Mazda Protegé

gti2001

I'm gone, going away, zooom zoom (in a GTi) LOL

vocus

There is no comparison. They are two different cars. The Protege is a sporty, fun to drive sedan with room for four adults. The GTi is a wanna-be sports car with a turbo engine, cramped back seat, and bad reliability record.

You want reliability proof? Check out the Consumer Reports list of recommended used cars. You will see the Mazda Protege on there. But not the Golf, the Jetta, or any other VW product (if I am not mistaken). This fight with the Protege vs. the GTi is really getting trite. Take it to another board who cares. Also, you should go to the Competitive Comparisons topic and start a "Protege vs. GTi" topic, because that is the peroper place to post this kind of stuff.

vocus

I was going to purchase a Jetta 1.8T when I got my 2001 Protege back in February 2001. I decided not to, because VW dealers' idea of customer service sucks rear-end. Also, the prices are too high, and the reliability was not good enough. I know people who have had alot of problems with VWs, and others whose cars are trouble-free. And myself, I like the idea that I don't see alot of other Proteges on the road. I like driving something unique. And the Protege, to me anyway, is the best-kept secret in the economy car wars.

vocus

Radio: My radio hasn't gone out in awhile, but tried to today. It must just be a problem with the connections or something like that. I am going to try to take it to the dealer once more, and see what happens.

CDs: I never had a problem with the CD player in my 2001 ES, that was with the 1999 DX before this one. I told you all, just take the heel of your hand and bang the dash right between the vents and hazard button and radio. Works every time (or at least it did for me). Also, your radio is covered under the basic new car warranty, for 3 years/50,000 miles so take it to the dealer with the CD stuck in and they will replace it free, or repair it for you.

mhallack

I see MANY more Proteges on the road than Jettas, though that is hardly a selling point for me: its the whole reason I didn't buy one of the ubiquitous Camrys or Accords.

gti, maybe you'd like to start a Protege vs. GTi comparison discussion?

I know you are very cognisant of how fantastic your VW is (and who am I to argue?), but you seem to be confused about where you are posting: the GTi is NOT EVEN A SEDAN.

You are located here:
Town Hall: *SEDANS*: *PROTEGE*

I have a baby to put in the backseat of my 4-door SEDAN, and so I could not care less about your 3-door hatchback (a class I thought was dead after the Chevette, the Omni and the Escort got through with it).

Anybody want to talk about the LATCH system in the 2001 Pro? (back on topic)

protegextwo

Of course GTI2001 statements, reflect his point of view and are open to discussion. However, this is not a comparo topic, and I for one; would appreciate that he refrain from posting over and over again, about his beloved V-Dub hatchback in this discussion. Enough!

Respectfully,
Protegextwo

fowler3

You spent $6,000 more on the GTI just to save 1.8 seconds to 60mph?!! Sheesh! Now I know what they mean when they say "time is money", glad it isn't mine. Especially since it's hard to get up to 60mph on most expressways these days considering the traffic. On nearby I-40 cars and trucks crawl along at 15mph. If gti2001 lived in NC he'd have plenty of time on I-40 to think about all the things he could have bought with that $6k.

Hey guys, let the man enjoy his mistake.

When his 24 months free service is up he'll find out how much a GTI really costs...like a wing and two legs, and I don't mean at KFC.

fowler3

fowler3

re: shift points. I'm sure I read somewhere (probably in Edmund's) that at least some cars the pcm "learns" its owners driving style and operates within that context. Don't know if this is so.

Yoper53, I don't think the Protegé is that sophisticated. There is a shift point at 41mph. I tried the on-ramp onto the expressway where I had that jerking problem before. Nothing happened as I sped right past 41mph.

