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Mazda Protege5
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The MPV is built in Japan, except for the engine, which is shipped over to Japan then back to the US installed in the vans...
Anyways, I'll check what specs are available on the chassis of these three since I'm curious. The path of least resistance (fewest changes) is the likeliest.
The contour/Mystique were not big sellers here in the US but the paltform is world class. Just ask anyone with an SVT Contour.
I had one of those Escort, a 1991 GT. I was based on the Mazda Protoge platform, same wheelbase, same track, same suspension (4 struts, passive rear steer), and the GT even had the same engine (1.8 DOHC, still used in the Miata). Part numbers were interchangeable, even. I used to get Mazda oil filters for it, and a Mazda distributor cap and rotor when I couldn't find parts for the Escort. Rod Millen Motorsport sold aftermarket parts, and again they fit the Protoge and Escort with the same part numbers. The Tracer too, was a clone.
-juice
However, just like child care and school, it's a lot easier for the less desirable traits to be propogated than the desirable ones.
1.) Sound Deadener/Undercoating $325. This is supposed to protect the underbody of the car as well as help reduce road noise. Comes with a limited life of vehicle warranty.
2.) Teflon/Polymer Paint Protection $389. This is supposed to protect against things like acid rain. Supposedly the paint on the car has open pores and their paint protection is supposed to close them. It's guaranteed for 5 years and the car will look "showroom new for 5 years without needing to wax."
3.) Fabric Guard $365. This is petroleum based and they say superior to scotch guard. They say if I can't remove a stain, they will free of charge. If they can't remove it, they'll replace the fabric. Comes with a limited life of vehicle warranty.
Total cost $1,079 minus $100 = $979 plus the security package at no additional cost. I'm pretty sure they said (I don't have the paperwork right in front of me) that it has a shock sensor and an engine immobilizer.
I've always thought those "packages" were just a way for dealerships to make more money. But I haven't bought a new car in 3 years. Have things changed? Are these worth the price? Should I go ahead and have them done or just ignore them?
Thanks for the thoughts and opinions. Oh, by the way, I live in Wilmington, DE if that matters. And I always wave at other PR5 owners (and Passat owners as well, my other car).
a)Sound deadener - They are going to spray something on your car that will reduce road noise? I think not. Different tires and added insulation to the doors will reduce sound/vibrations from entering the cabin.
b)Teflon paint protectant - Teflon does nothing for paint protection. They cannot spray it on. Teflon must be applied at high temperatures. Also, I believe it was the President of DuPont that said that there is no known benefit of using teflon as an automotive paint protectant.
Also, nothing you spray on will make your car not have to be waxed for 5 years. The stuff they spray on will wear off just as fast as any other aftermarket hand-applied wax.
c)Fabric-guard - How is it superior to Scotch-guard? For $5.00 you can buy a can of scotch-guard and you can re-apply it as much as you want. 5 bucks versus 365?? I'd say it's no contest.
d) Car alarm - You can get a much better aftermarket alarm system for cheaper.
My 2 cents DON'T BUY THAT DEALER CRAP!!!!!!!!!!
I'll let you know how it goes.
-juice
2) Except for the yellow and red, the other colors should have a clearcoat layer that protects the paint. There shouldn't be ANY pores in this clearcoat layer if the paint process was executed correctly. You can tell it's clear-coated if the paint doesn't come off on your waxing rag/sponge. NuFinish should protect as well as this product.
I ended up getting the Midnight Blue PR5 with ABS, side airbags, moonroof, automatic trans, cargo net, floor mats, and in-dash 6 cd player. Paid $600 over invoice. Edmunds TMV was $875 over. Thought that was high, so I was happy with the $600 over. Went in thinking $500, but they had the car with the accessories and in the color that my wife wanted - no waiting. Haggled a little bit and got them to throw in for free 2 oil changes and a set of wheel locks. I'm happy and my wife is very happy! She loves to drive it. We're taking it on a trip this weekend to break it in.
The only thing I have noticed is a whistling sound when it hits 60mph and above. It's coming from the roof rack. If you take it off, the whistling noise is gone. It changes the look of the car, but not in a negative way. It's sharp looking no matter what. My wife likes the roof rack, and since she drives it 90% of the time, it's staying on. I'll just turn up the cd player volume when I drive :-)
Hope you're enjoying Zoom-zooming!!
Please respons ASAP!!
We own a fully loaded P5 Auto (had it since December, has about 5000 miles). We drive about half city, half highway, and have always gotten between 26 and 28 MPG. We have driven some mostly highway trips and have seen just over 30.
No complaints. It's an excellent car!!!
Really though, if you want a good answer ask the dealer...they *should* have an answer.
I recently had my Alfa Spider stripped and painted red with DuPont Chromabase paint...and believe me, there is clear on that car.
I had to use some Eagle One polish to remove a grey mark left on my car by someone careless with their car door. It only took a few seconds to polish out the mark with a rag over my finger tip and the rag was yellow. So I'm pretty sure the yellow doesn't have any clear coat.
Of course not. Most new cars are covered against rust perforation for several years and up to 100,000 miles. Want to protect your fabric? Go to an auto parts store and buy a can or two of Scotchgard. New cars have clearcoat paint, which offers protection from the elements. A little elbow grease and a jar of carnauba wax will keep the finish protected and looking great. By investing a little time and effort into your automobile, you can save hundreds on these highly profitable dealer protection packages.
