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Mazda Protegé

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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Yep, Dunlop SP 5000s. My car has 23,000 miles and the front tires are near the wear bars now and the rears aren't too far behind (yes, I rotate my tires). Although I really like to take corners hard, this tire wear is surprising considering the tires have only been on the car durning summer months. I'd say they will last at least 30,000 miles on your RL because I don't think it's possible to take corners as hard as I do in an RL.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Ironically, I got into more trouble in my Proteges than in the 1.8T Jetta. I got a ticket in each Protege for speeding, but none yet in the Jetta that I have had for a little more than a year now.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Do you drive the car hard? I was at 20K miles on my 01 ES when I traded, and the tires looked like new. I drive mostly highway though, if that makes a difference.

    I have 17s now, and am at almost 26K miles. One is looking a little light, but the others look fine.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    So it looks like another recall is going to be in the Focus's future, probably. Should I put on my surprise face???
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    boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Mine were worn out at 18,000 miles. Replaced them with Toyo Proxes T1-S. I am very pleased so far.
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Yeah, I suspect the treadwear rating on the SP 5000s might be a little optimistic. With this kind of wear, you might as well get soft Z rated tires.
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    meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Finally got around to it today. Figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a try. I'm really hoping they work as well in the cold as is advertised, since that is my main reason for trying them out.
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    mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    My SP Sport A2s now have a little over 12,000 miles on them and show hardly any wear at all. Been rotating them every 5,000 miles (so twice so far). Very pleased.

    Meade
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    with another recall/investigation, as educated consumers have come to get used to it from the Recall Motor Co.

    It must drive the marketing folks crazy: just a dozen defects and recalls and you'll get as much publicity than from a simple ad campaign. Whi knew?

    Anyways, to get back on topic, I drove my PRO today and it was great, although I get annoyed when other cars must touch their brakes to take a corner for which I usually accelerate for more zoom-zoom.

    Dinu
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    fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    those drivers also brake for squirrels and birds. :D They tick me off, too. Especially SUV drivers pulling into driveways. You'd think a little bump could be taken in stride in a SUV. Drivers in RWD cars have to brake, where FWD cars pull through the turn without braking.

    fowler3
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I thought about you this morning when I heard something on the radio on my way to work. They said they were thinking about making a movie based on the Rally Monkeys! I thought that was too funny. Forgot to mention it earlier though.
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    mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I had to place an overnight order (400 color copies for work) with Kinko's last night. When I arrived at 6:15 this morning to pick them up, the ONLY other car in the parking area was a 2000 Protege!!! I parked beside it. We looked so cute together.

    (OK, OK. I'm stretching things here. It was a beige DX. I know you drive a white ES. But it sure was fun making the "chat whore" connection.)

    ;-)

    Meade
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    boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    ...or "push" if you aren't driving a Protege.
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    meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    All those open parking places and you parked beside it? What a weirdo!
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "Drivers in RWD cars have to brake, where FWD cars pull through the turn without braking."

    If the Protege was RWD, it would handle even better. You could use power to steer the car. On a FWD, putting power to the ground, steering, and braking are the responsibility of the front wheels. Not the best thing for handling.

    A Rally Monkey movie? I'll bet Jackass is better.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I haven't seen Jackass yet, and really don't plan to. It looks too dumb for words to me.
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    It was pretty funny. First movie to have someone shoot bottle rockets out of their butt in Japan or show somebody roller skating with rockets attached to the skates. They drove a golf cart around a putt-putt golf course and knocked over all the statues, then flipped the golf cart going off a jump. Some guy even read a newspaper and took a crap in a display toilet at a plumbing store. This is classic stuff people......

    Oh yeah, Proteges are nice.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    You know, what you said about the hardware store made me remember when I was shopping for my bathroom model about a year or so ago. I went to the Home Depot, and realized that they didn't have any commodes on the floor. Without me asking, the guy who was helping me said they didn't because "little kids see a toilet and they go in it". It cracked me up when he said it, but I guess it makes sense.
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    James: They keep telling them their SUVs are made for the outdoorsy type, the adventurer in them, etc. Yet, as you said, most must crawl to a stop when taking a turn. Seems to me there's a conflict in this somewhere as true adventurers/etc would take a chance and hit the gas in a turn and see if it really flips :)

    PRO-related stuff: No pinging so far since last winter, even though we have cold weather and it has snowed (a little). I used to keep the car in a heated garage last winter, but now it stays outside. Guess it likes fresh air better.

    Dinu
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    mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Take a large, juicy bite out of me.

    Meade
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Pork: The Other White Meat! :)
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    mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I ain't touchin' that one!

    Back to Proteges!

    Meadeball
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    TIRES!! Any experiences with 205/50/16s on Proteges? Do the sidewalls stick out a lot compared to 195s? What kinds do people have? Do you like them? Any pictures?
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    "Do the sidewalls stick out a lot compared to 195s?"