But I could see what probably happened: entering the ramp you have to make a sharp 90-degree right turn at slow speed; then hit the gas to accelerate. Usually, when I make that sharp turn my foot slips off the gas peddle, that's why the momentary slow-down at 40-41mph. Since the Pro doesn't lean in turns the driver does.

fowler3

protege_fan

I've also noticed the engine jerk only when my foot comes off of the peddle and I am at low speeds. Scared the heck outta me the first time, but if I step on the clutch fast enough it goes away immediately. I'm thinking that it may have something to do with the engine not getting enough gas at this speed (i.e. lugging). In my case it sounds like driver error! I know you have an automatic and can't do this, so I don't what's going on in your case! Anyway, just wanted to let you know you weren't the only one out there still having that problem!

Protege_fan

bondobob

Well, picked up the MP3 Saturday and it sits in front of the house with 140 miles Sunday night.

Got to play with the Kenwood MP3/CD/AM/FM system. Found it is easier to deal with at night (it's true the display seems to wash out during bright sunlight) but it is amazing at the amount of adjustment possible from the head unit. I joked that unlike Spinal Tap where the amp volume went to 11, this unit goes past 35! I'm not sure I'll ever find out what the top end of the volume control is because it get toward ear bleed level very quickly. Set the BASS and TREBLE to sane levels (although enough to blur the rear-view mirrors at idle). There are pre-done setups for FLAT, ROCK, TOP40, JAZZ, EASY and a CUSTOM USER selection.

Burned a CD-R with 85 MP3 files to try out the MP3 side of it. Works great and sounds super. (Yes, I could have fit more, but we were taking friends out to dinner later in the evening so I just grab a few. 85 files at >128 bitrate filled the disk to about 55% full. I can add more to the same disk later of course.

Looks are excellent. Even getting looks from the kids in the riced-up sedans. A half-hour after picking it up at the dealer, I was parked talking to a friend outside the car and two teens walked by. One said to his friend "That's an MP3!". The other turned to my and said: "That car is phat!". With the other commenting that I should add a turbo and intercooler, before walking down the block.

I think Mazda finally put the Protege on the import-tuning map with this factory-piece. Great handling, very good performance - although I'm short shifting it until it get a FEW miles on it. My dealer did not drill out the bolt holes on the front bumper, but asked if I wanted them to. I said no for now and put the front plate under the seat figuring that I can always add it later, if I must. It just looks better without it. I haven't looked too closely yet, but is that the AC condensor or an oil-cooler behind the lower grill?

I have agree with Car & Driver that the Mazda Protege MP3 is a BMW 3-series for about half the price. The MP3 handles BETTER than my 320i did!

protege_fan

Just have to say for the record that I am jealous!! Have fun!
Zoom Zoom Zoom!!

Protege_fan

protegenic

This GTI person is a hoot. His fact gathering is all over the place. I bought my ES for about $14.4 a couple of years ago. I have nothing bad to say about VW's, but I do know I couldn't have touched one with the 1.8T for under $19K. As for the acceleration numbers, I have never seen the GTI 1.8T as low as the 7.3 seconds he quoted. I also have seen the 99-00 Pro ES at the 8.4 mark. I guess it just goes to show you can tickle the facts to make your point.

vocus

I was driving to work this morning, listening to a CD with a lot of bass in it. All of a sudden, I heard this sound equivalent to a bat in a cave at night coming from my rear speaker. The radio was dead. I put that CD on repeat over and over until I got near work and the car dealer down here. I pulled into the service lane and left the car running with the CD still on and on repeat, for 15 minutes until I was able to talk to the service manager. When I did, he said there was a problem within the radio and they would order me a brand NEW one! I have to take the car back when they get it in. He also told me they wouldn't be able to take me to work, but they will find out when I get off the phone with Mazda customer service who will do what. Anyway, I am just happy that my problems will be solved shortly.

Sporin

gti2001,

I'm a VW owner (Passat) but you are missing the point here.

MSRP + dest.

Protege ES 2.0 = $16,015
VW GTI 1.8T = $19,825

That's the cheapest 1.8T equipped VW. Of course it's faster, of course it has more standard equipment... it costs nearly $4,000 more!

