Mazda Protegé

1316317319321322453

Comments

  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    Our 00 ES 5-Speed now has a 02 Emerald Mica MPV LX in it's room! Let the competition begin!

    Regards,
    Mark.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    That's good to hear. I always like seeing a PRO and MPV or 2 PROs parked together at the same house. It almost makes me wanna knock on the door and talk about the cars with the owners.

    Dinu
  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    I know the feeling well.

    Regards,
    Mark. : )
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    I posted in the Events topic, but I'm gonna put one here as well, so more people will see it


    image

  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Cool pic! Looks like you guys had a great time.
    Wish I could have been there.

    When's MAPP V??

    :)

    --Dale
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    Looks like a Mazda dealer's lot after the M6 came out! LOL!

    Hi folks, my first post since Sept. 14, #16067. Been a while. I'm still tied up with work and check by once in a while. Been working 10AM to 2AM many days in a row. Yesterday to today, 10AM to 3:30AM. Have too much work now. Not bragging, folks, I'm to old for those hours. Three clients wanting something at once.

    If I buy a laptop do you think continuing to work when I go to lunch and dinner I could get to bed earlier?

    Boggse posted #16068, asking how my Pro LX could be 17 months old and only 9800 miles since 2002s came out in the fall, it's a 2001. I got my 7500 mile check at 10,014 miles, the service manager had a very concerned expression on his face. Still no rattles, runs smooth as ever.

    boggse wondered why so few miles; because I work all the time and drive short distances when I do get out, six miles one way and eight miles another. We are creatures of habit going to the same dining places to fill up and get back.

    I'm surprised how often the wheels/tires need balancing and rotation, must be the Poortenzas' soft rubber scrubbing off.

    Protegeextwo asked about my co-pilot, Tippy, she's doing good and always wants to go bye-bye. Loves to hang out the back window and bark at old ladies taking daily walks. The Pro is ideal for small pets, in that the rear door windows go almost all the way down. She looks over my shoulder at the window buttons to see if I am going to run her window down. Of course, it's the first one lowered.

    Looks like the Pro owners had a super meet this year! Take care.

    fowler3
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    unfortunately a few of them got overlapped in the photo...
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Well, the preliminary results are in on my new tires (Toyo Proxes T1-S), and they are nothing short of EXCELLENT! Although, I have not yet pushed them to their limits, they are very quiet on the highway, and steering response seems to be much better than what I would expect from brand new tires. Hardly any tire squirm at all. I highly recommend these for anyone who lives in a warm climate or plans to have winter tires as well.
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    (Ted)
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    but as usual, some had to leave in a hurry (before we started taking photos). I think 35 cars made an appearance, but I wasn't counting ;)

    And 5 or 6 MP3s!
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    3 yellow(!) and 3 blue


    and after we're done with the big group shot, them MP3 owners gathered around and made their own little group photo (as usual, 1 of them left early :( )


    image

  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Happy birthday!

    --Dale
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Got my car back on Saturday, remembered to check that speedometer thingy last night.

    Mine (1.8L, AT) drops pretty quickly to zero as I brake, no hovering observed.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    That one person is leaning on her MP3's hood! Disgraceful!
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    no worse than the guy who is sitting on his hood.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    while u were at it, did u observe or feel when the car shifted into the first gear? was it near to the 10mph mark or was it closer to the 0mph mark?

    mine shifts into 1st gear just slightly above the 0 mph mark.

    how about your pros?

    I really really appreciate ur responses on this one. Believe me.

    Dale: how's your Pro doing? is she(or he?) fixed all right?
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    6 months and 17,000 miles later, I finally got around to waxing the new Pro. Used Meguire's Gold Class. Looks really good.

    I was disappointed to feel quite a bit of rippling, and see quite a bit of orange peel, in the paint on the lower part of each door. Nothing's perfect.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    6 months and 17K? Sounds like you drive as much as I do. Got 23K now in almost 11 months on mine...
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "orange peel, in the paint on the lower part of each door. Nothing's perfect."

