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Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    136 miles on a brand new car? Isn't that kinda high?
  • protegenicprotegenic Member Posts: 199
    I bought my '99 ES black 5sp in late October '99. It was kind of funny because I purchased it late in the evening and the guy who did the detailing had left early to watch the Braves get thrashed by the Yankees. I got a lot of mileage out of that one (a couple of free oil changes and a couple of detailings).

    I have just over 25K on the car and still really enjoy it. I sure have my eye on a P5, and has anyone seen the Toyota Matrix? It looks pretty decent as well. Since we sold our van, I am looking for the functionality of a hatchback now.
  • bondobobbondobob Member Posts: 34
    2001 MP3 (Laser Blue Mica)

    Delivery mileage: 000054 on 7/20
    Current mileage: 006201 as of 10/1
  • mckaguemckague Member Posts: 24
    Visited a dealer over lunch to take a closer look at the Protege ES. The dealer I visited said there's no real difference between lx and es other than some cosmetic details and 15 vs 16 inch wheels. Is that so? For some reason I thought the es suspension had stiffer settings. You never can tell what's fact and what's fiction with a dealer - he didn't have any es's in stock, so he could be feeding me bull in order to move what he has.

    Thanks
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The LX has different interior trim, different tires, no spoiler, no fog lights, and different seats as well inside. I would go for the ES if I were you, since there's only a little price difference between the two for the amount of equipment you get with the ES vs. the LX.
  • panamaltd2panamaltd2 Member Posts: 162
    Yeah, your dealer was right. There really isn't that much difference between the LX and the ES. If fog lights, little extra bumps on the seat, and white gauges (yuck!) are really important to you then go for it. If I were you I would get a loaded LX and opt for the cool 15 inch wheels (They are so shinny! I love them). It is an awesome car no matter which way you go.

    -Sam

    Haven't posted here for along time, good to be back! :) Anyone interested in a SoCal Protege Club/Picnic thing?
  • mckaguemckague Member Posts: 24
    Thanks for the info. The change from 15 to 16 inch wheels and lower profile tires is bound to make some difference in handling, though it may not be much. I'll test drive both and see. Hopefully the sales person will have a strong enough stomach to let me push the car a bit.
  • etrastetrast Member Posts: 9
    2001 Pro ES (Sand Mica) Auto w/premium package
    Bought june 9 2001 with 36 miles on it
    Current mileage around 3700

    Complaints : Rattle from near the rear passenger side seatbelt. took it to dealer once, said it was a blown speaker and replaced it though I did not believe it. problem not resolved. Haven't found time after that to take it to dealer.
    -Rattle from sunroof when riding over rough surfaces (Has anyone else observed it?)
    -Driver side power window makes a not so smooth noise when opening/closing.
    -Wish the sound system was little bit better.

    Aside from these small problems, very satisfied with the car.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Contrary to popular belief, there are differences in suspension and brakes. Drive an ES, you will feel the difference right away.

    Your dealer tells you there is no difference because he wants you to buy what's on the lot.

    :)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Me:

    2000 Protege ES 5-speed, Emerald Mica

    Took delivery on May 27, 2000
    Mileage on car at delivery: 0.7
    Mileage on car today: 26,500

    Problems: Two that I caused; (1) Jammed the CD player (yet covered under warranty!) and (2) Shoved a too-tall box into the trunk and broke little plastic doohickey that holds the trunk springs together (and also covered under warranty!)

    ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!

    MAPP II -- FIVE DAYS

    (yeah zoomzoomzoom)

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I got the magnetic bra in the mail that I ordered from EBay today. I can't seem to get the darn thing to match the contours of the hood of the 2001 for some reason. It's a pain in the butt now! :) Hopefully, it will conform to the hood's shape more when I heat up the engine to ZOOM ZOOM home today from work. We shall see how it turns out.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Here in Canada the price difference is fairly substantial. Just based on MSRP of the base LX vs ES, the LX is $1360.00 cheaper (16250 vs 17610). In Canada, you cannot get power windows or side air bags on the LX. :(
    $1360 is fairly substantial considering that there are taxes and other assorted fees to pay after that. Also, I don't think it's that easy finding a car without any options whatsoever on it (unless it's specially ordered).
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    How does the bra not scratch the hood? Can dirt get trapped between the hood and the bra easily?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Here in the states, power windows and locks and all that come standard on the LX model, and they do in Canada for 2002 according to the mazda.ca website I viewed today. I think the difference here between the LX 2.0 and the ES 2.0 is around $1000 or so. That's a small price to pay for the 4-wheel discs, fog lights, spoiler, standard AC, keyless entry, and wheels that come with the ES.
  • mortis666mortis666 Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking for a Mazda MP3 owner who would like to test the side markers (awful orange lights on the fenders) I sell. I will let you have a set if you are willing to test them on your car. Please mail me at mortis369@hotmail.com
  • panamaltd2panamaltd2 Member Posts: 162
    Things changed for 2002. Just lettin' ya know.
  • pjd58pjd58 Member Posts: 366
    AC is standard on the 2002 LX.

