Mazda Protege5

meinrad

the next marketing plan for Mazda on the P5? A bunch of little kids in the back seat pretending to be in a car race as Dad (or Mom) passes and zooms around all the traffic. At the end there is about 30 P5's on the highway with a chorus of Zoom, Zoom, Zoom from the little ones!

Sporin

Thanks for the warm thoughts guys, it is appreciated. :-)

jim_loves_cars

That's what the kids will be yelling from their Century Next Steps DX's!

Thanks for the heads up on the seat model sunbyrne. I'm in the market for a new car seat, and if I get a P5 I'll know what to look for.

-jim

revka

Sporin- Congratulations!

To everyone- I just added a few new items to the Helpful Links (left side) that you may find interesting. Happy motoring... Zoom Zoom. ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards

reitrof

Get lots of sleep while you can. Sleep deprevation is an amazing thing.

shrique

I'm trying to save up as much sleep as i can. My first little one is due end of October. (sigh) I'm not looking foward to diapers (shudder).

I'm readying my P5 as much as I can. I'm considering some lycra waterproof seat covers for the back and I've already added hte bumper cover to protect my bumper from stroller scrap. (GRIN)

sunbyrne

The sleep deprivation is kind of a pain but you do get used to it and it does slowly get better. And diapers are really not a big deal--no shuddering necessary.

Rear bumper guard is a must. I got a couple scratches and then realized how the situation wasn't going to get any better, so I got one...

mdaffron

To everyone who's coming (or who's interested in coming) to the third-annual Mid-Atlantic Protege Picnic (MAPP III) next Saturday, May 18 in Northern Virginia:

I have posted the first update on who's coming and what they're bringing on the Yahoo! group mazdaprotege:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mazdaprotege

It's message number 2309.

We currently have 31 people and 20 cars on our list! If any of you are still on the fence about coming, make your decision and let me know! You can e-mail me at:

mdaffron@the-rma.org

MAPP III: NINE DAYS!

Meade

mnkyboy

Can someone please recommend some tint brands to use on my P5? Louisiana state law requires 50% front seat, 35% back seat, and 20% Rear.

Anyone have any suggestions?

mustang87

congrats Sporin. don't forget us on this board though when the baby arrives.

iamz

I had LLumar window film installed, and it looks great and seems to be holding up well. Stay away from any of the "dyed" window films because they will fade over time. Expect to pay around $250 for the complete installation of a quality film.

My personal opinion would be to stick with 50% all the way around. The car will look visually cleaner that way.

dwryter

My P5 idles just a little roughly, maybe 100 RPM over and under, and bucks a bit during acceleration from a near stop in rush-hour traffic. The car's high torque lets me ease out the clutch without touching the accelerator for crawling forward, and that's great. The problem is
when traffic then starts to move a little and I gently give it gas at low RPM. I must feather the
clutch in such cases or the P5 starts bouncing.

Is this due to the slightly rough idle? Is it common for Mazdas (I'm a former Civic Si owner)? Might the dealer be able to fix it? It's got only about 700 miles, so is still under warranty.

Thanks.

dwryter

>My personal opinion would be to stick with 50% >all the way around. The car will look visually >cleaner that way.

In some states, such as California, it's illegal to tint the front side windows. Marshall Dillon isn't likely to crack down on a very mild tint, perhaps 10 or 15 percent, but I know people who've been ticketed for having 50 percent and had to yank it off.

pciskowski

Today while attempting to avoid door dings by parking close to a curb I scraped my wheel. Anyone know how/if this can be repaired? It is a light scrape on the edge of the wheel. I don't have the polished wheels.

tbunder

im looking to buy a p5 to replace a ranger 4x4. we're having our second child this august, and the ranger just wont accept 4 at all. how is the p5 with a toddler seat in back and an infant rear facing seat. is there room? im sick of 4x4's and their crappy mileage and high prices. a wagon is just what i want. and the p5 is hard to beat in the looks department.
is this car actually built and shipped from japan?
and does this car share any parts with the focus zx3/5? is the engine a zetec or an actual mazda powerplant?
i have a '97 zetec in a mystique that has 104,000 miles on it and still runs like new. will the p5 be as smooth and will it run as fast? i assume it will since it will be lighter id guess.
id like to have a manual, but the wife refuses it. i want silver with non-chrome wheels. im thinking $18K is what it will retail for, what are you guys buying them for? i will buy outright. thx for any info. and any other info would be appreciated.

