By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Waaaaaahhh.
;-)
How pitifully humorous. Even they couldn't keep their hands off each others' necks themselves. Perhaps it was because of this death knell:
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=3813
(I am claiming this to be on-topic since so many of us are past "Daewoo vs. Protege" posters.)
Goodbye, Daewoo. May your U.S. aspirations rest in peace. Along with all the poor souls who purchased one of your vehicles:
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=3769
Meade
I actually drove a Nubira for a day, back in 1999 when they came out. I thought it would be my only way to a new car, then I drove it for a day. I hated the car! I ended up getting the Protege not long after that..
Funny how the host "capped" that discussion. "The topic says it all, it's gone!". I love it
My '88 Excel GL 5-door hatchback, 5-speed and w/o AC (bad mistake), complete with carbureted, 1.5-liter SOHC engine and AM/FM stereo-cassette and floor mats, was a whopping $7,100. I drove that car for Pizza Hut while I was in college, and in just four years I had about 115,000 miles on it. Except for a transmission problem that was covered under warranty (later recalled), doing all my recommended maintenance (including replacing the timing belt at 60,000 miles) and only a couple other odds & ends -- new CV joints up front at about 90,000 miles, two alternators and an upper radiator hose, all things I consider not too bad (except for TWO alternators) in 120,000 miles, that car was the best transportation investment I've ever owned! Heck, half the price of my Protege!
(There, NOW this post is on-topic, eh?)
Meade
Umm...to get back on topic, I'm at 30 500 KM in my Pro. No major problems, although I am getting a squeak from the shocks/suspension when I go over speed bumps when it's cold and I do have some clutch stutter on some cold mornings.
When you start off in the morning and it's cold, if you start in first gear and start to release the clutch, the clutch pedal (or flywheel) will feel like it is slipping or grabbing and releasing. It's not normal, but it goes away once the Pro gets warmed up a bit.
The only downside is that they are not significantly quieter than RE92's on rough pavement, though I find their sound less irritating [different frequency spectrum, me thinks].
I just recommended the Dunlop SP Sport A2 to my sister-in-law for her Toyota Avalon. I hope she likes them as much as you seem to.
6: Thanx for the link Meade! I now have a new wallpaper and screensaver.
Dinu
Dinu ... No problem. I played the game too, and I didn't win. Maybe next time.
Meade
http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/latest/DS.p37cr/si.kakq.shtml
Meade
Meade-I didn't see those tire on Tirerack.com.
Were those steering column levers? LOL
fowler3
Dinu
O/T: I prefer the black interior on that other car compared to the gray (what I'm getting) or the beige.
SCC:
"Some may complain about the relatively mild torque steer. But this much power for this little green will always come with a few compromises, and we'll deal with some torque in our steering if it means having this much fun. Deal with it. We give Dodge two thumbs up for having gonads big enough to produce a front driver with this kind of gusto."
Hell yeah! MT says the Focus gets a 225 hp Mazda turbo 4 cyl in 2004. Logic would have it that the next Mazdaspeed Protege gets the same engine. Suddenly, there's a serious power war in the SCC market. SE-Rs will be slaughtered by these turbo monsters. WRXs will be caught off gaurd. I might not see 40,000 miles in my 2001 ES.
http://forum.protegemp3.com/vbb222/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9263
man, waiting for the RX-8 just gets harder and harder....
Meade
Anyhoo, I think the 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege looks alright, except for that spoiler. I prefer the silver to the black and especially the spicy orange.
I actually liked the way my ex-roommate's Neon drove and the seats, but it was just pretty unreliable.
(The sorrowful violin music plays on)
Meade
That's one advantage of putting together your own budget hot rod - your insurance agent doesn't need to be aware of the fact that you can run a 13 second quarter mile. For factory tuned cars, the manufacturer lets everyone in on the secret. I guess the effect is somewhat limited by the low volume, special edition of a production car nature of these vehicles.
I guess there is always a price to pay. You can't afford the speed if you can't afford to bleed (money, one way or the other).
I learned this with all the fun I had with watercooled VWs. I went full circle with side draft carbs and a full flow head only to end up with my last one being a completely stock Jetta that I sold in good condition at 175k miles.
OTOH, I can remember some factory tuners in the past that, as a result of escalating horsepower wars, were near impossible to insure because many companies were flat out refusing to write policies on them. Obviously that is the extreme case, but there have been many others for which you could get insurance, but you had to pay big time for it.
Like I said, one way or the other, it seems like you always have to pay to play (as many kids have discovered after buying their oh so affordable Camaros only to find they couldn't even come close to insuring it, and as many other kids have discovered when their supercharged Civics seize).
Hey, that was me, only it was a 91' LX 5.0L Mustang. It wasn't just the insurance either. These things like to consume a lot of gas, tires, and brakes also.