Advice on an MP3...

[Mackbo]

Ok, here's the deal. I had a Proteg5 that I was ready to buy, but when it came down to it, I thought I was spending too much money, so I walked away from the deal.

I've now been looking at MP3s, which are more in my price range. I have a few quick questions, though:

1) Is the "clunk" that I've been hearing about enough to deter me from getting this car? I've observed that a lot of people that complain about it seem to be in cold weather areas (namely Canada). I live in Dallas, TX - which rarely gets cold at all. Would this be a big issue for me?

2) What is the reliability on these and expected repairs if I didn't have a warranty. I've found a few MP3s for around the $9K to $10K range, but might not have warranties for long (if at all). Is this too big of a risk? Reliability reviews on websites were great for the car.

3) Would it be more worth it to wait longer for money and find a MSP? I'm not looking for crazy speed here. I'm looking for a great looking car that's fun to drive and relatively easy to maintain.

4) To my knowledge, MP3s didn't come with sunroofs, and neither did MSPs. Is there any way to get a clean sunroof in these without paying a fortune (i.e. >$1,000)?

Thanks guys!

-Matt

 

[Super Matty P]

hmm...mp3 for $10K or MSP for $12-13K....tough call. I'd personally go with the MSP since it's 2 years newer and can be very peppy with a few small bolt-ons. They have similar suspensions, audio systems, and body kits....the only real difference is power and price.

The clunk isn't that bad unless you pay attention to every noise a car makes like I do...I hear everything and it bothers me but I didn't have that problem.

 

[Protege2K]

1) I haven't experienced any problems with the "clunk" on my MP3. Nor did the previous owner of the car, but I had about a month of warranty once the car was purchased so I had them replace the sway bar bushings.

2) Reliablility on Proteges in general (not including the MSP) is wonderful. This is the second one I have owned and I have yet to ever experience a problem not caused by myself. I put my 2000 Protege through modding hell and the only thing that ever went bad was the clutch at only 34k, but that was my fault anyways. Even the turbo MP3 I own now is very reliable. It starts and runs properly every day.

3) If you want a turbo than a MSP is the way to go. But the stock MP3 has a good bit of pep to it and the handling is superb. So long as speed isn't what you're after you will be more than pleased.

4) Can't help you here. I'm too tall to ever want a sunroof.

Greg

 

[mp3boy1984]

i am selling my mp3 soon with a 97,000 mile waranty on it, with mods as is, and the dealer said he would honor my warranty with the parts on, the parts won't be covered, but any oem mazda parts that break will be

 

[mp3boy1984]

oh yea, the thread for my mp3 is in the for sale section, under gauging interest, if you want to see what my mp3 has

 

[Mackbo]

Thanks for the quick replies, guys!

Reliablility on Proteges in general (not including the MSP) is wonderful.

I take it from this that the MSP is not too reliable?

I don't really listen to every sound the car makes. I do notice things, but they usually don't bother me. If they did, I would have gotten rid of my car a long time ago! I usually listen to music moderately loud, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I've found a few MP3s - some with few miles, some with many. What are your opinions?

Yellow - 71K miles - $8900
Blue - 52K miles - $9700 obo
Blue - 34K miles - $9300

Also, I may as well rant about my dealer problems so far. With the dealer I was with on the P5, he would not come off the price at all. However, as soon as I started backing away from the deal, he calls me back and offers me a deal which "takes away all of their profit." Right.

Next, I called a dealership in Austin with a beautiful Yellow MP3 for $10,200. It had 25K miles and was flawless. After I talked with him a few times, he "discovered" that it sold the day before. Hmm...

-Matt

 

[mp3moose]

Honestly sounds like an mp3 is what you want. The clunk is not bad at all and the car is totally perfect for all out fun.

 

[Protege2K]

Blue - 34K miles - $9300

-Matt

That looks like a pretty good deal. It took us alot of bargaining when I bought mine but I walked away paying $10,200 which included $1200 of taxes, title, etc. The car had 34k on it as well and was in perfect condition. Even had a MHP CF SRI. I also had them put in writing that they would not void my warranty because of the intake unless it was proven it was the problem.

 

[Mackbo]

Yeah, the MP3 is what I think I'm looking for. The MSP is nice and everything, but I don't have the budget to buy it, maintain it, pay the extra insurance, etc...

Thanks for the help guys, I'll keep you updated!

-Matt

 

[roni]

Yeah, it sounds like what you really want is the MP3, they're sometimes a little hard to find, but there are usually a few in the Non-Vendor For Sale section of these forums. Also check out autotrader.com and cars.com