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Mazda Protege5

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Comments

  • deejayspinzdeejayspinz Member Posts: 20
    Steve,

    The VIN number is assigned to the car when it is at sea. I am in Burlington and believe that you and I are waiting for the same train to come in. I phoned on Monday (Mazda Canada) and was told that the cars left Vancouver on Aug 18th and could be here today (Friday) in T.O. My dealer has no clue, but Mazda can give you a better idea, but you have to quote a VIN#.
    I am waiting on a Silver 5sp w/moon

    Dave
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Here's my take on rust protection. They spray a film of who-knows-what onto your car. Fine. But what about when you get a chip in your paint? I would find it incredibly hard to believe that the "rust protection" spray would be able to prevent rust from occuring where the chip is. IMHO, rust protection is just another dealer grab at your cash.

    Just my 2 cents for today. :)

    Regards,
    Pro_fan
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    The sedan, and I suspect the P5, already has an undercoating sprayed onto the underbody and the lower parts of the side panels. This is why the paint looks like "orange peel" on the lower edges of the metal side panels (i.e. doors).

    This is to help protect the sheetmetal when the paint gets chipped.
  • hondaaccessoryhondaaccessory Member Posts: 74
    I've been trying to get through to Mazda customer service for a couple of days now with no success. I've spent up to 20 minutes on Hold but evenually had to give up and do other things (I'm also very sick of the zoom zoom song hold music too now)

    I've been told by one dealer that yellow doesn't even exist it is a "myth" according to him.
    Another told me that the yellow ones are on "restriction" because Mazda ran out of yellow paint, but that they have had one in the past.
    We drove a silver one a week ago and it really was fun to drive but the yellow color would seal the deal for us.

    -Trevor
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    It's a myth? lol...that's a good one. How much sense does it make to advertise a myth?

    The yellow P5s are a limited production due to the complexity of the yellow paint process but they are definitely out there. I think there are 1 or 2 on this board. Keep looking!
  • hondaaccessoryhondaaccessory Member Posts: 74
    yeah, I got a kick out of it when he said it too. At first it was a great test driving experience and the salesman seemed pretty decent and then came the "yellow doesn't exist" answer and when I asked about side airbags I was told those weren't available either. I decided not to bother showing him where it listed them as options in the brochure, which also had the yellow one all over it!

    I may try seeing if one of the buying services can locate one at a decent price for me. We originally wanted to see one in person before ordering the yellow but we may just go for it.

    On a funny side note we first noticed the P5 while at the local Chevy/Mazda dealer to test drive a Camaro of all things. So we definatly weren't in the market for a 'wagon'. However I really loved the way that it handled. I stopped by the chat here a couple weeks ago and was told "test drive it, you'll like it" and they were right.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Not a myth. I was in a showroom at a dealership about a month ago. Sitting right in the middle of the floor was a yellow P5. My advice: Do NOT go back to the dealer who told you it was a myth. What kind of dealer would say that??
    Anybody know how hard it is to keep the yellow clean? I wonder if it's as hard to keep clean as my black mica?! :(
  • krotinekrotine Member Posts: 93
    Yes that was probably me. There is another red one that I know of... it's in Aspinwall / Fox Chapel / Waterworks area.

    Are you going to visit MAPP2?

    Jason
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    It's not at all hard to keep the my yellow P5 clean. Dust is yellow mostly, isn't it? Screw the dealer who said it's a myth.

    Bruno
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    I don't think so, don't have a timetable yet on when I'm purchasing my car, (then assuming I can find the one I want when I'm ready.) Sounds like fun though. Can't wait till it's time to buy! If that time comes sooner than later, I'd probably take a drive down that way.....
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Well I don't know what kind of dust you have, but the crap that falls on my car is brown! Leaves it looking pretty ugly...But when we do have yellow "dust," that is pollen, most likely from trees. That stuff gets everywhere! Luckily I got my car after they had finished pollinating, but next year is gonna suck. I'm gonna have to wash nightly! Not looking forward to that.

