Mazda Protege Prices Paid and Buying Experience
kaiserhead
Member Posts: 166
Paid $19,000CDN (plus tax) for a brand new (14 kilometres) 2000 SE 1.6 with the rear spolier and power moonroof in May 2000 (probably paid too much, first car, was anxious to zoom-zoom out the door.) Bought the car at Downtown Mazda in Toronto from Mark Kazik (who has moved to Guelph Mazda.) The dealer and sales staff were fantastic, especially Mark who encouraged me to drive a brand new demo model through a rutted dirt parking lot at 30 miles an hour to ensure that I approved of the Protege suspension!!! The car is serviced at Gunther Mazda in Fort Lauderdale, great service department.
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The service has been spotty, though they've supposedly improved of late with Mazda NA paying attention to this aspect, so I'll give them another chance when I reach 60,000 miles (I did the 30,000 mile service myself) and it's time to replace the accessory belts and coolant (two things I prefer not to mess with).
Since they were anxious to move the '02s, mine came with a Mazda discount of over $4000. It has power everything, AC, cruise & tilt (probably all standard on the LX but I was only shopping for a DX thinking that would be all I could afford). It only had 15 miles on it.
After the discount the cost was $11,004.
They wouldn't budge another dollar lower than that. I know it was a terrific buy, but you know, part of the fun is the haggling.
Then they get you with financing and LoJack and Extended Warranty, etc. And $299 "prep/paperwork/laughing-all-the-way-to-the-bank" fee.
My salesguy, Andrew Lennie, was AWESOME. Really down to Earth, straight talking, and genuine. When I had issues with the car (minor) a few days later, he made sure I was taken care of.
All in all, after financing and the requisite "additional charges" the car will cost just under $13,000 when it's all paid off in five years.
Best of luck to anyone considering a Protege. If you are considering one, chances are you're comparing it to Civics, Corollas, and the slew of other generic import and domestic sedans out there. After you do your research, you'll probably come the same conclusion I did; that for the money, the Pro kicks just about everything else's butt when you sum up its overall performance, handling, and reliability.
Does this seem like I fair price? I would have taken it right away except it had wheel covers instead of alloy rims.
Would it be better to wait until the 03's are discounted or jump on the 2002?
Any input would be greatly appreciated,
jayskay
We paid $2 under invoice on the S-Plan. Invoice was $17,043. With Sales Tax, Title & Registration, total was $17,891. We financed it for 5 years at 0%. We didn't go for the extended warranty. It is a Protege after all.
DX with auto & CD player $10,995+TTL. That's out the door, no add on costs.
LX with power sunroof, CD & 5 speed, same price $10,995+TTL.
ES with power sunroof, CD, rear spolier ( not sure if the spoiler is standard or optional ) & 5 speed $11,885+TTL.
2003 DX is in yesterday's paper at $11,995+TTL at 0% for 5 yrs. Says you get the CD player, but no mention of the auto trans.
Should she hold out for wheel locks?
Just kidding..
Get them to throw in an extended warranty or something, because I thought someone earlier listed a similar advertised price for a brand new 2002 LX (newspaper ads, but nonetheless, its got 8600+ less miles!)
NO ABS, sunroof, or Alloys!
I think I paid way too much considering that touring editions now have alloys, ABS, etc.
Oh well. I love the car. Virtually trouble free operation. Had a broken front link stabilizer repaired and rear links replaced.
A new one with all the toys retails for $22.000!
Dinu
P5 Wanna-be
Our plan is to put an offer together specifying what she wants and fax it to a bunch of dealers in the area. Worked great for me when I got my new sedan recently.
TIA...
She got hers for about $50 below the "S-plan" price at about $16,500. The dealership was having a customer-loyalty weekend (I had bought my '99 Pro from them), so were selling at about invoice.
Meade
P.S. I own a 2000 ES 5-speed and a 2002 Protege5, so I can't be of much help in the 2003 pricing -- but I will let you know that the '00 just turned 53,000 miles and the '02 has 16,000, and neither of them has ever been to the shop for anything other than scheduled maintenance.
Which reminds me. Don't think you can't afford an ES just because it's the top model. The ES price includes a lot of features that are extra-cost options on the lower models. So if you're looking at a DX with lots of options, go look at an ES. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Meade
However, I think you can probably get DX for around $13k or so. Check Edmund's TMV guide for an indication of what's been reported in your area.
And Meade's right. For a couple to few thousand more, you get more features. Check the LX too. I think it's an easy step from the DX, but I don't know your financial situation (nor do I want to...so don't speak a word about it). The DX is a very nice car for its price.
I want the DX because I plan on buying 2 new cars. I'm about to pick up the cars and able to get the automtic DX for $12,500 and a manual DX for $12,159 (not including tax and other fees). Each one has a/c, but nothing else.
Hopefully I'm getting a good deal.
