Mazda Protegé

bluong1

"My aftermarket Dunlop SP Sport A2s aren't unidirectional, but they have to be mounted on the so the "outside" faces out."

for decoration purpose? ;-)

mazdafun

They didn't want to invest in more tooling work than they needed.

Seriously, the tread looks non-directional. I can't say for sure, but I seriously doubt the sidewalls differ other than the decorative grooving and lettering. That would be asking for another Firestone-Ford tire fiasco (they actually removed some structure in the tires that mostly failed to meet Ford's cost target...other tire mfrs refused to even bid...I think Firestone did because of their long relationship with Ford). Kind of silly for them to be squeezing a couple dollars out of a tire when they make so much profit off the vehicle (Explorers, mostly).

What I don't get is people getting a really nice vehicle and then skimping on tires. I've got a friend with a Maxima, and he tends to get the cheapest tires he can. Well, he used to. He's gotten tired of treads wearing out in 20,000 miles and not offering as much grip in the wet and slush. Last I knew, he was looking at Kumhos (sp?), Goodyears and Michelins.

protegextwo

... might I suggest Cooper's or Goodrich TA's? Very decent trend life and a better product then the El Cheapo's that Pep Boy's and their ilk sell as budget tires.

BTW, 126 posts needed to hit the epic 20,000 post total? To bad Meade has been kidnaped, otherwise; we might hit that tally today.
;-O

Mazda Opens First Ground-Up Facility Encompassing New Retail Philosophy. This is a very cool looking Mazda Dealership!

http://www.motortrend.com/motor/features/news/112_news030128_mazd- a

BTW, Meade was last spotted in the trunk of a white VeeDub Jet in the Baltimore Metro area by a homeless ex-Red Lobster employee checking open cars for loose change. By the time the homeless man spotted a police cruiser the car was gone. Please be on the look at for a very beat up looking 2002 white Jetta with squeaky brakes and lots of rattles in your area. Meade is prolly in the trunk. DO NOT APPROACH the car without,... a bucket of ham biscuits and/or a copy of Protege 6 magazine.

-Larry

mdaffron

But I don't think I'll be going for a huge number of posts today. I'm sick and have been away from work for two days, and I probably will only pull a half-day today.

Excuse me. I have to barf now.

Meade

mdaffron

You know I've been Dunlop's lead cheerleader regarding their SP Sport A2 tires I put on my car back in February, right? Well, not anymore.

Don't get me wrong -- they're great tires for rain, snow, and even dry pavement. They've served me well for 18,000 miles.

But that's the problem.

All four tires are almost to (within an eighth of an inch of) their treadwear indicators -- and these tires carry a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty!!!

I called Jim at TireRack yesterday, and he said to wait until they've all reached their treadwear indicators and then give him, or a local retailer that sells Dunlop, a call. I figure I *may* get 25K -- half the guaranteed mileage -- out of these tires, and then I'll be able to return them and get 50 percent of my money back.

Chalk it up to experience. Dunlop makes a great tire in the SP Sport A2, but it doesn't last anywhere near as long as they claim it to. Thank goodness for the warranty.

So now ... which type of tires to buy -- HERE WE GO AGAIN GUYS!!!

Getting tired of tires,
Meade

vocus

The Dunlop SP9000 (or 5000, I don't remember) I had on the 01 ES didn't show any wear in the 20K miles that I had the car. Do those tires come in the size to fit your car?

And hope you feel better as well. :0

mdaffron

I read what you said on the group. Comparing me to the spare tire in your trunk, eh? Well, all I can say is ...

I don't want to be anywhere NEAR your trunk!

OK, been gone for a coupla days. Time to go off and see what you've been saying on all the discussions about all those cars you've owned ...

Meade

protegextwo

...till 20,000.

Meade, might I suggest BFGoodrich Touring T/A VR4 205/55/r15's? Mine are still like new!

-larry

meinrad

"Guarantee not valid on Protege', too much Zoom Zoom to actually expect the tread to last like it does on a normal car"

So I'm sorry Puke Boy, but you may be out of luck.

mdaffron

A real side-splitter that was.

Larry -- I may actually take you up on that. My Costco sells those tires. Just one question though -- how noisy are they? I've heard they're pretty loud tires.

I liked the Dunlops because they were hauntingly quiet, even with all that traction!

