Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Maybe I should just buy a $500 carbon fiber hood!
http://www.dgmotorsports.com/processtype.asp?ProductID=50-61-1001- -P&ProcessType=1
they make very high quality parts, and the price reflects it.
IIRC, APC (yes the 'tuner' APC) also makes a OEM replacement carbon fiber hood for the 01+ Protege, and for around $500 too!
check with your local Pep Boys for more info (Pep Boys is an official vendor for APC, imagine that, lol)
not driving it often *may* have something to do with it, but it may just be slow leaks from the tires.
I check and adjust the tires our our cars every 2 wks. Seems to be a good interval that keeps track with the weather well too.
I am a liiiitle suspicious, as that seems like not enough miles to have to change the breaks (for $289) And, the breaks do not squeak at all.
Any comments? Thanks
Drumm
actually, it's not surprising. Protege pads grip really well for stock brake pads, but has a relatively short life as a result.
I changed mine at around 37k as well, and when I took it out, man, talk about wearing thin! I was glad I changed it before the metal shims start grinding against the rotors :-)
not sure how skilled are you mechanically, but maybe you can get the pads from the parts dept and change it yourself?
I am not really mechanically skilled, nor do I think I have the proper equipment to change them myself. Looks like I will be back at the dealer... rgh!! Oh well, it's only $295. Thanks for the advice the_big_h
I am not really mechanically skilled, nor do I think I have the proper equipment to change them myself. Looks like I will be back at the dealer... rgh!! Oh well, it's only $295. Thanks for the advice the_big_h
Thanks
My 03 Protege DX automatic started knocking ever so slightly when accelerating hard on uphill passes. Any ideas?
Also, my front pads went out at 18K, or more accurately, the right side one did, the left still had about 20%. I was VERY dissappointed in that interval.
You could also try driving it at high rpms on the freeway for a while. This usually burns off most of the residue.
That is pretty quick for pads to wear. I got 45k out of mine before I replaced them (about 25-30% wear left), but I don't drive much on hills and avoid hard or prolonged braking when I can. Wear rate depends a lot on your driving style and environment (for instance, if your brakes often get surface rust from condensation, this will cause more wear, rust being more abrasive than the unrusted rotor material).
I have never touched the transmission oil. I thought that was something you left alone for 100,000 miles.
What is with this newsgroup? Back in 2000 there would be 50 posts a day!
I just finished flushing the radiator on my Rodeo and stumbled into some unexpected problems - couldn't drain the whole thing through the radiator.
Is Protege designed so that everything will be drained when I open the radiator drain plug? On rodeo, I had to disconnect the hose from the heat exchanger and literally blow the wather in the system through the radiator to push all the old antifreeze out of the system.
Not very environmentally friendly, so I prefer not to do it again if I can get around it.
Any suggestions are appreciated!!!
1. My 2000 ES 5-speed now has 83,200 miles on it, making it the "oldest" of the four Proteges I've owned. (My 1992 LX had just turned 83K when I traded it.) It's running just fine, by the way. (That's what keeping up with your recommended maintenance schedule does for ya.)
2. I'm on my second set of front brakes and my second set of rears. (And it's BRAKES, not "breaks," BTW, people!!!) I made the fronts go as long as I could, and changed everything at about 50K.
3. No squeaks or whining from my transmission. I am on my second clutch/throwout bearing/flywheel set, but this is only because of a TSB on cold chatter that came out. When they removed my old set about 10K miles ago, they said it hardly looked worn at all. So for all intents and purposes, I could still be on my first set. (I've had more than a half-dozen manual-tranny cars in my lifetime and I've never replaced a clutch, even though most of them have clocked over 100K miles. My last vehicle, a 1994 B2300 pickup, was at 117K on its first clutch when I traded it on the 2000 Protege in May 2000.)
4. Still looking at April or May 2005 for my 2005 Mazda3. By that time my Protege will have clicked over 90K miles (probably 92K or so), and by that time I'll be facing needing a new windshield (or repairing the ding in mine), plus new tires and new front brake pads for my May state inspection. Plus, 90K means another major service @ $300. And 90K is getting close to the 105K change time on my timing belt. Soooo.. I'd rather put the thousand bucks-plus that I'd need to do all this maintenance into a down payment on a 3 hatch. Heck, I'll even get a little pittance of value from the 8K miles left on my 100,000-mile extended warranty -- a pittance, but still enough to buy a burger on the way home from buying the 3!
Everyone OK? Good. See you in another few weeks.
Meade
P.S. Maybe the fact that the Protege ISN'T MADE ANYMORE has something to do with the level of participation in this discussion, no? Go look at the activity on the 3 discussions. That's what Protege looked like in (sniff) its heyday (whimper, sob).
Still milking my tires for a couple more weeks before the really wet weather arrives. I probably got the most miles out of my Dunlop SP Sport A2s out of anyone here (35000 miles and counting).
I'll be waiting to see what the Mazda5 is like, since Mazda decided not to bring their MX-Micro over here.
In its current state, there is no 3 for me, nice a vehicle as it is. I just don't fit well into it w/o an 8-way seat.
My 2001 Pro LX just rolled over to 20,000 last week, three and half years after buying it. Runs good, no problems. About ready for tires, though they still have some tred. I was thinking today, IF I replace them with tires rated for twice the mileage it will be seven years before they would be replaced.
