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Mazda Protege5

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Comments

  • zoommp5zoommp5 Member Posts: 2
    I recently had my car serviced for it's 30k checkup (yes, I do a LOT of miles as it is just over 1 year old). They told me I needed new tires, but having ruined one of the original tires and having it replaced at the dealership for $195 I wanted to check on my options. I came to the board and looked for messages on tires. After reading the posting on the board about the Kumho tires I searched the net for them and found TireRack.Com . I asked friends about TireRack but they had only heard of them, so I called around to tirestores in the area and got a price for EACH tire of $125 plus blah blah blah. Bottom line was they wanted close to $600 for a set of 4 tires, I chose TireRack ! They were $61 per tire and only about 1/2 that for shipping. Bottom line $280 for a set of 4 tires ! I am a member at Sam's wholesale club (no they don't special order tires) so I brought them there to be mounted. I have had them over 3 weeks now and LOVE them. Here in New England we've been deluged with rain recently and the tires proved themselves in it ! So much BETTER than the original Dunlop's I couldn't believe it. However this is New England and the Kumho's are ONLY for Summer so I am looking for a Winter solution. I got by last Winter, but the car did not handle all that well. I hear people talk about changing rims, and Blizark tires, should all 4 tires be Winter or would just the 2 front (FWD) tires be enough to handle the Winter ?

    Any comments ?
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    There aren't many winter tires in the stock size, and the ones there are, are expensive.

    I live in VT and run a set of 15" steel rims with 195/55-15 Michelin Arctil Alpins for winter. All 4 corners and the car is a tank in the snow and ice. With proper rotation, you will get 3-4 winters easily out of them.

    The entire package was $535 shipped from TireRack.

    The only issue I ever have with my P5 in winter is ground clearance... it's just a low car, period.
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    Check on the Tires discussion to be sure, but my understanding is that you should switch out all 4 tires to winter tires!
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    and replaced the factory head unit. Budget wise I had to pick between a new unit or speakers, and I would much rather have MP3 than new speakers with the old head unit. It sounds much better, plus I have MP3s again (I used to have one in my last car). I can even live with these speakers for a while.

    Pretty easy to make the swap once I got the tools to remove the old radio.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Which one did you get?
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    Pioneer DEH-P5500MP. I paid $145 from SoundDomain.com after rebate, plus shipping.
  • ndirish1ndirish1 Member Posts: 5
    I recently purchased a mica blue Protege 5, and absolutely love the car. It came down to Civic vs. Protege, and it really wasn't a contest. The only sticky point for me was gas mileage, but I figured 25/30 was acceptable. I have an automatic with the sports shifter, and after three tanks of gas, I'm only averaging around 23 mpg. It has been a mix of approximately 70% city driving and 30% highway, and I don't drive the car hard because I'm breaking it in. I'm disappointed thus far, and would like to know what other owners are getting. Thanks, I appreciate your inputs.
  • jadams6jadams6 Member Posts: 9
    I don't have a response to your question, but I'd love to hear your views on what sold you on the P5. I'm in exactly the same boat - Civic or Protege...up until yesterday I had only test driven the Protege in a sedan, and was leaning to the Civic (sedan), but then drove the P5 and thought I'd died and gone to heaven! I want to drive the car that I buy for at least 10 years, so research and advice seems to steer me to the Civic for all of the well documented reasons (reliability, fuel efficiency, higher resale etc..), though a safe purchase (a "no-brainer" as one colleague put it), who wants to drive what everyone else is driving? I have to admit, when I drove the P5 yesterday, it was the first time I could say that I got excited about driving a car....but how long will the excitement last?!?!?

    Just thought I'd ask....

    Thanks.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    I remember there are few complains in the pass about poor mileage, mostly during the first few months of ownership. It has been suggested that mileage could get better after 5-6 thousand miles. It has been a while since the last complain occurs here. The problem is we don't get update of individual case thus we can't tell you with certitude if the above statement is true.

    For me, (I have a P5 manual), I never get worse than 27 mpg since day one. As being previous civic's owner, I would say expect the P5 mpg to be worse of 2-3mpg for the same driving condition.