Meade

P.S. I will keep you all posted on the Great Tire Exchange as everything unfolds. I guess finding a local Dunlop dealer would be easier than returning the tires to TireRack ... what would I do in the interim, put Zoomster up on blocks in the front yard? I can't do that ... I don't live in a trailer in West Virginia!

dinu01

But I don't know the grip difference b/w the Dunlops and these in the wet. As I said before, on dry pavement and snow they are good, although I wish they'll stop better (hence wear a little faster) if forced to lock the brakes - no ABS on my PRO. Had to do it once and felt like the Potenzas would have been better b/c the runner would wear off. These tires look exactly like they were when I bough them in early August. The Potenzas in comparison wore out in less than 6 mths to a noticeable eye level.

All in all, for $90 CAD ($55-60 USD), the AVIDs have been good. If you have extra $, I am fond of X-Ones, but they cost at least $150 CAD each and wear out much faster. It's really a trade-off b/w grip and tread life.

Dinu

PS: Question: Is it *tread* or *thread* when talking tires?

mdaffron

mdaffron

I was sold on the AVIDs until I saw the Dunlops. So I'll probably look at them again. However, since I'll have about $170 in my pocket after the warranty is honored and the next set of tires may be the last set I buy for this car, I may just bite the bullet and get a good set of Michelins or something. I figure the warranty will wind up paying for a tire and a half or two, so buying four expensive tires with a $170 discount may not be so bad.

(Of course, I could go buy a set of four Pep Boys Specials and have enough left over to buy curb feelers, dice and a fuzzy steering wheel cover!!!)

Meade

dinu01

a "Hello Kitty" mirror, a hood-sized "MazdaSpeed" sticker, and pink seat covers would make a MadStylzRyde out of your Protege, Meade Of course fuzzy dice are nice, but please don't forget the oversized tach you can mount on your dash! Nothing says "power" like a BIG tach. Well nothing says it except for yellow stickers At least 30lbs/ of them!

Anyway, tire-wise, if you get $150 back from Dunlop it might be feasible to get X-Ones and not break the bank.

Dinu

PS: I apologize for going off-topic. We should try to make it to 20.000 posts w/out any off-topic chatter.

mazdafun

I put my Dunlop SP Sport A2s on my Protege at about 11,000 miles. My Pro is currently at about 34,000 miles and I still have well over 50% of useful tread left (although they are a couple thousand miles overdue for a rotation). Looks like mine will last for the entire warranty mileage (although time will take its toll before the miles do).

Then again, I have 185/65R14 tires.

The Avid T4 and Avid Touring sound like nice tires too (in order from top-down, I was considering Dunlop SP Sport A2, Avid T4, Bridgestone RE910, Michelin X-One, Avid Touring...I was looking for all-season performance and then all-season touring). The Michelin X-Ones have been excellent tires on my 323. They cost a bit, but I notice hardly any wear on them (175/70R13), and they have very good lateral grip on wet roads. I think Michelins look and feel (unmounted, so I can check out the inside as well as the outside) like the best-made tires I've ever handled. However, I was looking for something a bit more sporting for my Pro.

meinrad

what size are you going to use this time? Since you plus sized last time, is that something you'll do again?

mdaffron

And I don't see how these posts are off-topic. The Protege has a very specific and unpopular tire size, and I need to discuss this kind of information with Protege owners! If I go to one of the tire discussions, I'll get a lot of recommendations for tire brands that can't fit a Protege. (Been there, done that last time.) So unless Pat really has a hissy fit about this, I'd like to keep discussing the tires here since we're talking about tires for our Proteges. They're part of the car just like plugs, belts, hoses and (dare I mention) brakes are, after all.

Meade

P.S. Chow-chi -- thanks for the input on your Dunlops. Very interesting ... but have you noticed the treadwear indicator bars? I thought I had lots of tread left too (a good 1/4-inch or so) until I noticed how high the treadwear indicators are! Right now, my front tires have a little tread on them, but the indicator bars are almost flat across the tires!

P.S. Ray -- Probably. At least I have experience in plus-sizing and know it works well. That will definitely allow a few more options when it comes to brand and model.

the_big_h

the Ziex-512 has it in our 'stock' size (195/55/15), has 360 tire wear rating, and is very well priced!

ashu has these on his 2nd gen Protege and he's very happy with them.

go to http://www.vulcantire.com and check them out!

protegextwo

Prolly as quite as anything I've driven.

mdaffron

My original choice, the Yokohama AVID T4, is only $63 per tire at TireRack. And it has a 60K warranty and a 420 treadwear rating. Hmmm ... I'd only have to pay for a tire and a half to get four. And I've owned Yoko's before and they've been good tires.

The only thing I hate is, I'll have to pay my installer 15 or 20 bucks per tire again ... So all in all, if I buy the Yokos, I'll only pay about $180 for a set of four. Not too shabby?