I would take a Protege ES over ANY 2.0 equipped VW... period. it's just a better buy. That's why I'm here, because I need a solid compact sedan for around $17k with good handling and decent power... no 2.0 VW even comes close.

ALL statistical data has Mazda leading VW by a long shot in initial quality, rate of repair, warranty claims, dealer/service satisfaction, and overall reliability.. period. These are facts.

Your attitude gives us dub heads a bad name. :-(

the_big_h

while they're installing the new radio for you, also tell them to give the car's electrical system a thorough check, I suspect your recent engine startup problem might have something to do with the bad radio, not certain, just suspecting...

chikoo

protege_fan/fowler,
The engine will jerk at low speeds when you take your foot off the gas pedal. Why?

'cause the protege makes almost 70%(not exact) of torque in the 2000-2500 rpm range and the engine is on a soft rubber mount foundation...which is good for eliminating vibrations....but what can a soft rubber mount do when it is under load and you release the load? SPRINGBACK, of course!

That is the jerk that you feel....only way to avoid it is not to release the gas pedal when you are accelerating and the tach shows 2000-2500 rpm and you are in the 1st or 2nd gear (auto).

vocus

Yes, because the car died the day after the radio died in it for the first time. I also left the radio on that night when I parked the car too, even though the sound died. We will see what happens when I get the new radio installed.

patricesc

I purchased a 2001 Manual ES!! Damn, I'm happy!! Reading about everyone else's experience was critical for me, so here's my story:
I live in Charleston, SC. We have two Mazda dealers locally. I was trapped in one of them for 3 hours with an aggressive salesman who was pushing a color I did not want & until I finally got the guts to leave. I told them that they were pressuring me & made me feel smothered. FYI: they DID utilize the "S Plan" & DID quote me the correct price, but they also told me they could only sell the ones on their lot & not locate me the color I wanted --- a story they QUICKLY changed when I got up to leave.
I got on the internet, located the names of Mazda dealers in the Southeast & started calling them. FOWLER was very helpful by putting me in touch with a WONDERFUL dealer in High Point, NC. Ultimately, I chose Whatley Mazda in Orangeburg, SC; salesman: Wes Austin.
When I initially spoke with Whatley Mazda, they didn't sound real familiar with the "S Plan", but took the info I gave them & quickly verified my data. Wes got on the phone, located EXACTLY "my" car & called me right back. I was floored. The "S Plan" price was 1.5% BELOW invoice = $14, 875. The precise amount stated in Edmunds.
We reviewed the cost on the phone, & he arranged for the car to be driven from Greenville, SC. He phoned when it arrived & said he had a surprise for me. The next day & picked up my Light Sandlewood Metallic ES -- I was so excited I was jumping around the parking lot.
His surpise: the Mazda interest rate dropped from 1.5% to ZERO. ZERO. ZERO. Buying a new car below invoice cost AND NO INTEREST??? God loves me. We even negotiated the cost of the mudflaps!
This was the smoothest, easiest, most PLEASANT car buying experience anyone could ever have. Whatley was wonderful, my salesman was energetic & professional & I am one HAPPY customer.
Final Cost:
Invoice $14,875
Mudguards (4) 63
SC TAX 300
Transfer tags 8
TOTAL COST ES $15,246

Bargain of a lifetime. Meanwhile, when I drive this car -- I feel like Professional Race Car drivers must feel. She grips the road, sails over imperfections on the highway ... shifting actually feels like a fluid motion. She is responsive, comfortable, FUN TO DRIVE -- I know this sounds crazy, but I swear it's as though this car ANTICIPATES my needs. And the color is stunning (Lt Sandlewood w/black interior). The layout of the dash is perfect, accessible AND very handsome in the ES. Sound system is great.
I am in love with a car. Now I sound like the rest of y'all who post on here!!

tulanekid22

Congrats!! I am sure you will love your car.