newcar31

The P5 and it's engine both come from Japan. Although the 2.0L in the Proteges and the Ford Zetec 2.0L have identical outputs at the same RPM, the engines are not related in any way. The 2.0L in the Mazda is ALL Mazda. My Father has a 2002 Focus with the Zetec and my 2.0L in the Protege is noticably smoother and less noisy.

silver_bullet

The Protege 2.0 liter and the Zetec 2.0 liter do have identical max. power and torque numbers, but the new C&D comparo says the Mazda engine produces max. power at 6K RPM vs. 5300 RPM for the Zetec. Mazda's max. torque develops at a slightly lower engine speed (4K RPM vs. 4500 RPM) than the Ford. Someone commented on low speed "jerkiness" - I noticed the same thing during a test drive. Since crawling in traffic seems unavoidable these days, I always test cars to see if they can move along at a walking pace in first gear and accelerate smoothly without touching the clutch. My demo car could not do this. Anyone else notice this in their P5?

Sporin

Cross Post...

proteges rock..yes/no/maybe

Your idle should be smooth, but takeoffs in 1st can be touchy. It seems to be a result of the very lean burn at idle (for emissions) and an aggressive throttle tip in.

I've been driving standard for 15 years and I still have trouble making a smooth getaway in 1st. My P5 has over 15k on it.

mazdafun

Yes, both a rear-facing child seat and a forward-facing booster will fit. I have a sedan, but the P5 rear seat is identical (except there is more headroom since the roofline continues back instead of starting to dip down, as in the sedan). Both types fit fine with plenty of room with my daughter.

Also, the new AT (mid-2002 upgrade) is one of those "manumatics", which will allow you some control over what gear you're in and when to shift (not sure if it decides to override you if, for instance, you choose to stay in 2nd at freeway speeds). Might be a good compromise. Think of it as relief for your left foot, I guess. I'll have to take one for a test drive to check it out, but I'm afraid I'll want one really badly afterwards (my wife would be quite angry with me, since I got my sedan just over 3 years ago).

I think the P5 is the best in its class (small sport wagon), just like I think the Pro is the best in its class (sporty small sedan). Both are fun to drive, yet make practical family vehicles. Oh, if only Mazda NA had made the wagon available when I got my sedan. Darn.

scozim

I've been reading this board with interest for awhile and have to tell you I now have a bad case of the "I gotta have it".

I've been looking at a lot of cars - WRX, Focus SVT, Matrix, Vibe, Celica, P5, Golf, Jetta, etc. for a good commuter car. I finally got some extended time in a P5 yesterday (salesman just said bring it back sometime - awesome!). I will now say it's a no brainer - the P5 will end up in my garage. No sense trying any of the others. For the money, I don't think you can get a better deal - and I was offered a screaming deal. Now, if I can just get the house sold so the P5 can be all mine.

mazdafun

Nice easy sales approach. I like that. No pressure. It's a great little sporty wagon. Wish I had one.

ggilliom

First time post, long time reader...great discussion area. Very helpful.

I test drove a P5 last night with a gated automatic 4-speed shiftronic shifter. It looked very cool, and the shiftronic feature definitely made things more interesting.

I also noticed the addition of two tweeters to the doors, and new turn signals on the front side of the car.

Of the five speeds on the lot, some had round shift knobs with a silver detail, and some had larger leather-wrapped knobs.

What's going on? Other than the shiftronic feature (which was $100 more than standard automatic) none of the stickers indicate any of these things as options.

Has Mazda made mid-year improvements? And if so, is the leather knob now standard?

Finally -- MazdaUSA.com says the P5 can now be ordered with leather seating and door inserts. Has anyone seen the leather? Is it decent?

Thanks!

seminole_kev

yeah, I had the same question about the leather.

scozim

In talking with the salesman yesterday I was informed that all cars made after 2/28/02 have the "mid-cyle refresh". That consists of the side marker lights (not sure I like them) the leather wrapped shifter and the additional tweeters to bring the speaker total to 6. Outside of that leather is also an option on cars made after 2/28. However, the leather surface is only on the seating surface and the rest of the seat is a vinyl covering.

