I guess Mazda really knows what they are doing. Most of the protege owners don't really care about performance all that much, an apperance package such as Mp3 will probably attract previous protege owners back. My 99 Es has been great, but I am tired of low hp. they should have put the miata engine in there or something. Spec V will just walk all over the mp3 imo. But it will probably walk most of the cars in this price range/category.
...this afternoon, on the way back from a short 200 mile round trip, here I am going about 60 down a two lane pretty busy highway. I was behind a decent sized semi...when he decided to turn off in a turn lane to the right. Meanwhile there's this guy in a red S10 on ths side of the road impatiently trying to get on the highway. As the semi turns off, the S10 makes a run for it. Apparently, he didn't see me because I was behind the semi. I almost T-boned him, if it wasn't for the Protege's excellent handling. I had to swerve into the lane to the left, which is going the other way. Thank God there was no traffic, or I would have had a head-on collission! Now, if I were in some boat-sized car or SUV I doubt I would have made it out of that situation without some bumps and bruises.
Protegé owners do care about performance! Otherwise, they would have bought one of those other three, or put a V6 in a gocart.
Exactly what kind of performance are you looking for? Maybe no compact sedan will fit your needs and you need to shop more upstream.
The Protegé 2.0L cars do very well on long Interstate cruising, eating up the miles very fast. They handle beautifully at high speeds and the engine is fairly quiet. They don’t sound like the Subaru TV commercials for the GSX, or whatever that car’s acronym. The Protegé is a very nice small sedan for its price range, better than you would expect in many ways. Classic European styling taken from more expensive German cars.
If you can live with a Sentra’s unusable back seat and ugly styling, not to mention that gross dash, just for the 145hp engine...you don’t want much for your money. It takes more than 15 more hp and alloy wheels to make a truly nice car. Get in! Be moved!...mentally!
I just got a 2001 ES and am lovin' it. Where can I find a place to buy accessories wihout paying the high dealer prices? I'm looking for the mazda front mask, cargo net and wheel locks. Anyone know of a site with good prices.?
I prefer the Sentra SE's styling over the Protege ES. I think it has a sturdier look and the rear is not bad with the spoiler and the dual exhaust outlets. I think it's a bit of a stretch to call the Protege's styling European - it's more classic Japanese. Very few Europeans drive sedans anyway - the VW Jetta (called the Bora in Europe) is a rare sight on that continent. But, I do agree that for the money, the ES is hard to beat. Free sunroof and $500 rebate are attractive compared to the Sentra's lack of any rebate or free equipment.
Misterzoom.... Go to Mazdastuff.com for cheap accessories on the Web... or get some Mazda dealer part's coupons online (usually 20% off list) and go to your local dealer to negotiate the accessories... Good Mazda Part's Dept. people negotiate!!
'01 ES is very smooth on the highway... but it does transmit road imperfections (potholes, cracks, etc.) to the driver. The ride is taut and firm, but not generally uncomfortable. Takes some acclimation from a softer-riding car.
FYI:. My parent's '00 Accord is uncomfortable on long trips. The front and rear seats are extremely uncomfortable on long trips... my family almost jumped ship (midway!) on our last roadtrip. In fact, they BEGGED my wife and I to use our '01 Protege ES next time... and they would buy a roof-rack for the extra luggage.... ) funny huh?!!
I wasn't talking about the regular Sentra SE's dash, I was talking about the Spec-V's dash. Go to www.nissandriven.com and look at it if you want to puke. yooper53--unlike Hondas and Acuras, you don't need to replace the crush gasket for every oil change. If you thought the Contour V6 filter was hard to change, the Protoge's is going to be even harder if you do it in your garage on jack-stands. At least with the Contour, you can get at the filter without jacking the car up. As far as comparing the Subaru WRX to the Protoge, its no comparison. The Subaru is a whopping $10,000 more than the standard Protoge ES. With the extra money, (if I had it) I could just go out and buy a brand new Yamaha YZF R6 and eat that Subaru for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack, with nice weather of course. By the way, sorry Larry for ditching out on last nights chat, we had very bad weather *again* and our power went out *again*.