    I prefer the LX, don't like the interior of the ES. Only item standard on the ES I would like are the 4 wheel disk brakes. I got my alloys for free, didn't care about 16" wheels, I came from 13" on my 96 Protege. Fog lights add style, not fuction.

    I have keyless and a spoiler and glad I have them($300 for both).

    Different strokes for different folks. Now if the ES had leather seats, I would have gotten one.

    Pete
  • pjd58pjd58 Member Posts: 366
    2001 LX 2.0 Millennum Red
    Delivery: Sept 6, 01 15 miles

    Currently 975 miles
  • fritz1224fritz1224 Member Posts: 398
    MP3 owners? I don't think I have seen any from what I recall. Nice car, but too much money for what you get. In that price range, there are better cars I would think.
  • djmax813djmax813 Member Posts: 30
    Emerald green
    Purchased: Memorial Day Weekend 01
    Mileage: 25
    Current Mileage: 4200
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    You can get the MP3 OEM body kit at the dealer, Mazda sells it. I read about this from this FAQ (http://web2.airmail.net/emann/protegefaq.txt) written by Edwin Man.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    model: white 00 ES with moonroof, etc., although no spoiler. did come with goofy silver pinstripe, though...do other folks have this?

    delivery date: 01/13/01

    mileage at delivery: 30

    current: 5740 (500 of those this weekend...first road trip. Apparently, once you get out of the city, you're a sissy if you do less than 80 mph. Pretty exciting trip).

    MAPP folks: I know you have been discussing contacting local media and Mazda dealerships. If you haven't already, you might want to consider contacting Public Relations at Mazda North America, as well. I can't believe that they would pass up a photo-op like this one...sounds like you'll have a lot of folks there. Have fun!
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Delivery date: 2/28/01
    Delivery miles: 180 miles!!
    Miles so far: 9950

    I was really disapointed about the mileage of the car at delivery, but I really wanted the car. The reason it had so many miles is because it was driven from stevens point, wisconsin to eau claire wisconsin on a dealer trade. I hope it was an older fellow who drove it. I used to work at a Ford dealer and they hired retirees to do that kind of work. Anyway, I am still a little nervous about what kind of treatment it had so I don't like to think about it. I wanted them to order one, but they pulled the "0% financing might be over by the time we can get one for you" crap. Like an idiot, I bought that one. In hindsight, I should have refused the car.

    Complaints: Rattling dashboard/glovebox--will take back to the dealer for the THIRD time and see if they can fix it. This time I will tell them that I DO NOT WANT IT BACK until it is 100% fixed. The 2nd time it was in, I swear they didn't do anything to fix it. I drove it off the lot and it had the same exact rattle it had when I brought it in. It is as if the tech didn't even drive it after he worked on it to see if the rattle was still there. I was so mad and I didn't have time to turn around because I had to go to work. If they give it back to me this time and it is still rattling, I am going to drive right back and backhand the tech who worked on it. Trust me, I am so mad this time that these pricks will NEVER want to see me again. This isn't just some nitpicking little rattle either, you can here it even when the radio is on. All this from what is supposed to be the best Mazda dealer in the Twin Cities. If this is the best, I wonder what the other dealers are like? The driver's seat is loose, but I checked ES's in the showroom and they are loose too, so I don't know how they would fix it. These fools don't even know how much oil to put in my car. Besides the morons at the dealer, I like the car.
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    Midnight Blue Mica '00 ES Auto
    Delivery Date: July 4th 2000 (or is that 4th of July?)
    Delivery Miles: 22
    Currenct Mileage: 10045

    Besides my deer accident last october and the paint defect that was repaired under warranty, the car has been a joy to drive in.
  • groharlemgroharlem Member Posts: 59
    hehe, i'll answer it for fun ;)

    I bought my protege used on March 28th, 2000
    It had about 88,877 miles on it at the time
    It now has about 121,550 miles on it and still seems to run fine

    It is a 1993 Clear White LX 5spd with a/c and a flip up sunroof (aftermarket installed). It's rear drivers side power window has never worked, and i don't care to fix it yet. I have had to replace the flex pipe, one cv joint, the tires (like 4 times b/c i'm retarded and keep buying rims without tires), and needed a new o2 sensor, and fuel filter thus far :).