I sat in the only one they had with leather and it was a little more comfortable than the cloth. They had one other car with leather on the lot, but that was a custom job they had done, and it was definitely nice.

silver_bullet

For those of you who have looked at these "refreshed" P5s - do these cars all have the revised style 16" wheels shown on the Mazda USA site?

newcar31

Yup.

Kirstie_H

One major daily newspaper is looking for folks who drive 2002 or 2003 yellow or orange cars, and another major daily newspaper is looking for folks who successfully or unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate the purchase prices of their vehicles at the end of their lease terms. If you care to share your stories on either or both of these topics, please send an e-mail containing a short summary of your experience and your contact information to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, May 14.

Thanks much,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

jstandefer

Hey All,

Those of us on the http://www.protegeclub.com Southwestern forum want to put together a California meet (you Mid-Atlantic guys can't have ALL the fun!). Is there anyone in here from California or the surrounding regions? Speak up and let me know...

Tentatively, we a planning a meet in beautiful Ventura, which is pretty equidistant from our northernmost owner and southernmost owners. We are shooting for Memorial Day, but that may change as we get more responses.

-Jerry

sharonf

Hi Jerry,
I am in California...and just got my P5 last Friday. I'm pretty sure there are some others on this list that are from Cali as well. For me Ventura is kinda far....I'm in the San Jose area....but I might consider it if there were a little more notice....
Thanks for informing though...
Sharon

billyc3

Bought a Silver 5-speed P5 today that had the mid-cycle updates. Here were the changes that I noticed on the P5s produced starting in March, 2002 that have started to arrive on dealer lots in the last couple of weeks:

-> oval shaped turn indicators on the sides of vehicle forward of the front doors
-> manual trannies have an all leather shift knob with a somewhat elongated grip (better!) versus the prior round knob with silver metal trim on top
-> two tweeters added inside of the side view mirrors for a total of six speakers; general impression is that the audio system sounds much better
-> auto trannies have a gated sport shifter
-> plastic trim around trannies and center console is a brighter silver versus the prior brushed platinum look
-> ridges on the wheels have a different pattern
-> additional options available to order include leather seat upholstery, rear bumper guards, cargo tray, and an auto dimming rear view mirror with compass & temperature.

An already terrific car is now even better! Can't wait to pick mine up next week.

mnkyboy

Well, I checked a few shops today.

SHOP #1
The first shop has a Centaur (or something like that) tint job, its a "hybrid" metallic/dye film made my Llamar. The price for this tint is $180 plus $35 for the visor. I would get 50% front windows, 38% back windows, and 20% in the rear. This is the legal limit for Louisiana. Being that I have a yellow car, I have enough cops looking at me, so getting a illegal tint would be asking for it. The other film they have is a ALL Metallic film called Platinum film made my Llamar. This film would cost me $230 plus $35 for the visor, same % as above. This film is semi-shiny, but Im not sure if it would look good on my yellow P5. The shop gave me some decent size samples so I can see how it looks during the day and night. BTW, BOTH of these tints have a LIFETIME warranty.

SHOP #2
The second shop has a mid grade film that has dye, and is made my Madico. It only has a 5 year warranty. The cost for that film is $180. They also have a higher grade tint that is metallic and semi-shiny. They charge about $225.

SHOP #3
This shop uses Sungard. The first grade is $129.99. It is a dye based, and has a lifetime warranty. The second grade is $180, and is metallic. He didnt recommend me do my yellow P5 in this film.

The first shop has been in business for well over 15 years, and is a very reputable company. The second shop is so so, as well as the third shop.

These are the questions I have:
1. I wanted to know how these prices sound?

2. Has anyone seen the metallic tint on a yellow car before? If so, how does it look?

3. I did ask the shops how long it would take to install, and they said about 2-3 hours. Is this a good time frame, or is it rushing it?