It's been a long time since I've checked the townhall for my car, but I just wanted to let everyone here know that I'm still happy as a clam with my 1999 Protege LX 5spd with about 50,200 miles on it. I bought it brand new nearly two years ago. The car still hums like new. No rattles or parts falling off. It's as comfortable and reliable as the day I drove it off the dealer lot. I drive the car hard for my job nearly every day (80mph on the freeways and lots of city stop and go) and yet the car never seems worn out.
The only problem I had was with some fuel/air sensor that needed replacement for free under warranty at around 24,000 miles but thats it. (The car was losing power and hesitating during hard acceleration.)
A recently-bought set of higher performance tires makes the car stick to pavement like glue. I did a lot of research before settling in on the new Protege in the first year of the current edition (I read all the Edmunds posts nearly every day) and am very pleased with the long-term outcome. I AVERAGE 35 miles/gallon and find the power adequate (especially with the 5spd). It keeps up the pace on Rocky Mountain passes and on the open road.
I don't frequent the townhall as much now that I don't have that new-car giddiness but I still feel great driving my Protege every day. I heard about all the minor improvements in subsequent models that have made the Protege even more of a bargain. For those of you on the fence about whether to get one--they really seem to build them to last.
Check the review of the MP3 in Friday's National Post. It's called 'More Boom than Zoom', refering to the spectacular audio system I suppose. Front page feature of Driver's Edge. Or at nationalpost.com, Driver's Edge tab.
Sam, I prefer the PRO-ES styling over the Sentra SE, however I concede; I'm a tad biased! I think the Mazda Protege ES has a more masculine stance than the Sentra. IMHO, the PRO-ES has a classic Euro sports sedan flavor, especially in the Emerald Mica, Black Mica and Red Mica colors. My 2 cents, the Mazda looks much more refined than the Nissan. It's a shame the Nissan's design team added the two extra doors to the Sentra, because it was only engineered to seat two adults comfortably. The Sentra SE would look some what better as a coupe, nonetheless; the 2000 SE redesign looks like a cigar with dual exhausts, yikes!!!
Yea, the chat was NOT too lively and than YOU were gone? I checked my breath and it smelled fresh, so I knew that wasn't the reason for your sudden departure, hehe!!! I was afraid you were mad because I started chatting with the host Drew. Drew's a good guy, one of the best Town Hall Hosts, real down to earth. He was a regular poster in the Edmunds Town Hall Sedan Topics, back in the day and was a real asset to any discussion he joined. Pretty funny too, always ready to bring a little dry wit to the more self-involved posts, hehe!! I hope some more regulars here can chat next week. However it was good talkin to ya, yesterday Todd!
Where in the heck did you vanish too? I know you were shopping/researching a V-Dub, nonetheless; we missed you! Glad to here the "old Pro" helped pull your bacon out of the fire! Keep in touch Parallax, old friend.
Neither the Sentra SE or Pro ES is a styling knockout, but the front of the Sentra (and more so the Jetta) seems more substantial than the Pro. The Pro hood profile seems to follow the traditional Honda design: low cowl and short length followed by a slightly more upright windshield. The recent trend is to offer a taller cowl like the Focus and the new 02 Civic HB. This gives a side profile that seems to integrate the slope of the hood into the slope of the windshield, somewhat like a minivan. I like the Pro ES very much, but it is not the safest small car on the road, nor does it look it. I don't particularly like the Jetta, but that car looks like it would crush a Pro in a head-on collision.
As for mileage I've only filled up my new Pro ES twice so its not a very good sample but I calculated 31 mpg like it says on the sticker. This was miked hiway and in town.
