Mazda Protege5

moo01

sorry to hear that the other p5 owners didn't wave back...you are not the only one...i have tried to make eye contact and wave at at least 4 different p5 here in s. cal and none of them waved back...what's worse is they saw me and looked away on purpose as if they didn't want to see someone driving the same car...

mazdadude1

A p5 pulled up behind me in downtown wilmington on the riverfront and I gave a thumbs up visible through my rear window so the driver could see. He smiled and returned the thumb's up. Nice feeling... commaradery alive at least here in the Port City of NC. Also, just returned from a short 300 mile round trip on secondary roads. Driving 60mph on the country stretches and 35-40mph throught the dozen towns of varying sizes, I averaged 30.2 miles per gallon in my automatic... with a/c on along the way.

theparallax

I don't know about anyone else, but sit in a Tribute then sit in an MPV. There is a definite difference in quality of materials used, build quality, etc. The Tribute has Ford swtichgear everywhere. Even the power window buttons are the same ones found in other Ford cars. Sit in the MPV, and you see Mazda switchgear everywhere. Even the solidity of the doors is much better than the Tribute.

The MPV is built in Japan, except for the engine, which is shipped over to Japan then back to the US installed in the vans...

newcar31

Did you have any luck getting your steel wheels off? I'm looking forward to doing it on my own car.

khoa_98

I remember reading that the Tribute/Escape was based on the Mondeo/Contour platform...afterall, they spent a couple of billions on it, might as well use it. Which make sense considering they're built in the ClayCoMo plant, which used to do the Contour.

mazdafun

I think Escape/Tribute is based on the 626. Check C&D, Automobile etc. This is the first I've heard it's derived from the Contour/Mondeo. Revisionist history on the part of Ford? Most likely, just as their take on the 90s-era and later Escorts is a bunch of b**l. I guess we'll have to hear from someone from the inside, or someone who's worked on the chassis of these three to be more sure.

Anyways, I'll check what specs are available on the chassis of these three since I'm curious. The path of least resistance (fewest changes) is the likeliest.

audia8q

It's the contour platform...which BTW is the same basic platform for the Jaguar X-type, Mondeao and 626...of course there are some differences but nobody at the Jag dealer is telling anyone they are driving a fancy contour..hahaha

The contour/Mystique were not big sellers here in the US but the paltform is world class. Just ask anyone with an SVT Contour.

ateixeira

The current 626 is not on the Mondeo platform. It's been out since 1993, with one redesign. The next one (Mazda 6) might, but again Mazda is being vague about it.

I had one of those Escort, a 1991 GT. I was based on the Mazda Protoge platform, same wheelbase, same track, same suspension (4 struts, passive rear steer), and the GT even had the same engine (1.8 DOHC, still used in the Miata). Part numbers were interchangeable, even. I used to get Mazda oil filters for it, and a Mazda distributor cap and rotor when I couldn't find parts for the Escort. Rod Millen Motorsport sold aftermarket parts, and again they fit the Protoge and Escort with the same part numbers. The Tracer too, was a clone.

-juice

seminole_kev

and that is the platform that the new Jag X-type rides on. It's a different platform than the old Mondeo/Contour/Mystique road on.

mazdafun

Hopefully, Ford/Mazda/Jaguar/Volvo (anyone I'm forgetting?) will do a better job than GM has done in the past when sharing parts amongst different brands and models.

However, just like child care and school, it's a lot easier for the less desirable traits to be propogated than the desirable ones.

magicrat

I just got a new PR5 for my wife and she is loving it. When I bought the car, my dealer gave me a list of "environmental protection packages" that they could install. If I bought them all I would get a $100 discount and they would throw in a car alarm system that normally retails for $695. The packages they offered are:

1.) Sound Deadener/Undercoating $325. This is supposed to protect the underbody of the car as well as help reduce road noise. Comes with a limited life of vehicle warranty.

2.) Teflon/Polymer Paint Protection $389. This is supposed to protect against things like acid rain. Supposedly the paint on the car has open pores and their paint protection is supposed to close them. It's guaranteed for 5 years and the car will look "showroom new for 5 years without needing to wax."

3.) Fabric Guard $365. This is petroleum based and they say superior to scotch guard. They say if I can't remove a stain, they will free of charge. If they can't remove it, they'll replace the fabric. Comes with a limited life of vehicle warranty.