Meade

vocus

I have Michelin Pilot Sports on my car. And while these tires are pretty expensive (about $200 each for the 17s I need), they have 30K miles on them right now and still have some great tread left on them. Might be worth a shot to try them.

vocus

And isn't there a way that the tiremaker will absorb the charges from the installer? I mean, you wouldn't have to pay anything had the tires you bought held up to even half their warranty, right? It might be worth a shot...

meinrad

Once you get over 400 rating, isn't that a hard tire? Isn't that why that last longer?

So once it gets that high can handling really be that good?

I always thought that was the tradeoff for treadwear vs. handling.

mdaffron

That was spoken in true entitlement wisdom. I will give it a try though, and if they don't do it, then by gosh doggone blankety heck, I'll drive my car right through their window and get my dad's friend's cousin's best friend's lawyer to MAKE 'em do it!!!

Just kidding. :-)

And I ain't payin' no 800 bucks for a set of tires. I'd rather save the cash for something important like the down payment on my 2005 Mazda3!

Meade

mdaffron

The new Goodyear Aquatred 3, a very sticky tire in the rain and foul weather, has a treadwear rating of (believe it or not) 640, and here's another shocker -- an 80,000-mile treadlife warranty!!! I think they handle pretty well too ... I think tire technology has done a lot in making long-lasting performance tires lately.

Meade

vocus

A tire with a treadwear of 400 is going to provide a bit of a harsher ride. I think the treadwear on mine is 420 if I am not mistaken, and they do ride a little harshly over road imperfections.

vocus

I was just trying to be helpful, no need for sarcasm. But it's all about manufacturers getting away with sloppy problem solving, and substandard products. Seems to be alot of that going around lately...

mdaffron

And I do agree -- seems quality control (AKA people caring about what they make and do) has gone out the window lately. You really have to push to get things done right anymore.

Meade

mdaffron

New models!!!

http://www.editorial.discountnewcars.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/sto- ry2/D37CF2E9D87498A5CA256CB6007C3918

Meade

vocus

I noticed they said nothing about the 6 hatchback/wagon coming. That's not a US publication either, so it might not matter.

And I know you were just playing, but just tryin' to work you up a little. Looks like you're feeling better at least...

mazdafun

They're pretty conservative (i.e. warn you pretty early-on). I still have over 50% from my eyeballing guesstimate.

dinu01

Today, for the first time in many many weeks, we got above 0C weather. The PRO started at the first turn, warmed-up really quickly, shifted perfectly right away.

The car likes above-freezing weather so much more! No more hard shifts for the first 3 minutes, no more freezing driver for the first 10 minutes

Dinu

newcar31

Yeah, it got kinda warm here too. The Protege likes it. It doesn't like the liquid salt bath though....

As I was driving home from work today, I still couldn't believe how good of a car this is for $15K. It has 25K on it now and is almost 2 years old and still drives solid as a rock. I know that it should still drive nice, it only has 25K on it, but I still appreciate this car 2 years after I bought it. The steering is still tight and excellent. It still has a nice firm clunk-free ride. Once warm, the engine is smooth and torquey, perfect for the kind of driving I do. It still looks brand new on the outside and it still has a slight hint of new car smell, especially when the heat is on. I really like the Mazda6, but I really like my car too, and I only have 2 1/2 years left to pay off the 0% loan. By that time, the Mazda3 will be out.....

nematode

Drive a $15k (original) 2 year old Corolla. I just did and I KNOW I made the right choice for me. You dont get much Toyota for $15k.....I also have a 01 Protege ES with just under 25k on the clock. Mine does not seem to mind the cold that much. At between 0 and 5 def F it takes a little longer to start but thats about it. I usually let it idle for 3-5min when its below 20 deg F before I drive off.

dinu01

I think you, Meade and I will be on the Mazda3 -OR- Mazda6 board in 2-3 years from now. I'm still pretty curious what the 3 will look like and if it will still be as entertaining to drive as the Protege. It can only get better (I hope). If I can spend less than on a 6 on the 3, it would all be great!

All I want is:

5spd
A/C
Power Windows
Spoiler
PRO-type handling!!!
Nice interior (like the black in the ES/P5)!

By then I'll be done with school and I'll be able to afford a new car of my own 100%, unlike the PRO which I drive 90%+ of the time, but it's not "mine all mine".

Dinu

maltb

me and my buddy FX/G35 will drop in and talk brakes when those boards are up.

dinu01

HE HE!