    Bruno
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    You can cross one over three concerns in your list: the reliability. It's well known that the Protege/Protege5 is as reliable as any Civic.

    The two others points, you get them right: resale value and mileage. They are the only two major weaker aspects of the Protege/P5 when comparing to the Civic. I would say if you plan to keep the car ten+ years, then resale value is not that critical (both cars will be down there anyway.)

    An accolade here: I used to follow magasins such as Consumers Report, etc... as guideline for car purchases. I'm no longer do that. Buying and owing one Civic is enough for me. IMHO, the best way is to come to Edmunds here and see how owners discuss about their cars. You will get a pretty good idea how good or bad is a specific model.

    As for exciting longevity: After two years of ownership, I still love my P5 as the day one. I certainly can't say that with my 1997 Civic EX.

    Last point: in the case you are not aware, the Protege/P5 will be replaced by the Mazda3 (from December). That having said. A new product is very exciting, but there is few risks if you decide to wait for the new model: do not expect the same reliability for a brand new model, especially during the first year. You can't possibly negotiate for a good rebate as the Protege/P5 right now. I expect the new model to perform better for mileage (new engine), ride comfort (Ford/Mazda plateform), larger interior (but not higher). The rest (handling, steering response, cornering capability, fun factor, build quality, reliability, and possibly the look), it's hard to beat the current Protege/P5.

    Bruno
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    If you plan on owning it for ten years resale value shouldn't be a big consideration. In the short term, it is.

    I test drove a Civic and a P5 before I bought, and I went two blocks in the Civic and turned around. I disliked it that much. The new ones are not the same cars that built the reputation. And my car prior to the P5 was a Civic that I drove for eight years.

    One way to look at it-the P5 will have only been in production for two years. Ten years from now they will be pretty rare. Perhaps they will be collectors items?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    I have impression the Protege5 is the car that begs to keep for long long time. Why I went over all the trouble to bring it in Europe with me? Why I wait so much time to handwash the car every week? All those are clearly symptom of a future collector item!
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    23 mpg is about what I got on my 2003 P5 for the first 1000 miles or so. After that it slowly got better. I am now at 9500 miles. My last tank of gas which was about 50/50 city/hwy was 28 mpg. My last 100% hwy tank of gas got 30 mpg, which is what the EPA said to expect for the AT. It just takes a little while to get there.

    If you drive a lot of hills, that can reduce economy as well.
  • icvciicvci Member Posts: 1,031
    In my latest issue of CR they listed the P5 as second only to the Matrix/Vibe in MPG for small wagons.

    They also say reliability should be excellent.

    As for your MPG, if you're driving with the A/C on your MPG is going to fall. Especially in stop-and-go traffic where the A/C puts a large load on your engine.
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    Also, if you have the roof rack on it could cause 1-2 mpg less.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    As mentionned previously, reliability is not a concern when looking at the PRO. I have a 2001 ES (same interior as the P5 in black) with 63.000 kms on it and I'll tell you what went wrong with the car:

    CD player replaced in the first week - Mazda had a bad batch that affected cars n July 01 in Canada from Panasonic.

    3 LEDs from the rear spoiler burned out a few mths later and were replaced.

    2 rear tail light brake lights went out in a matter of 2-3 weeks. This was a few mths ago.

    As you can see, the car has not been a headache to own, but quite the opposite - the more we have it and the more I drive it I appreciate its solid built quality, rattle-free interior, great brakes and torquey engine. It still has the new car smell 2 yrs later and still makes me smile every time I take it for a spin.

    As for the Civic, I had a 93 one and while it was fun to drive (and not too reliable), the 01+ generation is not what Hondas from the early 90s is made of.

    Dinu
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Hi Folks - Let's take the subject of the Protege5 vs. the Honda Civic to our new Mazda Protege5 vs. Honda Civic discussion. Feel free to copy/paste any of your recent questions/messages, on this subject, into that discussion. Thanks for your participation! ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • ndirish1ndirish1 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks to all for your input on the MPG issue. I've only driven my P5 for about 800 miles, so I guess I do need to give more time for it to break in. I also have Yakima roof racks, though didn't think it would make such a difference. I'm purchasing a fairing this week to cut down on the wind noise, so that may improve things a bit.