Anyone know where I can find a cool mazda ball cap or keychain. I'm really into this mazda thing now. I have always rented the 1.6L Lx for trips since my old toyota wouldn;t do the trick. I finally went out and just bought one. The ES sure is a big improvement with the two liter. I can;t believe the review I read that stated that they couldn't tell the difference that much between the two and the the manual that they had could have been the problem as compared to the automatic.
I want to know what drug they were smokin'. After having driven an LX for 4K+ miles through mountains and other varied terrain throughout the west the ES has muc more power.
My only qualm is that the LX has interior seating/fabric options. The LX seats are much cushier. The ES seats seems as theoug they were going for the racing style. However I think that I would like the more cush LX seats to be honest. Oh well, I still like the car especially after comparing it to the competition.
well, I was comparing the MP3 to the Sentra Spec V. Not the regular models. The new MP3 is targeting towards people my age (early 20's.) which doesn't care about performance all that much, but do want to look cool driving something. Currently Mazda doesn't have any cars that really "performs" (unlike the days of Rx-7.) except the Miata. I wouldn't call the protege fast by any means. After all, it is just about as fast as a civic or corolla.
The Ford Focus makes a styling statement! Holy smokes Batman. I give Ford Motor Company their props, it took guts to style a car that appears to look like a wedge of cheese on wheels. I guess, that "style" has a more "substational" look? Nonetheless, I understand in Europe(England in particular) the Ford Foci's styling cues are a huge success! Not for me though! Yikes, if there are more dopy looking small cars than the Nissan Sentra and the three versions of the Ford Foci, it could only be the Toyota ECHO! What I like about the Mazda Protege? It has a strong stance and classic good looks. It DOES not make a styling "statement", it does project a refined Euro styling refinement, IMHO. For instance the crease in the hoods and the chrome accents on the nose project maturity and class. The rest of the Protege seems to visually communicate "drive me fast", lol!!! BTW, I'm pretty sure crash worthiness is measured and rated with the appropriate tests. But, I guess some cars/trucks might "look" more substantial than others. I would never had guessed the more substational looking full-sized Ford-150 pickup truck would have rated poor in recent crash tests and the "less-substantial" looking Toyota Tundra rated the best in class? You just can't tell by looking I guess?
I am thinking seriously of purchasing a 2001 Protege LX2.0 or AS (with the premium package). I could use some help with new car pricing (this is my first car purchase).
My local dealer has ads in the paper listing a volume discount of $628 and a $1000 rebate.
If I'm looking for the invoice price to figure out what I want to offer, do I subtract this from invoice price? The LX2.0 with premuim pack and AT shows as 16404 invoice. Do these discounts reduce that to 14776?
Edmund's TV for this car is 17247. Car Direct is saying I can get one for 16436. Can I get one for less with this dealer's listed discounts?
“I think it's a bit of a stretch to call the Protege's styling European - it's more classic Japanese.”
If you do your research and read the test-drive reviews from 1999 through 2001, you will read that the exterior was styled in Germany at Mazda’s studio, and the interior was styled in California.
The Protegé’s styling reminds many of the Audi A4 when viewed from the back. Personally, I think the Pro’s tail lamp treatment is much better than the Audi’s. And the classic wide C-pillar gives the Pro a taste of German luxury car styling.
mdriver, what do you mean Europeans don’t drive sedans? I was in the Air Force in Germany for three years and have been back to Europe five times since then. All German cities are full of sedans. Munich is loaded with BMW’s.
newcar31: IMHO, the standard Sentra’s dash, especially the middle pod, looks like some kind of robot mask from a Japanese science fiction movie. It was designed to resemble the Maxima and if you don‘t like that car’s styling, forget the Sentra.
Martin: I was misserable on long trips in the ’98 version of that Accord. Had to stop every 50 miles and get out of that thing. The seats were very painful! When I sold it back to the dealer 30 days after buying it: I got a telephone call from Honda America, a survey from HA, and three surveys from independent companies Honda had hired.
