Afraid to buy a P5...
- Thread starter sjn8888
- Start date
It is a commuter car not a sports car.sjn8888 said:
Get a standard and learn to really drive.
1) Don't get yellow
2) Don't tailgate dump trucks, pickup trucks, SUVs, or anyone for that matter. It is rude and its a sure way to put chips on the front of your car.
All cars except Saturns which are made of plastic will ding. You don't want a Saturn do you? Mind where you park and who you park next to.
This is relative to many aftermarket enthusiasts. I have never had a car with a stock stereo in it for more than 2 months until now. I've had my P5 for over 6 months without upgrading the stereo. It lacks bass like every stock system, but the highs and mids are well rounded for a stock system. You won't find much better SQ elsewhere.
When you realize how fun the car is to drive you'll wear your tires too taking highway on-ramps at 55mph with the tires screaming.
Snow tires are a necessity on all small cars. My g/f's Corolla is all over the road w/o snows on. My P5 hydroplanes more than my previous car, a 1990 Grand Marquis, but then again, it weighs half as much. There is nothing you can do except buy a bigger car or truck.
If you weigh 250 and commute to work alone every day, I'm sure one side of your suspension might wear out a little quicker, but its nothing to worry about.
"Road and Track" as well as "Car and Driver" rated the Protege5 #1 in its class becuase it is the most fun to drive while still providing functionality.
I have had 0 problems with my P5 since March. It is completely stock and has 12000 miles on it now. I average 30mph at every fillup. I had only driven stick for a total of one hour plus 20 minutes in the back lot with the sales rep before I drove it off the lot. I have no dents or dings and the car makes no odd noises yet.
Many of the problems with the car arise with the addition of aftermarket parts. This is the case with most cars. IMO, if you want a car with more horsepower (since power is the only thing this car lacks)...save the money you would spend on aftermarket parts and put it towards a downpayment on a more expensive car. Otherwise, the Protege5 is the best choice compared to what is out there. I have no regrets.
Thanks for all the replies....exactly what I was hoping to hear (maybe I'll print some of this and show it to my wife).
After 15 years of driving standard, I'm getting an automatic....
too much stop-n-go traffic and my wife can't drive standard.
I did recently test drive a zx-5 (ford) with the new 2.3 liter engine. It's impressive, smooth as silk and lots of power, but everytime I'm tempted, I just look at Consumer Reports (Focus is the least reliable small car you can buy). P5 looks better and feels better. It seems like a good choice
Scott
After 15 years of driving standard, I'm getting an automatic....
too much stop-n-go traffic and my wife can't drive standard.
I did recently test drive a zx-5 (ford) with the new 2.3 liter engine. It's impressive, smooth as silk and lots of power, but everytime I'm tempted, I just look at Consumer Reports (Focus is the least reliable small car you can buy). P5 looks better and feels better. It seems like a good choice
Scott
msubullyfan
Yeah, I'm an engineer...
- :
- 2005 Nissan Frontier 4x4
This business about the transmission problems is a bunch of crap. Consumer Reports' reliability data for 2002 showed the P5 reliability for transmission and drive train to be ABOVE average. Heck, it was comparable to Civic and better than Corolla.
I drove everything on the market in the small sedan/wagon segment and didn't hesitate to buy the Proteg5. Nothing else comes CLOSE for style, fun, and utility -- especially for the cost. With the current $2250 cash back, you can buy a fully loaded one (leather, sunroof, ABS/side airbags) for about $17k. Try to see what $17k buys you in a Civic. AND, the P5 initial reliability data is better than the Civic AND it has a longer warranty.
I drove everything on the market in the small sedan/wagon segment and didn't hesitate to buy the Proteg5. Nothing else comes CLOSE for style, fun, and utility -- especially for the cost. With the current $2250 cash back, you can buy a fully loaded one (leather, sunroof, ABS/side airbags) for about $17k. Try to see what $17k buys you in a Civic. AND, the P5 initial reliability data is better than the Civic AND it has a longer warranty.
