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Mazda Protege5

1…7778808283…154

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    pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    I live in Memphis, and I usually have a 40/60 mix of city & highway. That tank had to have been all highway mileage, and I probably didn't have the air on. Plus I removed the roof rack. My worst tank so far has been 27 mpg. My best has been 33 (the 419 tank).
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    randallb2randallb2 Member Posts: 4
    I noticed some posts about autocrossing. If you are looking for additional information about events in your area, check out the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) at www.scca.org. They sponsor a nationwide series of autocrosses (called "Solo II"), and many regional clubs will offer local contests. In addition, local SCCA chapters can probably put you in touch with other independent car clubs that have autocross events. I raced my 1986 RX-7 in autocrosses for a number of years, and had a blast. In addition to the pure fun, you also learn a LOT about the handling characteristics of your car, and often have the opportunity to take performance driving courses at real low cost (local stuff, not the racetrack type). Had to sell the RX-7 when my now-7 year old triplets came along, but they love riding in the back of my new P5!
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    randallb2randallb2 Member Posts: 4
    Anyone seen any factory shop manuals for the P5? I checked with my local dealer, and was told they would not be available until the Fall. I always pick up a set of manuals for my vehicles, as the wiring diagrams really help when you want to customize, and the repair sections have step-by-step to take the thing apart and put it back together.
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I regularly get 30 mpg in my manual P5 with nearly 16k miles on it. Just under 400 mles per tank when the light comes on and I fill up.

    Lowest MPG to date? 26 on the first tank
    Best MPG to date? 34 on a long trip to ME, mostly 70 mph

    That new shift knob sounds nice... is it all leather? I want to replace mine as the numbers are already wearing off.

    Other then that, almost 16k miles and no issues to speak of. I have a minor rattle in my pass-side door that comes and goes, I do not have the cold start rattle, and have had no necessary repairs or complaints.

    My car is right now at my trusty independent mechanic for it's 15k service.
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    randallb2randallb2 Member Posts: 4
    I didn't remember if you have 5 speed or automatic, but as noted in post 3944, and mentioned in other posts, the P5 5 speed has a rod-actuated shifter, rather than a cable linkage as is common in many other small cars. The direct mechanical linkage will transmit some of the engine vibration to the shifter, and four cylinders are not know for real smooth operation!
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    mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    OK everyone, FIVE DAYS TO GO!

    I have tallied the lists, and here's the "official" rundown to date ...

    37 people (wowzers)
    23 Proteges
    1 river-bound Jetta

    In case you're interested in what kinds of Proteges are coming, here's the breakdown:

    1991: 2 LX
    1992: 1 LX
    1993: 1 DX, 1 LX
    1994: 1 DX
    1995: 2 DX
    1997: 1 DX
    1999: 1 LX
    2000: 3 DX, 1 LX, 2 ES
    2001: 3 MP3 (yeah, THREE of 'em!!!)
    2002: 4 P5 and the aforementioned river-bound Jetta

    Looking forward to a record MAPP! See you Saturday!

    Meade
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    coznefxcoznefx Member Posts: 35
    So, just how much of a sacrifice in mileage am I making by leaving that noisy rack on?
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    I asked the same question long ago, someone affirmed that difference is really minor.

    Bruno
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    The faster you typically go, the worse it gets. Below 35mph wind-speed, you probably won't notice. You'll notice it on your freeway trips, where you might lose 1-2mpg (at least 3%, assuming you net about 30mpg on the freeway w/o the rack). Pennies on the dollar for sure, but not fractions of a penny.
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Just curious, where all this numbers come from?

    Thanks,

    Bruno
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    But I can run them through some fluid mechanic formulas too, given projected frontal area.
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    to be more precise, the fluid dynamic formula is called Navier-Stokes equations. The funny thing is the P5 and Protege have the same drag coefficient (Cx) of 0.32.