Total cost $1,079 minus $100 = $979 plus the security package at no additional cost. I'm pretty sure they said (I don't have the paperwork right in front of me) that it has a shock sensor and an engine immobilizer.

I've always thought those "packages" were just a way for dealerships to make more money. But I haven't bought a new car in 3 years. Have things changed? Are these worth the price? Should I go ahead and have them done or just ignore them?

Thanks for the thoughts and opinions. Oh, by the way, I live in Wilmington, DE if that matters. And I always wave at other PR5 owners (and Passat owners as well, my other car).

protege_fan

I think it's bogus.

a)Sound deadener - They are going to spray something on your car that will reduce road noise? I think not. Different tires and added insulation to the doors will reduce sound/vibrations from entering the cabin.

b)Teflon paint protectant - Teflon does nothing for paint protection. They cannot spray it on. Teflon must be applied at high temperatures. Also, I believe it was the President of DuPont that said that there is no known benefit of using teflon as an automotive paint protectant.

Also, nothing you spray on will make your car not have to be waxed for 5 years. The stuff they spray on will wear off just as fast as any other aftermarket hand-applied wax.

c)Fabric-guard - How is it superior to Scotch-guard? For $5.00 you can buy a can of scotch-guard and you can re-apply it as much as you want. 5 bucks versus 365?? I'd say it's no contest.

d) Car alarm - You can get a much better aftermarket alarm system for cheaper.

My 2 cents DON'T BUY THAT DEALER CRAP!!!!!!!!!!

Sporin

I haven't tried again yet. Planning on spraying them down tonight and trying ot get them off tomorrow (Sat.).

I'll let you know how it goes.

ateixeira

My wife's 626 has that problem. They are alloys, but they seem to stick on when I rotate them. I use a rubber mallet to tap them loose.

-juice

cboyer

I have not been getting good mileage in our rather new P5 auto. It has about 7500 miles on it already, and it only gets about 20-23 mpg. I have taken it to the dealer 2x now, and their response is that I need to wait until at least 10,000 miles before it's really broken in. Anyone else have a similar problem?

mazdafun

1) The P5 already comes from the factory with rustproofing undercoating. It's kind of a rubbery material. Additional sound-deadening material might be placed in the wheel wells and inside the cabin (under the carpet, in the doors, in the trunk etc.) by yourself.

2) Except for the yellow and red, the other colors should have a clearcoat layer that protects the paint. There shouldn't be ANY pores in this clearcoat layer if the paint process was executed correctly. You can tell it's clear-coated if the paint doesn't come off on your waxing rag/sponge. NuFinish should protect as well as this product.

magicrat

Thanks protege_fan and mazdafun for the responses. I thought the packages were bogus as well, but I wanted to make sure. I appreciate your 2 cents.

protege_fan

No prob Let us know how the deal goes!

magicrat

Sorry if I was unclear in my first message. I have already bought the car and declined those "environmental packages." They said I could always come back and have them added and I could pay cash, check or credit card. So I thought I would get some view points here to make sure my intial reaction to decline was the right one. And I'm glad I did. Thanks, again!

I ended up getting the Midnight Blue PR5 with ABS, side airbags, moonroof, automatic trans, cargo net, floor mats, and in-dash 6 cd player. Paid $600 over invoice. Edmunds TMV was $875 over. Thought that was high, so I was happy with the $600 over. Went in thinking $500, but they had the car with the accessories and in the color that my wife wanted - no waiting. Haggled a little bit and got them to throw in for free 2 oil changes and a set of wheel locks. I'm happy and my wife is very happy! She loves to drive it. We're taking it on a trip this weekend to break it in.

The only thing I have noticed is a whistling sound when it hits 60mph and above. It's coming from the roof rack. If you take it off, the whistling noise is gone. It changes the look of the car, but not in a negative way. It's sharp looking no matter what. My wife likes the roof rack, and since she drives it 90% of the time, it's staying on. I'll just turn up the cd player volume when I drive :-)

protege_fan

Try turning it around the other way...I've heard that can sometimes help as it may have been installed backwards at first.

