Mazda Protege5

dannyrolfe

To bluong1:

Oh yeah, I thought I saw on a site somewhere that the alloys were optional, perhaps that was the case in the past?

Jim,

Sounds like you want the car pretty much fully loaded!

The color I'm going for is the Midnight Blue Mica, which looks great, but perhaps isn't as practical as the silver. I like the blue and it just so happens the dealer has one on the lot, exactly how I want it.

It is also the mid-year update/refresh. It has the side indicator lights [I think they look tasteful. Then again, I am used to them because in Australia, all cars have to have them fitted.]

As for being able to get all of those options for that price, I have no idea! However, I decided the $700 or so that the moonroof costs [I think] I would be better off spending on any modifications I might do. [although it's tempting to get the moonroof] The ABS and side airbags are a bit different in that they are a good safety feature and it's something I am contemplating.

The accessories I am adding though are things such as:

- Cargo tray [very practical, especially if you ever carry any wet stuff around]

- Car cover as I don't have a garage and the car would be parked under trees. Not sure if you guys sell generic sized car covers in Walmart or something for probably a lot less??

- Wheel locks [for obvious reasons]

- Rear bumper guard

I'm thinking about the security system as well.

Anyone know what else, besides the side indicator lights, has changed on the mid-year update/refresh model??

Danny

clayman1000

Here is a snippet from the Car and Driver review:

The complete ZX5 package includes six-spoke, 16-inch aluminum wheels; P205/50HR-16 tires; fog lamps; a six-disc, in-dash CD changer; a remote keyless entry system; power windows and door locks; air conditioning; a fat steering wheel that tilts and telescopes; Ford's SecuriLock passive anti-theft system; and electronic speed control—for the ordinary sum of $16,135 in Sangria Red with medium graphite low-back bucket seats.

Read more at:

http://www.caranddriver.com/

--------------------------------------------

How does that compare with the P5?

Anyone?

Just trying to make an informed decision.

clayman1000

I only test drove the P-5 and thought it was about the same as my ZX3.

maltb

Just trying to make an informed decision.

I only test drove the P-5 and thought it was about the same as my ZX3.

Sounds like you already made your decision. Did you come here to get our approval?

bluong1

: I only test drove the P-5 and thought it was about the same as my ZX3.

In that case it's clear and easy: if you do not have any concern about Ford assembly quality and if you don't see the driving difference between these two cars, then go with Ford. I test drove the P5 and the ZX3, and the later doesn't do much to me whereas the P5 is really really fun to drive, not counting it feels more solid and better looking.

Bruno

seminole_kev

went down to the wire for me. They both have thier strength and weaknesses. I don't think you can make a bad choice by picking either one of them. Glad to see more 5-door hatches coming back.

bluong1

My 10 months old P5 also have side indicator lights. Here is what Thunder Boz told us (Post #3476):

[ I just purchased an Pro5 and also inquired about the mid year updates. The dealer produced to me a sheet highlighting the updates and the following are some of them (from memory):

Sport-shift automatic
Tweeters mounted on the A-pillar (adjacent to the mirrors)
Titanium colored gauges
Some other minor interior trim changes on the dash
Bi Colored leather shift knob
Leather seats available
Nothing too dramatic, no external changes from what I remember. Price change was only about $70. ]

fgaydos

Yes, it is good to have sooo many choices in 5 doors.
The thing I really, really like in the Ford is it's passive anti-theft system. No key no go. I do not like the noise maker alarms as everyone just ignores them.
As for looks and fun , that is very subjective.
As for getting approval, that is what these boards are for, going back and forth with opinions, seeing things in a different light, getting feedback, keeping an open mind.

toddp_5

Man, sorry all, I didn't think to check for the central locking or the A pillars. I looked around (through the windows) for some clues as to where the other speakers would be, but I didn't notice anything. But, I don't remember looking at the A-pillars, so they could have been there. I did look at the sticker price to see if it said anything about the 2 extra speakers, but all it said was something like "stereo with cd player" and didn't say anything about the speakers. I also didn't think to look for the central locking.

If I get back by the dealership, I'll check for those things. The dealership is actually in a different town, about 35 or 40 miles away.