Oh, and the Mazda Protege Discussion under sedans has too many threads/posts....I can't read all that
May I ask at which dealer or location you got such a great deal?
We want the same car you have but can only get $100 over invoice.
Thanks!
I live in Portland Oregon and a dealership near me in Hillsboro (Royal Moore Mazda) had the special. I checked the car ads yesterday and noticed they are still running the same promotion but now it's only on four 2003 P5's.
I see you live in California you may want to check it out depending where you live.
Hope this helps.
It's an automatic. Power of course, but no AB. It did come with wheel locks. I didn't get the fog lights but I know they would have thrown that in.
It's a beautiful car, beautiful lines and interior.
I suspected we weren't getting a good deal on our end, given the $2000 rebate they were offering...and the fact that they were willing to give me $600 for my p.o.s trade. And I made them give us floor mats for both our cars. That's no consolation though.
::sigh::
AND I LOVE IT...there's a photo in the gallery.
For that sum I drove away with a new 2003 Pro-5.
Considered the Matrix of course, but I couldnt pass up the deal. (seemed like one to me anyhow!)
No leather interior, but did get the in dash 6disc cd and a sunroof. Doesnt seem overly noisy as per the reviews either...course I've been accustomed to an F-150.
Seems like I got more than most civic owners would at that price level. I'm pleased. Now to learn the proper way to "break 'er in".
PS. this is my first post, please forgive the lack of lingo etc etc other errors.
--J
I agree with your assessment of the noise levels in the P5. It is not like we are driving Lexuses, so I am not sure why people expect that level of quiet. Personally, I like to hear the noises my cars make.
Not much involved with breaking in a P5. The owners manual mentions some precautions for the first 600 miles or so. If you want to be really anal, you can follow this guide to breaking in Miatas, but I really doubt it will make any difference:
http://www.miata.net/faq/faq3.html#A
(My car's an Emerald Mica 2000 Protege ES.)
Meade in Virginia
6 dash CD, moonroof, yellow, auto, polished wheels. Is the regional difference that great as to where Proto scores one for $13,800?
Sorry but a $2K difference on a car with a low price to begin with seems crazy to me.
Looking very hard at a yellow or laser blue one with auto.
Just put made a deal on an ES w/ auto, moonroof, 6cd, abs, side airbags. Got a price of $16350 + tax. This a $0 down, 0% finance. Dealer has to locate my color (laser blue), otherwise I think I could have done a little better. Any thoughts on this price?
They have about 20 P5's on the lot, and with our color choices (Blue, yellow, silver), only one had the ABS/side airbag, but it was a 5 speed, which was out of the question for my friend. I am quite happy with her purchase, and hope I'll get to zoom ZOOM once in a while!
Taking out the stock radio is a breeze. All you need is 2 pairs of the Mazda/Ford radio puller tools and a flat head screwdriver wrapped with tape.
Putting something else in could be less easy, but with the right installation kit, it shouldn't be too difficult. Just be sure you don't get something too deep. I think the max depth receiver you can put in a Protege is around 6.5". When you are finished with the install make sure you post about it in the Accessories and Modifications forum. Also, I would recommend replacing the speakers while you are at it. A nice head unit deserves some nice speakers. The stock speakers are the same crap almost all auto manufacturers put in their cars. I recommend the Kenwood 6x8s and 6x9s that Mazda sells. The price is good and they are pre-wired to go in your car. A good place to buy them is madzastuff.com. Good Luck!
Drop me an email at tboggs42@netscape.net. There is something else I would like to talk to you about. Thanks!
I think I am going to use the stock speakers right now, im used to a 1985 oldsmobile speakers, so I think anything better will do, even if its stock right now
Ill tell ya how it turns out, thanks!
Oh yeah, where can I buy those puller things to uninstall it? I found a webpage where I can make it out of hangers, but I think i would rather have real stuff
PS - Be sure to e-mail me. I have some other information for you.
Thanks
MSRP 18,185 +600 "dealer prep". Paid 14,100 which includes a 2500 incentive, 500 college graduate rebate.
I saw similar ES with moonroof and 6 cd, auto tran. + a few other features for 14,885 +ttl from a dealer in MD. www.fritzmall.com My local dealer said he would match it.
Good deal. Great car! Welcome.
27K miles, standard LX configuration.
NO ABS or side airbag
Final cash price 10330 including a 4 year 48K extneded warranty, and tax, registration, etc.
I think Hertz has a policy of ridding their cars once they reach 25K. Most cars I saw on the lot are between 24-27k. Some are as low as 20K. My 2002 came to service in 11/01 according to their record, and was destined for sale in 05/03.
They have Protege and 626; and there is little price difference bwteen them. I was surprised to see many Japanese cars in their lots.
You can check their inventories online at http://www.hertzcarsales.com/findcar/index.html