    Unless you get a custom paint job, there is orange peel on almost every car. Are you talking about the rock guard paint on the doors? The lower part of the doors are supposed to look like that.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    for the birthday wishes. Let the countdown to 30 begin!
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Yes, the lower parts of the doors, where the rock guard paint is at. I can understand how it would commonly be rippled and have lots of orange peel, especially in light of the Pro's econo-car status, but I don't think I would go as far as to say that it is supposed to be rippled and have lots of orange peel.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I don't understand what you are saying. The rock gaurd paint looks like extreme orange peel, but it's not. It's a special rock gaurd substance that regular paint goes on top of. Is this what you are refering to as "orange peel"?
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    paint at the bottom edge of the doors. I don't see what's the big fuss over it. It's barely noticeable unless you know where to look or is STARING at the doors for an extended period of time.

    besides, if you really hate the look of that rock-resistant paint treatment, you could always repaint the door ;-)
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    They replaced the side mirror (to the tune of $300)...had to order the seat belt mechanism, so I'll have to bring it back when the parts come in. Can't tell you how glad I am to be back in the Protege after driving the Focus, though.

    Shifting: I'll have to check on that. I'll let you know later tonight.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    It was almost $300 for a mirror? Dang, that's alot of money. Considering the mirror glass isn't tinted, the mirror isn't heated or body colored. My mom's Bonneville lost a mirror to the tune of $324 right before I sold the car. That was heated, tinted, and color keyed though.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    American.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    The mirror itself was about $190, the rest was labor.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    What I'm talking about really does look like orange peel, and the paint really is physically rippled - both aspects are quite noticeable when polishing it and both give that area a low budget paint job look and feel.

    Yes, I agree, since it is so low it is no big deal - so you should quit making a fuss over it. :)
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Your dealer has some killer mark-up going on. Suggested retail is about $130 and it takes less than a half an hour to replace. That puts a high estimate of $190 for the complete job, not just the part.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Well, what can I say? They're the only Mazda dealer in the city limits.

    So what you're saying is that if I called around to different dealers, I might have gotten a better price on the repair? I just assumed that the same Mazda part would cost the same at all Mazda dealerships.

    I know, I know...I'm very naive.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    The paint on your lower doors is SUPPOSED to look like that. It's not low quality, it's not a blemish, it's not "orange peel", it's not flawed, it's ROCK GUARD. I would consider it low quality if it DIDN'T have this. I had this done to my Mustang because it didn't have it from the factory.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Yes, it is supposed to be that way - I understood that point. Thank you very much.

    It still looks low budget.

    And it still has orange peel.

    And it is still not a big deal.

    ... and the Protege is still under-powered. Who wants to run with that off hand criticism?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I will...

    Nah, I will be good today. :)
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "It still looks low budget."

    Well if that's what makes a car look low budget, then there are A LOT of low budget cars out there (BMW, MB, Lexus)

    "And it still has orange peel."

    Name a car that doesn't.

    "And it is still not a big deal."

    Then why did YOU bring it up?

    "and the Protege is still under-powered."

    Compared to what? The Sentra, Elantra, Cavfire, and Neon are the only cars that have more power. The Civic, Corolla, and Focus have the same or less power.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    One thousand lashings for me. I should have bought an expensive v8 powered uber-car with a custom paint job. Then the owners of that car could get defensive when I mention anything that suggests it isn't perfect.

    Just because the lower sections of the doors looks like it has a low budget paint job, that doesn't mean the whole car looks low budget. You can't really see it anyway. Let's not go overboard. I just mentioned it in passing, after mentioning how good the car looks after I waxed it - remember that part of the post?

    And some of the cars with more power have comparable efficiency, and the ones with similar power get better fuel efficiency.