When I went to the "tent" sale they were having in my town this past weekend to take the pictures, they were loading up the cars to take back to the dealership and the P5 was gone. But, it was a beautiful day on Sunday, and I just washed the P5, so I went ahead and drove the 40 or so miles to the dealership to take those pictures...hey, any excuse to take the car for a little cruise

L8R,
Todd

sharonf

Bluong.....I think maybe your P5 has side indicator lights on the side of the bumpers(in that area)...the updated one has those and clear/white? indicator lights near wheels...between there and the door I believe.

Jim(I think)....regarding the alloys...they all have alloys....it's getting them as polished alloys that is optional(extra).

Maltb and Silver....I have looked at Tirerack...it does show about 40something wheels for the P5...though...many of them are larger than 16"....and I don't see anywhere where it states the width, weight and offset of the stock P5 wheels. Personally though, I don't much care for the ones they show..not really what I have in mind.
Oh well....I don't even have the car yet....so I'll just keep looking...just wish I had the right info so I wouldn't waste my time looking at wheels that I can't have!
Sharon

jim_loves_cars

Todd,

Don't sweat the fact that you didn't look for the speakers or central locking switch. YOU DROVE 80 MILES TO GET THOSE PICS!!

That's dedication! Thanks again!

-jim

ppk_ppk

Saw the fotos of the new Pro5. Looks good. Am wondering how the side marker lights are different from the side indicators in our cars? Can someone throw some light on this?

Also, in my car, the side indicator lights come on only when the parking light is switched on - not when the indicators are on - has anyone observed this? Is it like this in all cars? I am thinking that the person installing my alarm system has something to do with this behaviour. I would appreciate if someone can please check and let me know.

Thanks - PPK.

ppk_ppk

Another quick question that has been in my mind for a long long time...

Why is it that only hatchbacks and minivans have rear wipers? I don't find them in normal sedans or coupes!!!

Any thoughts? Thanks - PPK.

jim_loves_cars

Hatchbacks and wagons are simply superior to lesser vehicles, such as sedans. ;P

-jim

iamz

Turbulance off the back of vehicles without trunks tends to deposit exhaust and road dust on the back windows. Sedans don't have the same problem because of the distance between the rear window and trunk.

iamz

As for the side marker lights on your front bumper, they should only come on with your parking lights and headlights. They are not signal lights (indicator lights as you say). The new lights between the driver door and front wheel well ARE signal lights and will flash during a signal.

bluong1

: As for looks and fun , that is very subjective.

First, I don't think it's that *very* subjective. If you ask P5 and Focus owners: "how many time you were asked and congratulated by the look at your car", you'll conclude that the P5 beats the Focus by KO. Now of course, you might have different opinion than the crowd. Then good (?) for you, after all a lot of people still think that Chalotte Church is a greatest singer on the earth! *Fun to drive* is certainly not a subjective notion. 90% of the car reviewers wrote over and over that the P5 is a fun car to drive, not because it's a cute car hence a lot of hot chicks (or cool guys) will wave you, but because the car design is set up to be that way: stiff and active suspension, responsive and direct steering, powerful breaking, responsive and torquey engine, rigid chassis, precise and fast gear-shifter.

Second, even if it's a subjective evaluation, that all matter to the buyer. I recall making a post to clayman1000 saying that if he failed to recognize the driving difference between these two cars (it can happen of course) then he should go with the cheapest, i.e., ZX5.

We are all opened mind fgaydos.

Bruno

mnkyboy

Do you or anyone know a way to make the front bumper "parking lights" blink with the turn signal? There should be a way to rewire and make this work. I have never fooled with wiring on a car, but it shouldnt be that hard if someone has done it already and has pics...

riopelle

My 2 cents -

I think these cars are so close. I've driven a friends ZX3 a fair bit, and it is just an absolute blast to drive. More body roll than my P5, but the car mags are all right - simply awesome handling. Both these cars can boogie.

The ZX5 has a MUCH better stereo than the P5, with wonderfully deep sound and speed-adjusting volume (you go faster-engine gets louder-stereo cranks up on its own to compensate - works great) And the ZX5 doesn't have an ugly roof rack as standard equipment. The ZX5 looks cool, I love the liquid grey - if only the P5 has such a color. Why do Foci tachs still not have redlines?????

