Mazda Protege5

vocus

The 195 series tires should have no problem fitting, providing you can find 5-lug alloy/steel wheels to hold them. They would throw off the speedometer a little bit though, because of the different sizes. Probably not more than 1-2 mph though.

ateixeira

Careful with changing wheel size. If you go smaller, make sure you have clearance for the brakes.

-juice

alana3

Hi,

  I also found the ride kind of harsh. It bothered my Mom the most, she has a bad back.

  I lowered the tire pressure to 28psi and that

seems to have made the ride a lot smoother. Unfortunately, I think that is the reason that my

gas mileage is about 23mpg. I drive about 2/3

on the freeway and about 1/3 on the roads.

Someone posted this URL awhile back

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

that deals with Mazda Miata tires.

It says a 195 50 16 tire is equal to a 205 60 14

tire. I don't know alot about tires, I am not sure

how a 205 60 14 tire would effect the P5?

Alana

phoenixmp5

You may have guessed the reason for the harsh ride, My car was inflated to 51 psi when I took delivery! I did notice an improvement in the ride after about 12K.

My parents bought a Protege after riding in mine, but opted for the LX sedan, mainly because they didn't want to fuss with buying or storing additional wheels and tires. All season M/Ss are more their thing.

ateixeira

They come with high pressure to prevent flat spotting during shipping. The dealer should have fixed that at the PDI, though.

-juice

protege_fan

And of course the ride will be harsher at the start because the shocks have not softened up yet. I was told that my shocks wouldn't loosen up until after quite a few kilometres (not sure of exact number but >1000km).

Sporin

All right.... so I've sone some research on the AC/Defrost issue. Sitting in my garage last night, idlling, temp set in the middle, fan on 1, AC button not lit. Cycling through the settings, I confirmed that the AC compressor kicks on with Defrost, Defrost-Feet, and Feet. But not with Face-Feet or Full Face.

My manual says nothing about this. It only says to turn on the AC when defrosting. No mention of it doing it automatically. This is in the manual for my '02 P5.

Now you can make an argument for the Defrost settings, but why Feet Only?

elec3

I forgot to mention a couple things. For one, I have no idea what the pressure in my tires is now. I really should buy a tire gauge to check 'em but it's possible my pressure is lower and therefore my ride isn't as harsh as somewhat at, say, 50psi. My gas mileage has been a little low, so either my tire pressure is on the low side or my right foot is too heavy

Also, The Pro5 really tends to "walk" over rough streets at low speeds. Sometimes I'll be on a street I thought was pretty smooth only to stop at a red light and feel all four corners stepping over every little bump and wave in the road. This is sort of annoying here in southern New Mexico where they repave roads about once every 20 years (because traffic is comparatively light and the streets here have never seen road salt or sand). I haven't ever found the ride to be truly uncomfortable except after a 12 hour day behind the wheel - my lower to mid back was aching but I blame this as much on the seat as the ride (I think I had it adjusted too steep and it got to me after 750 miles).

Really the handling and road feel is are the best things about driving this car. When you step into the Pro5, you're not sitting in the lap of luxury, nor are you commanding 400 ponies. Whoever it was that said it's like driving a grown-up version of a go-kart got it about right. If that image appeals to you, you'll like the Pro5

elec3

I'm still laughing at all you winter tire folk. Being 50 miles from the Mexican border means my stock Dunlops ARE all-season tires

It actually snowed here last night, we got about a tenth of an inch. I expect it'll all be gone by noon once the sun comes out.

deejayspinz

Sporin,

Here is one possible reason for the AC engaging on the Feet Only setting. If your feet are wet after trudging through snow/water in the car and you turn on the heat to warm up that area, the heat will cause the moisture to evaporate which will start to fog the windows. The AC would help to reduce this by pumping in extra dry air to offset the moisture...

Dave

douglam

alana3, if you're running at 28psi, u're not only wasting gas, but u'll increase wear on your tire. Those V rated tires aren't cheap. 32psi is what is recommended.