    I've probably put about $4000 into modifications for the car, but it still looks stock (about $1000 was purely wasted). Oh well, i'll continue to waste money on it until i'm satisfied with it :)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Yes, I've contacted Mazda North America ... again. I wrote them a nice invitation to last year's and never even got a "thanks but no thanks" response. Mazda does not do a good job of answering personal messages. I don't expect an answer this time either.

    Meade

    MAPP II: FOUR DAYS!!!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Did you specify your Protege's cup size when you ordered that bra?

    Seriously, though ... I've never put a bra on a car because I've heard horror stories about moisture and grit. Usually bras have a vinyl layer on the outside and a cloth layer against the paint ... and when rain gets under it, it makes the cloth layer wet. Because of the non-breathable vinyl layer on top, the water can't evaporate or, at best, evaporates very slowly. Combine that with a little dust, and I don't think I'd want that moist mess simmering on my paint.

    It seems a few people agree with me ... I'd recommend reading the "Car Front-End Protective Bras" topic here on Edmunds. There are just enough problem posts to keep me from buying one.

    But I'll echo the thought a few posts back ... diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Maybe I missed this when it was announced earlier ... so if this is old news, my apologies.


    Have you guys seen Edmunds' video road test of the 2001 Protege? Go to the following page and scroll down to the Protege:


    http://www.edmunds.com/video/roadtests.html


    Meade

  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    This is one of those magentic bras, it's not cloth at all. Check it out at the following link:


    http://www.magnetbra.com


    Panamalt: Sorry, still stuck in the 2001 model year. My fault. :)


    Parallax: Definitely going to check into that. Thanks for the link. :)

  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Interesting! Tell me ... is that bra made out of the same material as, say, a magnetic flag that you stick on your car? Or is it thicker? The photos on the site weren't big enough or resolved enough to tell.

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Yeah, I would assume it's like a magnetic flag. I am having trouble forming it to fit the ridges in my 2001's hood though, on the left/right sides. You basically "magnetize" it to the front end of the car, put the trim on the edge, and that's it. No cloth or vinyl involved at all. Now that I have it though, I don't really care for it. I am thinking about sending it back. We will see though.
  • duh_sterduh_ster Member Posts: 102
    hey all,
    just wondering how many of you purchased the extended warranty. is it worth it? i'm not really familiar with the protege's track record, when it comes to reliability...
    thanx in advance,
    'duh'
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    2001 Pro ES (Canadian version obviously)
    Silver, added A/C and spolier
    When bought: 41 kms
    Now: 11 457 kms
    LOVE the ride!

    Dinu
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The Protege has a very good track record. My 1999 before this 2001 was flawless, and the Protege is highly recommended for its reliability by Consumer Reports all the time. Don't worry about it, the car will be fine. :)
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    bought July 15 2001
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Didn't buy the extended warranty yet. I think you can chose to buy it before the last pymt is due (I financed mine). I don't remember the terms and costs exactly, but it seemed reasonable. Besides, I think the car will last just fine (looks at the 92/93's out there still running). It doesn't have the name (as a Honda does) but it doesn't cost 8.6% to finance it either! I think the difference in financing is what having an "H" on your hood costs. I plan to keep it too for more than 5 yrs.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    You have to get the extended warranty before the standard one expires. At least that was my experience with the Cavalier I had.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I also purchased the extended warranty for my '92 LX. Never had to use it ... hell, never had ONE problem with my '92 Protege, which I bought new in September 1991 and traded in December 1994 -- just over 3 years old -- with 83,000 miles on it.

    However, following my experiences with one Ford-built Mazda pickup from 1994 through May 2000, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the extended, 7-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the new Protege. Remember, just like any other thing you purchase from a dealer, you can wheel and deal on the price of the warranty. (Might be a little harder for you than it was for me, since I had a car thrown in there too.) But I managed to talk them down from $1,100 to somewhere around $800 for it, which came to a little over $13 a month extra on my loan -- I felt 50,000 miles' additional peace of mind was worth two fast-food lunches a month.