    Mike
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    The 5sp gear box seems to have the second gear not as fast as other gears. Anyone else share the same feeling, or do I need to work out more on my bisepts?

    Bost the engine for about 20+hp, couple it with a 6sp gear box and shorter lever, and I'll have my dream car.

    Bruno
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    They are out there but there are very few. Mine has auto, ABS, side air bags, and floor mats as options. You probably will not find one with the ABS/side air bag option though. Very few P5's are built with ABS/side air bags (and NO, I will not part with mine).

    Modern Mazda in Hutchinson MN has a Yellow P5 with an automatic, but no ABS/side air bag. You could work a trade with a dealer in your area.

    KEEPING YELLOW CLEAN; The Yellow seems to hide dust fairly well. On the other hand the bugs seem to be drawn to the color and really show up splattered across the front end. I wash the front facia just about every other day. >:(
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Terry,

    with the handling quality of the P5, you're probably able to slalom the car through incoming bugs. LOL.

    Bruno
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Bruno, what do you mean "The 5sp gear box seems to have the second gear not as fast as other gears"? Do you mean the actual shifting of the gear? Or do you mean 2nd gear being slower in terms of acceleration? I'm assuming the former because you mention your biceps needing a workout.

    For me, I find 2nd gear easy to shift into. In terms of acceleration, under 3000 rpm it is fairly slow to accelerate, but after 3k rpm it's zoom zoom.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Yes Mike, I mean the 2th is a little hard to shift into. I can hardly notice it on every day driving, but when a fast shifting is required, I wish it could be few fraction of second faster.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Actually, now that I think about it, 2nd gear is kinda tough to get into when I'm really trying to push it. It almost feels like it gets stuck (but it's not actually getting stuck) or something. Anybody else?
  • birdman_1birdman_1 Member Posts: 14
    Speakers: I was wondering, does anyone know if there is enough depth in the front doors for a speaker that is 2 7/8" deep? I'm considering Pioneer TS-A6865s (6x8) in the front doors. Crutchfield's web site says they'll fit, but I was wondering if anyone else had tried. How much luck has anybody had with improving sound quality and strength with just a speaker replacement so far? I've never installed an amp, which is somewhat intimidating, so a simple speaker replacement might be good enough.

    Amps: If anybody has removed the factory head unit, can you tell me if there are preamp outputs for an amplifier? I really doubt there will be, but I might as well not assume so. I like the looks and features of the factory head unit, so I want to go out of my way to keep it. What kinda luck has anyone had with amp installations in the P5?

    Drive safe!
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    "....slalom the car through incoming bugs."

    Not a bad idea Bruno. I have not tried that yet. ;)

    MANUAL SHIFTING; My auto has no problem shifting into second. Smooooooth as can be (hehehe). The luxury of never having to set my coffee down while driving, is why I switched from "manuals" to "autos". :)
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    It seem that quite a few folks have only switched out the speakers and improved the sound considerably. Based on what I have read here, I would try that first. Good luck.
  • butler11butler11 Member Posts: 12
    I' ve had mine for about a month now .It's great you can hardly see the dirt on it.One problem I have is when I shift from 1st to 2nd (hard power shifting)washer fluid shoots out the back spray nozzles......Itook my car in today too get the paint looked at .It has very tiny black spots all over it.You can't see it just standing there but I know it is there.They are going to polish the whole car for me.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    I have a '99 ES sedan, which uses the same tranny but with the 1.8L engine. 2nd gear has always been a problem for fast shifting. I can't recall how many times I have ground the gears trying to get into second from redline in first. I have found a way to get around it: When you shift into second gear at high rpm, don't totally release the throttle. Just come off about half-way keeping rpms up in the upper half of the tach without letting it fall. By doing this during the shift, it seems to go into second gear without a problem. It is probably not that great for the transmission, but it's certainly better than grinding the gears, or missing the shift while protecting your ego (i.e., racing that Civic next to you at the light...)
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    I am house sitting for a friend for the next two weeks. They left me their cars, house, food, and seven monsters (two cocker-spaniels, three cocker-spaniel puppies, one datsun/hound mix, and a retriever/something mix). Anyways, one of the cars is a 2001 Ford Focus Wagon SE automatic with the 130hp 2.0L Zetec engine. I found a lot of good and bad points with it.