    5mm!
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    You mean 2.5 mm on each side right? What I am asking is: Does it look goofy, or cool?
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Artistically (!) it looks better, not goofy. Well. on the P5 it is.
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I guess it would be 5 mm on each side...duh. P5s have the exact same tires as the ES.
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    The P5's had 195/50 R16's...no?
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    '00's had diff tires.
    '01 + ES sedans same as P5
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Yes, you are right. The ESs have the same size tires and the same wheels. At least here in the US they do...
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Better get in this one before we switch to brakes, etc.

    Dinu
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    patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You know what, chit-chat about anything under the sun, moon, stars and vehicles (like when you change your oil or something!) are more than welcome in Protege Posse in your Owners Club (linked at the top of this page). Please check it out, it's just exactly the environment that a lot of this conversation is looking for!!

    Conversation primarily focused on a vehicle known as Mazda Protege without extended meanderings into subjects that have no remote resemblence to the Mazda Protege is MORE than welcome here in the discussion that is indeed dedicated to the Mazda Protege sedan.

    :)

    C'mon, folks -- this doesn't have to be such a big deal if you would just make the very minimal effort to converse in the discussions appropriate for your conversations.

    I appreciate your understanding - thanks.

    Pat
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    glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    Ya know, I'm starting to feel like this site is run by John Ashcroft. Glad we have other choices out there.

    Phil.
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    No problemo Pat! Vamos a Protege Possee amigos!

    Can't you tell I speak Spanish?

    Dinu
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    fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    Protegé, Protegé, Protegé, Protegé, Protegé, Protegé, Protegé, Protegé, etc etc etc. Sheesh!

    Any chatters tonight? It isn't censored you know!

    By the way, can anybody explain what leanarity means in the Protegé's handling?

    fowler3
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    dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    You mean linearity, right?

    That word means "in a straight line" according to Dinu's Internal Dictionnary TM.

    Leanarity: Not sure if that's a word or not...

    Dinu
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    chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    http://www.mindarrow.net/rx8hr3/Static/rx8hr3.asp?cid=922&mid=1595
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Ok...did you intend to spell "Dictionary" as "Dictionnary"????

    Keep the TM on that word...could be valuable someday...hahahaahahah!

    Fowler, what context was the word used in?
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    fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    Ah, Protege_fan it was used in the Edmunds.com review of the Mazda6.

    fowler3
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    snagy1snagy1 Member Posts: 55
    my 30k check up went fine yesterday, $ 110 dollars poorer (did my own spark plugs and air filter again) and even my poor portenza tires still look good after 30k. i was more surprised to learn that my brakes were both rated at 65% front and rear. usually my fronts rate lower than my rear(brakes) on my other cars. also learned that the 2001 proteges don;t have fuel filter to replace.
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    newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    They do have a fuel filter, it's in the gas tank.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Surprised that the brakes have that much left, you must not drive the car hard. I had to have my front pads replaced at 27K miles when I had my 99 DX. :)
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    snagy1snagy1 Member Posts: 55
    i probably drive about 80 % highway, that could explain my percentages.
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I drove about the same amount, but I drove the car pretty hard. I also had to have my rotors machined at 26K miles.

    At the same mileage on my current car (VW Jetta), I have 80% rear and 90% front, they said.
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    snagy1snagy1 Member Posts: 55
    yeah, i used to tail gate and slam on brakes before, but grew out of that cause i live in the country and hitting deer is common occurance. we had someone die recently after they hit a deer at 70 mph. (wearing seatbelts would have saved his life)
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I don't know how people can get in the car and NOT put on the seatbelt! I have a hard time even going around the corner without my belt on. I feel "naked", in a sense, without it on. I had my current car for a month or so before I even knew what the seatbelt alert sounded like.

    I was in an accident back in 1998, and would have gone face-first through the glass had I not had my belt on. Every since then, it's always on, even in the back seats.
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    snagy1snagy1 Member Posts: 55
    i never used to wear it till my mom and dad got into a bad accident when i was about 20 years old. they got banged up pretty good, and when i saw that, it changed my mind real fast. to this date, i wear it always, even on those short drives to buy a newspaper or something.
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Are they not mandatory where you guys live? You'll get fined here if you get caught (yes...that's a big IF).

    "Buckle up. It's the Law."
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    It is a law in the US that you have to wear a seatbelt. It's also a law that you can't go around shooting people for the fun of it, but don't tel the sniper that. :(
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    gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Law abiding people. The very reason gun control won't work. Only law abiding people would give em up.

    I got the RX8 e-mail too. Looks awesome. I'm also in the sweepstakes for the 6. I enter every week. Did you see a loaded one is $25K though. Better be some big discounts.
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