    And you know what? I bought the Pro anyway, flaws and all. For what I want, it's better than the rest. Your, and other's, "mileage" may vary.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Are we gonna stop this fighting now? :)

    Actually, Todd, I never knew about the rock guard stuff at the bottom of the doors on the Protege. I had 2 of them, and didn't know about that. I have to look and see if my present car has that feature.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Was that mirror replacement an out of pocket expense?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Out of pocket or not, that's alot of money. If it was out of pocket, I would be on the phone checking into how long it took them to install the mirror.

    I got the before-mentioned mirror fixed on the Bonneville, and it took like 2 hours for them to get it on the car. Of course, like I said, the mirror was heated and all, so I would imagine there was extra stuff to hook up.

    Dale, how did someone take the mirror off the Protege anyway? They fold both ways. That's what saved my mirror one or two times on the DX...
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    "Debating" the details is how these cars get better.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "Then the owners of that car could get defensive when I mention anything that suggests it isn't perfect."

    I am getting defensive because you are suggesting the Protege isn't "perfect"? It's not "perfect" because of the rock gaurd? Geeeeez. You WANT to have rock gaurd. It would be less than perfect if it DIDN'T have it. Rock gaurd is a little something extra that Mazda didn't need do. What I was trying to say is that even some MBs, BMWs, and Lexi have the "low budget" looking rock guard along the lower doors.

    Vocus--The best way to describe rock gaurd is that it looks like severe orange peel. It's not even the paint that gives it that texture, it's what is sprayed BEFORE the paint.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    but without the cheesy look (and I know its out there), and give me paint without so much orange peel (don't forget that part of my complaint).

    And give me more power (actually, its coming in the form of the new 2.3L equipped 3's - why? because we asked for it). And do it without decreasing fuel efficiency (like the Honda series of 2.0L inline fours).

    I want it all, and $16000+ MSRP should be plenty enough to get it, in spite of what the auto manufacturers and dealers say, by golly.

    But leave the rest of the car pretty well alone, please. Well, except maybe the interior color selection. :-)
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    I think *I* need rock guard.

    Malt: yes, it was out-of-pocket. My insurance deductible is $500, so I didn't file a claim.

    Paul: I never noticed the mirrors folding both ways...these are power mirrors...did the DX have those?

    As to how it happened, I'm not sure. I was parked on the street in a not-so-great neighborhood a couple of weekends ago. Came out and found the mirror hanging by the wires. Could have been a sideswipe, or could have been one of the roaming drunken kids who were roaming around drunkenly.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    If someone would have hit the car, the mirror would have folded. I know the 00 ES has this, because my 01 did as well. My Jetta even has them.

    Someone probably kicked the mirror, being smart. And you should be thankful all they broke was the mirror on the car. My friend left his car in a not so great area of DC once, only to come back and find one of the windows busted out.

    And the not-so-great areas look about the same, if it's the same ones you took me through when I was there. :0
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Sorry Dale, I didn't mean to knock your mirror off.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    then you owe me three C-notes.

    Paul: Well, now I'm going to have to go check the mirrors...I thought they only folded in, towards the doors.

    Whatever. It was definitely hanging by the wires.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    They fold backward with a little force, not as easy as they fold into the body. But they do fold both ways. Sorry you got damage to your car though. That sucks.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    your dealer took for a ride. If you are ever curious what various items and repairs should cost, please ask.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Now that I know my dealership likes to hose innocent girls, I will definitely do a little advance research next time.

    Thanks for the heads up.
  • mazda02mazda02 Member Posts: 3
    Hi folks,

    I know this question is not in the usual vein, but I figured I would see if I could get some input.

    My wife and I are expecting twins in about 6 weeks (yikes!) and are looking at infant seats.

    Graco recently came out with a Snugride with the LATCH anchors. I was wondering if anybody had used this carseat in a 2002 Protege (which is equipped with LATCH).

    My main concern is the infant seat restricting how far back one can slide the driver or passenger seat--since we will have two infant seats they will have to be in the outboard positions.

    [Unfortunately, the Snugride with LATCH are still tough to come by in stores so trying them out in person isn't easy.]

    Thanks for any input.
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