Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    I had a Greaaaaaat time this weekend driving my PRO over the windy and misty roads of the Appalachian Mountain Range. I was up at Wellsboro,PA - home to the Grand Canyon of PA.

    Mileage: 31 miles/gallon with AC on.

    I had my AC on all the time for my 5 hour trip(each way) to prevent fogging my windows due to the 100% humidity and trunk full of luggage.

    This is really a miracle because on my last long trip,couple of months back, which was on plain jane flat roads, my Pro averaged not more than 27mi/gl.

    So what was different this time?

    Hey....I have a new transmission in my car.

    Wow!! never thought my pro would break the 30mi/gl barrier, especially when the advertised mi/gl on my car was 24/29 -- city/hghwy.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    But isn't the Civic EX "faster" than the Pro in an all out "who's faster" comparison. I mean why argue between two cars which only have just enough power to get out of their own way.
    I mean look at the C&D 10 car comparison. Looks like the Hyundai is the speedster, absolutely killing the others. Maybe the Hyundai should have been the one with the "V" rated tires instead of the Aerio and Protege.
    Or the Corolla, near lowest hp fastest times and near Protege handling numbers on 65 series "S" rated tires.
    The underpowered argument is all relative.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    It matters if it's a Civic or Porsche that's gonna rear-end you. You will get a better settlement from the Porsche driver! :) Just kidding.
  • jeffy729jeffy729 Member Posts: 45
    My Pro can cruise happily at 80mph, climb mountain passes in the coast range at 70mph without kicking down into 3rd (it's an auto), and get on the freeway with no drama. It may not be extremely fast, but it's not underpowered.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I used to have trouble merging in my DX Protege with the AC on. The ES was a little better, but not great. I had always had big V6s in my cars though, so going to a 4 was a change. The DX Pro did have better pickup than the Cavalier.

    I won't bother to compare my current car with the Protege, since the turbo is (of course) going to make it alot faster.
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    ...is absolutely unbearably slow with more than two people in the car. With just one, the power is adequate. It's the only thing I really dislike about my car.
  • jeffy729jeffy729 Member Posts: 45
    I agree the 1.6 is a little "challenged" (I had a '99 affectionately known as "the gutless wonder"!). The 2.0 liter is fine and all those maneuvers I described were with the a/c on.
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    "They all have at least one thing about them that really sucks."

    I looked at most of them before buying the 01 Pro LX, in MHO, they had ten or more things that sucked. Some times I wonder if the Japanese don't make most of these small cars for undersized people, not average USA folks.

    the_big_H, hope you are keeping your head down when you buy gas!

    fowler3
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    hiding inside the car while pumping gas!
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    The tires also aid in the Pro's excellent handling. You could stick on tires that are not as low-profile with a lesser speed rating, but the P195/55R15's (at least on my LX 2.0) aren't just about speed rating. Handling, handling, and handling.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Of course, my wife and daughter are much lighter than I.

    Still, unless I've got the AC on, it's actually pretty good.

    Not that I'd have turned down the upgrade on the engine to the 2.0L one, especially since the mileage ratings don't change that much.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I had forgotten, you are right down there in all the sniper drama. I am not far away when at work (off 495, exit 19), but you are almost in the middle of it. With the one on Monday night, it happend less than 2 miles from my office mate's house.

    I have even been on the watch when I have been getting gas lately. Totally scary stuff.
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    i need to go get gas for the Protege today. Talk about anxiety and paranoia. I don't even know how to pump gas anymore!!!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I know what you mean. I have a rental today, and picked it up last night with 1/4 tank of gas in it. I need gas now, after taking 90 mins. with the AC on to drive to work this morning. :( I will get in the car and make it as far North as I can before the gas light comes on before getting gas around here.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Can you goto a full serve place? Or are those not operating now because of all this?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I don't think they even have full-serve stations down here anymore. If they do, I never see them.
  • townhall9townhall9 Member Posts: 78
    Kudos to those that caught on to the question of perception. Good give and take, by all. As far as the street race: I wait until just before a good curve before I "floor it". The combination of me jumping the gun & the Pro's engineering gives me a head start. Then I watch in my rear view mirror as the red faced driver comes charging up/past. As we are at (or past) the posted speed by then, I let them go (leaving the perception that I am not going to risk a ticket).
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    not around here. Only full service stations I've seen are in New Jersey, where it's the law....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Me too.

    The other day, a friend of mine was telling me that he was getting gas, and this handicapped woman was trying to get someone to come out and fill her tank for her. The guy inside said he couldn't leave right away, so my friend went ahead and started putting gas in the van.