They also say not to get the dealer's alarm system option. Say you can get a better one after-market.
sharon
Once you get this stuff done, your car is covered for five years/unlimited mileage against:
(1) Acid rain damage. Big problem here in Virginia. If your car's paint ever spots, they'll either professionally remove it or repaint the car.
(2) Any paint problems. This includes peeling, hazing, "orange peeling," etc.
(3) Interior cracks, discoloration, etc. Dashboard cracks, whatever.
(4) Fabric stains. From spilled grape juice to our 10-month-old's industrial-strength vomit, if we spill it and we can't get the stain out with plain soap and water, it's their problem. Either they have the fabric professionally cleaned, or they replace the seatcover/carpet/floor mat/etc. altogether.
By the way, the undercoating is substantial -- and it's not that tarry crap they used to spray under cars 15 years ago. My 2000 ES has just the factory "undercoating" on it and this is MUCH different. My wife's P5 is VERY quiet on the road after having it done, and we know the difference because we had it done two weeks after she bought the car.
I would NOT have sprung $795 for this package, but with a 10-month-old baby and a wife's who's a self-proclaimed car slob, $295 (something like $5 a month more on our monthly payment) seemed like pretty good peace of mind for five years.
Meade
And, yes, the reason given is that it makes red appear yellow under some lighting conditions.
So far, it sounds like yellow and red aren't clear-coated. Any others?
So far as the clear coat/Under Coating and the other stuff goes, I agree with Meade. I even bought the dent protection on mine! It cost me 300 hard earned dollars, but a month after I purchased the car, someone put a real deep six inch long dent in front of the passenger side tail light. Cost of repair... $350. I'm sure there will be other dents in my future! Like any other insurance plan, you just have to figure out if the costs offset the risks.
I don't agree with many of the claims made by the provider of some of the material. The most glaring is the statement that "you never have to wax your car for 5 years." What kinda BS is that? You don't wax your car and your paint will look like crap in no time flat.
If my dealer offered some sort of dent protection I would have jumped all over it! I'm paranoid that some jackass is gonna hit my car with their door in a parking lot.
My finance guy only showed the packages to me. I said "no thanks" and that was that.
Meade
My guess is that each dealership is different in what they offer and what they cost. As an added example, my dealer didn't have any kind of dent protection.
Also, my cost wasn't even the $795 you mentioned in your post. It was $979. And if you got it for $295, I think that's great. But this just goes to show that dealers are probably making upwards of a 90% margin on these packages. I'm glad that I didn't plunk down my money on it. Nobody deserves that kind of profit. Especially since what they are selling is more likely closer to 90% bogus than legit.
Meade
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 14:24:38 -0800
To: "XXX XXXXX"
Subject: Re: Your E-mail to MyMazda.com (KMM53678V90XXXXXXX)
From: "MM"
Reply-to: MM
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.
You've inquired if your 2002 Mazda Protegé5 in Vivid Yellow has a
clearcoat. I have verified with our Product Support Engineers that the
Vivid Yellow paint on the Protegé5 does, in fact, have a clearcoat.
I hope this information is helpful.
Again, thank you for contacting Mazda. It has been my pleasure to
assist you. If for any reason this response has not completely
satisfied you, please feel free to reply to this message. You may also
contact our Customer Assistance Center toll-free at 1-800-222-5500.
Please take a moment of your time to give us your opinion about our
e-mail service. Click the link below to complete a brief, online
survey.
Regards,
Lisa Lasky
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business
"Want a bit of Miata-like sportiness in something that can handle
home-improvement-center runs, a stroller, or a few golf bags? Consider
the Protegé5." - Motor Trend
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Form Message
Year: 2002
Model: Protegé5
Message Body: I have a Vivid Yellow Protege 5, and I have been told
that the paint DOES NOT have a clearcoat on it. Is it true that the Red
and Vivid Yellow Protege 5 has no clearcoat? If it doesn’t have a clearcoat, why not? Can you please verify this information. Thank you.
-Larry "love train"
Looks like Monkey Boy did ask about the Red....but got only a response on the yellow. I'd like to know about the red also since that's the color I am interested in.
Well...I thought I was on the verge of becoming a P5 owner as many of you are...but looks like I'm gonna have to wait.
I'm wanting an automatic with the new "sport auto with overdrive"....triptronic?? I think it's called....and leather. I got two stories today - one from the dealer....one from carsdirect.
The dealer said that new auto trans is gonna be for the 2003 models....and will likely not be out until around July.
Carsdirect says that it is not gonna be 2003's...but still 2002's...though they are not being made yet. Said he got word from Mazda that any future p5's would have the new auto...but no word on when they might start making them. He thought maybe a month or two....but said it is possible it could be July.
I tend to believe the carsdirect guy cuz honestly I knew more about the car than the lady at the dealer....and cuz from what I've read on here before....there is not gonna be a 2003 P5?
If anyone can provide any further insight into all of this I'm most interested!!
I hope I don't have to wait that long!
sharon
Yes, I checked with the dealer, and red does have clear, as does every other color. Anyone who owns a red P5 (as I do) need only take a look in the engine compartment or behind the hatch to see what the paint looks like without any clear on it.
Since my waxing & polishing rags get reddish when I apply wax/polish, then there is definitely no clearcoat on my bright red Pro. There may be clearcoat on the new P5 bright red, but we'll have to hear from someone with a bright red P5 to confirm that.
I doubt this is much of a problem. I have an '89 323LX in bright red without clearcoat. After years of waxing & polishing, it's still red all over (except the painted side mirror housings, which have lost a lot of red).