    Bruno
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    tbundertbunder Member Posts: 580
    those wheels are really different. just go here and see the old ones.


    http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/spider48/Protege/My_P5.shtml


    then go here and hit high performance tires:


    http://www.mazdausa.com/protege5/default.asp?vehicle=protege5&zip=&did=&state=


    a lot different.


    also, the car and driver numbers were taken directly right out of its magazine at the end where the stats are. the p5 was quicker and stopped faster than the p3.


    also, anyone know what they did for the ten extra horses? exhaust? intake?


    thx for all the info.

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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Maybe they ran the P5 backwards, since teardrop shapes are more slippery. :)

    More likely is that they rated the P5 w/o the roof rack since the rack is not standard most places outside of NA. (And speaking of ratings, I really detest how most reviewers still post mfr ratings for cargo volume instead of actually measuring the space themselves. This really hurts the P5 as the old ratings were only up to the bottom edges of the windows whereas most mfrs measure the spaces up to the headliner).

    And, yes, thanks for the name of the set of equations. I forget since I haven't used them since school. Amazing how little is used in industry. Scary, actually.

    I might be able to convince one of my co-workers to run an analysis of CAD models through their CFD software (Flow3D, I think) on a lark.
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    dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Did the mp3 come with ABS? If not, there's your difference in braking distance vs. an ABS equipped P5.

    The 10 hp comes from intake, exhaust, chip.

    The numbers I've seen place the mp3 at around .8 sec quicker than the P5.
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    IIRC, the MP3 did not come with ABS.
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    "Did the mp3 come with ABS? If not, there's your difference in braking distance vs. an ABS equipped P5."

    And the driver skills!

    None of the mp3 comes with ABS and cruise control, not even optional.

    Bruno
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    vinceburlappvinceburlapp Member Posts: 64
    Smaller than the Protege, but pretty nice. At:

    http://www.thehollywooextra.com
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    revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    feel free to join us, and share information, in our new Hatchbacks Scion discussions: Scion ccX and Scion bbX. Thanks for your participation.

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
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    sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    well...mine is a new automatic.....maybe I'm just looking for problems where their not. Like I said, it's not a unbearable thing....just a little something I noticed. Since I now have an appt this Sat with the dealer that sold the car(to fix the scratch on my leather), I'm going to have them check it out, and also to see if there's any leak in the moonroof.
    Sharon
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    fern88fern88 Member Posts: 42
    Hey All,

    I went to a dealer here in southern cal and they had 3 2002.5 models. One was silver with leather and the sports shifting. I must say that I definitely liked that option to manually shift. It took a little while to get used to but it was nice when i wanted a little more speed off the line. The inside leather was not great but I liked it better than the leather in the 2002 altima. Most leather these days unless it's a jag or mb looks pretty cheezy/vinylish.

    So overall I liked it. I've been debating between a small suv like the honda cr-v or a hatch like the protege 5. Decisions....decisions :)
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    the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    you're in SoCal so you'll almost never need the high clearance or AWD of the CR-V for snow or bad weather. At the same time the P5 is less costly, looks MUCH cooler IMO, probably can carry comparable amount of cargo against the CR-V with the rear seats down, and is TONS more fun to drive!
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    fern88fern88 Member Posts: 42
    the_big_h: yes, the P5 would be more fun to drive but there's that picnic table in the crv!..... just kidding :)

    Question about carsdirect.com's pricing, they have this 750 dollar rebate which they subtract for the price. What is that rebate? I can't find any info on Mazda's site about a rebate.
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    tbundertbunder Member Posts: 580
    would c/d test a non-spec american mp5? i highly doubt the roofrack would make that big of a difference. according to them, the mp5 is quicker than the mp3.
    does anyone know what the mp5 tops out at? it comes with V-rated tires, so i assume it can go around 130 or 140? just wondering.

    also, does anyone know if mazda plans to offer more horsepower in the 2003 mp5? it seems whenever i buy a new vehicle, the next year they make the model i just bought better somehow. just wondering before i buy.
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    sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    The $750 is in effect if you take delivery....I believe before july 1, 2002. However, if you use the 0% financing instead, you don't get the rebate.
    Sharon
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    sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Fern88
    you can also look on edmunds site...under rebates/incentives.....and you can see that they do show the rebate there.
    Also, if you happen to be a AAA member....and are gonna use carsdirect.....access carsdirect throught the AAA site and AAA will give you a $50 giftcard.
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    ggilliomggilliom Member Posts: 22
    If anyone has the new P5 with leather seats, please post a photo when you get a chance (or post a link to any online photos that exist -- I can't track any down using Google). Really interested to see what they look like.

