was an Air Leak in the steel Wheel right from the factory! Dealer refused to replace, they said it was a Maintenance item! GRR..
Anyway, folks... Taking a gander at a few other boards and cars/trucks quickly makes you realize how lucky the majority of us are to own an exceptionally reliable automobile like the Protege. I have been spoiled in the ownership experience with Honda's, Mazda's and now my Subaru. I have never had a major mechanical problem. I've had some minor things like squeaking seats and rear window trim being loose, but other than that, just regular maintenance. The Windstar board was full of people who required new engines, transmissions, brakes, head gaskets etc. within months of new ownership and throughout the life of their vehicle. It was sobering to say the least...
I think all of us should keep our perspective when and if our Pro's encounter some minor tweak, or even a blown solenoid or two as happened to one loyal Protege owner. I believe these really are the exception as opposed to the rule.
I've stated it before and i will state it again, the Pro is a great little car. The best in it's segment for offering a full package of reliability, styling, performance and economy.
We're all pretty fortunate to own one...
Right off the top is the fact that the engine in the Civic is new for this generation. Whatever...
I pointed out the fact that this generation Protege recieved and open circle when it came out. No problem with it's reliability so far. Preliminary is just that.
Dinu
Larry, keep in mind that the average tire has a good 1/3- to 1/2-inch of usable tread -- and therefore the tires, even the stock ones that came with the car, will lose 2/3 to 1 inch of their diameter during the life of the tire.
We're talking differences of way less than that between tires: The Goodrichs are .44 of an inch larger in diameter than the stock Bridgestones. The Dunlops are .37 of an inch smaller in diameter than the stock Bridgestones. The Dunlops are closer in size to the stocks -- but not by much.
By the way, moving from 195/55/15s to 205/55/15s is NOT "plus zero" sizing. I'll back up my statement with quotes from two tire manufacturers, first Toyo and second Yokohama:
"Plus Zero sizing increases the section width and lowers the aspect ratio, while retaining the wheel diameter. This replacement tire increases the contact area and lowers the tread profile for improved traction and quicker response." -- Toyo
"Plus Zero: This method utilizes the same wheel diameter as OE, but incorporates a tire with a larger than OE section width and smaller than OE aspect ratio. For example, replacing an OE 175/70R14 tire (on a 5.5-inch wheel) with a 195/60R14 tire would be a proper Plus Zero fitment. Note that this may require a replacement wheel to maintain proper rim width for the new tire." -- Yokohama
Moving to a 205/50/15 would be TRUE "plus zero" sizing: You're going UP one level in section width (195 to 205) and DOWN one level in aspect ratio (55 to 50).
Meade
neither is 205/50/15
why
because in both cases, the diameter of the tire has changed from the original, +0.44 $ -0.37 respt. To be a true Plus 0 size, Increasing width by one step and reducing aspect by one step should give original diameter.
But in Michelin's Handbook, if you bring up the 99-00 Pro ES, both 205/50/15 and 205/55/15 are mentioned as "Plus 0" size tires.
I'm dreading what the boys at the Blue Oval will do to the Protege when it changes to the Focus platform. scary.
Hopefully Mazda will get plenty of Fords money and still have freedom to put what they want on the road. They are in charge of future 4 cylinder developement for Ford correct?
I too am concerned about what Ford might do to the wonderful reputation the Protege's built. I personally would give it (the Focus-based Protege, or whatever it'll be called) a couple years to prove itself.
Someone writing in to Automobile magazine summed it up pretty well when he said that most problems he's seen with Fords have been due to poorly-engineered parts or parts that have been cost-cut to the point of imminent failure. This comes from somone with several years experience in automotive retail. Just someone frustrated by having irate customers come back, I guess.
As far as the doors, if they decide to open the doors while the car's in motion, that's their own dumb fault. I mean come on now, how dumb can you be? The children that ride in my car are always in back, and always with child door and window locks on.
One of my co-workers just bought a used 2000 Focus SE. It's pretty nice looking. She said it has like 40K miles on it though, and she didn't say how much she paid for it though.
Ha, ha....you know, with all of the recalls and the severity of some of them, that the Ford
(unFocus"ed" had endured, it really wouldn't surprise me that the door's might fall off.
I have read that Ford has designated Mazda with the development of all future small block engines. However, that doesn't necessarily mean Mazda will have the freedom of utilizing the quality of parts they would like. Ford may say, "go design us an engine on this budget, utilizing these suppliers etc, etc..." As Mazdafun alluded too, Ford and the other North American manufacturers are known to cut many corners on the quality of the OEM parts in their cars. These parts tend to fatigue and fail quicker than most of the Japanese engineered and supplied OEM parts. It's all about the quest for greater SGP.
The wife and I loved the fact that the Protege was built in Hiroshima, Japan utilizing a very high degree of Japanese manufactured OEM spec parts. This was as large a selling point as the performance when we purchased it for her.
I just shudder when I hear that the PRO will be based upon the Focus platform that was engineered and spec'd by Ford. That right there tells me volumes about the future reliability of the Protege. I hope they leave it alone.