    I haven't seen full service except for in NJ either.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Er, you "have a rental today" ?????

    Uh oh ... what's up now?

    Meade
  • townhall9townhall9 Member Posts: 78
    Thanks for the prompt, boggse. I reread the Consumer Reports Article on H rated touring tires last night. Thankfully my baby does not need new rubber yet. The decision of what is the "best" tire is still up in the air. I was reminded, though, that there is (in the same issue) another excellent article on tires (winter ones). If one lives where they are needed - the info could be a life saver.
  • townhall9townhall9 Member Posts: 78
    Had occasion to turn on my emergency flashers, for a few seconds, this morning. To alert the drivers behind me, on the interstate, that they should wake up - potential problem looming ahead. As I turned them off, I thought - that move (to the switch) was automatic - good practice.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    GREAT move! I wish American and Canadian drivers would learn to do this when traffic on the highway suddently stops to alert those follwing to brake/give more room.

    Same could be said for having your lights on when it rains and at nite, driving on the right hand lane except to pass and many other small things that could make driving much easier and pleasant.

    Paul: What happened to the Jetta this time?

    Dinu
  • panamaltd2panamaltd2 Member Posts: 162
    He is probably having them put Audi logos on his Jetta, I mean you know, because they are the same car :D.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    But I too make VW and Audi jokes. My cousin is actually seriously considering a 99 A4 in 5spd for May 2004 when the lease on his Z24 runs out.

    What should I tell him?

    Dinu
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    http://www.autonet.ca/DriverSource/Stories.cfm?storyID=6756


    Another MS3 test drive. Just cuz...


    Dinu

  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    ...that his Z24 is probably more reliable than the A4.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    but I think he needs to see a lot of horror stories to back down. He's pretty convinced this is THE car for him. Reminds me of a poster here that also went to the VW family and has had the opportunity to test-drive many vehicles since he took ownership of that car :)

    I suggested a PRO ES, Accord 4cyl 5spd, but to no avail. I think it's more of a show-off case than anything else. Problem is the car will not be in warranty by May 2003...

    I'll try pushing him into an Accord. He already said NO! to PROs, but likes the 6. Can't afford it though...

    Dinu
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    A dash vent roller thingie broke on one of the dash vents (I forced it, so I am the culprit). They looked at it more than a month ago when the car was in, and ordered a new vent for it. I just haven't had time to take the car back for service, because I have been pretty busy lately.

    And the only problems I have had with the car have been rattles (workmanship). I could be like some other people and have had to have a new transmission put in my car. But anyway...
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    According to the A4 forum here, those cars seem to be pretty reliable and rattle-free. I really like the A4 myself, but I promised myself I am keeping the VW until it's paid off (unless I get that big promotion at work - which is not gonna happen anytime soon I bet). :)
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Audi's drive nice but they are like VW in the fact that they have alot of small, niggling problems. Coulda leased a 02 A4 3.0 Quattro for cheap but even Audi's with a warranty are too much for me to deal with.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I don't mind the little problems, just as long as the customer service is good and I get a loaner car.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    It's still an inconvenience. Where I live the closest VW/Audi dealership is 30-45 minutes away from where I live and about 20-30 minutes from where I work. I would rather take my chances with a car like the Pro/Civic/Corolla where chances are dealer visits, even for small things, are going to be almost non-existent.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    If there are minor things here and there that's fine. What I'm looking for are more significant problems that might mean $$$ to the local Audi dealer (heard of suspension squeeking, problems on the V6 in 97/98, electrical glitches). I love the car myself, but find it a wiser choice to put my $25.000 in a brand new car instead of a 2-3 yr old A4 with 100.000kms on it, out of warranty and who knows how many hidden problems.

    We'll see. Thank you all for your responses! Much appreciated.

    Paul: You're breaking your car apart? Trying to test of it can be used as part of that "AUTOnomy" platform/idea I saw in another thread? Just kidding. I actually have a question for you about the Jetta key that folds: have you had any problems or annoyances with it? I think the A4 also has that feature. I've seen it on a work colleague that has a Cabriolet and it's a great idea!

    Dinu
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    The Z24 lease runs out in May 2003, NOT 2004 as I accidentaly typed here...

    Maybe he can get a used 6? Someone trading it in since they can't afford it? That would be cool.

    Dinu
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Does anybody know if Mazda is really going to put that silver trim all around the 6's dash or will it be an option?
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I could get used to it, although it seems a little too much. I actually like the ES/P5 silver to black ratio on 01 and 02 models. Mazda must have gotten that in bulk at Costco :)

    Dinu
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I was on the Mazda site looking at the 6 and loved it up until I saw the interior shot will all of the silvery plastic on it .. will need to see it in person to make a final judgement I guess.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Dinu--Has your friend considered a used Maxima?