    Also, curious to know if what I've read is true -- that the P5 air conditioner is weak and nearly inadequate. I'm seriously considering a P5, and that's about the worst thing I've read about it.

    Thanks!
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    mootarjimmootarjim Member Posts: 8
    I wouldn't call it the strongest by any means, but I live in Georgia, and during a recent bout of the "90's" (90 degrees, 90% humidity), it did find with the air on 2 (of a possible 4). I started it out on recycled to cool it more quickly, then switched to fresh air mode. I was fine. Again, not the coldest, but I don't think I'll have a problem staying comfortable in my Vivid Yello MP5 (did I mention I love this car?).
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    pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    No complaints about the air conditioner. Mine blows very cold quickly.
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    113mph according to C&D. Limited by the computer, I think. Supposedly, T-rated tires should be sufficient for this top speed, but the V-rated tires should have stiffer side walls, resulting in quicker responses to your steering inputs.

    The 0-60 times also depend on willing the test driver is to trash the transmission. R&T quotes 8.8s for the P5 for this test, for instance, while C&D gets low 9s and CR gets over 10s. R&T usually gets lower figures than C&D, but I sure wouldn't buy one of the cars they've driven.
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Hmmmm????
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
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    mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Ive been looking for one also. I do mostly SolidWorks stuff, but any cad model would be fine. If you find one, can you email me?
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    shriqueshrique Member Posts: 338
    Well you got to say one thing. They truly get to the capability of the car. Be danged the consequences!

    Say has anyone from Canada see the article in World Of Wheels mag? They are going to take a P5 and totally soup it up. They seem to be doing it in either 3 or 4 stages. They are going to start mild (intake exhaust etc) and then go to wild (turbo supercharger etc) At the end they are going to give the thing away. Of course those of us in the USA can't participate (sigh). The cool thing about the article is that they are going to document things like how easy is it to live with a particular mod every day. I think they even mentioned they were going to take it to AutoX races as well.

    I'm REALLY interested in the article because I have never modded a car before and want to know if a cat-back is something I can live with on a long trip with a small kid. (GRIN)
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    cbmortoncbmorton Member Posts: 252
    I get World of Wheels magazine and read the article you're talking about. They gave the P5 a glowing long-term review (apart from expensive dealer service and the noisy engine) and said they liked it so much they were keeping it to test modificatons on, take it around to shows, then give away in a contest. Looking forward to future issues to see how it develops.
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    15k service... anyone had it yet? Where did you get it done and how much did it cost?

    With no local dealer, I went to my trusty independent foreign car specialist and it cost me $68.
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    meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Got my Hidden Hitch brand hitch installed yesterday. A 1 1/4" Class I receiver. I'm going to use it for a hitch mounted bike rack. I had been concerned about how it would look, but I'm very pleased with how it turned out. They give you a plastic cover for the receiver and with that cover and my dark blue car, it blends in really well. I had considered taking it off during the non-biking months, but I won't do that now, it looks just fine the way it is.
    Now if I can just decide on a bike rack.....
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Sure. Please do the same.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Read your owner's manual and it will tell what he did. I didn't think it should be that much though, it's just basically several checks, a tire rotation, and an oil change.
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    can you take a few pics of the hitch and post them or e-mail them to me. One of the few things stopping me from getting a P5 is the need drag my dirt bike around on occasion. BTW, did they say how much you could tow, if you did?