    I studied the warranty's coverage VERY THOROUGHLY before purchasing. This was the better of two plans they offered; this one covers everything but wear items like brake pads, shoes and rotors, clutch pad, belts and hoses, etc. But all major engine and drivetrain components are covered; even the seats are covered. If anyone's interested, I'll bring the extended warranty plan and coverage details to MAPP II.

    Meade
  • duh_sterduh_ster Member Posts: 102
    well, the reason i ask is cuz my dealer has this weird warranty plan...basically, i buy 1 year now (for $220 cdn = $140.50 US...yes, that is our pathetic canadian dollar...but that's another story!) and then during my 4th year, i can choose to buy years 5 & 6. he's not really sure how much they will cost, since warranty prices vary over the years (i think he said around $1100 cdn = $702.40 US). to me, it sounds good, since i will have the option of extending my extended warranty further (huh?!) and it covers everything the original warranty covered. BUT, when i phoned another dealership to see what their warranties were like, he had NO CLUE what i was babbling about regarding this year 5 & 6 extension. my dealer said that Mazda has changed their extended warranty costs, so i just assumed they might have changed their coverage years too...but still, i find it weird this other dealership had NO idea what i was talking about! i'm worried that if my 4th year comes along and i wish to extend it further, my dealer will say "wtf u talking about!" can anybody confirm the existence of this extended warranty "extension"? is this "too good to be true"?
    'duh'
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    But keep this in mind: The warranty I purchased from my Mazda dealership is not a "Mazda" warranty. It's operated by another company and the name escapes me at the moment. I've never heard of what you're talking about, however ... have you checked to see if any info is available at the Mazda website?

    Meade
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I got 1 year extended warranty for $220 CDN as well. I got my papers from Mazda last week. This extra year is from Mazda. Years 5 and 6 were never offered to me so I don't know who that would be from.

    BTW, I got my car back from Kramer yesterday. They did an excellent job of getting out the hood abrasions. And they didn't try to give me any hassles about doing it for free. I'm a very satisfied customer at the moment. For some reason, they also cut an extra key for my car. I only gave them my one spare and when I went to pick up the key, they gave me 2. Oh well...now I have 2 spares!

    PF
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I found this page at a dealer's website:


    http://www.centenary.com.au/Pages/P_Purchase_Extended_Warranty.html


    Is that what your dealer's talking about?


    Meade

  • duh_sterduh_ster Member Posts: 102
    meade: i don't think that's the same. on that page, it says the warranty is for "unlimited kilometers"...my extension is not for unlimited kms...the exact figure escapes me at the moment...i'll probably end up getting it though, since $220 isn't much to pay for peace of mind.

    pf: sounds like u got the same as i will! can u recall what the "warranty code" was?? i also received my papers, but i have yet to pay the dealership! glad to hear your pro is fine...

    thanx all
    'duh'
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I'll check the code when I get home as I don't have them on me. The papers I am talking about are just for the warranty. It took about 2 months after delivery for them to get to me.

    PF
  • duh_sterduh_ster Member Posts: 102
    pf: yea, those are the ones i'm talking about too. the first page has info about you (name, VIN, warranty code, cost, time periods, kms, etc). the other 4 (?) pages contain info on all the different types of warranties, what's covered, forms for transferring the warranty should you sell your car, etc. same rite? i got mine about 2.5 weeks after buying my car.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Those are them. I wonder why they took so long to get to me? Oh well. Actually, now that I think about it, it's probably because they spelled "Calgary" as "Calgray" and I corrected it on the survey from they sent. Probably took them a month to make the change!
  • eeterpeeterp Member Posts: 33
    Yes sir, I got the car back today. It drives great. It pulls nicely at 4000+ RPM. Hopefully, I can make it to MAPP and show it off.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Nice! I can't wait to see pictures. Does the engine look the same as the 1.8L/2.0L here in the US? What was the total bill?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Is there alot of difference between the other engine and the one that's in there now?
  • proteus2proteus2 Member Posts: 9
    Someone wrote: <<Nice car, but too much money for what you get. In that price range, there are better cars I would think. >>

    Actually, after months of research, I concluded this was the best performance per dollar value on the market today, while still maintaining a good deal of practicality. People who make these comments have no idea of ALL of the specialized tweaks put into the MP3 over the standard models, nor have they actually driven one to see just how much different this car is. And that's just the wheels, tires, and suspension pieces. The sound system also adds a great deal of value and enjoyment to the car. I think the car is an outstanding value in every way, and very difficult to match in today's market.
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