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
--------------------------
Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.
We will not have a 2004 Mazda Protegé5. It will be replaced with
another vehicle in the same segment. It should be available this
Fall/Winter. An announcement will be made within the next few months
about the vehicles name and specifications. Additionally, the MAZDA6
wagon and hatchback are slated to begin production for the U.S. during
the first quarter of 2004.
I hope this information is useful. Please let me know if I can be of
any further assistance.
Again, thank you for contacting Mazda. It has been my pleasure to
assist you. If for any reason this response has not completely
satisfied you, please feel free to reply to this message. You may also
contact our Customer Assistance Center toll-free at 1-800-222-5500.
Please take a moment of your time to give us your opinion about our
e-mail service. Click the link below to complete a brief, online
survey.
Sincerely,
Staci Brock
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business
But what size to get? 205/45-16?
45- and 50-series tires on a sport wagon? Did Mazda ever consider that some people may buy this little car for its utility AND its sportiness, and may not be interested in Z-rated tires with no sidewalls for a economy car that's incapable of exceeding 118 mph???
Yeah, sorry guys, I'm a little hot here. We bought the Protege5 because of my good experiences with Proteges, and its ability to do things like haul strollers and other gear for our baby.
My wife has to drive her car for her job sometimes, and has to frequent places like trailer parks with gravel roads, potholes and driveways that are in poor repair.
All this with 45- or 50-series "sport" tires on a car that should have a few options other than the one offered.
No doubt Mazda and Dunlop are in bed on this mutually beneficial deal.
Meade
Like you said, she doesn't exactly drive it like a race car.
205/55-15 is only .8% too slow but gives you a much more compliant sidewall height.
If I saved $50 or $60 per tire, I could break even not too far into the future -- considering we keep our cars until they're well paid-off.
I might do a wee bit of pricing on TireRack's website. Have you guys seen the neat feature that lets you "see" their wheels on your make, model and color of car? Kinda fun to play with ... try putting those "daisy" wheels on your P5 for a good laugh ...
Meade
The Dunlop FM901 isn't recommended nor the Goodyear Eagle, the only two I had found that fit. Why aren't they recommended? Crappy tires that blow up? Or just part-time Speed Racer preference? How bad would a summer tire (Kumho) be in winter snow?
What are the benefits/drawbacks to plus-zero sizing? I read the plus sizing description on DiscountTireDirect, but doesn't let me know what would happen if I picked them. I researched back through this forum and it sounds like the 205/50-16 is the way for me to go. I assume with that size the only thing that's different is the tread width since the wheel size and stuff are the same. Would my speedo just be a little off? That I can deal with. If I needed wider wheels, that's a no-go.
Oh, here's the update on my stupid mistake about tossing the headlight piece. I'm paying an "idiot tax" of $13 to get a Mazda replacement and will be picking it up on Thursday.
Jess
I do not recommend the Eagle RS-A because it is really just an all around bad tire. It will probably last longer that some others, but you may end up in a ditch with the first snow event up there in WI.
Plus 0 Sizing:
Benefits: Increased traction, more sizes available, more compliant ride
Drawbacks: Increased fuel consumption, less precise handling, slower acceleration
These benefits/drawbacks are assuming you are talking about the same tire in 2 different sizes. If you are comparing different tires, then these statements may not apply.
I wouldn't consider having summer tires while living in WI unless you also had some snow tires for winter as well.
One of the reasons Mazda chose such a low profile tire for the Protege ES and 5 was to improve handling. The engine really doesn't have the power to impress in a straight line. I am sure it was a lot cheaper to improve the handling, so that means a stiffer suspension and tires that have less sidewall flex. This allows the Protege's corner exit speed to be much higher, so the engine doesn't have to work as hard to maintain speed. It all makes sense as long as you aren't looking for a soft, pillowy ride.
"Junk ... yard ... junk ... yard ..."
Meade
P.S. Costco (formerly Price Club) does still offer the "install any tire for 7 bucks" thing. And by the way, once you're a Costco member, they'll rotate your tires for free no matter where you bought them, AND they'll repair them for free too -- they recently (before I purchased a set of tires from them) identified and removed a nail that was causing a slow leak in my left rear tire, and remounted and balanced the wheel -- all while I shopped. For free. Can't beat that, huh?
