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
I found pics of something that looks like a Demio, called the Primacy. It looked smaller than the MPV, about the same size as the Demio.
Pocket rockets are fun. I wish there would be a 323 GT 4WD I could buy new.
Dinu
"Mazda apparently gets carryover Protege powertrains per Ford's current cost-cutting program"
Well, that implies the 2.0l for the 3. What happened to the 2.3? Maybe (hopefully) the quote is inaccurate, or maybe they're just referring to the base engine with the 2.3 still offered as an option. Then again, maybe not - Ford just loves their cost cutting these days, and although the 2.3 has already been developed for the 6, it still would cost money to re-engineer and set up production for a second engine in the 3.
Let's hope for one of the former scenarios.
Meade
- do you know what suspension it'll have (MacPherson like the Pro or double-wishbone like the 6)?
- when's it coming out for sale? I need a car this year but the 6 is too big.
As for the pictures, please share with us if you can. Or, maybe you can email them? I don't have webspace so I can't spread it around anyways.
Drop me an e-mail if you'd like more info.
Meade
mdaffron@the-rma.org
Even HE hasn't seen a photo or much info about the 3. But he did say the dealership's owner went out to Colorado a few weeks ago to see one. He's going to check with him and call me back later this afternoon.
In the course of our discussion he did mention one thing that was disheartening ... the Mazda6 isn't selling well. And the reason? (The following is a direct quote:)
"Well, you know, what the public wants and what Mazda produces ... they're two different things."
It all comes back to the options problem again. He said nearly everyone wanting a Mazda6 wants all the options; sport package, door sills, etc. -- and Mazda isn't producing enough of them that way. And it's true -- I went over to the dealership last Saturday and they had about a dozen 6i's -- the four-cylinder base models -- on the lot. But no 6s's. The salesman who came out to greet me said, "Yeah, we had four loaded s's come in about two weeks ago and they were already spoken for. We haven't seen any more since."
Mazda, do you read this? (Well, we know maltb and a few other employees do.) LISTEN TO YOUR MARKET!
Meade
As for release date, the word is still Fall 2003 as 2004 models - although I would suspect it will be late Fall.
The only reason my old man - and by extension me! - have photographs is because he is the dealer principle.
I've got so much drool on my shirt I may have to change it!
Meade
Did she drive off into Lake Michigan with her windows down???
Meade
I must admit the loaded 6s was a little steep for my current status as a new dad with other priorities in life. If this 3 winds up being as exciting as I've heard, there'll be no question what I'll replace my '00 ES with. But man, I'd sure like to see a photo.
Meade
P.S. Besides, y'all wouldn't want to see one of the most frequent, most humorous, and cuddly widdle posters on the Protege discussion disappear and wind up on the Mazda6 discussion, now wouldja? Besides, I'd have to start all over again with Mid-Atlantic picnics. And "MA6P" not only looks dorky, it's unpronounceable. Maybe "Mid-Atlantic Mazda Buyers Association" -- "MAMBA" -- would be a good name so owners of any Mazda vehicle could come.
P.P.S. Did I make an inference to "MAPP"? Hmmm, using the past as a reference, it looks like the next one should be in early spring. Anyone wanna start organizing MAPP V?
Meade
P.S. Did we go from "PG" to "R" in that last post?
The one in vegas was a shell, no interior.
Very interested to get your take, Malt, having seen it in person. I can tell that the car has some sexy lines that may not pop out of the rather crappy quality (scanned and color printed) photos that I have.
Since I don't have a shot of the rear end it very well may (I hope) bear a strong resemblence to the RX-8. God! Half RX-8 and half Mazda6 - now thats a formula for a good looking car.
I'm a little suprised by how excited I am by this car. I though the 6 had me hook, line and sinker.
now I am officially a proud TOTAL owner of 2 magnificent Mazda vehicles, doesn't that sound great!? :-D
Meade
Yes, I was at a conference yesterday; going back today. Try not to miss me too much.
It will be hard, I know.
--Dale
Don't tell me you went out and looked at your odometer before responding to my post! That's getting a little too anal, even for THIS discussion!
Meade
And yeah, it snowed again last nite about 3"...
Dinu
And obviously, I didn't just step out to look at the odo reading!
http://www.geocities.com/focus090/2004focus.jpg
You'll have to copy the link, leave Edmunds entirely and then paste it into your browser for it to work. Edmunds has a problem with geocities sites for some reason -- we were told of it about two years ago here and I can't remember the explanation.
But anyway, once you do get to see the pic -- it's supposedly the 2004 Focus, which is supposed to share a lot with the Protege / 3. Of course things like the screen-door grille and a few other touches would be completely different on the Mazda model (or at least I HOPE), but is the basic shape that of the 3? At any rate, the vehicle certainly appears to have a lot of Protege styling in it.
Meade
Meade
http://www.mazda.com/publicity/public/200301/0110be.html
Eat your heart out, Bond BMWs!!!
Meade
The facia looks different and I can't see enough of the rest of the car to tell how similar they are.
Its recommended to replace at 60K, but a mechanic told me, based on his professional literature that the protégé’s engine is designed not to brake down or to have a minimal damage, if the T/B breaks down. I don’t remember the type of engine (this one is the 1.8 LX model). I would like to hear some opinions on the issue.
