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
I really wanted a 5 speed anyway and am glad they shot themselves in the foot. No 5 speeds available so I picked up a 99 Civic 5 speed for a great price and will drive it until some other Mazda dealer starts getting some inventory for 2002. Why do 5 speeds hardly exist? I have never seen a premium package here in OK.
INKY
After I did my order, I was talking with the guy at my dealership who does all the ordering, and asked him why 5-speeds were so scarce. He told me Mazda severely underestimated the demand for 5-speeds; if I remember correctly, I think he told me they'd projected about 30% demand for the manual and it's ended up being about 60%. I don't know if these numbers only apply to my region (I'm in WI) or if they're true across the country.
Anyway, sorry your Pro deal soured.
Mazda seatbacks lack lumbar padding on the lower part of the backrest. Sit in the car and tell the person at the trim shop how much and where you want it, custom-fitted for your back.
Any trim shop or good seat cover place should be able to do this.
It shouldn’t be expensive.
fowler3
What's noticeable is how much more smoothly the engine starts and runs for the first few minutes with synthetic v. refined crude oil. Most engine wear occurs at start-up as parts may not be covered with sufficient oil, allowing metal-to-metal contact and wear.
It costs more, but you'll be much happier with the way the engine runs. Besides, the cost of the oil pales in comparison to the overall cost of the car.
You may go for longer intervals between oil changes with the synthetic, so get the larger oil filter (Mazda makes large and small...usually the smaller one is sold to DIYers and costs less). The small one is adequate for 3,000 mile intervals, but the oil gets dark quickly after this point, so I figure it's surpassed its capacity.
I'd take a multiple-speed interval wiper over body-color painted side mirror shrouds any day. Besides, the painted mirror shrouds just means two more patches of paint I have to maintain. Matte unpainted black plastic is fine with me.
Of course, the painted side mirror housings are distinctive for this class of vehicles. They haven't done this for several years (my 89 323 has painted side mirrors). Hopefully, they have improved the durability of the paint. The paint on my 323's side mirrors is faded quite badly.
1) Doing a lot of street racing
2) Live in near the artic circle for any extended period of time
3) Planning to keep your car more than 10 years
4) Like to tow things
5) Live in a super dusty place
6) Never check your other fluids, filters, pressures, belts, and hoses on your own.
synthetic and/or 3k oil changes are a waste of money (my opnion). If you do your own oil changes the difference is not that bad but I you have your oil changed at the dealer or one of the many quick lube places (like I do) then......its a big chunk of change.
I dont keep my cars more than 10 years or so or about 150k miles. Most people in the US dont keep their cars beyond 10-12 years. The fact remains, I still have not lost a car due to engine failure doing oil change intervals as long as 10k with regular dino oil. Has anyone here lost a car due to engine failure as a direct result of the oil breaking down? Its pretty unlikely. If your engine starts to get sludge and stuff before say 100-150k then it was probably a defect duing assembly or some other factor (bad rings, should have replaced coolant, bad injectors, and so on). There is really no evidence that would suggest shorter oil change intervals or synthetic oil would have extended its life.
In my expereince the transmission usually starts to go around 150k but the engine can run well beyond that on long oil change intervals. I just traded in a 90 Ford Taurus (for my new ES 2.0) with a slipping transmission that still got 28mpg on the highway with 150k+ miles and 6-7.5k changes. Engine was running like a champ. Lost about 1/2qt every 5000 miles or so due to a leakly oil pan gasket. It also passed emissions testing with flying colors 2 days before I traded it in. The car was a warrior....a powder blue mom mobile warrior...but a warrior nonetheless.
So in my case:
10 years/150k miles = 50 changes at 3k intervals. $20 a change = $1000. 20 changes at the 7.5k interval. $20 a change = $400. The difference is $600. So if you have 2 cars (sometimes 3) like we do then the difference is $1200-1800 over the life of the cars. If you are talkng about synth changes then you are looking $69.95 for oil and filter (Mobil-1 Lube, Dorsett Rd. Maryland Heights, MO) but you can do longer drain intervals so....it depends.
With that money ($1200-1800) you can:
1) make 2-4 car payments or 1-2 house payments
2) pay down the principle on higher interest loans/credit cards
3) invest it in a money market, CD, mutual fund
4) put it in your IRA
5) invest in a new transmission
6) blow the money on chicks and booze....or just booze in my case since I'm married.
What every you want.
The real point here is that if you are planning on keeping you car 10 years or so there is no reason to do 3k oil change intervals and no reason to use synthetic oil. I think the 3k interval makes most people feel better. Saving money makes me feel better so 7.5k interval for me. If I did use synthetic I would not start until the warranty was over and then go 25k between changes replacing the filter and topping off every 5-10k or so.
Personally, I just follow the manual. No more, no less.
I'm sure it exists but Exxon bought the patent in order to do "further" development.
I have my quirks too....
1) I always do the very first oil change at 3k. I must do this first change at the dealer. I guess because it makes me feel better . You never know the oil could be old or something!!
2) I'm also very aggressive (always early by 10%) with all the other fluid, filter, and other regular maintainance but not the oil.