The P5 has a tighter-feeling interior, better build quality, nicer interior details, and more reliability. Corner flatter but rides a bit harsher. Better seats although slightly less side bolstering.

seminole_kev

were going to make the trip over here, I kept an eye out on them. Really like them both as I've said before. As far as the styling goes, I think the Focus hatchback has a more European, Fiat-ish look. (Is Fiat-ish a word? ;-) While the Pro 5 has an aggressive Japanesse auto look to it. Two different takes. I actually get a lot of positive comments on the looks of my ZX5, but I'm sure so do the owners of the Pro 5's.

cdnp5

Well I took the plunge on the weekend and decided to do AutoX in my P5 and let me say that this is so much fun. First you get to drive as fast as you can through a tight small course and then see how you compare to other drivers in similar (and some not so simlar) cars. The bad part was that it rained all day (had to use the wet race setup LOL) which lowered the times somewhat. Still the P5 with the Dunlop 5000's handled far better than I was able to drive it. I never really hit the limits of the car as it was wet and my first time plus I wanted to do very well and represent my fellow P5 owners with dignity. I ended up finishing 15 out of 23 with a large Subaru showing (I guess the rain does brings out thie Subies). My happy moment was beating one of the Civic SIR's and my sad moment was being beat by a Subie Outback (with the H-6) with a baby seat. If interested you can see the final times at

"http://www.wosca.com/Event_Results/Spring-2002-Event-2-Results.htm"

Cheers,

d.

bluong1

It sounds like a great fun to me. Thanks for sharing. Any chance for us to see the picture of P5 in action?

Bruno

cdnp5

This is somethine that I wanted to bring but with all the excitment I forgot my camera. I'll look through the website to see if they captured any of my razor sharp driving skills (oh, I can't stop laughing) on video. I have a feeling the guy doing the video was from a Subie club and you know they wouldn't put a Mazda on that tape. I did get alot of "great looking car", "I hear that thing handles amazing", "wow, look at all of the room in here" comments from other car owners though.

d.

mnkyboy

Can someone make a full, complete list of all the new features on the update? Plus a reliable source to back it up...

mudflat

My P5 is 10 months old and has central locking for both the doors and windows. So what is this "central locking" supposed to do?

bluong1

I'm loss with the "central locking" thing. Where this topic is originated from? what is the concern?

Thanks, Bruno

cbmorton

See message #3679. It looks like this poster felt there was a chance Mazda might add a power lock switch to the passenger door as part of the update. I'm guessing that there not being one on the passenger side is a problem for some owners.

vocus

It's a big problem for some people. But since all Proteges and P5s with power locks also come with keyless entry, I don't see the big deal.

jim_loves_cars

but in post #3679 I was simply curious if Todd had snapped a pic of the "central locking switch" (power lock button) on the passenger-side front door.

I agree that with keyless entry, this isn't really a big deal. I was only trying to run down another rumor about the mid-year update. Sorry if I caused any confusion.

"Central Locking" is kind of an obtuse way to say "power locks!"

-jim

seminole_kev

doesn't "Central locking" mean that you can lock all the doors with one button. As opposed to having power locks but each one having to be activated. Which I haven't seen a car that way in years.

reitrof

What brand of Oil Filters are people using in their P5's?

Just curious.

mazdafun

Since the aftermarkets all look to about the same size (and assumed capacity).
They cost only $2.50 apiece.

mustang87

mazda oem. cheap, original and the dealer will never complain that a problem was caused due to an inferior aftermarket filter.

toddp_5

Hey seminole_key, as far as I know, you are correct about the central locking -- I lived in Europe for the past 5 years before moving back here to the States, and over there, they use "central locking" to refer to a car where you have one switch that locks all the doors and the trunk/hatch.

Also, on the European note, for those that were worrying some posts back about the 2002 being the first year for the Protege5, don't worry. I lived in England, and this car has been around for a while, just not with the cool looks the P5 has. They have had basically the same car for many years in Europe. I believe it was/is called the 323F over there, and it has been Mazda's best selling vehicle in Europe for several years.

Todd

bluong1

Protege'5 = 323 F in Europe = Astina (SP20) in Australia = Familia Sport20 in Japan.

They all zoom zoom

Bruno

boopoppa

sounds great. how do i find those in my area? are there any requirements?

sharonf

Okay...so the Mazda website shows the stock wheels as 6.0JJ x 16......does that mean wheels that I find that are 16 x 7 will not work? I don't think I've seen any that say 16 x 6.
Sharon

silver_bullet

Not necessarily. 16x7 may work, but the offset would have to be just right to avoid interference with suspension, steering or body parts. The correct answer is "it depends" -- which is why it is so important to work with a company that GUARANTEES their fitments... like the Tire Rack. Aftermarket wheels are frequently offered in widths wider than stock wheels, so you may have limited choices if you desire a 16x6. I'm just curious - why do you want different wheels? Looks? Performance? If you are really just wanting polished 16s from Mazda, why not just order them through one of the online dealerships that offer discounts?

douglam

Just got my June issue of Car and Driver....