Any info will be welcomed (also on the type of engine)
Thanks very much in advance
As I mentioned previously, I could not see any indication on the tires of a bad alignment. I figured the vibration was likely the cause of my CV joints going or the wheel bearings wearing down. Well, i took the car into Mazda and the mechanic took it out for a 15 minute test drive on the highway at the speeds i was encountering the vibration i.e 75mph + . The mechanic also put the car on hoist to examine.
As i had suspected, the alignment of the car was fine and the suspension checked out in excellent condition. Unfortunately, the Dunlop Sport A2 tires did not fare so well. It appears that my tires are completely "out of round" and this is causing the vibration i am experiencing. All four tires were affected in this manner. The mechanic brought me out to the service bay and spun the tires on the hoist. You could very easily see how the tires were warped and not moving in a completely round motion.
The actual service statement read, "All four tires have flat spots in middle and jump excessively while in gear on hoist. Vibration encountered during simulated drive at 70km and above. Verified with tech."
Both the mechanic and the service rep commented that Dunlop's are notorious for this type of wear and that it is entirely a quality issue with their tires. Apparently they have seen many cases of this with both the SPort A2's as well as the Dunlop 5000 and 9000's that came stock on the P5's.
So, armed with this report from Mazda, i returned the car and the tires to Canadian Tire where they were purchased from. Of course, they naturally tried to blame the alignment of the Protege. So, I showed them the print-off from the day prior indicating the car was within spec and that the tires were correctly balanced. Then, despite the fact I was able to visually show the warping of the tires while on hoist, the service rep and lead mechanic would not accept that it was the tire that was responsible. They did offer to replace under "tire wear warranty", but because the tires are warped, they have worn down much, much faster and I would have still had to pay for almost the full value of the tires because of the tread that has been utilized to date. My argument was that the tires are obviously defective and should be replaced outright, regardless of current wear. Since I wasn't going to win this argument, I left and will take this up with Dunlop and Canadian Tire head office instead for reimbursement.
Anyway, all this said, I have done some more investigation through Tire Rack and other websites etc. Apparently, the Dunlop SP Sport A2 tires encounter this problem very frequently compared to most tires.
It's a shame really as I truly loved this tire and still do despite the fact I have 4 defective ones. They were much quieter than the stock tires, they provided excellent traction in the dry, albeit they are not as responsive to steering input as the Potenza's. They were phenomenal tires in the wet and were pretty damn decent in the snow. An all round true all season mid-performance tire. They are also not very expensive, but in this case I guess the old axiom holds true. That is, I guess you get what you pay for. That being, an inconsistent quality control and build design in the Dunlops.
So, I'm going to be shopping for some new tires very soon. Anyone care to relate your experiences or stories and recommendations. Currently, I am leaning towards the Bridgestone Potenza 930i, All-Season High Performance Tire. Despite the fact i liked these tires, I will not be buying Dunlop tires in the future based on this experience.
P.S.- Meade, I blame it all on you...... Just joking.
(b) The news release on Mazda's Japanese website was dated TODAY. I thought there might be some news in it for you, my "friends" (well, SOME of you, apparently. ;-)
Oh, one other thing ...
BITE ME.
Meade
friends as long as we agree, right?
Good luck! At best you'll probably only get a refund pro-rated against how many miles you've put on the tires.
Meade
P.S. I'm not giving you any of the percentage Dunlop gave me for selling you the tires. Don't even think about it.
I truly appreciate the helpful, accurate information you provide this and other Mazda-related discussions. But I also like to pull your chain, as you do mine.
Who is it who said you couldn't do this stuff with anyone except friends? You and I have said some pretty harsh stuff to each other; if that had happened on Day One that I joined Edmunds, I probably would've said "to heck with these anal openings" and found somewhere else to yack. The fact that you and I can lock horns and come back for more should tell you something!
Meade
Meade
... and btw, get your OWN tankard of ale ...
Meade
My wife liked the Potenza RE930s she put on her Saturn (before she sold it and got her silver P5 with the SP5000s, which seem to be OK).
All seem to be nice tires. I also like my Michelin X-Ones, but they're more of a touring all-season tire, not a performance all-season tire. They do seem very well-made than the others though (based upon my inspection of the tires when new).
I like Bridgestone performance tires, but the stock Poortenza's that came with the Protege were terrible in wet weather. That's why I'm considering the 930i as it seems to garner very high reviews and results with wet weather traction, is exceptional in the dry and apparently decent in the snow. I have not yet decided on which type of tires to buy for the Protege.
As a positive note, I am so pleased that it is merely the tires that are defective and not a component on the Pro itself. Still rock solid and reliable after 2 years, 8 months and 64,000 kilometres.
Besides, I think Dunlop owes me a little bit of commission also as I know two friends of mine who have also switched to these tires. So far, there's are okay, but they only have about 3000 or so km on them. Hopefully they will be fine.
Let's all (at least us Americans) go home and spend some quality time with our families this weekend. The latest news ...
http://www.msnbc.com/news/852248.asp?0cv=CB10
... doesn't bode well for us, our military or our economy. Pray this all ends before it begins.
Take care everyone,
Meade
Hi Tim!
Dinu
I expect the cars to look quite different and if that is an accurate picture of a 2004 Focus, they do.