People see cars differently. Some may be taken by the exterior styling, others may like the dash and instrument panel. And there are others who don‘t give a thought to any of that, they simply need a car and buy the one at the best price. Mechanics I have talked to, espcially specialists on German cars, “see” only the mechanical parts when they think about a certain model. The styling, sheet metal, is like wrapping paper to them.
I think all of us have a standard that guides us in buying a car. We fall back on that standard when a car is too radical. Call it all the things we found desireable in classic cars, we want something “new”, but also it must have those classic elements we have always been comfortable with.
I prefer a 4-spoke steering wheel because all German cars have them. It was in Germany that I first learned what makes a car a classic. And before airbags it was safer. I insist that the gas filler door be on the drivers’s side. Because it is stupid to put it on the curb-side when we do self-serve at gas stations. Many of these things influence what you buy.
Whether you keep it 3 months, 3 years, or 30, it has to meet your personal tastes. Do you like the car? Forget other peoples’ ideas.Do you see yourself driving this car?
Yesterday, I parked my ’01 Protegé LX next to a 2000 Civic EX at CompUSA. The ’00 Civic was my next choice after test-driving a 2001 Civic, and finding I didn’t like the new version.
Comparing the two cars I realized what a BIG mistake it would have been had I bought the ’00 Civic, or any Civic for that matter. It was time for a brand change and I’m happy I made it.
Pride of ownership and satisfaction are far more important than brand loyalty. It’s what the car does for you. The day I drove it home, a neighbor came over and asked, “How do you like your new Volvo?” She saw me looking at the taillamps to see what they look like illuminated and thought it was a Volvo S60.
I live in a townhome and my neighbors drive: An ’01 Acura 3.2CL, two drive BMW 525i’s, one drives a ’00 Maxima, three drive ’97 Accord EX’s, and one drives a ’00 C-class MB. My little Pro holds its own very well.
for 1 entire tank and still got 26mpg. Thats 70-80mpg (a few runs to 100mph) and nearly all highway. Saw redline several times, ripped on to highways, shredded off-ramps, pretended I was not well north of 30 years old. I got an auto because I just needed a commuter...but sometimes I wish I had a 5spd. Then again, when I'm sitting in traffic....
Normally I have been getting 30mpg at 60-65mph, 80-90% highway. I'll get back to that in a couple of days when I get the crazys out of my system.
With my 5-speed '00 Protege ES I'm getting 30mpg on 90% highway(65-70mph) driving. I'd also like to add what a wonderful car this has been for me. 13,000 miles and absolutely no problems, rattles, or squeeks. The only maintenence done has been of the scheduled type. For the money, it's also a fun car to drive.
The worst mileage that I got was 25 mpg, the best, 33 mpg. I usually get around 27 mpg. This is mostly city driving. The ES 2.0L sticker will peel right off, I did it on mine. As far as styling is concerned, I have said it before, the Sentra is alright, until you look at the back of it. I was seriously considering the Sentra, but I just could not live with that ploopy/droopy (IMO) rear end. The Focus is just plain ugly; Ford was trying to be different again and it didn't work for me, although it obviously worked for a lot of people. (Hey, a lot of people here in MN voted that doofus Jesse Ventura too, so I guess the majority decision isn't always the best)
Maybe Protegés are for the “descriminating automobile enthusiast”, as the saying goes.
They don’t buy the Protegé just because everybody else does; like Civic buyers do. They appreciate subdued elegance and Zoom Zoom with a whisper. LOL!
Went by Parks Mazda/High PointNC this afternoon, they have 10 Protegé5’s in stock! Four black, two blue, one red, and three silver. The silver ones really look SHARP!
On my first two tanks, I've gotten 29 mpg, and I was driving it more aggressively on the second tank (finally got past those break-in miles and am letting "Harley" stretch her wings a bit).
Now at 750 miles--went to a party over the weekend and had a flock of partygoers oohing and aahing over my Pro. Compliments given on the overall styling, the white gauges and the speed of the moonroof, of all things. Of course the conversation quickly turned to Mazda bringing back the rotary...