    Regarding your question jadams6, I was in the market for a new car for over 1 year, and simply couldn't make my mind up. I researched every resource available, test drove nearly a dozen cars, but just couldn't decide. Though I was sold on the reliability, gas mileage, and safety of the Civic, I agree, I didn't want to be driving the same boring car that everyone else does. I also desired to keep my car for 10 years, so resale value didn't matter. When it came down to it, I bought the Protege 5 because it's stylish and tons of fun to drive. Why not be happy with your purchase? I hope that helps.
  • spencer19spencer19 Member Posts: 17
    I've had my Pro5 for just under 2 weeks, and just put gas into it for the first time this morning. I have automatic trans., roof rack (took crossrails off a few days ago, though), and have had the air on perhaps 25% of the time. Mostly city (well, suburb) driving, maybe 25% highway.

    I figured up that I'd gotten 29.5 MPG - I'm happy!! Although I'll keep watching, since I'm aware there may be a transient 'dip' in mpg at some point in the first year.

    On a side note, I didn't check out the Civic when shopping, but decided on the Mazda in large part because of the reliability. Reading the 'problems' boards on the models I was considering really helped me see trends. And resale value? My Protege is replacing a 1989 Mercury Tracer (also bought new). I plan to get my money's worth by keeping it a long time, not by reselling it a few years from now. I like it too much anyway!

    Terri
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    Wind noise=drag=worse gas mileage.

    Has anyone else noticed this? I get better mileage around town than I do on the highway. I figure it is due to the gearing. I average 30-32 mpg in town, and 28 on the highway? I drive 75-80 mph on the highway.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    I get approximately the same mileage for around town and highway driving. It was already a surprising ratio for me.

    PS: My car has the roof rack/wind-deflector combo.
  • cbmortoncbmorton Member Posts: 252
    I don't have a roof rack, and I get noticeably better mileage on the highway in my five-speed. Never broken 30 mpg in town (averages arond 28 mpg), but it's easy to do so on longer trips. My best highway mileage ever was over 36 mpg earlier this summer and I regularly get 33-34. Personally I've been happy with the fuel economy of my P5.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    It seems like the roof rack drinks a noticeable amount of gas at higher speed. Thanks.
  • dagpotterdagpotter Member Posts: 71
    I have a 2002 P5. I have had it for 14 months and have 28000 miles on it. My gas mileage was 24-26 mpg, mostly city, until 20,000. Since then it has gone up 2 mpg+ a tank. I have probably driven the poor thing less then 1000 miles on the highway. I am counting sitting in stop-and-go traffic on an interstate as city. I took my cross rails off very quickly. I do run the a/c a lot. I would wait a few thousand miles and see what happens, but the mpg should go up a bit.

    BTW, I must be almost ready to replace my tires and my tire guy recommended going to 205 as much more options there. Any thoughts?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Yes, that's what most folks here do: 0-plus-sizing to 205.
  • matzkomatzko Member Posts: 2
    When the defrost setting is made on my Protege5, the A/C compressor runs. The green A/C light does not turn on to tell me it is on. My 2001 Honda Civic is designed to do the same thing. They sent me a sequence of pushing buttons to be able to disable or enable that feature from inside the car.
    My question: Do you know of a way I can disable the feature which requires the A/C to run when defrost is selected?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
  • dagpotterdagpotter Member Posts: 71
    Although I just checked this am and I still have 7/32nd left on the tires? Does anyone know the record for mileage on the Dunlops?
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    Not sure if it is a record, but I currently have 34K.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    I'm wondering what exactly you guys do in order to make the OEM tires last that long? Better road surface? Different weather condition? Driving style? Tire pressure?

