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
We have a LIVE chat on Thursday evenings 6:00PM to 7:00PM PT -- 9:00PM to 10:00PM ET, join us and chat about your new car. Good time to introduce yourself.
Again, welcome and happy ZOOM ZOOM.
fowler3
Glad you got the tires.
fowler3
In the 2001 Civic I test drove, it felt like the car was smaller inside than it looks outside. The right seat passenger (salesman) and I seemed to be crowding each other. Not enough elbow room. The whole car felt smaller than the '94 Civic I owned.
fowler3
I sold the Odyssey because I needed something smaller to drive. Spent three months looking at new small cars and used medium sized cars, even considered another '97 Accord, knowing the seating is too low and it feels heavy -- like a larger, underpowered car.
The new Civics were styled to sell to women, Honda's main market for their small cars. If you look at them on the street you notice that 9 out of 10 drivers are young women under age 25.
The Protegé is far from a "plain Jane" car and offers the fun-to-drive entertainment you wanted.
fowler3
After driving a 1993 Accord for a few months I just hope that this Mazda maintains the same quality feel to it that the Accord has even after 140,000 miles.
As a woman under 25 I did see the cuteness in the new Civic. But cuteness has never been my major "hot button".
The Protege does seem fun to drive. I can't wait til I pass the magic 600 mile mark and then don't feel like I have to baby it.
JC Whitney (get the print catalog, the website is terribly designed) has several replacement horns that will give your Pro some more...ahem..."prescence."
I haven't personally replaced mine yet, but I've been thinking of it. Looks like it might be somewhat difficult to get to though.
I also vote for fowler3. I haven't yet made it to a live chat, but I've read a couple of the transcripts. Jim is already leading them, and quite well.
Re: the new Civic. I got a side-by-side look while my wife shopped for shoes the other day; a Civic and Protege were parked side-by-side in front of the store. The Civic looks puffier and larger from the outside (but speaking from personal experience, the front seems much smaller from the inside). It also has two creases on the sides that just make the care look funny (taking styling cues from Pontiac...oh no!). Fender blends don't look nearly as good as the fender flares on the Pro, and the Civic's chrome and front grille remind me of an air conditioner face. Boring. |-O Back end? Ford Focus, anyone? Oh well, I think the Pro is still a better choice (and I'm always glad to see 'em on the road), but the more there are of these little cars, the fewer there are of those hoggish SUVs!
Respectfully,
Larry
I've been keeping up to date with the posts, but haven't had time to post myself lately. I'm glad to see the group is getting larger and larger. My 01 ES 5spd is still running great, haven't had a single problem. Of course, I only have a 4200 miles on it. Its a absolute blast to drive, I only wish I could drive it more. I saw a P5 last week, very nice looking.
I see there is a lot of discussion on tires, I would recommend the Dunlop Sport 5000 that come standard on the 01 ES. I would also recommend Michelin's, my Dad as put those on all of our cars, and they have been very good.
Also, a possible get together. I vote we have it in Bethesda MD, so I don't have go anywhere. Seriously though, if you can find a location agreeable to everyone, and its a reasonable drive, I would be interested in meeting everyone as well. I know I haven't been the most active member on here, but I'm going to try to jump back in.
-Larry
-Larry
BTW, it is overkill to balance tires when they are rotated. Not required my friend.
Chico, I did consider the Kumho ECSTA Supra's, they are very very nice tires. Nonetheless, the customer comments at TireRack.com evoke concerns about their snow handling abilities. However, I have not ruled them out. BTW, I would love to get together again and finish our visit, cut short by my forgotten commitment, last year. Please stay in touch, my friend!
Meade, my honest opinion; I think any well made tire manufactured by a reputable company will be more than safe. I don't think maltb was slamming you personally. Now, the Yokohama Avid's you suggest are very very good tires from what, I can tell. However, I do have concerns about their snow handling and their propensity to squeal when cornering at faster speeds. Not sure I want or need that extra attention. The Yoko Avid's will be an excellent replacement tire choice for 99.9% of the people who buy them, I'm not sure the Yoko Avid's are right for me? Nonetheless, I have not ruled them out. The price is very attractive and the reputed tread-wear is awesome! What to do?