It'll be also important to discuss if the 3 makes for a good small car for the masses or if it will not be the choice of millions, which obviously tells us how inferior a car is

On topic however, my PRO badly needs a wash. If it will be above freezing this weekend I have a hand-wash place across the street from me and will drop by for a nice Sunday afternoon car-cleaning day. It also needs to be vacuumed, dusted off, and desalted. There are salt stains on the floor mats and near the speakers' grilles.

Above freezing weather feels so exotic after the last few weeks, but not quite Amazonian yet

Dinu

newcar31

I think the new Protege will be excellent. The fact that the chassis was co-developed with Ford is a good thing. European Fords are known to have excellent chassis. Mazda knows a thing or two about chassis development also. The car can only be better because of this. It's supposed to still be built in Japan, which hopefully means that it will be built with parts from mostly Japanese suppliers.

There are a couple of things I need to know before I get too exited though. I need to like the way it looks. If it has a somewhat Mazda6-ish front end with an RX8-type rear end (how it has been described by those who have seen it) and a decent roofline, I'll take it. I hope I can get one equipped like my 2001 ES. I'd like the ES version of the Mazda3 to not have a body kit. I would like to be able to get the big engine (2.3L) in the ES, not just in a special Mazdaspeed model. I hope the wheels are at least as attractive as the wheels on my current car. I hope Mazda shows some restraint with the silver/platinum painted plastic. I'd rather not have any at all, but I know that's not going to happen.

newcar31

When are there going to pictures of this car? I saw the Mazda6 a long time ago. Is the Mazda3 going to be released at the same time throughout the world?

dinu01

The suspension and chassis should be the best in class - just like now. Mazda will certainly keep their cars sportier than the competition, which is a good thing for those of us that can't afford a Modena.

I actually like the silver plastic or perhaps don't mind it. The 6's interior looks good too and like you I don't want bumper spoilers or side skirts - too much plastic, too much of a Fast and Furious theme and can potentially break or get scrapped in an encounter with a pothole. That being said, I do like a spoiler with an integrated horizontal light (like on our 01 ESs) with 16" rims.

Dinu

dinu01

No clue. I tried looking for pics last week and found nothing. They said fall of 2004 for the launch? Mazda will also have to do a Tribute, MPV, Miata revamp, so I think they're taking things slowly. Better to be slower to launch and avoid glitches, than flood the market with subpar products. They simply can't afford to mess up.

Q: Why are Mazdas more popular in Canada than in th US? I always see PROs and MPVs every time I get out of the house.

Dinu

fowler3

Meade, it's going to be in the 60's here Sunday. Good time to check out tires if it's warmer there.
Man, I'm ready for it. Tired of being cold.

My Pro will be 2 years old in April and it hasn't hit 13K yet. Really needs washing badly. But it keeps raining.

fowler3

fowler3

Maybe because they are cheaper to buy. Maybe because Canadians know a good thing when they see it. They sit higher and probably go better in the snow with less dragging on the bottom.

fowler3

dinu01

I'm at work until 9PM (: Then the drive home in the PRO... Two years and 13K miles? Must be nice to have a new car even two years later

Actualy I can't complain. No issues, no rattles, drives great after 31K miles+ and 18 mths.

Dinu

fowler3

alloys Mazda is putting on the 2003 Protegés? They are awful! They look like WAY AFTER market, as in don't bother with locking nuts, nobody will steal them. LOL!

I'll post a photo in my album.

fowler3

dinu01

They would make a supped-up Civic proud

The 2000 alloys look ok, the 01-02 ones are better, but the 03 ones are too overdone. I prefer simple 5 or 7 spoke designs. The 03 ones look like they have 20+ spokes.

Dinu

dinu01

Similar to last week's: 9L/100kms, a mix of 70% highway 30% city.

Dinu

boggse

I haven't seen these. When I purchased my 2003 P5, all of the wheels on the Proteges at the dealer were 5 spoke designs. I personally like the wheels on our P5 slightly better than the ones which came on my '01 ES.

Now is a good time to point out that the new alloys on the '03 P5 (and I assume ES) require the newer, stick-on wheel weights which go on the inside of the wheel. The exterior, rim mounted ones won't go on. This could be an issue when it is time to get the tires balanced as not all shops use these. I would take it to the dealer or a wheel retailer just in case. All in all, I think this is a positive thing since this type of wheel weight works better.

kaiserhead

Yeah, the 03 alloys are bad, really bad. Too bad they don't offer a choice. However, they aren't nearly as bad as the caps that come with the base 6, those look like frisbys or something you'd find on a 80s cop car.

vocus

I saw them for the first time the other night when I drove the 6i. They are pretty bad. They need to stick with the 99-00 ES wheels for the LX models like they were using.