    First the good... The Focus has a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. It has 95% of the Pro5 handling, but maintains a much more luxurious ride. The Focus is quiet, quiet, quiet. Tons of headroom and legroom. Nice sound system (especially the easy to grip and turn rubberized volume knob.)

    Now the bad... Where are those 130 ponies hiding? Three seconds with the gas pedal to the floor before a downshift. Tiny, miniature steering wheel. Cupholders don't hold anything more than a soda can or small 16/20oz drink. Here ponies, ponies, ponies... Vertical mount of power window buttons is difficult. Every door automatically unlocks when you turn off the vehicle. ...nine one thousand, ten one thousand... ok ponies, ready or not here I come!!
  • smostormsmostorm Member Posts: 11
    i've had my blue p5 for about two weeks. i love it. so after 7 years of driving junk-boxes, i hit my first deer with my brand new p5. smacked it going 60 mph. the front bumper(including one headlight and both grills), hood, and left fender are destroyed, not to mention the radiator is leaking. i'm completely bummed out. just my luck, ya know? it's extremely difficult not to dwell on, so i am venting anyway i can. anyone know how difficult it is to get p5 parts this early in production? i don't want to be away from it too long. i also hope this doesn't have any long-term affect on the cars reliability or performance, that is if it isn't totalled. not cool.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Oh deer! sorry to hear about the story Andrew. All my sympathize. Hope that you can repair it ASAP.

    Bruno
  • phasorphasor Member Posts: 12
    What garbage , yellow P5's a myth. When I picked up my new blue P5, a yellow one was sitting there waiting for an owner who bought a week before me. Quite an eye-catcher, not my fave color tho.
    My dealer has twice mentioned to me that there will be a short-shift kit available for the P5. I didn't question him on it because I wasn't interested at the time, but I'm having the same problem shifting into second that others are. Anybody else heard anything? I also want the MP3 player out of the MP3, aparently Mazda will sell it seperately so you can put it in Protege's? I hope that's not just a rumor.
    The only good thing about the ZX3 - Ford let me test drive a new one by myself. It has wickedly bad blind spots and a VERY annoying up-arrow light that comes on when you are supposed to upshift! Excuse me but I'm not 5 years old! Massive recalls for the 1999 and 2000 models as well. No thanks!
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Andrew, find a really really good auto body shop in your area. Try to get referrals from friends or co-workers. It might not hurt to ask your Mazda Service Advisor, whom he might recommend. Nonetheless, in this day and age, very few cars live out there life with out some kind of collision damage. Without a doubt, this "dang deer" accident is a bummer. However in my opinion, the sooner you get the car fixed by a high quality auto body shop, the better you will feel about your PRO-5!

    Respectfully,
    Larry
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    3 weeks after purchasing my 2001 Protege ES sedan in black, someone in my neighborhood swiped it and left a huge scratch on the front, but no insurance information. UGH! I took mine back to the Mazda collision center for its repair. Since black is a hard color to match, I was worried. Turned out perfect though. I suggest you do the same thing. And for my little scratch, they had the car for a week. But still, good as new now.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    I could have sworn I saw a short shift kit from MazdaSpeed at CorkSport, but I don't see it on their site anymore. As for the MP3 player, you can get one a whole lot cheaper from someplace like Crutchfield. They have 12 models available from Aiwa, Clarion, Jensen, JVC, Kenwood, Panasonic, Rockford Fosgate, and Sony. They range from $230 to $620. I am sure this will be considerably cheaper than the dealer price. Remember, the Protege MP3's player is just an aftermarket Kenwood eXcelon unit and doesn't match the interior at all. Plus, I hear it's extremely hard to read in the sunlight and doesn't sound that great.