I think a car manufacturer selling cars in a certain country should ensure its customers can find the most basic requirements of its customers in that country -- come on, we're not talking about some little relay inside some chassis component here; we talking TIRES SO THE DOGGONE CAR CAN ROLL ALONG THE ROAD!!!
Would you prefer to buy a digital camera that uses one unique, proprietary storage medium available from one source alone, or would you go looking for the hardware that accepts the most universal software? One reason Polaroid cameras have never become the industry standard, and Kodak's attempt at "disk film" in the 80s never caught on: compatibility.
Maybe Mazda could work out a deal with those European tire guys to offer some tires over here? They want to make money, you'd think? And with what -- several tens of thousands of Protege5s sold -- am I even close, maltb? -- there would definitely be a ripe and ready market for replacement tires that Dunlop currently has a near-monopoly on?
Meade
I find it strange that you curse Mazda for putting an unusual tire size on the Protege(5), yet that is a significant factor in improving the handling you praise so much.
I was making no excuses for Mazda, just stating facts.
PS- Before asking me whether I prefer unique, proprietary anything, consider that I have 2 Macintoshes at home.
Also, do they allow sufficient room to clear the brakes on the P5?
You might consider these and go with 55 or 60 aspect tires to soften the ride (compared to 50), and open up the number of choices. You will get deviation in you speedometer and odometer, but probably will be within acceptable ranges, so long as you don't stray too far.
no it won't fit, ever.
Sounds like a mighty good price although this is about par per the Edmunds price guide. With all of the tire discussion going on here, I should give the tires a close look. But any other tips on what to look for?
Michelin Pilot Exalto 205/45R16 are now in place. They are not cheap, but better than the Dunlop in every aspect), including smother and quieter ride (not sure about the longevity).
Bruno
I believe I'll want Manual 5 spd. Is there anything you definitely like that I should look for in my new one, or anything you would do differently if buying today? I don't need resale value..I usually drive my cars until the end. Colors? I want to play up the sporty look without getting too "tricked out". Yellow may be too much for me. What about Silver or dark blue. The red I saw in a pic looked dowdy..but may be the pic angle. Thanks all.
Bruno
My tires are having troulbe reaching 20k. If it never rained, they might last another 10K, but they have worn so badly that wet roads are getting scary. I'm not rushing into it, but new tires are coming as soon as I find something that makes sense to me.
P5 shopper, the dark blue is really nice, but it's just like owning a black car. Hard to keep clean. But it was my favorite color and I still really like it.
Also, 30 mpg for 2750lb car which takes more than 9s to 60 with manual is very close to unacceptable. An Accord matches P5 in acceleration and fuel economy even though it is a significantly bigger (and heavier) vehicle.
Powertrains have been historically the Achilles' heel of Mazda.
The miata barely gets 30 mpg while the del Sol of the same era does 40+ easily.
Ouch, comparing a FWD car to a Miata makes me wonder if you like driving or just like some sun on your point A to point B commute.
I'd rather fix my timing belts on time than suffer a permanent 20% mileage penalty.
What stops me from owning a Honda is the non availability of wagon format and lame exterior styling.
If they sold a civic wagon, I wouldn't hesitate a moment.
That is the penalty you pay for having a real sports car that is about a second faster 0-60 AND will out handle your FWD example vehicle. My guess is the Miatas corner exit speeds are probably at at least 16.7% faster than a del Sol Si on any given road which is what the actual mileage penalty is that you have to accept when choosing the Miata over the del Sol.
My point with the bent valve comment was just to point out that Honda engines aren't as forgiving as some other automakers' if a mistake is made. That is, Hondas are great, but certainly not perfect.
Bruno
Take 15k per year and $1.75 for gas.
At 30 MPG that is 500 gallons and $875.00
At 40 MPG that is 375 gallons and $656.25
For a difference of $218.75 per year. Over a 5 year loan that equates to about $1093.75.
And 10 MPG is being generous. From the comparisons page between Pro ES and Civic EX 5 speeds, the difference is more like 6 MPG.
You can save that in interest on a 0% loan from Mazda. You never see 0% from Honda.