    Paul: "I could be like some other people and have had to have a new transmission put in my car."

    Man, I wouldn't jinx yourself like that. I'd put my Protege up against your Jetta in a long term reliability contest any time. That "tip" is gonna be spendy when the warranty runs out. Better sell it before then.....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I plan to get an extended warranty, unless I get that promotion I talked about earlier. :)

    And also, your car will probably be more reliable than mine anyway. You have less moving parts (stick vs. auto.), and fewer things to go wrong.

    And besides, the stick shift was fine in the Protege. It's the auto that went up on 2 people.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I think the folding key is a wonderful idea and love it. It fits right into my pocket without having to carry a key and remote separately. I have never had any problems with it since I got the car.

    All VW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz cars use those keys. They also have a real valet key. My valet doesn't even fit the trunk, glovebox, or trunk/rear seat lockout key holes.
  • thelthel Member Posts: 767
    The Mazda website says that there is 0% on the 2003's but what are the incentives on the 02's? Is there any dealer cash taht can be dipped into to get a below invoice deal and the 0% financing for 48-60 months? Thanks in advance for any help!
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I don't think the current A4 design suffers from this, but I think the previous generation had a factory-recommended service that involves replacing the front control arm & ball joint component every 30,000 miles, which will run about $500. Someone was ranting about this "normal" service (which doesn't seem to appear on most vehicles' maintenance schedules).

    Design flaw, integrating those two, since one is a wear item and the other is supposed to be a "durable" component. I think they separated them in the current design.

    Anyway, something to be aware of on the previous-gen A4s (probably applies to the current A4 convertible though, since it looks like it's based on the previous-gen platform).
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Even if your car was a 5sp, I'd still bet the Protege does the long haul better.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I agree. A small (read: economy/cheap/compact) Honda/Toyota/Mazda/Nissan should be more reliable than a VW. Or at least this has been the case for some time now.

    MazdaFun: I actually found a lot of complaints about the brakes taking 1-2-3 seconds to engage on wet conditions (rain/snow). Scary thought! Even Audi USA acknowledged they received A LOT of complaints about this problem, but said that after their testing was done no evidence showed there is a problem about their brakes. Go figure. My cousin is now pondering it more carefully.

    Dinu
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I recall during the 80s there were a number of complaints about Audis suddenly and unexpectedly accelerating (resulting in many parking lot accidents and some cars crashing through store fronts etc.). Audi didn't find any fault with their vehicles. I think they claimed operator error was the cause, which may be (if it was, it was likely due to poor control design). Still, their reputation was hurt badly.

    I've a friend with a last-gen A4. He and his wife both like the interior and the way it drives, but it's been in for unscheduled service several times in the 3 years he's had it, for electrical or some other "major" issue, one which rendered the vehicle unstartable. But it's an improvement from his last vehicle, a Dodge Intrepid.
  • shriqueshrique Member Posts: 338
    Anybody have bad experiences with the service department at Morries Mazda in MN? They recently had my car for warranty work and they managed to take a big gouge out of my airdam in the process. The service manager basically told me that I was lying to him and that He wouldn't give me a loaner but would fix the car.

    I cross posted this in the P5 forum.
  • shriqueshrique Member Posts: 338
    We're more related to the fact that yuppies with big feet bought a german car with small close pedals. (GRIN) They were never able to reproduce the problem as far as I remember.
  • sfratsfrat Member Posts: 208
    My old car was an Audi 5000, which was the car afflicted with the "sudden acceleration" charge by 60 minutes. NHTSA and Audi investigated and found no mechanical explanation and contributed the cause of crash to driver error which it most positively was. They said the pedals were closer together than the typical american car or something. I think they slapped a sticker on ours and added some sort of extra brake lock to shift or something.

    I still like Audi's a lot, and an A4 will probably be my next car. I liked my 5000s, it was a nice car, sunroof, auto climate control, power everything (except seats) and it was an 84.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Yeah, I go to Morries. I went there when I first got my car and had them tighten up my seat. They broke a plastic piece that covered the front seat track and SUPER GLUED it back together. The piece was black and you could see a big white crack where they super glued it. I took it back and demanded that they replace the piece that they broke and they did. If they messed up your airdamn, I would demand that they fix it. Not only should they give you a loaner, they should give you something else for messing up your factory painted airdamn. Don't give them ANY slack. Man that crap pisses me off.
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