    Personally, I would go for the Sony unit which is $330. I have always had a great experience with Sony electronics. Plus, it's black and silver design would go well with the interior of the Pro5. The main controls on the Sony (volume, tuning, track selection) are on the left side towards the driver. The Kenwoods have those controls toward the passenger for some strange reason. The Sony even comes with a remote and preamp outputs for an amplifier.
  • bigfish2178bigfish2178 Member Posts: 14
    can anyone who has replaced the rear speakers on their p5 tell me what color the wires are for the left and right?

    In addition, has anyone noticed a metallic rattle sound while shifting when the engine is cold? It is most noticable when shifting from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. It kinda sounds like an exhaust heat shield but I checked all of them and they seem resonably secure.
  • elec3elec3 Member Posts: 160
    The wires you are looking for are a pinkish color (not quite red, may have some white or silver spots or paint on it) for positive and yellow with a black stripe for negative. The wires should be run right next to each other. The same color wires are used for each rear speaker - meaning you can't differentiate between rear left and rear right by wire color, only by location (as the wires are run separately into each door).

    As for the rattle, I have an automatic and have noticed this too. So have others. In the first minute or two after I start the car the engine does seem to rattle a bit under hard acceleration. Seems to go away after that and doesn't seem to affect performance. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I don't even notice if I have all the windows and the moonroof closed.
  • yellerp5yellerp5 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all, I'm new to the Mazda family. I've had my yellow p5 for about 3 weeks now and loving it. It has the 5spd with all options on it. They still have 1 more yellow 5spd with everything except alarm left. So if anybody's close to Knoxville/Alcoa TN area they have 1.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    Remember, hard acceleration on a cold engine will signicantly reduce the life of that engine. The Protege's engine is an iron block and aluminium head. Those two metals heat and expand at different rates and rapid heating could eventually cause problems.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Sorry to hear about the deer. Just remember it could've been worse: I "smacked" the rear end of a stopped Volvo station wagon doing 40-45 mph when I hydroplaned in my 8-month-old Protege LX in 1992. Totaled! Walked out of it though, and they didn't have air bags back then!

    I'll echo Larry's comments ... take your time and find a good body shop. DON'T DON'T DON'T take it back to the dealership's shop! Been there done that, then had to take it to a REAL body shop to have it done right!

    Meade
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I placed those Pioneers into the front doors of my '99 LX w/o a problem, so they should fit fine into your P5's front doors.

    They sould great too. Much more volume (and bass boost) than the stock Pioneers.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Why you say not to take it back to the dealership's shop? I took mine there, and had no problems at all. They were very nice and courteous, and the work was great as well. Of course, all I had was a scratch (they did have to remove the front bumper and fender though), not as much damage as hitting a deer.
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    That goes to show you! Meade had a poor experience with a dealer afilitated auto body shop and Paul's experience was fine. Thats why it's important to get a referral from someone you trust. If you DON"T know anyone to get a referral try your Mazda Service Advisor, Better Business Bureau or the local AAA.

    Respectfully,
    Larry
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    My feelings exactly after renting one. The telescope feature is a good idea, but it doesn't come back far enough to suit me. The Zetec felt sluggish. This car needs a better engine to make it a real winner. Everything else is pretty decent, except for the side mirrors that don't fold and the exaggerated Reynold's Wrap look of the headlights.
  • doctor_rdoctor_r Member Posts: 27
    So it's been damn near a month now, no car. Called the dealer today he proceeded to tell me that the boat is supposed to dock tomorrow. This would put my car in Sask in 10 to 14 days. At least I finally have somewhat of a rough guess at a time-frame. Can't wait to see my new silver P5, 5spd, loaded up.

