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Comments
-Uncle Rich
Reminds of the time a sparrow built a small birds nest on the bumper, behind the license plate of my Grand Pop's 1992 Buick Park Avenue. He rarely, if ever drove that old sled. Before ya know it, momma sparrow has a family of peeps behind the plate. Actually, think we called them rear bumper tweeters....
;-)))
In the first year it accumulated 14,873 miles, had no quality issues and needed only regular maintenance, (ie. oil changes, tire rotation).
Additions this year are a trailer hitch that I had installed for a bike rack, the cargo tray to keep the hatch clean, and some Silblade wipers.
Notes from year 1:
Gas mileage has been in the 29-31 range in mixed driving.
Wind noise from cross bars only a problem with sunroof open. Remove them in the summer.
Engine really loosened up after about 1500 miles and now feels really good.
Have not heard the dreaded "death rattle" or whatever others with 2.0's seem to have.
Wanted more power a few times. Sometimes street light racing is fun and it's just not possible in this car.
Wish all car manufacturers would quit using goofy audio systems. Just make it easy to swap out head units. Or at least give me an auxillary input so I can use what I want without extra expense of modulators and such. Other than that the stereo is fine for me.
Handling in the dry is great, but wet and snow leave something to be desired with the stock 5000M's. I get around in the snow, but it takes some care and patience.
I'm sure there's more but nothing you haven't read 100000000 times.
Conclusion: We were having a kid and needed a car that could haul us, the car seat, strollers and the assorted gear in relative comfort. Budget was a huge consideration, meaning a van or suv was out of the picture. Had never owned a Mazda but the P5 seemed to be the best combination of size, price, and performance. And after a year, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It has been everything I wanted it to be and feel it's more than worth the money I paid.
I've been using the stock Dunlops in the snow and agree that they're nothing spectacular, but I've found that the direct handling of the P5 makes the car very easy to control in slippery conditions, and that gives back some of the confidence that the tires take away. I have noticed a little corrosion on one of the rear wheel spokes this winter. If it were my car (I'm leasing it) I'd have winter tires and wheels for it, but as is I have no regrets.
My bottom line is similar to meinrad's. I chose the P5 based on its combination of price, features and performance, and a year later I'd still make the same choice even considering some of the competition that's come to market in the interim. This is my first Mazda as well.
p.s. The largest item I've fit in the back with the hatch closed was a 7-cu.ft. chest freezer in its box, and I've had it loaded to the gills heading up to the cottage with firewood, an outboard motor, and luggage. It'll haul more than it looks like it will from the outside.
Thanx!
Dinu
drivers getting. i am looking at a used 2002 p5 5speed. i drive 5 miles each way to work and
get caught in stop and go traffic for about 1.5 miles one way, then i am on an interstate freeway.
does anyone have a somewhat similiar commute and can report back on their mpg. also, my driving style: i don't drive with a lead foot and i keep to the speedlimits. maybe 5 miles over the limit from time to time. thanks.
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host
I saw a Mazda add this weekend that mentioned a lifetime limited powertrain warranty that was available for a charge. Has anyone else heard of this?
We usually only offer Mazda warranties on mazda's but lately we have been offering Ford extended service plans on mazda's because they cover more and give the dealer ALOT more lattitude to help the consumer when there is a claim.
but do not buy a warranty that is not backed by a manufacturer...many more people than not have big issues with non manufacturer warranties.
enjoy your new car!!
how effective is the a/c? does it cool down the cabin quickly?
how effective is the heating system? does it heat up the cabin quickly?
how well does a p5 manual drive in the rain, slush, snow, and on ice?
would you say the p5 is loud (engine noise? road noise? exhaust noise? tire noise? moon roof noise? roof rack noise?) in a way that annoys you?
at the time you bought your p5, did you think the rear cargo area sufficient would be sufficient and now find it to be lacking in space for your needs?
much of what i ask in personal preference but still is helpful to me.
thanks!
Heat: Yes it heat the cabin quickly.
But notice that I live in Texas.
Rain: the traction in the rain is good, provided the tire pressures is correctly setup. I found that if the tires is under inflated, then the traction is somehow compromised. My favorite setup is 35psi in front, 32 psi in the back.
Snow, Ice: No idea.
Cargo space: I'm never feel that I need a bigger one.
Bruno
how effective is the a/c? does it cool down the cabin quickly?
how effective is the heating system? does it heat up the cabin quickly?
how well does a p5 manual drive in the rain, slush, snow, and on ice?
would you say the p5 is loud (engine noise? road noise? exhaust noise? tire noise? moon roof noise? roof rack noise?) in a way that annoys you?
at the time you bought your p5, did you think the rear cargo area sufficient would be sufficient and now find it to be lacking in space for your needs?
much of what i ask in personal preference but still is helpful to me.
thanks!
AC...don't know, haven't tried it since she just got it in January. We hope it's great as she got black leather seats and the black interior.
Heater warms up the cabin quickly. It's been tested in sub-freezing temperatures, believe me.
It drives nicely on dry and wet (exercising it for my wife...heh). She says it's OK on snow and ice, but a little slippery, so take it easy on both accelerator and brake pedals.