    Thanks.
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Just from my head: oil change, air filter change, tire rotation, brake check, liquid check, test drive. Get mine done at the dealer, more than $100.

    Bruno
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Yes, I pushed once my P5 on a windy road, not very flat, west of Texas and I reached 111mph. It's no double electronically limited. 113mph given by C&D seems right.

    Bruno
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I had him do the Maxa reccomemnded service.

    2002 Mazda Protege5 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

    15,000 Miles

    Check operation: A/C compressor
    Check operation: Air conditioning system
    Inspect : Air filter
    Inspect: Body nuts & bolts
    Check fluid level: Brake & clutch master cylinders
    Inspect: Brake system
    Inspect: Chassis nuts & bolts
    Check level: Coolant
    Change: Engine oil
    Inspect: Hinges, locks & latches
    Check operation: Lighting
    Replace: Oil filter
    Check level: Power steering fluid
    Inspect: Wheels & tires
    Check fluid level: Windshield washer

    I thought $68 was perfectly reasonable. I'm sure that I could have done it for less, but when it's cold and wet and you don't have too much free time, a trusted mechanic is worth my money. :-)
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    I don't see tire rotations and air filter change in your list. It should be done.

    Bruno
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    meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    I posted a quick pic I took in the rain this morning on Meades Yahoo group in my album. I'm gonna take some better ones if the sun ever comes out again.
    Didn't even ask about towing. I told them from the beginning I was using it for a bike rack, but someone around here is using it to tow a motorcycle trailer. I need to find his emails, I think he mentioned the capacity in one of them.
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    mmdorfmmdorf Member Posts: 8
    Why pay $68-$100+ for service you could easily do yourself. At the minimum, at least check/fill your own fluids, which you should be doing any ways, at least every 3,000 miles or when you fill up for gas...and inspecting your hinges, locks & latches, nuts & bolts, you really believe a mechanic goes around your entire car and checks every bolt, give me break! Turn on your AC/lights to inspect them, wow, that was tough.

    The only thing I'm going to pay for is an oil change, tire rotation (doing already every 5K) and an air filter.

    Every year I buy a coupon book for Big O Tires, for $70, which comes with 6 Free oil changes, tire rotation and balancing, that comes up less than $12.00 for each visit, and the coupon can be used on any car. Here's the company that sells the coupons (Auto Promotions (760) 433-8088).
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    hmmm.. I'm perplexed.

    I don't understand why I'm getting so much grief here about this.

    I posted this topic to basically gloat about how much cheaper it is to use a trusted mechanic then a dealership for maintenace.

    The place I bought my car quoted me $85-$110 for this service and I don't know them. I have used my independent garage for years and they have proved their honesty and integrity over and over to me... and I saved money to boot.

    I've changed my oil every 5k miles, I rotate my tires about every 7500, plus I have a seperate set of wheels & tires for winter. I do all that myself.

    That 15k list is what Mazda (via Edmunds) recommends you do, my garage didn't make it up.

    My air filter is clean still, no need to change it, so they didn't. My tires were rotated when I took off my winter wheels/tires a mear 3k ago. No reason to do it now and charge me for it. Could I get that same honesty from a dealer? Not in my experience.

    I'm pretty anal about car care, and am under the hood quite often checking this and filling that. I detail cars on the side too... I take very good care of mine, I assure you. But my free time is short and valuable to me.

    But I didn't have the time to get to it this week and my miles were racking up (16k today). So I decided to have my mechanic give it a professional once over according to the manufacturer's schedule. What the heck is wrong with that?

    And no, I doubt they looked at every bolt, but they are a great shop, who has done lot's of work on my past cars with great care... I think it was worth every penny to have them look it over with a trained eye.

    tough room today.......
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    the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    I'm actually glad you found a good inde. mechanic that does good work and inexpensive. Good for you!

    Now I need to find someone like that so the dealer doesn't suck the life out of my bank account :(
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    And this was really my point! :-)

    A good, *trusted* independent foreign car mechanic is worth his weight in gold.
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