3) I must check my tire pressure every 3rd tank of gas or if the temp changes drastically. Even in the rain, snow, sleet, hail, I have to check the pressure in all my tires (in both cars). When I find one that low.....its like nirvana to do my husband duty and fill that sucker to where it should be.
4) I must check all the fluids at the end of every month (in both cars). They call to me. Finding a small radiator leak early in my Taurus probably got me an extra 40k miles out it just using some $3 stop-leak once a year. Now thats value!!!
Think of all the cars you have ever owned...how did they die? or how did they become to expensive to maintain?
I've lost cars due to (some in the same car) cooling system, suspension, AC, radiator, lost several transmissions, rust, major leaks, fuel system, electrical gremlins, and lots of other things ......but never the engine. Basically I have come to the conclusion that if you maintain everything around the engine and the engine according to the instuctions you can get to 150k without major problems. 150k is really all I need. After than I want a new car. Dont you? I think that all most people need.
Larry
But there are circumstances in addition to those you listed under which you'll notice a significant difference in performance between synth and crude.
For one, I do notice significant difference in how rough or smooth the engine sounds at start-up if I switch between dino and synthetic oil, especially on my '89 323.
There is also a noticeable difference during the subzero winters we have in OH. Not a problem in the morning after my car's been sitting in the garage all night, but I did have extremely rough starts at the end of the day after my car had been sitting in -20F temperatures for 9-10 hours with regular dino (even the 5W30 stuff) oil. After switching to synthetic, starts were much faster and the engine ran much more smoothly.
Yes, it costs more, but like everything else, if you like the benefits, it's up to you to spend the extra $$$. For me, I like the easier starts, especially during the winter.
Also, if you do your own oil changes, the only difference is about $9 per change (I only have to replace 3 US quarts, and the difference in cost per quart is about $3). Would I pay $70 for someone else to put in synth every 5k-7.5k miles? No way. Do it myself? Yes. It costs less than what is typically charged for regular dino oil & filter changes. I just have to spend 30 minutes of my own time and about $15-16 on supplies.
I used to live in Maine. I remember those rough starts after a few days outdoors at -20. Still, the Honda and Buick I drove around at the time both got to well over 150k before they were sold. I ran dino oil with long changes then too. The most impressive thing is that neither had block or battery heaters. If you live somehere where it does get really cold....they are FANTASTIC.
!!!!! Zooooom Zoooooom sssssssssssst
As for keeping a car to 150K, never have driven one that long. Usually traded when the warrenty was gone, sometimes sooner, and I have owned 31 cars.
My cousin, a retired dentist, who knows little about maintaining cars, never changes the oil and usually drives 85K a year. Restless, has to be driving with no place in particular to go. May head out to Oklahoma and then up to Canada and back home to Virginia. Stops for food, lodging, and gas. And trades cars about every 18 to 20 months.
fowler3
I am having a little trouble with my 2001 ES already. The car has been in the shop 2 times already for its alignment being off. Now, when stopping, I feel a slight pulsation in the brake pedal. Guess that means the rotors are warped and need replacing/machining. Also, my driver's seat squeaks like hell now, because the dealer refuses to replace the bottom cushion. Looks like the newness is starting to wear off...
I have exactly 7500 miles right now, and averaging a constant 24-26 mpg with automatic.
and BTW ,the new MP3 could be with a rotary
or what is the speed at 3000 rpm?
is it the same as 99-00 models or different?
Just for fun, check your tire pressure. Also, the second time you took it in for the alignment, did they do anything?
My dealer never gave me a solid commit date, just the vague "6-8 weeks" timeframe.
I ordered my Pro on Friday, March 30 and picked it up on Saturday, May 26, though it was ready to be picked up on the 24th. So, it ended up being right around eight weeks.
However, I have heard people have been waiting as long as three months to get one, so I suppose I didn't have it too bad...those eight weeks felt like forever, though.
ES2.0 & LX2.0
At 70 mph (+/- 25 rpm):
3,050 rpm (5-sp manual)
2,775 rpm (4-sp auto)
At 3,000 rpm (+/- 0.5 mph)
69.0 mph (5-sp manual)
75.5 mph (4-sp auto)
Jerry: Yes, I meant the dealership. I know it's all covered under the 12/12 warranty. My roommate's Neon had its brakes replaced at 10K, and other friend had the same with a Jeep he used to have. I know everything on the car is covered for the first 12/12.
Chan: How are you getting 75.5 mph with the 2.0 at 70? Mine only runs 70 mph when doing 3000 rpm, but I have the automatic. I also run 3500 rpm at 80 mph, 4000 at 90. It seems to increase 500 rpm for every 10 mph, with automatic anyway.
ES2.0 & LX2.0
At 70 mph (+/- 25 rpm):
3,075 rpm (5-sp manual)
2,825 rpm (4-sp auto)
At 3,000 rpm (+/- 0.5 mph)
68.0 mph (5-sp manual)
74.5 mph (4-sp auto)
Many dealers don't have them yet.
fowler3
-Larry
Larry
Also, I asked Goodyear to check the rotors for slight pulsation. I will see what they say, since my dealer is a complete jerk. Place was great during the sale, but their service sucks. I will tell them this in the next survey they send me too.
maltb "MAZDA PROTEGE PROBLEMS" Jun 8, 2001 8:10am