"When new toys become old toys, kids lose interest."
Or they have too many toys.
The 3s are selling and have taken our guys!
fowler3
1)My first question is, did the sport auto come in the Pro ES as a mid-2002 item? If it did, I can consider both models.
2)My second question is this: Did Mazda ever actually sell a turbo kit for the 2.0 Pro and Pro5? I've checked MazdaUsa.com but there's no info.
3) Lastly, anyone with the sport auto care to chime in with your impressions? I've never owned an auto before and while the sport auto is nothing like the SMG or like transmissions, it at least invites some input from the driver. So, for those of you that have it, what's it like?
Thanks.
2. Mazda never officially sold a factory turbo kit that owners can buy from dealers and bolt onto their regular Proteges. However, in 2003, Mazda came out with the Mazdaspeed Protege, which came installed with a 170hp turbocharged engine, along with a whole bunch of performance modifications. But it only came in a 5 speed manual transmission, so that's out of question for you.
3. I'd just save your money on the sport auto and get a LX with a traditional automatic, unless you want the additional features that come with an ES. In the end it's still just a slushbox automatic.
Is this a problem because of age or is pedal adjustable? How much money needed to fix it?
Meade
(84,400 now)
I'm new to this group. I just bought a used 2000 Protege LX. Wanted a Mazda 3 (being my very first car and all) but I'm a little tight on the budget. Why'd you guys chose a Mazda intead of a Honda or a Toyota? I'm actually debating on these 3 makes and ended up with a mazda.
Janslor
I avoided the Honda because some of my friends had transmission problems (Accords and Civics)...unheard of for Honda until recently. Toyota had some engine sludging problems, and from some previous research, some of the newer Corollas are needing entire engine replacements at very low miles...again, unheard of until recently. News like this sends shivers up my spine!
All in all, I am very pleased with the reliability of both cars. I find myself fixing things on the 2001 that were poorly taken care of by the last neglectful owner...certainly not the fault of the car. The 2003 has 30,000 miles on it and has never been back to the dealer to correct anything...not even a minor squeak or rattle. My mother came from Chevrolets, Buicks and Cadillacs and vows to never "go back"!
Good luck with your purchase and keep in touch on the Mazda boards.
I don't like the Corolla because of the driving position and the rear axle.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Compared to my last set of tires (Dunlop SP Sport A2), they seem to:
roll a bit more quietly
dampen road impacts better
hydroplane at a slightly lower speed (when new)
respond a little less quickly to lateral inputs
hold on just as well in dry turns, a bit less in wet turns
roll over onto sidewalls a little more gradually, but more easily
I've not pushed them hard enough to elicit 4-wheel drifts yet (not recommended if long tire wear is important to you), as I did a few times with the Dunlops. I'll wait for next spring for that. The roads are a bit too slick to attempt something like that these days. Although, it is easier to do.
I'd say overall they are a little more "touring" than the Dunlops were, but are still plenty "performance" for me. I'll see how they hold up long-term. I put on over 37k miles on the Dunlops (more than most have reported here); they could have gone another 3-5k miles until the tread wore down to the wear bands, but I'm not risking that little tread with winter coming up. I've not put on enough miles to judge impact on fuel economy, but I was getting a long-term average of 31-32mpg on the Dunlops.
My current Protege, a 2000 ES 5-speed, just crossed 85,000 miles this morning. My wife drives a 2002 Protege5 with just over 40,000 miles on it.
Mazda makes small cars that buck the "appliance car" trend. They're a blast to drive, and my little Zoomster still makes me smile all the time.
They also fit us "big and tall" guys much better than Civics and Corollas, at least from my large butt's point of view.
My next car? No brainer there as well. Ol' Zoomster's going out to pasture next May, when he'll be replaced (well, he can never really be REPLACED) by a 2005 Mazda3.
ZOOM ZOOM!
Meade
Most of us usually check all the Protege discussions when we look at the Town Hall ... so there'll be no need to cross-post future questions on three discussions!
Posting on just one discussion not only makes it easier for us to answer you; it also makes it easier for you to find all the responses when you come back!
Welcome!
Meade
I went and looked at the new Mazda3 hatch last week and really liked it. I also sat in the new Kia Spectra5 and absolutely hated it! (This dealership does Mazdas, Kias and Lexuses) If you're looking for leg room, AVOID the Spectra5. With the seat all the way back, my knees were hitting the steering wheel! (I'm approximately 5'11'')
Anyway, my only initial complaint with the M3 is the arduous process of removing the back "shelf" to fully utilize the hatch cargo room. The piece seemed cheap and prone to breakage. Also, I'm still a little concerned with the A/C performance issues...they appear to have been worked out, but it's difficult to say.
So, needless to say, I may keep the 2001 ES a little bit longer. I'm rather frustrated with myself that I didn't pursue a P5 near the end of their run when they were doing their cash back incentives. Finding a good used one, or even a bad used one, is next to impossible!
Keep us posted as to your future purchase thoughts.
Looks like I'm going the Meade endorsed BF Goodrich route. I need something that will get me through winter and wear a little better.
Good to see some old-timers around.