I hope that you can answer these questions, since Im not sure what the hell I should do! LOL

sharonf

your info about the leather seats.....I'm questioning that....because i have the leather interior...and I don't see vinyl.
To those of you who have questions about the quality of the leather....I'm not ignoring you....just don't feel competent to answer the question as I have never had leather interior before and therefore have nothing to compare it to!
sharon

tbunder

guys. i am definitely getting a "2002.5. i sat in a brand new mp5 that was built in july of 2001. needless to say, it was not what i wanted. although it was marked way down, i would much rather have an all new car than one that has sat for almost a year. those improvements are worth paying the extra money imo. just checked out that sport auto at mazdausa.com, that is the perfect compromise for us. i also looked at motor trend and their statistics for mazda cars, the mp5 is actually quicker and stops quicker than the mp3. that is kind of odd, since it has 10 more horses. anyone know how they got those ten extra horses? i plan on putting on a cold air induction on mine when i get it. thx guys

tbunder

any place i can go and check out these new wheels? the website doesn't have them, and they don't have pics of cars with the new sidemarker lights. also, do the new ones have a colored insert in the steering wheel? just wondering. thx

i have a feeling im gonna have to drive to get a new upgraded p5. my mazda dealer in des moines had ten, and they were all older ones. but good deals. 2.9 for 60 mos. ill have to order one. i just want the sport auto and that's it.

iamz

I have the Centaur film installed on mine. I thought the ALL metallic would look kind of weird with the black framing around the windows.

If the 1st shop is reputable, I would go with them. $215 for the complete job is a really good price. My car took just under 3 hours, and the workmanship is perfect.

iamz

Go back to the mazdausa.com site and when you first click on the P5 link a picture of a yellow P5 will come up. Click on the "High performance tires" phrase in the picture and a pop-up will come on to your screen with a picture of the new wheel.

reitrof

Not sure about the specs for Motor Trend but Car and Driver puts the 0-60 for the P5 at 9.2 and 8.3 for the MP3.

scozim

The info on the leather seats (with the vinyl on the sides and backs) was straight from the new P5 brochure at the dealership. It was a footnote with small print.

sharonf

Hey there....as someone else posted....there are pix of the new P5 wheels on the mazda website. And...if you scroll back to post #3672 on this forum....someone was nice enough to post some pix w/the side-marker lights etc.
If I ever get around to taking some pix of mine...I'll get them on here too.
Sharon

bluong1

Some time ago, someone in the sedan board told that he drove 400 miles for one gas tank. Now it's mine turn on the hatch! It even wasn't during a long trip. Better anyone?

Bruno

bluong1

wrote something about vibration and engine noise for the Protege/P5. Anyone know what the hell they are talking about? I don't!

Bruno

mudflat

I've had my P5 for close to 11 months, and the engine is as quiet and vibration free as the day I bought it. Not only that, despite the firm ride, the car has yet to develop any squeaks or rattles. I do know how to make those Dunlops complain, however. :-)

vocus

The engine in my 2001 Protege ES was pretty noisy, but only when pushed pretty hard (near redline). It was something I could deal with though. There are quieter small cars though.

pciskowski

My best was 419. I refill pretty much as soon as the light comes on, but there are still up to a couple of gallons left.

iamz

I'm not sure what Car & Driver is talking about since I haven't read the article, but the P5 is the most vibration free car I've owned. Maybe it was in reference to the direct mechanical link shifter on the manuals (I've got an auto so I can't comment on that).

As for the engine "noise", I love to here the engine rev, even near red line. A friend of mine with a Focus said he really liked the growl of the P5 2.0.

badboyeee

lately my tanks gave me 319mi before the light came on. whats up wit that?!?

coznefx

My guess is they're refering to the cold start rattle that is pretty common on almost all (if not all) Proteges 01-02. It's a timing issue (has something to do with two different alloys being used in the engine and how the parts don't fit properly until the engine reaches operating temperature). Mazda is aware of the problem (I have the technical bulletin) and, allegedly, working on a fix. In the meantime, for those of us with the problem, it's little more than annoying.

coznefx

429?! I'm guessing you live somewhere rural. I'm lucky in L.A. if I get 280 before my light comes on.

protegextwo

Vocus, Fountain Head of Knowledge: Yea, Paul should know, prolly owned most of the small cars for sale in North America for at least 6 months, lol!
;-)))

sharonf

Hmmmz...I've only had my P5 for a week...but I must say I have noticed a little vibration when at a stop. There is not really any noise associated...but seems like there's a lil vibration under the hood...like a lil burp? sometimes.
As for noises, rattles, etc....the only thing I've noticed is that when I have the sunroof closed....it seems like there's a lil wishing noise...as if some air is leaking in?
Anyone else experience either of these things?
Sharon