I am still trying to get a Pro ES with Manual.

fritz1224

Sounds like you got a good deal. Congrats. Break her in right before doing that race car stuff. It will treat you right in the long run.

patricesc

Tulanekid22: what part of the country do you live in?
Fritz1224: thank you for the tip, but I'm afraid I don't understand what I shouldn't do ... don't drive over 70 or take corners quickly? And how long should I delay Race Car Driving ?

maltb

For some reason I get the idea from your e-mail that you are excited about your purchase...I wonder why?

the_big_h

break-in period is listed in your owner's manual, something to the extent of easy on the pedals for the first 600 miles (no hard accel. or stopping) and vary the rpms during that time.

Check your manual to make sure, I might have missed some details

but after that, ZOOM ZOOM

patricesc

Check the Manual, Patrice. Duh. Thanks for the response!

patricesc

I am an avid reader of this site & noticed you had asked previously about the Rear Spoiler.
I was also concerned that it would block or reduce the rear view. It does no such thing - I was quite surprised! I agree with previous posts that it is an asset when it comes to parking.
I am a 46 year old mother of two [if that gives my opinion any more credibility ]

yooper53

So! Welcome aboard. If your experience with a new car you really like is like mine with this ES and my former Ford Contour, V6, 2.5L you'll find yourself driving many needless miles in a short time, enjoying every mile in the twisties.If the Genie gave me a wish, it'd be for 15-20 more hp or better yet the crown jewell of Ford JMO the 2.5L Duratec. 170 flawless hp, so smooth shifting (AT sadly).I think anyone whose driven the Ford powertrain would want it in their Zoomer. But I digress. Keep her on the road! Dennis MI

gti2001

Try looking at the Car and Driver web site under gti 1.8t. It lists the GTI as 0-60 at 7.3. And 8.4 for a protege is going down hill with the wind up your tail pipe. LOL

notminehers

Wow, talk about a "welcoming committee"!! We too got the zero percent financing on a "01 ES 5 speed and now have 8k on it. I find many excuses to take unplanned jaunts quite often! (: - The mileage may also surprise you - we are getting about 34mpg average...... not bad for the amount of fun factor!! Enjoy!! Hmmmm, thought we were rid of gti - some people cant stand not having the last word!! LOL

jstandefer

Car and Driver tests resulted in a 0-60 time of 8.4 seconds with a '99 Protege ES with the 1.8L.

Test results vary wildly. Volkswagen gives a 0-60 time of 8.0 seconds for the Golf GTI 1.8T. The problem with forced induction is that it's performance varies greatly with air temperature and altitude. It is very hard to measure the performance of any vehicle with forced induction. While this is true of any engine (naturally aspirated or forced induction), it affects forced induction engines more.

This whole GTI discussion reminds me of the nonsense discussion that has ended in the Protege5 boards. Someone in their was calling everyone stupid because for the same money you could buy a Mustang V6. That discussion was a 5-door wagon vs. a 2-door sports coupe. This discussion is a 4-door sedan vs. 3-door hatchback. The GTI is $19,975 with destination and you get a nice cassette player. And I don't want to hear anymore about standard this and that. A Protege ES can be loaded with just about all this stuff and still be less money. You can even get the MP3 which will easily outhandle the GTI for less money. The GTI should be compared to the RSX, Celica, Mustang, and Eclipse.

gti2001

Okay, last entry on the protege board. I owned a 2000 protege es. It was slow and the transmission knocked between 37-41 miles per hour (AT). It had a vibration in the left door that drove me crazy. The brakes were terrible. The stereo wasn't any good. The tires wore out after 15000 miles, the doors were so light you almost broke them off if you opened the door to hard. The Gas mileage was also terrible, considering that it was a 1.8 liter engine (23-25 mpg) That is my 2 cents. If you think that the GTI is a bad car, test drive it, it has amazine low range torque, feels like a v-6. I owned previously a 1995 VR6 that was very reliable, no problems, and this car is just as fast, and handles better. My opinion.