There may be reasons to avoid the P5, but gas mileage certainly isn't one of them.
Try selling a 3 year old P5 v Civic-Ex which cost the same initially. In fact, resale values of Civics defies logic.
I am not arguing for Civic, IMO they are very boring cars.
However, I can think of several reason why Civics outsell Protégés 4:1
A Protege ES can't touch the Civic EX on MPG. The Protege can't touch the Civic in resale.
My 2003 Pro5 is so much more fun than my Civic. About as much fun as my 90 CRX Si. A little slower but, fun.
That does not mean its a bad car....just make sure you have a quality mechanic check out the car. Make sure its completely checked for any previous body/paint work...also run a CARFAX.
If it all checks out your getting a nice car at a really great price!!
Rich
As far as the tires wearing out fast. These are perfomance tires, this is the trade off for this kind of tire. You can always put on 195/55/15's if you just want tires. It will still be a great handling car for people that drive below the limits of real fun and you better hand on driving. I can actually out handle many cars in the winter with my winter tires on dry pavement.
Here is an interesting story about Honda.
http://www.autonet.ca/AutonetStories/Stories.cfm?StoryID=8499
On one long trip one of my friends (Civic and Honda loyalist) shared the driving with me. Here were a couple of her complaints about the P5 (insert sarcasm).
Steering is too quick and didn't have to rev the motor for power.
We all pick different cars for different reasons I guess.
Something to put saving one or two MPG into perspective. It's a new lighter system for power windows.
Using the Dual Rack & Pinion Regulator, the U.S. auto industry could remove between 10 and 14 pounds of weight from a four-door vehicle. The resultant annual weight savings equates to approximately 160 million pounds per year. Once full U.S. market penetration is reached yearly, the fuel savings resulting from this improved technology will be enough to fuel 48,000 automobiles. By 2020, the annual fuel savings could be enough to provide fuel to more than one million vehicles.
Every drop counts. If you think it doesn't, you're being very shortsighted.
The story is below:
http://www.mlive.com/prnewswire/prnauto.ssf?/cgi-bin/stories.pl?A- - CCT=mlive2.story&STORY=/www/story/05-29-2003/0001955308&E- - DATE=
At Honda? Where? Rebates? Huh?
I quickly crossed TDI off my list when I gathered that one unscheduled maintenance on a VW would wipe out gas saving for a year.
Moreover, some places diesel cost more than premium gas.
"Just purchased a 2003 LX V6. Noticed that the remote for the door locking system has a panic switch that sounds and lights like a burgler alarm. Is it possible that when you order the alarm system, some technician just flips a switch or makes a connection? Has anyone figured a way to activiate the system or do you really need additional equipment?"
Thanks for the feedback and the car checked out great - as in, I already bought it. He was firm on the price ($10,500) and it has high miles (26k) and a number of scratches (mostly from bicycles on the top and in/out of the hatch). But it was the original owner (a Miata man), it was never wrecked and the interior is in really great shape. I didn't think I could beat this anywhere.
First impressions are that this is a great car in this class. As everyone knows, the handling is the best in its class. A little more engine noise than I would like but it's not bad. The seats are great, the radio is not. I love the low-end torque.
Now I want to check out what improvements I can make. Do people like the autodimming rear view mirror? Easy to install? The car came with the back 3/4 tinted so I am not sure I would get much out of the mirror (except the outside temp/compass direction).
I have the auto-dimming mirro on both my Miata and my Protege5 (with tinted windows). It is great. I highly recommend it if you are considering it. It apparently is also difficult to install. Again, the techinician had to call Mazda for help twice during installation on the Miata, and it took 4 tries to get it properly installed on the Protege5. Don't they train these people to install the accessories they sell?!
I wish Mazda did have a bit more economy, but I realize it's due to 1) lower compression due to non-interference engine designs and 2) lower gearing to provide more seat-of-the-pants feel. Still, I wish they had another overdrive gear or a taller one for freeway cruising. I downshift when I want to really pass someone anyway.
It will be interesting to see how the new 3 is when it is released.
In all the car I drove so far, there is jump between 1st and 2nd. I think the 1st is always designed to be short. Ever start a car on a hill of 25% with four passengers inside and a 1000lb trailer behind?
Bruno