    PS: I rotate my tires every 7.5 kmiles, inflate them 32-35psi, run the car in hot texas weather, in a decend road surface (but not more). My driving habit is this: I take the corners rather aggressive (usually heel&toes unless I'm lazy or have passenger), but more or less easy-going with braking. Now and then I can't resist to smoke the tires a little during acceleration, but I don't do that very often. On Highway I'm cruising around 75-80mph. The tires (or more precisely the center bed) worn out at 24 kmiles.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    Here's my top 10 things that contribute to tire wear (in order)

    1) Turns per mile: How many street corner like turns - ~ 90 degree - do you make in an average mile. Tire wear is primarily a function of slip angle and you have to develop slip angle in order to turn the vehicle. On my route to work I average 1.1 per mile. I think this is a bit higher than the average.

    2) Alignment: Toe in especially. Modern radial tires do not like more than 1/32" PER SIDE off the nominal - that's about 0.16 degrees off the ideal.

    3) Driving Agressiveness: Obviously more agressive driving requires the tires to work more, but special emphasis should be placed to avoid braking or accelerating while turning.

    4) Inflation pressure: Higher is better.

    5) Suspension and steering geometry: I'm talking Akerman and camber curves here. Some vehicle are real killers.

    6) UTQG rating

    7) Pavement type - concrete is worse than blacktop. And some parts of the country have some real tire eating pavement and there is little you can do about it.

    8) Weather: Rain and snow act as lubricants.

    9) Ambient temperature: Cooler is better.

    10) Tire aspect ratio: Narrower tires are better because the part of the tread on the outside of the turn has to traverse more distance than the part on the inside of the turn.

    Hope this helps.
  • jadams6jadams6 Member Posts: 9
    I'm considering the P5, but think that I read somewhere that for the keyless entry, you press once and it opens the driver's side, and twice, opens all doors, including the rear hatchback?!?!?! Is this right? If so, isn't that a pain when you want to just open the doors for other people, but not the hatch?

    Thanks.
  • philippa76philippa76 Member Posts: 17
    It *unlocks* the hatch when you press twice. It's not as if it comes flying open. You still have to manually release the catch to physically open the hatch.

    Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision.

    -Philippa
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    It just unlocks the hatch; it doesn't open it. The hatch stays closed until you open it with the handle. I do not find it to be a pain.

    What is a pain is that you have to use the key on the Protege Sedan's trunk to open it. There is no button on the remote to open the trunk like there is on my Miata.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Thanks for the list! I did not mention any factors that are specific to the vehicule (toe, camber, suspension geometry, design, ...) because we discuss about the same car here. The differences between me and those who have the OEM tires lasting more than 30 kmiles are certainly an external condition.

    It's funny, coincidently we have just discussed few days ago about tire wear in function of slip angle in the Protege sedan board.

    Bruno
  • dagpotterdagpotter Member Posts: 71
    Because of the horrible traffic around here I cannot take most corners very fast. I think I drive aggressively, when I can. Although, I have not been able to get the Pro above 90 yet. No burnouts or lockups as of now, so perhaps that has helped. I rotate every 6-7,000 miles (every other oil change). Had it aligned once so far.
  • meyerlevinmeyerlevin Member Posts: 15
    Help!! I'm trying to find out what tire brands and sizes I can put on my 2002 PRO5 as replacements for my OEM Dunlop spSport5000,195/50x16.What would be totally compatable and absolutely safe as far as the same great handling that I have now with the Dunlops? I am aware that in the snow these Dunlops v rated are terrible,but I know what to expect and I compensate accordingly.If I got tires that are better in the snow(how much better),won't I be giving up some degree of dry and wet road handling? Thanks,Martin
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    But we already gave you answers on the tire selection (post #6627-6629, and post #6673). Instead of repeating for the third time the question, may be you could explain us why you are still unsatisfied with the previous replies? Otherwise we can't escape the round loop.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    just for the sake of knowing my personal choice

    I have opted for the Michelin Pilot Exalto 205/45R16. It's a directional tire unlike the OEM, not cheap ($128 from tirerack). Despite a lower profile, it's actually much quieter and smother than the OEM tires. The steering response might be a tad less direct. I think the handling on dry pavement is at least comparable to the Dunlop and the traction is even better on the wet surface. According to Michelin, this tire is *not* design for snow condition. I'll plan to get a set of snow tires since I'm going to make few ski trips this winter.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Falken Ziex 512's in size 205/50-16 for about 3000 miles.