Hope you're enjoying Zoom-zooming!!

redpr5

You didn't say if your mileage was on the road or in town. My in town mileage has dropped to 17mpg with my auto. and 3800 miles. Everytime I take it in, they say everything is ok. I think that there is a connection loose somewhere. You sometimes hit a bump and there is this extra power that is there sometimes for a while and sometimes it goes away immediately. Perhaps it will get worse over time and then they can find it.

ksc37

Someone mentioned there's a $750 rebate. Don't know if it's available in your area.

coznefx

I too have an auto, and I have to say my city mpg is a pretty lamentable 18-19 (even driving conservatively). My dealer says he's seen "more than a few" with similiar mileage. I definitely think Mazda has a problem on their hands, but no one seems to have a clue what to do about it.

mnkyboy

mazdafun, why do you state that the red and yellow does not have clearcoat? Why wouldnt it? All cars nowadays have it...lol...

sunbyrne

Man, must be the auto tranny. I have a 5-speed, and two points: first, a "bad" tank for me when I'm doing mostly city driving is like 23mpg. Second, my mileage has definitely been getting better lately. I do about 60/40 highway/city and I'd been getting 25-26, but the last half-dozen or so tanks I'vebeen getting 27-29; my last tank I got 29.5. I've got just under 10k miles on my P5.

isdex

Does anyone know the different between the (AT1) 4-Speed Automatic Transmission with Overdrive vs. (AT4) 4-Speed SPORT Automatic Transmission with Overdrive. I believe the AT4 is only available for P5 made after Feb 2002. I need to purchase a auto-trans for my wife but I am concern about the mileage problem, I am hoping that the AT4 is the solution to the problem. Thanks.

sharonf

Hi....I'm going to buy a Protege5 in the very near future and from the beginning have wanted an auto....but I'm scared now about the gas mileage problem there seems to be. Is there anyone that has an automatic that is getting relatively decent mileage? or am I going to have to go the manual route?
Please respons ASAP!!

jmn2786

FYI,

We own a fully loaded P5 Auto (had it since December, has about 5000 miles). We drive about half city, half highway, and have always gotten between 26 and 28 MPG. We have driven some mostly highway trips and have seen just over 30.

No complaints. It's an excellent car!!!

mp5freak

I've seen no problems either. I haven't measured the mileage in a while, as it wasn't an issue for the first 5K or so. Couldn't be happier!

protege_fan

I think Mazdafun is right about the clearcoat. I'm not sure about the yellow, but I've heard that when a clearcoat oxidizes, it gains a yellowish tint that is not noticeable on most colors, but on red, it makes the car look orange. Now, like I said, this is only what I recall hearing.

Really though, if you want a good answer ask the dealer...they *should* have an answer.

Tup

Most cars are clearcoated, however, some flat colors such as red and black and perhaps yellow are not always clearcoated. Metallic or pearl versions of black are clearcoated but not always the flat version. I'm not sure of the reason.

coznefx

This is ridiculous. Factory paint is the result of a two-stage process, which does indeed include clear-coat. It's true, at one time clear did have a tendency to yellow with age, but that has long since been resolved.

I recently had my Alfa Spider stripped and painted red with DuPont Chromabase paint...and believe me, there is clear on that car.

iamz

I have an auto but really don't do much city driving, but none the less, my mileage is normally between 25 to 28.

I had to use some Eagle One polish to remove a grey mark left on my car by someone careless with their car door. It only took a few seconds to polish out the mark with a rag over my finger tip and the rag was yellow. So I'm pretty sure the yellow doesn't have any clear coat.

sharonf

15. Should I buy rustproofing, fabric protection packages, paint sealant, and other dealer-installed items?

Of course not. Most new cars are covered against rust perforation for several years and up to 100,000 miles. Want to protect your fabric? Go to an auto parts store and buy a can or two of Scotchgard. New cars have clearcoat paint, which offers protection from the elements. A little elbow grease and a jar of carnauba wax will keep the finish protected and looking great. By investing a little time and effort into your automobile, you can save hundreds on these highly profitable dealer protection packages.

They also say not to get the dealer's alarm system option. Say you can get a better one after-market.

sharon

mdaffron

What magicrat didn't tell you was the guarantee that package offers. We purchased it for my wife's new Protege5 back in January, and because of my "preferred customer" status (my fifth Mazda from this dealership in 11 years), they gave us the whole package -- undercoating, paint sealant and fabric protection -- for $295 instead of $795.