Wanted to post an "annoyance warning" on a cleaning product--I picked up a canister of those Armor All Glass Cleaner wipes, thinking I could use them for touchups. To my disappointment, they're full of lint and left my windows looking like I'd driven it through a paper-shredding factory. I'll still use them in a pinch (like for bird droppings), but I wouldn't recommend them and don't anticipate buying them again. Perhaps this was just a "bad batch." Anyone else had this problem?
I also purchased those wipes, but not for the glass. I think mine had the general cleaner and the protectant. It did leave a small amount of debris, but not too much. As with anything, I guess I am making a sacrifice for convenience. The good thing is that I am more prone to keep my interior up to snuff since these things are so easy to use.
Anyone seen that infomercial on TV selling Buffalo Milk car polish? Wonder what that stuff is and will it do more harm than good eventually?
fritz1224: I was just posting cars people here have said they have been trying to find. Two posters have bought Protegés from Parks recently. And, P.S. they don’t have the Premium package.
I packed a 72"x40" wardrobe in the back seat of my 2001 Protege ES the other day. I bought it originally and had it delivered, but the original one was broken. I took it back and got a new one. I had to fold down the back seat and slide up the passenger's seat all the way on its tracks, as well as recline the backrest up until it leaned forward (like a 2-door's seatbacks fold), but the sucker fit in. Who says you need an SUV to haul things in? Not when you have the Protege, a jack of all trades and master of all as well.
I have to question you on that one vocus. I went and bought a new front door from Home Depot and hauled it home in the DX Pro. Measurements were 78"x38"x5". I barely fit any of it through the opening to the cabin from the trunk. I did manage to strap it in and get it home, but it wasn't optimal. That said there have been times when I shocked people with what I have been able to fit back there.
Actually, I forgot the measurements I gave were of the wardrobe once assembled. It was definitely 72" long, but about 24" or so wide in its box and disassembled. It still surprised me though, that the length would fit. I tried to get it into my roommate's 2000 Neon, but it wouldn't go.
Also, all of our friends notice how much roomier my car is inside than the Neon is. Now, it's like when all 4 of us go out, they always wanna take my car.
Not when you're the one stuffed into the back seat.
Cavalier's the same way. And the front and rear windows on both warp your sight lines (at least they do mine) to the point of giving you a headache.
For something that looks reasonably roomy from the outside, it sure feels cramped on the inside. Reminds me of the Ford Tempo. Now, that was a tippy ride!
Went to a dealer today, they say that I cannot combine the X-Plan (Canada's equivalent of the S-plan) with the graduate rebate. Can anyone confirm this (I thought you could combine them).
Also, does anyone here know the Canadian dealer invoice price for a Protege ES with GT package and auto?
Only up to 90 so far / very stable and sure footed. I have driven many other cars at near 100 and all made me somewhat nervous - not the PRO though. I would feel comfortable at well over 100 with it. The sprint to 90 was from a stop with a 98 Civic EX on my left. He gave up and was 3 lengths behind at about 80 mph. Will have a chance to test the handling this weekend as I plan to drive around Mt. Rainier / lots of twists and hairpins.......Greg
a few months ago jstandefer reported poor performance w/ bosch muti-electrode platinum spark plugs. Has there been ay more posts concerning these or other plugs in the Pro?
I have a 2001 ES, and have had it up to 105 mph before. Very solid ride, but the engine is very buzzy at that speed. It seems more stable than the 1999 DX that I replaced with it, but that's because of the larger tires and stiffer suspension. It seems (to me, anyway) that the rear spoiler helps hold down the car in heavy winds, because it doesn't wander as much as the DX (without the spoiler) did.
I tried a set of Splitfires in my '89 323 and the poor thing was shaking hard (premature combustion?), so I promptly replaced them with the regular blunt-tip spark plugs. I'm not about to repeat that experience with my '99 Pro.