Respectfully,
Larry
I've got a 2001 5 spd LX 2.0 (Canadian model). A large part of why I bought this car was because it had a good reputation for being reliable and fun to drive. People wmay say that Hondas and Toyotas have better reliability, but IMHO the Pro is perhaps the most under-rated car in its class, especially in term of reliability! Hope this helped a little.
BTW, what other options do u have on the car? That may help people respond to your post.
Protege_fan
Too bad, it looks good from the side. Guess they didn't want to make a compact wagon too. Seems this little segment is heating up. Wonder when the RX-8 will come out for sure? I'm definitely interested in taking a close look at that.
Good luck!
Steve
Seriously though, the Elantra is a pretty nice car. Very classy inside and out, and even the back end of it's not that bad looking. Too bad it's not as large inside as the Protege is though. And also, too bad Hyundai spoiled themselves when first debuting with their poor reliability and cheap vehicles. Now they have a good one, and some people (I will admit I am one of them) won't give them a chance. First impressions last a long time, if not forever.
And since I have an LX, he had over 30hp on me. Not that the freeway is a good place for that kind of thing.
Anyhoo, the Elantra GT is still a nice car (and the hatch makes it all the more useful). Overall package still doesn't appeal to me (despite its HP advantage). Styling of the rear really puts me off. I have the same impression of the Celica. Nice from the sides and front. Ugly from the rear (to me, anyway).
The Elantra sedan, IMO, looks much better than the GT. It has one classy-looking front end. I read the current design's suspension has been returned for comfort (v. handling) though I can't comment from personal experience yet.
I did and found that the rear wheel sound is too much for the passenger behind the driver and the silencer/muffler makes a lot of noise (when accelerated) for the passenger on the right hand side to be comfortable.
what are your opinions?
Anyway, I have yet to sit in the rear of my LX, so I can't answer your question anyway. I haven't had any complaints from passengers sitting behind me though. I'll check it out later tonight when I go to pick up the g/f...
BTW, I was just kidding about the ES only bit.
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Protege_fan
I went to lunch today and let my receptionist at work drive my car because I was a little under the weather. She loved it. She has a 1993 Mirage, and she said my car felt like a Lexus compared to her Mirage.
MAPP: I assume we will have the MAPP sometime in September, like we did last year. That would definitely be cool with me. SFrat, if you plan on going, we can always hook up here in Maryland (I live in Baltimore) and follow each other down. If they have the picnic at the same place as last year, I know right where it is (went last year).
As far as the Elantra goes, I am a little suspicious of the HP ratings from Korean automakers. They never seem to deliver quite what they promise WRT performance.
I am glad to see Mazda is promoting themselves as a performance automobile company again, although the MPV Zoom, Zoom commercial is a little ridiculous. I too eagerly await the RX8.
I have ridden several times in the back of my '99 ES. I do have to say that it is considerably noiser back there. The road roar is a little outrageous. It is extremely "boomy" back there. This is common in a lot of vehicles since most manufacturers don't sound proof the trunk. Since the back seats are the only insulation between the passenger compartment and the trunk, a lot of road noise gets in.
MPV Zoom
Look for a lot more zoom from the MPV for 2002. It will get the Tribute's 3.0L DOHC 200hp V6. The MPV already has excellent handling (for a minivan), so this engine should give it the power to match.
Elantra Power
The Elantra puts out more horsepower, but it also has less torque that peaks at a higher rpm. Remember, torque moves you while horsepower keeps you going. The Protege 2.0 has more torque overall, plus it is available at a lower rpm, where it is more usable. Plus, the Protege's gearing gives it even more of a performance edge. Besides, the Elantra's mushy suspension and poor handling means it needs as much power as it can get to stay competitive.
The back seat of the P5 is another matter. I fit plenty fine back there. I wouldn't mind someone else piloting while I relaxed back there.
I think you'll hear more road noise in the rear seat of most sedans, except those that have extensive sound insulation. I guess that's another reason the rear speakers put out more volume (besides the obvious distance from the driver and navigator).
Some reviewers are more negative in tone than others. That's just their style. Others have a bias towards particular types of vehicles (SUVs, luxury marks etc.). I didn't agree with the views expressed on the Pro by one in a colorful national newspaper. Must've spilled his coffee over himself while having fun in the twisties.
Alan Vonderhaar, on the other hand, really likes the Pro (even though he admits he is an extra-sized fellow). He is pretty even-handed about most vehicles and will point out both the good and the bad w/o being harsh in tone. Tries to see it from the prospective owner's perspective. And he respects the CR reviewers' opinions, which some auto reviewers seem to disagree with out of principle.
