how well does the protege5 respond to suspension mods

[2litrebeater]

i just picked up a P5, i had been looking for a mazda3 but got offered a straight trade for my accord that i couldnt pass up.
i havent done much research on the protege but the chassis feels sporty.
i plan on using it mostly for backroads fun and autocross so im wondering if its a good platform to start with for that.

 

[Sliver5]

It is a very good platform to start with. There are a lot of suspension upgrades for the car. Everything from springs, shocks, coilovers, and various bars. Check the sponsors and the for sale section for different products.

and congrats on your new P5! Do you have any pictures?

 

[ProtoType5]

Great platform...The trapazoidal link rear suspension does offer a wonderful platform for auto-x...

Best to read up on the different divisions of auto-x and decide now which you want to compete in. Certain mods will move you into much more competitive divisions. What the P5/Protege platform lacks in power, it makes up for in handling/balance/ and fun...

 

[Captain KRM P5]

as you can see, there is alot available;

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/index.php?cPath=21_31_60

these cars can be real corner carvers with the right setup

 

[Tifun]

Meh, I'm not very impressed with it's handling, I mean it has some potential to me made better but compared to the equal kits on other car's I have owned it is lacking in the cornering department. I blame it on being a wagon, but....for a wagon I would say it's the best maneuvering one I've personally driven. The only complaint I have about a lot of the spring/coilover kits is they don't offer progressive rate springs making the car feel bouncy all the time. To add some credibility to my statements I currently have Tein Basics and adjustable end links all around. I'm sure with another couple thousand I could make it a much tighter drive but who cares unless it's a track specific car. Most of the comfort is gone anyway.

 

[nate0123]

Meh, I'm not very impressed with it's handling, I mean it has some potential to me made better but compared to the equal kits on other car's I have owned it is lacking in the cornering department. I blame it on being a wagon, but....for a wagon I would say it's the best maneuvering one I've personally driven. The only complaint I have about a lot of the spring/coilover kits is they don't offer progressive rate springs making the car feel bouncy all the time. To add some credibility to my statements I currently have Tein Basics and adjustable end links all around. I'm sure with another couple thousand I could make it a much tighter drive but who cares unless it's a track specific car. Most of the comfort is gone anyway.

let me follow this logic:

some of the available aftermarket springs/coilover kits have linear spring rates

therefore:

it's a bad platform, doesn't handle well, and has a bad ride (scratch)

 

[Tifun]

From my experience all I am trying to say is that I have ride discomfort for those brands that don't have a progressive setup. H&R is a great example of a company that does have that, Tein and B&G do not from what I have seen. I would say 90% of the suspension available for the P5 is built that way. In the euro scene we don't call it progressive at all, in fact we call them comfort coils and can be eliminated to gain less height if desired. I'm not saying that's a good practice but many do it. As for your other comments towards my statement, handles bad.....sure compared to my Audi this thing handles like poop, compared to my dated 92 VW with a solid beam rear it handles poorly. It's an economy car/wagon, you can't expect miracles and or deny that. This doesn't mean it isn't a fun car to drive or mod by any means, it's just reality. Any car can be improved with the same basic mods, suspension and more power etc. As for platform being bad.....it has body flex. Seriously it's all things that can be fixed with money but out of the box race car or track performing beast is not something I would call this compact econo box which I love so very very very much. Keep in mind this is just my opinion not to be taken offensively. I base all this off of the many many cars I have built and owned over the last decade. There is just reality to this is all. Gotta get outside the box.

 

[Sliver5]

from my understanding its a known fact that coilovers aren't designed with ride comfort in mind.

 

[FlyinHawaiian]

... The only complaint I have about a lot of the spring/coilover kits is they don't offer progressive rate springs making the car feel bouncy all the time....

Hmmm, that's worrying, because I have progressive rate springs on my car. Guess I should get a refund because they were labeled wrong. (blowup)

Look up Espelir springs for the Protege and I think you'll be surprised. They're probably the best springs for the car short of a full coilover kit. I swear by them.

 

[Tifun]

Apparently you guys just read through the comment and missed the point of what I was trying to get across.

 

[pr5owner]

from my understanding its a known fact that coilovers aren't designed with ride comfort in mind.

exactly, WTF would you want good ride comfort when you are trying to make the car into a cornering monster. do F1 cars have a comfortable ride? if it doesnt hurt you its not stiff enough.

if you want ride comfort, go buy a buick with jello suspension.

 

[justanothermp5]

hey guys way to answer the original guy's questions!!!

to the OP
if u want a fun car that can carve the corners then get the tokico illuminas and some springs with a descent spring rate, like eibachs or w/e u want
coilovers werent made for the street in mind so it may be to stiff for your liking but idk u so that would be hard to tell
get a rear strut bar, rear sway bar, upgraded front sway and/or strut bar and you'll have a monster already
weight reduction also helps, cf hood, lightweight rims, etc.....

 

[kura808]

someone said for the ms3 to get a cushy ride without losing performance is to get a bilstein setup. i dont think they have bilstein for the p5 tho ><

btw..our car is a very good corner carver..read that article i posted up wit our car going up against a 600HP corvette TT in the twisties. haha our car was able to keep up

 

[Tifun]

btw..our car is a very good corner carver..read that article i posted up wit our car going up against a 600HP corvette TT in the twisties. haha our car was able to keep up

Not to sound like more of an ass than you guys already think I am, but drivers make the difference......

 

[magnumP5]

The MSP, from which our suspensions are derived is considered to be one of the best-handling FWD cars of all time. These cars are a very good platform for suspension mods. From what I've seen/read the biggest problem is encountering positive camber during hard cornering but that's just the nature of the suspension. With decent coilovers, a stiffer rear swaybar and some chassis bracing you'd be hard-pressed to find a better handling FWD car.

 

[kura808]

haha true but idk i'd think if those magazine editors writing about the cars would be decent drivers at least. could be wrong tho...lol

nah ur car is kool xD we can all be asses

Not to sound like more of an ass than you guys already think I am, but drivers make the difference......

 

[Tifun]

My car is far from cool. It's still a 4 door family sedan

 

[nate0123]

4 doors > all

except for maybe roadsters

everyone should have one of each

 

[Tifun]

^ rofl a 4dr roadster is a funny thought.

 

[nate0123]

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/01/07/033278.html

official notice: (jacked)