Yeah, I think the ride will soften up a bit after putting some miles on it and carrying more passengers and load.

bluong1

I didn't feel any discomfort with the car on our trip back from New Mexico (>800 miles on the way back, 13.5h driving including rest stops). I'm mid 30s, 5'6'' tall, and doing a lot of sports. All tires are inflated at 32psi.

Bruno, from Houston TX

cdnp5

Hi everyone - this is my first post to this board and I must say that this is one of the best for the P5 talk. After reading all the talk about the A/C and defrosting I noticed that my rear defroster never turns off. Even when I turn the car off and back on the rear defroster is still on, is this the same with everyone else. Also, when you say the a/c is coming on when you put the selector on the windshield are you also saying that the a/c light indicator is also coming on or you can just hear the compressor coming on. With my car I have to turn the a/c on for any selection to make it work. I've been tracking my gas mileage and for hwy/city (50/50) driving I've been getting 33-34 mpg and there are about 2500 km (1500 miles) on the odometer. I set the cruise at 120 kph (70 mph) on the highway. I also have the other two problems (if you can call it that) with my car.
1) When I go out with friends they always want to drive my car.
2) I find that I'm driving about 3 times as far to get someplace because I'm driving 10 miles out of way because I don't want to stop driving this car, it is so much fun.
About the tires, IMO they should always be at 32 psi, not less, not more (unless you are carrying a large load) as this is they way the are designed to work. Underinflation can and will damage your tires and this can lead to an accident. I think everyone heard alot of this on the news this summer with Firestone.

later,
d.

bluong1

It doesn't sound good your defrost, mine works only when I turn it on. I think the AC indicator is not necessary illuminated when the compressor is working.

I have the same problems than you: friends want to drive my car (excepted those who cannot drive the manual) and take a long way driving back home. I brought the car for its second oil change, tires rotation and balance yesterday at 8756miles. I should end up having 20kmiles per year. I did 15kmiles/yr with my previous car (civic). That's the proof that I'm driving more.

Bruno

Sporin

I hear and feel the compressor kick on, but the AC button's light does not come on unless I push the button.

vocus

It doesn't come on unless you push the button, but the system turns on the compressor automatically anyway.

douglam

Anyone notice that there's a slight noise when the A/C compressor comes one? sounds like a very brief rattling. Anyone heard anything like that?

fgaydos

Thinking real hard to buy the Pro5. Especially since my ZX3 Focus got another recall today! Ugh!
Was interested in how much storage room is available. Can the rear seats be folded out of the way to increase room?

Can the bumpers take a parking lot bump without chipping paint? Are they plastic or metal/
TIA Frank

mustang87

>Can the rear seats be folded out of the way to increase room?

Is there a (new) car that does not have folding seats?
On my previous subject about wallowing.
The car is stable up to 85mph. between 85 and 95 it feels VERY loose and i was almost afraid to go any farther as i though i would loose control. But as soon as i got to 100mph yesterday on i-95 it felt like the car was on double rails. doesn't rattle, shake or weave or anything like that. but it was different between 85 and 95 for sure.

I have over 7k miles on mine and will take it for a second oil change, tire rotation as soon as i can. My CD player (stock) never skips. not once in over 3 months. installed some LED bulbs into the holes in the fenders (when you open the hood) and it looks reall nice when they light up. also dropped a strobe into one of the headlights. was really easy to do, no drilling and cutting. there is some room for the wires to go out from the housing even when the bulb is installed so that made the installation simple.
Do any of you have a radar detector? Which one is good? I was thinking about a cobra 9100 for $80-90 or a 9200 for 90-100. Any experience with them.

Sporin

"It doesn't come on unless you push the button, but the system turns on the compressor automatically anyway."

I know, I was clarify for cdnp5.

bluong1

Yes, the 40/60 back seats can fold down 3 different ways to increase the cargo space. The cargo room is large enough for most of the tasks. I transported 2 bikes, camping gears, etc... with this little car. There is several posts in this forum about how to fold the back seat, please check the archive. The bumper is plastic. I never tried (and will never want to try) to bump the car to see if the paint resists. All I can say is that the yellow paint seems to be fragile. I got several paint chipps from flying stones.

Bruno

matso

You can fold the rear seats down in the Pro5 for more cargo area. One of the showroom models actually had the rear seats removed...how-to might be in the manual.