Seems to be a nice fellow. He also responds to readers' letters in a separate column. Probably the best part of the local paper, IMO.
fowler3
I won't spend the time to go through all 3000+ comments...just glad to see some of the original "die-hards"...Vocus, jstandefer, etc...
For those who don't know me, I'm Pete and I have a 2000 ES Pro in Highlight Silver with all the options xcept the sunroof. I've even made a few additional mods, but nothing drastic...
I'll actually check in once in a while now that I've finally got my computer back online for home!
Regards,
Pete
Now my brother has it I kinda miss it.. haha.
-Larry
We headed out to the NASCAR race on Sunday. The MP3 didn't qualify, but the racing at Pocono was excellent.
Put about 285 miles on the car in one day, drove both ways without a hitch. Started out with 598 miles total on the car. Seats are excellent. Never felt that I had to stop (because of discomfort in the back, anyway). I didn't keep track of mileage other than to note that I got to Pocono from Long Island (140 miles) on a quarter tank of gas running between 65 and 75 MPH. Returned home (after sitting in a traffic jam that had us going 10 MILES in two hours!!) with the clutch feeling a little funky in 1st and 2nd gears, but with enough fuel to turn around and head in to NY City (about 30 miles). The low fuel light lit heading out through Queens on the way back.
Added the dealer supplied silver-white "zoom-zoom" decals to the rear vent wings on the back doors. First Mod!!
I checked to see if Mazda has a speed-limiter on the MP3. Since it has Z-Rated tires and only 140 horses, I would think that might have been one of the computer mods to remove the LX/DX/ES limit of 103 or 108MPH. With 110 MPH showing on the speedo, the car felt as if it had a bit left and was stuck to the road like it was a Hoover.
Further testing this weekend on favorite beachfront highway straightway.
Zoom-zoom,
Bondo
Making corrections already...guess I'm out of practice. :-)
Thanks for the warm welcome on my return. I hope to be checking in daily, but work and home schedule will determine that!
Feels like home....
BTW, I just turned 17k on my 2000 and no probs to speak of since I "deserted" the board. MPG is up to 27 average with 50/50 highway/city driving and a very heavy right foot. The Poortenzas (thanks Meade) are wearing very quickly and I am thinking of some Pilot Alpin's for this winter season. If work and my new house allow, possibly even some new Dunlop SP Sport 9000's this spring!
Regards,
Pete
Took it to the dealer today for its new radio, driver's seat squeak, and tightening of the passenger seat cushion. Drove my receptionist's 1993 Mitsubishi Mirage to lunch today, and can't wait to open my ES up on the open road.
I am loving my car. Drives great. Only thing it needs is some tint and new speakers because the factorys seem pretty weak. Loud enough for me but my significant other wouldn't last for a week with that stereo.
I am new to car buying and this forum. I test drove the 2001 Mazda Protege ES 2.0 manual transmission and really liked it. I am thinking of buying one in a couple of weeks.
I was hoping to get some feedback on good / bad points of the 2001 protege, problems with this car, price paid, any dealership I should avoid etc...( I live in Ottawa Canada) Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Dinesh
Speedy...remember you? ummmm..... let me see
of course, I do.
Got to sit in my friends 2001 Accord EX v6.
with child seat in my backseat, the front passenger legroom was not significantly different than my ES. But it has more shoulder room (wider) and better insulated.
The V6 did not sound rev happy to me...kinda fell short of the sweet sound of a V6 / V8 revving happily upto 3000+ rpm and above.
chikoo: I can't agree with you on the Accord's engine. My 2001 V6 sounded awesome when reved. It also had no problem running up to redline even with the automatic transmission (trust me, I know).
The AC does work pretty good in this little car. It was close to 90 today I think and I was comfortable with the fan speed set on 1.
I finally got a new Protege ES. It is black mica with Auto Tranny and Premium package. (I know, call me crazy to get black down here in New Orleans, but the black looks incredible) I love it.
I used the S-plan, and my out the door price was $15,929. I had to wait until 5pm to pick it up because the dealer wanted to run my check with the bank first.
Anyway, the car is a beauty. I am so happy. :-)
now, its time for me to Zoom Zoom Zoom.
Stan
-Larry