    While the handling does seem a little limited compared to the Dumflops, I pretty much only remember them when they were bald racing slicks that stuck like glue. There is no doubt that the Falken's do great in the rain, as we have had record amounts of it lately, with a lot of it ending up in my basement.

    Snow traction I'm sure I'll be finding out in the next few months. While I don't expect them to be great, I'm planning on getting through this winter with basically brand new tires and getting snow tires next year.

    The 205/50-16 size does look a little large when you first see it, but now it looks good to me. Just took a little time to get used to them.

    I also liked the price. $80 each with free shipping from tires.com. Mounted for $11 each at Costco.

    Oh, and if anyone buys them and doesn't like them, blame Ashu, he started all of this.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    if everyone reviews their tires here so we can refer when someone asks a question regarding tire replacement (seems like a very often asked question lately).
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Link to tire info:

    http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_lines/high_perf/t1s.html

    I had this tire on my Protege ES for about 1500 miles before I sold it. Compared to the Dumflops that came on it, the T1-S was a superb tire. Turn in may have been marginally slower, but the T1-S stuck like glue compared the the SP Sport 5000m. Wet traction was excellent, and hydroplaning was not evident as it was with the Dunlops.

    These are highly regarded tires, but they are a little pricey. I paid $135 per tire from a locally owned shop.

    I noticed no significant wear in the short time that I had them. At the time, I expected to get about 15,000 miles based on a treadwear rating of 280. My mother has had these on her 1995 Mustang GT convertible for about 20,000 miles, and they are currently showing about 6/32" of tread left.

    Since these are a summer tire, I plan to try the Toyo Proxes TPT on my 2003 P5 when it needs new tires since it is now our all-season car. I will seriously consider getting the T1-S for my Miata when the time comes. I would recommend the T1-S to any one looking for a maximum dry/wet performance summer tire. If you don't care about wet traction, then there are other tires to consider which may be better suited for your needs.
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    Oh, and if anyone buys them and doesn't like them, blame Ashu, he started all of this.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    With the Dunlops getting worn and loud, I was hoping to hold off until the snow tires came off in the spring to upgrade.

    However, fate and a and my wife stepped in. :) She took a nice chunk out of the sidewall of one on a sharp curb. Yeah! New Tires!!

    So I just ordered 4 new Kumho ECSTA Supra 712's in the stock size (195/50HR-16). $280 shipped from Tirerack.

    Since this was the tire I wanted, and it came in the stock size, I decided there was no need to do the "plus zero" that a lot of people are doing.

    I'll let you know how they ride. :)
  • meyerlevinmeyerlevin Member Posts: 15
    Thanks guys for some more input on replacement tires for the PRO5.Yes, I also think it would be a very good and helpful idea if all of you who have replaced their OEM PRO5 tires, to give your opinions on how they are working out.I was not totally satisfied with the first couple of responses,because I did not actually read any critique on the TOYO'S or the FALKENS. Martin
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    I am curious to hear how you like them. I considered them for my 2001 ES, but the H speed rating made me worry about changes in handling, so I went with a more expensive option. Let us know!
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    "I was not totally satisfied with the first couple of responses,because I did not actually read any critique on the TOYO'S or the FALKENS"

    Sorry I don't live up to your expectations. I'm not a professional tire review writer.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    It'll be OK.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    actually I found tire reviews, professional or not, are in general pretty erratic, i.e., one review can praise the tire to the sky and then the next one bash it like hell. I don't know why.

    - A copy of magazine with tire reviews: $5.
    - four Falken Ziex 512: $364.
    - A comment such as "if anyone buys them and doesn't like them, blame Ashu, he started all of this.": priceless!

    B.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    I have yet to find a magazine that actually provides useful reviews of tires. Perhaps I should start one...
This discussion has been closed.