Haven't crunched my bumpers yet so I can't speak to that. The Pro5 is small enough that you generally have lots of maneuvering room, unless you've boxed yourself into a corner. It's definitely easier to maneuver than our old Explorer!

The Pro5 is a whale of a lot of fun to drive. Good luck with your search!

revka

Thanks for sharing all the details. We look forward to hearing more your Protege5 ownership experience!

You said: "I've contemplated purchasing an extended warranty."

In addition to the feedback here, you may also want to check out our Finance, Warranty, and Insurance message board for ongoing discussions about extended warranties. Good luck.

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards

onboost91

Shortly after I got mine I had to take a trip down to NYC and while parked there someone apparently rubbed my back bumper (%@#*&^!!!!). It put a nice big scratch in the plastic, all the way down to the black underneath (the car is silver). No dent though atleast.
-Finn

hondaaccessory

" There is several posts in this forum about how to fold the back seat, please check the archive. "

Is there an searchable archive? Aside from searching through about 20 posts at a time that will display on screen. The old system would allow you to pull up all the posts and then use the 'find' feature on the browswer to search. I would love to know of a way to search through these posts.

ateixeira

Nope, no search feature. You can only see 20 messages at a time.

-juice

bu4uok

I finally got my Protege5. It's a black 5-speed manual with just enough goodies to keep me smiling. I didn't bother with a moon roof because I've never been partial to that sort of thing. I've read alot of comments regarding the sound system and I find that I personally have to disagree with alot of the criticism that's been placed on this stock system. I consider myself to be a decent critic of music and sound systems and I find that I REALLY do enjoy my music in my Protege5. No, it's not going to make you forget about your home sound system but it won't make you weep with depression. I've played CDs, tapes(I added the cassette player as an option) and music from the 12FM presets and 6AM presets and I find that the system is MORE than adequate for my listening pleasure. I've found that the ride of the Protege5 is definitely quite sporty. In other words, it does pick up bumps in the road but it also gives the driver alot of road responsiveness. That's a good thing!!! I get quite a kick out of driving my car and I also find myself taking the long way home on numerous occasions. I'm pleased with the room and I recently went on a trip to test out the space along with two passengers. Verdict: We all arrived at our destination comfy and happy. Lastly, I did want to mention the roof rack and the wind noise. Yes, you can definitely hear the whistle of the rack at high speeds but it isn't unbearable as one would be led to believe. In short, I just want to say that this is a really sweet car. Nice to look at and even more fun to drive. It has restored my faith in FUN driving. Good luck to future owners.

elec3

Mine usually isn't even noticeable at speeds below 40mph. It's most noticeable on the highway above 65 and even then I find that the volume and pitch are partly determined by how windy it is outside.

This reminds me, I highly recommend a soft rooftop carrier for anyone who needs to haul a lot of stuff in their Pro5. I bought one at an AutoZone or PepBoys for about $40 and it holds tons and tons of stuff. I managed to fit every article of clothing I own in it with room to spare, plus it folds up really nice and flat (because it's soft). I have mine under my bed now. If anyone is interested I'll get a picture of it on my car next time I use it (which may be a while).

hondaaccessory

check the rack to make sure the smooth side of the bars is to the back. Mine came with one bar one way and the other the other way and it whistled pretty good until someone here said to put the side with the ridges to the front.

ateixeira

Also you may want to move them forward or back a bit, which can make a difference.

-juice

the_big_h

for newcomers, it's 9pm ET/7pm PT....

sunbyrne

Gang,

I'm collecting all the on-line reviews of the P5 that I can find. So far I'm up to 23. They're all listed here:

http://byrneweb.com/sunburn/newcar/

If you know of a review that's not listed there, please let me know so I can include it.

Thanks!

Sporin

I disagree about turning the roof rack bar around.