Both my wife and I like the engine and exhaust noise.
The cargo space is fine. Smaller than that in my Protege sedan, but more accessible due to the hatch.
There's more headroom in the rear, and you get adjustable headrests in the rear when you get the P5 v. the sedan.
Heats up faster than any car I've owned. I'm usually turning down the heat pretty quickly even when it's around 20 F.
Rain, not too bad. Snow, gets around, but not the best on stock tires. I'm pretty careful and need good clutch/gas control when starting on hill. I'll have snow tires next year. The car itself I feel will be great in snow with the right tires.
The only noise that annoys me is with the sunroof open and cross bars on. I take the cross bars of for the summer.
I knew at the start that the cargo room would be a little less than what I wanted. After 1 year, it hasn't been a big issue and has surprised me at how much I can get in there.
Heat: Works very well.
Rain: Good. It's better with better tires, like Toyo Proxes T1-S.
Noise: Some wind noise from the roof rack my wife won't let me remove, but not annoying or anything.
Cargo Room: Better than we expected. We are considering whether we will still need a vehicle the size of my Jeep Cherokee anymore. Hopefully that means I can get a sports car (miata, RX-8) when the P5 is paid off.
No complaints with the heat. Warms up within a few minutes even on the coldest mornings (-13 F).
Not bad in the snow. Having the five-speed helps, for second-gear starts and gearing down before a slippery corner. Very controllable.
I find engine and road noise only become an issue at highway speeds, but it's a small issue that doesn't annoy me. Don't have the roof rack and have no noise problems with the sunroof.
The cargo room has turned out to be even better than I expected. With the rear seats up and the cargo cover on it's a little smaller than in a sedan, but fold the seats down and take the cover out and you've got a huge area. Per my post from the other day I've filled the P5 to the brim more than once. Haven't yet needed to carry anything that the P5 wouldn't take.
The AC is a bit weak if you are doing side streets and stop and go traffic but holy moly if you go onto the freeway and keep the revs up for a while the car get's ICE cold.
Do either of you know the tsb # for the 2.0 L issue or have more info on the TSB you were refering to? I beleive my P5 has been experiencing this, but had no luck finding the right TSB on protegeclub.com.
Thanks for your help
then click on 3rd Gen and the scroll down to near the bottom.
I think the current one looks better. I'll have to see it in person.
In 2004 we can expect:
new Miata
new Tribute
new Mazda3
Dinu
I had hoped it would be out sooner. I would stretch to get the 6 wagon, but I will probably end up getting a p5 because as nice as the 6 sedan is, I prefer a wagon and P5 is substantially cheaper.
And let's get back to the subject of the Protege5 in this discussion. Thanks!
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host
BTW the Dunlop sp5000's BLOW in snow after about 15k miles. The first winter wasn't too bad but this one I'm having a hard time with. Oh the Dunlop's are the stock tires on the Protege5.
But with 14,930 miles now, they blow. I get around, but only with great care.
With 6-9 inches coming tomorrow through Sunday, I may be driving my other car this weekend.
I think Northern P5 owners were spoiled by last winter's lack of snow. I have found my winter traction to be awful this year, but instead of snowtires for next year, I once again have visions of a WRX in my head. Too bad Mazda doesn't offer AWD cars here.
Yes the P5's tires are low profiles with very little grip on snow b/c they really are summer tires, not all-seasons.
So what's cheaper: spending thousands more on AWD or a few hundred on snow tires?
Your money, your call.
Dinu
This is the first car I have ever had a separate set of just winter wheels and tires, and am extremely glad I did so.
In my years in Alaska, my 4wd pathfinder would stop very quickly with a downshift because in addition to engine braking, I had the drag of two differentials. It was pretty impressive. Got crappy mileage to go along with it too.
AWD has less driveline loss than 4wd because it is meant as a full-time system, but coupled to a manual it should still help stopping distances IMO.
Does Europe have an AWD P5? I know they have an AWD 6 wagon.
The P5's tires may be **branded** "all season", but they are summer-only tires **in the real world**. Just a look at the thread design and compare it to true all-seasons (X-Ones or AVIDs) would convince you.
Dinu
That said, I think the Nokian NRW/WR's are incredible and although they are designed to run year round, I like the term "all-weather" much better for them.
They also make both Protege sedan and wagon versions in AWD, increased ground clearance and with lots of lower plastic body cladding under the "Familia" name, for Australia, I think.
The toys we don't get here.
And some more:
http://323gtr.nu/eng/
Dinu
Stay on topic!.....Stay On TOPIC! (grin)
As far as winter driving goes I'm fully convinced that a 2wd (say a P5 for instance) car with snows is just as good if not better than an AWD car with All seasons. However a AWD with snows is almost unstopable. (GRIN)
Instead of the snow tires I bought a new Pathfinder. Guess I didnt make out too well monetarily on that compromise! It's definately been a rotten winter so far.
I completely agree with you on that!
Bruno
Bruno
For some reason my gf doesn't believe I need a WRX either. The P5 is wonderful, but I wanted a WRX then, and I want the refresh more. Mazda is really missing out by not offering a competitor. A 200hp mazda3 with AWD would do it.