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Mazda Protege5
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Comments
My sales person saw me and informed me he had just called me to let me know my P5 would arrive sooner than expected (first week of July). He even gave me the VIN# with my name tagged to it.
I will have to pay for the moonroof that comes standard with the ABS/side air bags. But I will still pay slightly under MSRP.(see my other postings)
The dealer still is saying there will be very few (about 200) yellow P5s reaching the states because apparently the car has to be sent through the paint process 3 times in order to get good coverage of the "A" and "D" pillars.
They are dealing on the other colors, but informed me they will be asking $2K above MSRP on any other yellow P5s they can get.
I would never pay that much.
They are giving me the 1.9% financing which makes up for having to pay close to MSRP.
-Terry
They also have Nicholas Cages' yellow Ferrari for sale. I think they will take around $185K to $199K for it (That would be cash only for a heck of deal like that).
I would have considered it (the yellow Ferrari) but there was no cargo room for my mountain bike, so I'll stick with my yellow P5 instead (that and the fact that the Devil doesn't give you much for your soul anymore). Oh well.
-Terry
If your dealer forgot to give them to you and lost them, they should replace them for you at their cost.
Nomi
I suppose keeping exotics around entices people to stop in and look.
I didn't see the RX-7 but I was probably distracted looking for the P5s (tunnel vision). I walked right by the MP3 twice before I even noticed it.
-Terry
Nomi
I've seen 4 commericals on the car... and I saw it in person.. whooohooo.. looks nice. man I'm jealous of all the new car folks here.. I want one!!!! waaaaaaa
Got a great deal with CSE. $340.00 every 6 months.
They didnt have any 2002 models, but I just told them it was basicly an 2001 ES with a hatchback...They were cool about it, very easy to work with.
-Terry
I have been thinking about getting the P5 or a 1.8l Golf as a second car. Took a test drive of the mazda yesterday and was extremely disappointed. In truth I think something must a' been wrong with the car because it was far from being the peppy car 130 horses promise. I was really having trouble keeping up with traffic! I have owned some low horsepower cars before (let's see: Triumph Spit Fire, VW Fox, Honda Prelude 1.8 carb, Chev S-10... all well under 100 horses) but I have NEVER felt a car so unwilling to rev! But then again, I test drove a Ford (mazda) Probe several years ago and recall coming away with the same feeling.
Here's what I felt:
neutral - big time vibrations in the wheel, shifter
Idle-1600rpm - engine bog
1600-4000 rpm - power coming on, revs climbing (but slowly)
4000-4750rpm - car would not rev over this, "seemed out of breath" or overly retarded timing
The salesman said this is the way all Protoges felt! and told me I needed a cold air intake for "10% more horsepower". Car was warm (just came back from another T/D) and had 400km on the clock. Car was 5 speed.
I like the car, but I can't buy it if it's like that. Any ideas? Wrong gas? Tight engine? Computer problem? Firing on 3 cylinders? No check engine lights were on.
Any insight would be appreciated.
Brocktoon
That's highly debatable. Protege5 vs Mustang V6 Coupe. 99%+ of the people reading this board would get a laugh out of that. I'll go as far as considering the comparison absurd.
-Air Conditioning
-Anti-theft system
-16" Bright Alloy wheels
-In-Dash 6-CD changer
-ABS
-Traction Control
-Leather Seats + Steering wheel
And MUCH, MUCH more.
-LARRY
And as far as a mustang goes, my question is: Do you only drive in a straight line? The fun factor of the Protege is far greater than the Mustang.
Maybe some Sunday evening when I have absolutely nothing to do, I'll go to the mustang board and tell them how great the Protege DX is.
And to oosmpoo: What does traction control do for handling? Is it some genie in a bottle that makes a poor performing car magically stick to the road, keeping it level and providing the right amount of feedback? Time to go back to car basics 101.
The shifter has a terribly long throw and has a very clunky feel to the whole thing. It did not make shifting very fun--more of a chore. The 3.8L engine is certainly not a model of refinement and power delivery is great in the low-end, but diminishes as the revs rise. Freeway passing power was pitiful for such high power ratings. Ride quality was decent, but I would expect either better handling for its ride harshness, or a luxury ride for its handling ability, but alas, one gets a harsh ride and poor handling.
The interior is poorly executed with limited visibility, tiny back seats, and a small trunk. Unrefined is the word of the day when it comes to the Mustang. The front seats were terribly uncomfortable and the gauges ridiculously small.
I'm sorry, but the fun-to-drive factor would go to the Protege. Sure, the Protege won't win any drag races, but when the road gets twisty, the Mustang loses and loses big. The Cobra with its independent rear suspension would be a bit different... The automotive press doesn't call the Mustang the best handling car to come from Ford. That honor goes to the Contour and the Focus... both of which the Protege can easily outperform...
Aside.... I do think that there will be very few people cross shopping a P5 and a Mustang V6 for one simple reason, FWD vs. RWD. RWD is too much of a pain up north here in the winter. I had snow tires and 600 lbs of sand in my Ranger this past winter and was still all over the place. FWD wins out easily in this respect, and makes a lot more sense for the majority of people...
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Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks/Station Wagons Message Boards
Will a Mustang GT win an autocross event against a Protege? Sure, of course it will. How much does a Mustang GT cost? Around $24k? A Protege? Around $16k? For the difference of $8k, I could modify a Protege to destroy a Mustang GT in an autocross event! How about a Protege5 vs. Focus Wagon in an autocross event? Now that's more of a fair comparison, one which I'm sure the Protege5 would win!
Focus handling vs. Protege handling? Well, in Car and Driver's Small Cars comparison test, the Protege gained 1st place honors, specifically for it's handling and driving ability. The Focus came in third, behind the Sentra.
Respectfully and Agreeable,
Larry (like malty, a Pro-5 lover!)
-Larry
Could we give this topic a rest? It would make more sense to compare the P5 to my 1994 Saab (which at least has the correct number of doors) than a base 2001 Mustang. Why don't we bring in comparisons to the 2001 Toyota Celica while we're at it? At least the Celica has a hatchback.
Tom
Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Wagon
Suzuki Esteem GLX 4dr Wagon
Subaru Impreza TS AWD 4dr Sport Wagon
Saturn S-Series SW2 4dr Wagon
Ford Focus SE 4dr Sedan
I would also add the Volkswagen Golf 4 door.
Outside of that, the lines get blurry. But no matter how I squint, i still don't see a Mustang in the mix.
Tom
P.S. You can also add the Kia Spectra, and Daewoo Nubira Wagon to the competitor list. I didn't really like either, but my taste in cars is far from the mainstream. I had narrowed my list down to the Mazda Protege5, Nissan Sentra SE, and the Hyundai Elantra GT, but then I decided to look at used cars, and the rest is history.
Thanks -Mark
And I've gone on record as not liking the Nubira. if the wagon handles like the car... ugh.
-Larry
Is it anti-America to think Japanese cars are built better? Should people who prefer German-engineered cars go live in Germany?
If the Ford Ranger is reliable, can you name vehicles that not reliable?
ciao