I had a slight hum at highway speeds with my bars as they came from the factory. So I took the advice I read here and turned the front bar around to present the smooth, rounded side to the front. I was rewarded with the sound of an angry howler monkey on my roof at highway speeds! :-)

So in my experience, leave the rounded side back on the front bar for the least amount of sound. Or do what I did... take them off completely unless you plan to use them a lot.

tisteve

I've been eating up every article I can find on the P5, you just made that a lot easier.
Thanks

bluong1

can you move the roof racks back and forth? I though they should be pretty much where they are.

hondaaccessory

"So in my experience, leave the rounded side back on the front bar for the least amount of sound"

Maybe I didn't word it correctly, that is what I was also saying: "check the rack to make sure the smooth side of the bars is to the back. Mine came with one bar one way and the other the other way and it whistled pretty good until someone here said to put the side with the ridges to the front."

tincup47

Only the rear bar is adjustable, the front is fixed.

bluong1

I just called a Mazda dealer asking if they can adjust my clutch for engaging a little bit earlier. The man told me that because the clutch is hydraulic activated so there is no adjustment future. He said the clutch should be engaged when the pedal is about 1.5in from the floor. Someone know if it's true?

Thanks,

Bruno

vocus

My 2001 Protege ES was an automatic, so I don't know for sure. But most new cars do have automatically adjusting clutches.

fgaydos

Thanks for compiling the reviews.
I test drove a '5' the other night and just could not come to a agreement on price.
In hindsight I should have done it as I lowballed him up front but he did the same on the trade-in.
We were only a few hundred apart. I think I'll wait till the week between the holidays to go back, more pressure on him to sell by years end.
My quote was $15,228 for an automatic including trade in.

sunbyrne

fgaydos, you're welcome. I agree with you that you should have just gone ahead and bought the car. The more I drive it, the more I like having it...

fgaydos

I am keeping it in mind to purchase at the end of the month between the holidays, lots of pressure on dealers to sell.
Also, will test drive the Forrester due to the AWD.

fgaydos

Sunbyrne,
On one of the reviews, crash tests I think, they indicated that your legs would get damaged in a frontal crash in the '5'. A little worrisome.

Still love the '5' however.

vocus

If I were you, I would deal with the same guy again, but not include the trade-in right away. Also, another smart way to do it is work out the price with a couple dealers via email, then pick the one with the lowest price. Also, I would not include my trade-in until I had the out the door price on the P5, then just take off the trade-in from that. Don't let them get over on you, they are hurting right now to make sales. Most car dealers are.

sunbyrne

The guys over at protegeclub.com are talking about a Texas meet in Waco. You (or anyone else here in Texas) interested? If they settle on a date I can make I'll be there...

elec3

Less than 50 miles from El Paso, but how far I'd be willing to drive to a Protege Meet...dunno. Still I wouldn't rule it out

audia8q

have u seen the sales reports lately?

not too many dealers are hurting. Last month's sales were some of the biggest ever...Also, slipping in the trade in a underhanded manner dosnt increase the amount you get for the trade...What it does do is tell the salesperson you're the type of customer who wants to play games.

Rich

bluong1

Thank you very much for informing us about the Texas P5 meeting in Waco. It sounds like fun! I'll try to be there if the date is suitable. I heard that one of the road from Houston to Waco is very nice (Hwy 6?), and it's a perfect excuse to drive our babies. Please inform us the date and meeting details (as I'm not pointing that much my nose on the protegeclub.com.)

BTW, the silver P5 looks very sharp and classy!

Bruno

vocus

I just went and bought a new Jetta about a month ago, and traded in a 2001 Protege ES with automatic, 20K miles, a cracked windshield, and some scratches on it. The KBB on the car was $10,715. I worked out the deal on the new car first, then the trade-in. They told me they would only offer $10,500 for my trade, after giving me a really good price on the car. I told them it was $11,500 or no deal. They bit, and gave me the $11,500. So it worked out pretty well.

audia8q

The reality of your story is simple...A car is only worth what it's worth and not a penny more....If you got more than the car was worth the extra money came from somewhere other than your trade...which means it came out of the profit on the new jetta or a dealer incentive. Hiding the trade dosnt get anyone extra money....
Doing your homework and having the patience to work out a favorable deal is what gets the highest trade values. plain and simple.
Game playing only gets more game playing with the huge majority of dealers. Based upon your story you did some homeowrk and held out for more money...it had nothing to do with you hiding it until the end.

rich