In theory, the multi-tips should last longer than the blunt-tip spark plugs. If one tip gets eroded or coated, then the spark can originate at another tip. However, the tips are smaller since more of them have to be packed into the same volume. I think this is why I got premature combustion and the really rough idle. You probably need a larger gap with the multi-tip plugs.
Anyway, no matter how long the plugs last, there isn't going to be any difference in power. If you have a spark timing issue, new plugs won't fix that.
I ordered a Silver Pro ES w/ 5sp and Premium Package back at the tail end of March and got it Memorial weekend. My dealer had told me 6-8 weeks and it ended up being right around 8 weeks. Don't know if that's the kind of feedback you're looking for or not...
Comments
Spec V will just walk all over the mp3 imo. But it will probably walk most of the cars in this price range/category.
Exactly what kind of performance are you looking for? Maybe no compact sedan will fit your needs and you need to shop more upstream.
The Protegé 2.0L cars do very well on long Interstate cruising, eating up the miles very fast. They handle beautifully at high speeds and the engine is fairly quiet. They don’t sound like the Subaru TV commercials for the GSX, or whatever that car’s acronym. The Protegé is a very nice small sedan for its price range, better than you would expect in many ways. Classic European styling taken from more expensive German cars.
If you can live with a Sentra’s unusable back seat and ugly styling, not to mention that gross dash, just for the 145hp engine...you don’t want much for your money. It takes more than 15 more hp and alloy wheels to make a truly nice car. Get in! Be moved!...mentally!
fowler3
fowler3
'01 ES is very smooth on the highway... but it does transmit road imperfections (potholes, cracks, etc.) to the driver. The ride is taut and firm, but not generally uncomfortable. Takes some acclimation from a softer-riding car.
FYI:.
My parent's '00 Accord is uncomfortable on long trips. The front and rear seats are extremely uncomfortable on long trips... my family almost jumped ship (midway!) on our last roadtrip. In fact, they BEGGED my wife and I to use our '01 Protege ES next time... and they would buy a roof-rack for the extra luggage....
MARTIN
I imagine that with a few subtle bolt-ons, you could get the ES 2.0 to the MP3's 140hp easily.
The only problem I had was with some fuel/air sensor that needed replacement for free under warranty at around 24,000 miles but thats it. (The car was losing power and hesitating during hard acceleration.)
A recently-bought set of higher performance tires makes the car stick to pavement like glue. I did a lot of research before settling in on the new Protege in the first year of the current edition (I read all the Edmunds posts nearly every day) and am very pleased with the long-term outcome. I AVERAGE 35 miles/gallon and find the power adequate (especially with the 5spd). It keeps up the pace on Rocky Mountain passes and on the open road.
I don't frequent the townhall as much now that I don't have that new-car giddiness but I still feel great driving my Protege every day. I heard about all the minor improvements in subsequent models that have made the Protege even more of a bargain. For those of you on the fence about whether to get one--they really seem to build them to last.
Respectfully,
Larry
-Larry
-Larry
As for mileage I've only filled up my new Pro ES twice so its not a very good sample but I calculated 31 mpg like it says on the sticker. This was miked hiway and in town.
Anyone know where I can find a cool mazda ball cap or keychain. I'm really into this mazda thing now. I have always rented the 1.6L Lx for trips since my old toyota wouldn;t do the trick. I finally went out and just bought one. The ES sure is a big improvement with the two liter. I can;t believe the review I read that stated that they couldn't tell the difference that much between the two and the the manual that they had could have been the problem as compared to the automatic.
I want to know what drug they were smokin'. After having driven an LX for 4K+ miles through mountains and other varied terrain throughout the west the ES has muc more power.
My only qualm is that the LX has interior seating/fabric options. The LX seats are much cushier. The ES seats seems as theoug they were going for the racing style. However I think that I would like the more cush LX seats to be honest. Oh well, I still like the car especially after comparing it to the competition.