yooper53

Just noticed in your upbeat earlier post that you have Light Sandalwood. Same as me. I really like the color esp after 4 hours washing, polishing and waxing.

newcar31

nobody ever said the GTI was a bad car. If you don't like the Protoge, fine. Good luck with your GTI. I don't know how someone at your intelligence level was able to make enough money to buy that car.

patricesc

We have it in writing. You said you'd leave us alone.
This is such a happy little place & I don't know why my fellow Zoomers are taking your bait.
Go away - we don't want your input.

patricesc

I took her to the grocery store for the first time tonite. The parking lot was quiet & I was very glad after I realized I was walking towards Ms. Light Sandlewood GRINNING like the village idiot. I LOVE the color. Plus it's my first car with a Rear Spoiler so I'm feeling very hip
You probably won't write back when I tell you that I have not washed her yet (drove her home on July 6 YIKES!!)
You referenced "enjoying every mile 'in the twisties'" -- what's a "twistie", a mountain road?
NOTMINEHERS: I agree, the Welcome Wagon is friendlier around here than some weddings I've been to!

newcar31

I am glad that you are happy with your new car. It only gets better. I still stare at my car sometimes in the garage. It sounds like you got a really great deal. I got the 0% financing too, but I wish I would have used the S-plan. You will soon find out what the twisties are when you take a freeway off ramp clover-leaf at 60 mph.

vocus

That's fine that you had trouble with the 2000 ES you had. I had some teething problems with my 2001 ES recently. While I was ready to drop the car because they made me mad in a new car, I didn't. Everything is fine now, and I finally got it repaired. Maybe you could have saved alot of money if you would have tried the same thing.

Also, there is no reason for you to be flaming this topic. It's totally uncalled for. Let's all be responsible, mature adults and stop this nonsense. Okay, back to talking about the Protege now.

mdriver

A "twistie" is something you will rarely find in the Midwest. It's a shame. A nice handling car like the ES and all you can do is drive it in a straight line from stoplight to stoplight.

fowler3

Patrice lives near Charleston, SC on the Atlantic coast. The roads are straight like here in Greensboro, NC Piedmont because of few hills. What few hills are around the road builders managed to avoid making curves. Cloverleafs are the only places I can find to enjoy the handling and worry about people thinking I am crazy for looping over them several times. The other way is a big, empty parking lot on Sunday afternoons.

Some times I drive up to Virginia just to enjoy the twisties and hills.

My first experience in a car with real handling was a 1974 Audi Fox 5-speed. I drove it over a mountain with many hair-pin curves, six times, just for the fun of it, on a Sunday afternoon. Patrice, a hair-pin curve is almost 180 degrees.

fowler3

newcar31

I beg to differ. My part of the Midwest is chock full of twisties. When I went to school in northwestern Wisconsin, I couln't have asked for better driving roads. Rolling hills and many, many corners. Here in Minneapolis, you have to look a little harder, but they are there, and they are enforced a little better than in rural Wisconsin. When the traffic is light (late at night) 394's lowery tunnel under downtown Minneapolis is awesome. I also live near highway 101 in the southwest suburbs, it is an excellent driving road. The roads near the north shore of Lake Superior are about as good as you can get, easily as good as any Pacific coastal roads.

fowler3

Hmmm, I thought the Midwest was Memphis, St. Louis, Little Rock and that neck of the woods. Mn-St.Paul is pretty far north. But I'm sure they have twisties.

fowler3

newcar31

St. Louis is Midwest, but Little Rock and Memphis would be considered the South. If Minnesota isn't considered the Midwest, I don't know what it would be. Ever since I lived here though, it has been refered to as part of the Midwest. I think when people think of the Midwest, they think of cornfields (Nebraska and Iowa) which is partly true, but it is only southern Minnesota and extreme western Minnesota near the Dakotas where farming takes place. Northern Minnesota is pretty much all forest and they have some pretty nice backroads up there.

hstep

Hi! I may be buying my ES 2001 this week. Finally! I want to know more about this "S Plan" stuff so I can be prepared to bring it up. I tried searching the board for an explanation, but so far I haven't found exactly what it is. 1.5% under invoice? Is that all it is? I'm thinking I can definitely get a good price armed with the right numbers in my pocket. Any help would be appreciated!!!!!

maltb

"...near the north shore of Lake Superior are about as good as you can get, easily as good as any Pacific coastal roads."