Once you get this stuff done, your car is covered for five years/unlimited mileage against:

(1) Acid rain damage. Big problem here in Virginia. If your car's paint ever spots, they'll either professionally remove it or repaint the car.

(2) Any paint problems. This includes peeling, hazing, "orange peeling," etc.

(3) Interior cracks, discoloration, etc. Dashboard cracks, whatever.

(4) Fabric stains. From spilled grape juice to our 10-month-old's industrial-strength vomit, if we spill it and we can't get the stain out with plain soap and water, it's their problem. Either they have the fabric professionally cleaned, or they replace the seatcover/carpet/floor mat/etc. altogether.

By the way, the undercoating is substantial -- and it's not that tarry crap they used to spray under cars 15 years ago. My 2000 ES has just the factory "undercoating" on it and this is MUCH different. My wife's P5 is VERY quiet on the road after having it done, and we know the difference because we had it done two weeks after she bought the car.

I would NOT have sprung $795 for this package, but with a 10-month-old baby and a wife's who's a self-proclaimed car slob, $295 (something like $5 a month more on our monthly payment) seemed like pretty good peace of mind for five years.

Meade

mazdafun

Hey, if there's a UV-resistant clearcoat, pass the word onto Mazda Corp & Ford. I'd love to have a red car with the added protection of a clear-coat layer.

And, yes, the reason given is that it makes red appear yellow under some lighting conditions.

So far, it sounds like yellow and red aren't clear-coated. Any others?

phoenixmp5

I do 75% city driving and have been getting 28 to 30mpg's since my odometer read 10K. Before that I was 3 to 4mpg's lower. I don't think this is an automatic issue, as my parents LX 2.0 with 5-spd is still down around 25mpg's. They still have only 5K on the odometer, so they probably wont see any changes for a while. It appears, the engines are really tight until properly broken in.

So far as the clear coat/Under Coating and the other stuff goes, I agree with Meade. I even bought the dent protection on mine! It cost me 300 hard earned dollars, but a month after I purchased the car, someone put a real deep six inch long dent in front of the passenger side tail light. Cost of repair... $350. I'm sure there will be other dents in my future! Like any other insurance plan, you just have to figure out if the costs offset the risks.

protege_fan

Well, I know that the package offered to me did not include such warranties. I'm thinking that the package is not from Mazda directly and is applied by another company that the dealer uses to apply the protection.

I don't agree with many of the claims made by the provider of some of the material. The most glaring is the statement that "you never have to wax your car for 5 years." What kinda BS is that? You don't wax your car and your paint will look like crap in no time flat.

If my dealer offered some sort of dent protection I would have jumped all over it! I'm paranoid that some jackass is gonna hit my car with their door in a parking lot.

cbmorton

My dealer actually had a car on its side in their showroom that had the undercoating applied, so you could see it was this sticky black substance. I wondered why they'd go to all that trouble to show off the undercoating until I got into the room with the 'deal-closer' and he gave me a really hard sell on the stuff. I had no intention of taking the undercoating or paint/fabric protection but the guy couldn't be turned off. He went on for almost ten minutes about how Mazda doesn't rustproof the Protege at all because they don't know where in the world it's going when it rolls off the assembly line, so the undercoating should really be thought of as mandatory in Canada. That had to be about the most ridiculous story I've ever had a car dealer tell me in order to sell me something. After I finally escaped I realised how much coin they must make on these optional services to be pushing them so hard.

protege_fan

ROTFLMAO!!! Ok, then why would Mazda warranty their cars for 5 years/unlimted kms against rust?? What a sales pitch!

My finance guy only showed the packages to me. I said "no thanks" and that was that.

mdaffron

They don't warrant them against "rust." They warrant them against "perforation" -- which is "rust-through." There's a big difference. In order to qualify for that warranty, the rust has to eat a HOLE through the sheetmetal.

Meade

magicrat

Actually, mdaffron, I did tell the group about warranties. If you go back and re-read my message you'll see. I typed most of my post directly from the 1 page flier I was given. It certainly did not contain the detail that you mention in your post (except for the fabric protection, which was more clearly spelled out in my 1 page flier and in my initial post). I think this points back to protege_fan's post about these packages not coming directly from Mazda.