The new MP3 is targeting towards people my age (early 20's.) which doesn't care about performance all that much, but do want to look cool driving something. Currently Mazda doesn't have any cars that really "performs" (unlike the days of Rx-7.) except the Miata. I wouldn't call the protege fast by any means. After all, it is just about as fast as a civic or corolla.
The Ford Focus makes a styling statement! Holy smokes Batman. I give Ford Motor Company their props, it took guts to style a car that appears to look like a wedge of cheese on wheels. I guess, that "style" has a more "substational" look? Nonetheless, I understand in Europe(England in particular) the Ford Foci's styling cues are a huge success! Not for me though! Yikes, if there are more dopy looking small cars than the Nissan Sentra and the three versions of the Ford Foci, it could only be the Toyota ECHO!
What I like about the Mazda Protege? It has a strong stance and classic good looks. It DOES not make a styling "statement", it does project a refined Euro styling refinement, IMHO. For instance the crease in the hoods and the chrome accents on the nose project maturity and class. The rest of the Protege seems to visually communicate "drive me fast", lol!!!
BTW, I'm pretty sure crash worthiness is measured and rated with the appropriate tests. But, I guess some cars/trucks might "look" more substantial than others. I would never had guessed the more substational looking full-sized Ford-150 pickup truck would have rated poor in recent crash tests and the "less-substantial" looking Toyota Tundra rated the best in class? You just can't tell by looking I guess?
Respectfully,
Larry
My local dealer has ads in the paper listing a volume discount of $628 and a $1000 rebate.
If I'm looking for the invoice price to figure out what I want to offer, do I subtract this from invoice price?
The LX2.0 with premuim pack and AT shows as 16404 invoice. Do these discounts reduce that to 14776?
Edmund's TV for this car is 17247. Car Direct is saying I can get one for 16436. Can I get one for less with this dealer's listed discounts?
Thanks!
Japanese.”
If you do your research and read the test-drive reviews from 1999 through 2001, you will read that the exterior was styled in Germany at Mazda’s studio, and the interior was styled in California.
The Protegé’s styling reminds many of the Audi A4 when viewed from the back. Personally, I think the Pro’s tail lamp treatment is much better than the
Audi’s. And the classic wide C-pillar gives the Pro a taste of German luxury car styling.
mdriver, what do you mean Europeans don’t drive sedans? I was in the Air Force in Germany for three years and have been back to Europe five times since then. All German cities are full of sedans. Munich is loaded with BMW’s.
newcar31: IMHO, the standard Sentra’s dash, especially the middle pod, looks like some kind of robot mask from a Japanese science fiction movie.
It was designed to resemble the Maxima and if you don‘t like that car’s styling, forget the Sentra.
Martin: I was misserable on long trips in the ’98 version of that Accord. Had to stop every 50 miles and get out of that thing. The seats were very painful! When I sold it back to the dealer 30 days after buying it: I got a telephone call from Honda America, a survey from HA, and three surveys from independent companies Honda had hired.
People see cars differently. Some may be taken by the exterior styling, others may like the dash and instrument panel. And there are others who don‘t give a thought to any of that, they simply need a car and buy the one at the best price. Mechanics I have talked to, espcially specialists on German cars, “see” only the mechanical parts when they think about a certain model. The styling, sheet metal, is like wrapping paper to them.
I think all of us have a standard that guides us in buying a car. We fall back on that standard when a car is too radical. Call it all the things we found desireable in classic cars, we want something “new”, but also it must have those classic elements we have always been comfortable with.
I prefer a 4-spoke steering wheel because all German cars have them. It was in Germany that I first learned what makes a car a classic. And before airbags it was safer. I insist that the gas filler door be on the drivers’s side. Because it is stupid to put it on the curb-side when we do self-serve at gas stations. Many of these things influence what you buy.