It's nice being the standard by which all are compared. I'll let you know how the tribute does next month.

newcar31

Yeah, I have been on those roads out west and they are something else. Now that I think of it, the roads out there have some advantages: They aren't prone to blizzards, lake effect snow, and potholes.

chikoo

me+wife+child_in_childseat and friend+wife = 5-1/2 persons in my '99 ES.

Took all the ramp curves at 40-45 mph with no hesistant braking in between - NO SQUEALS over and above to make anyone queasy.....everyone felt so comfortable in those turns

My friends were flabergasted at the performance....not bad for $14,500 car.

peregrine_11

I had to catch up on some posts and was chuckling while reading all this banter between GTI2001 and the Pro posters.

All I can say is, those who are truly confident and happy in their automotive purchases likely don't feel the need to go into other forums and try to convince people how wonderful their car is compared to the car the specific forum is devoted to. No offense, GTI, but it really sounds like you're trying to convince YOURSELF you made the right purchase. I'm sure that wasn't your intent...

Nobody on this board is saying the Pro is the ultimate perfect car and should be the official transportation for royalty and heads of state. Each car (hopefully) has something it does better than another. One of the things the Pro does very well is provide a helluva lot of (reliable) car, with solid, classic styling for a very reasonable price.

For example, my mother is a designer for GM (she drives a Volvo, though...she's no dummy) and just got to see my Pro for the first time a couple weekends ago. She was truly impressed by the styling and the build quality (kept commenting on it, without any prompting from me), and even took her out in an empty parking lot and "put her through her paces" for a few minutes. She got out and said, "Wow, nice car! It really corners well!"

So, I'm almost done with MY rant, but I just wanted to say that we all bought our Pros for one reason or another, we all realize no car is problem-free, but it sounds like most of us are extremely happy with our purchases.

For you to come into this board and try to convince us you made a better choice than us is nothing but an invitation to a pointless religious war...and that energy is better spent by all of us, Pro or VW owner, zooming and enjoying our respective vehicles for our respective reasons.

fowler3

AMEN!!

I wouldn't have bought a VW hatchback even if it is better than the Protegé. The styling just isn't how I see a modern car, in fact, it's way outdated. And I couldn't stand VW's high maintenace charges. VW cars impress me NOT.

I think today's VW buyers are looking for the excitment and advantage the original VW buyers got in the 1950's, it simply isn't there, not the simplicity, not the price advantage, not the quality, and not the fun of seeing thousands of Beetles on the roads -- and getting blinking headlights as you pass them. That day has passed.

To enjoy the original VW Beetle's place in owners' hearts you would have to have been at the 1954 International Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, where the 1-millionth VW was displayed perched high on a cube of solid glass, painted metalic gold, with all its chrome trim encrusted with diamonds. That's why I owned two of them eventually.

Blinking headlights today means Speed Trap, not a salute from a fellow owner.

Protegé owners enjoy some of that now -- Zoom Zoom!

fowler3

yooper53

You have a fine way with words, very well put!
I found the GT1 thing getting tedious.
Thing I was leery of VW was the 24K warranty, why so little? Given a good product 36K or even 50K is not going to be a problem for the mfgr's.

drew_

Topic: July 24th: "What is the stupidest thing you've seen someone do while driving?"

fowler3

VW's 24 month warrenty includes free routine service during that period; after the 24 months, when you pay for service, they zap you with high service rates to make up for it.

There's no such thing as a free lunch nor free service.

fowler3