My guess is that each dealership is different in what they offer and what they cost. As an added example, my dealer didn't have any kind of dent protection.

Also, my cost wasn't even the $795 you mentioned in your post. It was $979. And if you got it for $295, I think that's great. But this just goes to show that dealers are probably making upwards of a 90% margin on these packages. I'm glad that I didn't plunk down my money on it. Nobody deserves that kind of profit. Especially since what they are selling is more likely closer to 90% bogus than legit.

mdaffron

The package my dealer offered me for $295, and which we purchased, is applied and guaranteed by Commonwealth Coatings Inc. From what I understand, they contract with my dealer to sell and provide this service at the dealership. And no one ever told us we wouldn't have to wax our car for five years -- in fact, we got a bottle of their own car polish with the kit that came with the package -- recommended to apply once a year.

Meade

coznefx

OK, had to resolve this...just got off the phone with the manager at the dealer's body shop...and YES, the factory paint is two-stage...in other words, there is clear on every color.

mnkyboy

I emailed Mazda USA today and the answer is plain and simple. The Vivid Yellow Protege 5 DOES have a clearcoat. IMAZ, I suggest you take a ride to your nearest dealer, and find out why your paint is coming off!? Here is the email I recieved and sent...

Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 14:24:38 -0800
To: "XXX XXXXX"
Subject: Re: Your E-mail to MyMazda.com (KMM53678V90XXXXXXX)
From: "MM"
Reply-to: MM

Dear XXXXX,

Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.

You've inquired if your 2002 Mazda Protegé5 in Vivid Yellow has a
clearcoat. I have verified with our Product Support Engineers that the
Vivid Yellow paint on the Protegé5 does, in fact, have a clearcoat.

I hope this information is helpful.

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.

Regards,

Lisa Lasky
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business

"Want a bit of Miata-like sportiness in something that can handle
home-improvement-center runs, a stroller, or a few golf bags? Consider
the Protegé5." - Motor Trend

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Form Message
Year: 2002
Model: Protegé5
Message Body: I have a Vivid Yellow Protege 5, and I have been told
that the paint DOES NOT have a clearcoat on it. Is it true that the Red
and Vivid Yellow Protege 5 has no clearcoat? If it doesn’t have a clearcoat, why not? Can you please verify this information. Thank you.

protegextwo

Nice Job, Monkey Boy!!! You cut to the chase. However, I wished you Had inquired about the Red color, also.

-Larry "love train"

sharonf

Larry,
Looks like Monkey Boy did ask about the Red....but got only a response on the yellow. I'd like to know about the red also since that's the color I am interested in.

sharonf

Hi all,
Well...I thought I was on the verge of becoming a P5 owner as many of you are...but looks like I'm gonna have to wait.
I'm wanting an automatic with the new "sport auto with overdrive"....triptronic?? I think it's called....and leather. I got two stories today - one from the dealer....one from carsdirect.
The dealer said that new auto trans is gonna be for the 2003 models....and will likely not be out until around July.
Carsdirect says that it is not gonna be 2003's...but still 2002's...though they are not being made yet. Said he got word from Mazda that any future p5's would have the new auto...but no word on when they might start making them. He thought maybe a month or two....but said it is possible it could be July.
I tend to believe the carsdirect guy cuz honestly I knew more about the car than the lady at the dealer....and cuz from what I've read on here before....there is not gonna be a 2003 P5?
If anyone can provide any further insight into all of this I'm most interested!!
I hope I don't have to wait that long!
sharon

coznefx

I'm begining to feel like I'm invisible :-(...

Yes, I checked with the dealer, and red does have clear, as does every other color. Anyone who owns a red P5 (as I do) need only take a look in the engine compartment or behind the hatch to see what the paint looks like without any clear on it.

mazdafun

My '99 Pro definitely does NOT have a clearcoat layer on it. It is "Sunrise Red" not "Millenium Red", which does have a clearcoat.

Since my waxing & polishing rags get reddish when I apply wax/polish, then there is definitely no clearcoat on my bright red Pro. There may be clearcoat on the new P5 bright red, but we'll have to hear from someone with a bright red P5 to confirm that.

I doubt this is much of a problem. I have an '89 323LX in bright red without clearcoat. After years of waxing & polishing, it's still red all over (except the painted side mirror housings, which have lost a lot of red).