Whether you keep it 3 months, 3 years, or 30, it has to meet your personal tastes. Do you like the car? Forget other peoples’ ideas.Do you see yourself driving this car?
fowler3
Comparing the two cars I realized what a BIG mistake it would have been had I bought the ’00 Civic, or any Civic for that matter. It was time for a brand change and I’m happy I made it.
Pride of ownership and satisfaction are far more important than brand loyalty. It’s what the car does for you. The day I drove it home, a neighbor came over and asked, “How do you like your new Volvo?” She saw me looking at the taillamps to see what they look like illuminated and thought it was a Volvo S60.
I live in a townhome and my neighbors drive: An ’01 Acura 3.2CL, two drive BMW 525i’s, one drives a ’00 Maxima, three drive ’97 Accord EX’s, and one drives a ’00 C-class MB. My little Pro holds its own very well.
fowler3
Normally I have been getting 30mpg at 60-65mph, 80-90% highway. I'll get back to that in a couple of days when I get the crazys out of my system.
fowler3
Greg
They don’t buy the Protegé just because everybody else does; like Civic buyers do. They appreciate subdued elegance and Zoom Zoom with a whisper. LOL!
fowler3
Protegé5 Silver, 5-speed $16,830 sticker.
Protegé5 Silver, AT, moonroof $18,330 sticker.
AND one Protegé ES, Silver, 5-speed, painted mirrors, moonroof, $16,095 sticker!!
And one Protegé ES, Emerald Green, AT, painted mirrors, moonroof, $17,195 sticker.
One Protegé LX 2.0, Silver, 5-speed, painted mirrors, alloys, moonroof $15,595 sticker.
(Includes $1100 discount).
Mazda must have had a ship come in on the East Coast!
Ask for Joe Messer if you call them. Good salesman.
fowler3
Maybe it should be scrutinized, huh?
Now at 750 miles--went to a party over the weekend and had a flock of partygoers oohing and aahing over my Pro. Compliments given on the overall styling, the white gauges and the speed of the moonroof, of all things. Of course the conversation quickly turned to Mazda bringing back the rotary...
Wanted to post an "annoyance warning" on a cleaning product--I picked up a canister of those Armor All Glass Cleaner wipes, thinking I could use them for touchups. To my disappointment, they're full of lint and left my windows looking like I'd driven it through a paper-shredding factory. I'll still use them in a pinch (like for bird droppings), but I wouldn't recommend them and don't anticipate buying them again. Perhaps this was just a "bad batch." Anyone else had this problem?
fritz1224: I was just posting cars people here have said they have been trying to find. Two posters have bought Protegés from Parks recently. And, P.S.
they don’t have the Premium package.
fowler3
ZOOM ZOOM!
Also, all of our friends notice how much roomier my car is inside than the Neon is. Now, it's like when all 4 of us go out, they always wanna take my car.
Cavalier's the same way. And the front and rear windows on both warp your sight lines (at least they do mine) to the point of giving you a headache.
For something that looks reasonably roomy from the outside, it sure feels cramped on the inside. Reminds me of the Ford Tempo. Now, that was a tippy ride!
Also, does anyone here know the Canadian dealer invoice price for a Protege ES with GT package and auto?
Thanks.
a few months ago jstandefer reported poor performance w/ bosch muti-electrode platinum spark plugs. Has there been ay more posts concerning these or other plugs in the Pro?
In theory, the multi-tips should last longer than the blunt-tip spark plugs. If one tip gets eroded or coated, then the spark can originate at another tip. However, the tips are smaller since more of them have to be packed into the same volume. I think this is why I got premature combustion and the really rough idle. You probably need a larger gap with the multi-tip plugs.
Anyway, no matter how long the plugs last, there isn't going to be any difference in power. If you have a spark timing issue, new plugs won't fix that.
I ordered a Silver Pro ES w/ 5sp and Premium Package back at the tail end of March and got it Memorial weekend. My dealer had told me 6-8 weeks and it ended up being right around 8 weeks. Don't know if that's the kind of feedback you're looking for or not...