    Thank the heavens...
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Sorry it took me so long to reply; I had meetings most of the day yesterday. I said don't take it to a dealership's body shop because in MOST (not all, but most) cases, the dealership body shops can be compared to professional, stand-alone body shops in much the same way as you can compare the meat department in your grocery store to a stand-alone butcher. The dealership body shops that I've dealt with did not have the level of expertise, quality of equipment OR experience with different makes and models of cars. I'm not saying they're all bad -- there's no way I could know that -- but when I suffered a hit-and-run crumpled fender with my Mazda truck three years ago, my dealership's body shop screwed it up THREE TIMES -- never could get the paint to match or get the ripple out of the fender -- before I finally took the truck to a reputable, professional body shop that fixed my repair AND the other body shop's mistakes!

    To make another analogy, would you rather buy your car a stereo at an auto sound store or Wal-Mart?

    Meade
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    You really have to investigate the quality of work the dealership body shops do. I have seen some that are pretty poor, and I have seen some that are absolutely outstanding. Hine Mazda in San Diego has an excellent body shop. Even AAA uses them as one of their preferred body shops in the area. Unfortunately, their quality is well known and they are so overbooked that it does take a little longer than normal to get your car done.
  • krotinekrotine Member Posts: 93
    Has anyone had trouble with tire rubbing either on the bottom of the shock tower or on the rear body panel when a person or two are sitting in the backseat?

    I have Kumho Supra 712s 17" tires.

    Jason
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Jason,

    nop, but I obviously have a smaller wheels than yours.

    Bruno
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    What size tires are you riding on? The Protege MP3 has 17" wheels and sits on 205/45ZR17 tires. Anything larger will probably rub.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Jerry, 205/45ZR17 could also rub on the P5, since it has a softer suspension than the MP3.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    Well, I don't know... I guess it's possible. 195/50R16's are 23.7" in diameter. 205/45R17's are 24.1" in diameter. That's a 4/10ths difference which equates to just 2/10ths of a of a difference in radius. I have had my '99 ES sedan loaded with six people (2 in front, 4 in back) plus about 200 pounds in the trunk and I never experienced any rubbing of the tires. And I am running 205/50R15's on mine, which are wider than the stock tires.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Traded in my old Volvo and my leased Passat(going way over mileage) today on a Pro5. Silver, stick, no options. The trades evened out my lease buyout so I didn't need to carry any negative equity over... sweet! I just couldn't pass up the 4.9% financing and got a good deal on both trades and sell price.($500 over invoice).

    I LOVE it! This is a whole LOT of car for the money. I will miss some of the little luxuries of my Passat, it was a good car, but I just couldn't lease anymore, and was sick of the old Volvo nickle & diming me... so the Pro5 was the perfect compromise. :-)

    I found one on the lot, though silver was not my first color choice. The seats are super comfortable, and I LOVE the wheel. I'm taking it easy for a while, but the power is definately adequte for the type of driving I do. (rural highways and back roads)The suspension is great, much stiffer then my somewhat "wallowy" stock Passat suspension.

    I bought from Jason Sheen at Grappone Mazda/VW in Concord, NH. It was one of the best car-buying experiencese I've had. They a dozen or so on the lot, most silver.

    I look forward to becomign as involved in the online Protege community as I was in the VW one!
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Jerry, how do you compute?

    The diameter of 205/45R17 is 17+205*45/100/25.4*2=24.26 in
    and that of the 195/50R16 is 16+195*50/100/25.4*2=23.68 in

    The different is more than 0.58in in diameter, and almost 0.3in in radius. Wider tires could also contribute to the rub.

    Bruno
  • razorrabbitrazorrabbit Member Posts: 15
    OK...there might not be any much aftermarket parts for now...but anyone with any information..keep us posted!!!
  • razorrabbitrazorrabbit Member Posts: 15
    Is it true that if you put in a HiFlo air filter such as K&N, it will change the air/gas mixture ratio. Will this in turn decrease perfomance/efficiency? Unless you install proper Spark Plugs that go well with your HiFlo filter...to ensure correct combustion.

    I've talked to many "kids" who just think putting a HiFlo air filter in will automatically boost HP.
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