They compared 6 "mini wagons" and here's the ranking:
1. Mazda Protege 5 (what else? )
2. Chrysler PT Cruiser (yukk.... and why the hell it's here?)
3. Toyota Matrix XRS (hahaha, nice try Toyota)
4. Ford Focus ZX5
5. Pontiac Vibe
6. Suzuki Aerio SX

I'm so glad we're #1!!!

sharonf

Thanks for the info....and trust me....if/when I do ever buy new wheels....I will not do it on my own! Most likely I would go through a local shop.....where they can insure the proper fit and do the "installation".
As for the reason I want them...it is for looks. And I figure if I'm gonna have to buy some...might as well get some I really like and will differentiate my P5 from others. We'll see....I may get my car and be happy with how it comes...I really won't know til I actually see it...which better be soon!!
Sharon

silver_bullet

If you are thinking about plus sizing to 17's, I'd seriously consider the Racing Hart wheels that were fitted to the MP3 (assuming they also fit the P5 - anyone know for sure?). At least you'd have the peace of mind of knowing this wheel is an approved Mazda replacement. Looks are subjective, so get what you like and enjoy your car. Personally, I'd stay away from 17's unless you drive on very smooth streets!

vocus

My 2001 Protege had the standard 16-inch tires that the P5 has. I traded the car for a 2002 Jetta with 17-inch tires. The handling is a little better, but the ride is also harsher to reflect that. The 17s will definitely make the ride firmer, so think about that before adding them to your car.

silver_bullet

Vocus, my friend traded the standard 16 inch wheels that came on his 2000 323i for the gorgeous 17 inch Motorsport wheels available on the sport package 330i. Now he has a car full of rattles, caused mostly by the 40/45 series tires, his sport suspension, and bomb crater Houston streets. I think he wishes he'd kept the 16's.

cdnp5

Just do a search on autocross and you should be able to find something in your area. The only requirement that I needed was a helmet and the club that I did this with had a loner available but I think I will look for a helmet of my own though. I recommend doing this is you want to have some fun and meet other people interested in cars/racing. I don't know where you are from but there might already be other people here on the board that live in the same area that do this already. Have fun.

cbmorton

A lot depends on the tires themselves and the car's suspension setup. I traded my 2000 Jetta with 16" tires for a P5 and the P5 rides much harder than the Jetta did due to the P5's lower sidewall and firmer suspension. A co-worker with a 2001 Jetta and 17" tires also enjoys a more forgiving ride than my P5 offers. Fortunately the P5's firm setup gives it somewhat crisper handling than either Jetta. I personally feel the P5 is already biased a little too far towards handling over ride, so anyone wanting to add lower-profile tires should really be sure they can handle the way it will feel.

shrique

Or whatever that's called. I think the tires on the P5 are as "shallow" as I would ever like to go. The way the car was setup from the factory gives you an already pretty harsh ride. I think if you went with 17's the ride would get very harsh. I know personally the only thing I would ever consider would be wider, not bigger. I don't want to have to replace suspension bits and rims every time I hit a moderate pothole.

BMW, I know of a couple of people that got the rims from the 330 sport package and are regretting it. Not because of the looks because they look awesome but because they have dented the rims a couple of times and even in one case damaged the suspension. (ouch!)

bluong1

: personally feel the P5 is already biased a little too far towards handling over ride.

Regularly spending 5 or 6 hours on a stiff road bike with a tire of 20mm (0.8in!) in diameter and a hard saddle as narrow as a chopstick, the Protege5 seems comfortable like a Cadillac to me! Seriously, I'm happy with the stock tires for the balanced compromise between handling/comfort. I have aftermarket rims, but don't recall exactly its dimensions. It could be 16.7.

Bruno

mnkyboy

LOL, vocus traded his P5 for a 2002 Jetta and cbmorton traded his 2000 Jetta for a P5. Did I get that right?

protege_fan

Vocus had an '01 ES

the_big_h

the JETTA team, that is :-D