I can't say anything that hasn't been said already except I have 22,000 trouble-free, hard driving (I deliver pizzas) miles on my Sport-auto P5.
Oh, I will remind you that even guys with the hottest, coolest girlfriends still b**** about her faults when they're hanging out with the guys.
Oh, I will remind you that even guys with the hottest, coolest girlfriends still b**** about her faults when they're hanging out with the guys.
1. too slow!
U think you buying a Suby? then get one.
2. has a bad transmission (people having problems with it in their first 10k miles).
Tranmission only gets bad fast if you don't know how to drive the car and know the shift points. Also, the sport shift feature on EVERY car has more problems than just a regular auto. Even a Acura TL-Type S and Cl Type S have problems with Sport shift and their tranny breaking down too quickly.
3. bad paint (easily chipped, scratched)
YOu think this is a uncommon practice? Nope, very common. Look at the Subaru WRX. Awesome car, cheap paint.
4. easily dinged and dented
Our car isn't made out of titanium bro. all cars dent easily.
5. bad sound from stock stereo
IMO, the sound system roxors. of course, i'm not an audiophile so i don't care about the sound performance.
6. tires wear too quickly and there are few alternatives for stock rims.
Tires are just fine. Should last you around 35,000+ miles
7. tires are bad in rain, terrible in snow (snow tires are a necessity)
whatever... who told you this anyways? sheeps.
8. strange noises??
all cars make strange noises...
9. leans to one side??
no comment. never heard of such blasphemy. [/B]
U think you buying a Suby? then get one.
2. has a bad transmission (people having problems with it in their first 10k miles).
Tranmission only gets bad fast if you don't know how to drive the car and know the shift points. Also, the sport shift feature on EVERY car has more problems than just a regular auto. Even a Acura TL-Type S and Cl Type S have problems with Sport shift and their tranny breaking down too quickly.
3. bad paint (easily chipped, scratched)
YOu think this is a uncommon practice? Nope, very common. Look at the Subaru WRX. Awesome car, cheap paint.
4. easily dinged and dented
Our car isn't made out of titanium bro. all cars dent easily.
5. bad sound from stock stereo
IMO, the sound system roxors. of course, i'm not an audiophile so i don't care about the sound performance.
6. tires wear too quickly and there are few alternatives for stock rims.
Tires are just fine. Should last you around 35,000+ miles
7. tires are bad in rain, terrible in snow (snow tires are a necessity)
whatever... who told you this anyways? sheeps.
8. strange noises??
all cars make strange noises...
9. leans to one side??
no comment. never heard of such blasphemy. [/B]
ive only seen 3 people into the show or racing scene with a p5, ive seen about 30 other p5s with soccer moms or dads driving around. evrytime i see one i look and get dissapointed evrytime that its sum soccer mom in a p5 that doesnt notice my mp3 for s*** lol. i was thinking of buying a p5 and turbocharging it but wont for this reason.
Think it has pretty much been covered, it is your decision now on what you want.
But while I am up on my soap box let me add my .02 cents:
1.Mazda and Imports in general are typically not straight line performers. They have a complete different design goal with their cars with the focus on handling more than power. The P5 though weak on the power level is still able to haul itself around quickly. The true grace of the P5 is how it handles, and the upgrade potentional.
2.I have a sport shift and at 25kish miles with no problems at all with hard driving. Just keep maintance up on it and the tranny will be fine. If you plan on truely racing it get a tranny cooler as most failures are due to over heated fluid.
3.Paint is fine. I have a dent on my door that is pretty hard, but it didn't scratch the paint. Plus only a few dings on the front bumper from driving on the Highway alot. Nothing that is not experiance on other cars.
4.Skip ^
5.The stock system is good for a...well stock system. 6 speakers plus a 100watt sub in the back is pretty decent for a entry level system.
6.Tires are fine.
7.Rain?? What! Car handles just fine in the rain. And I had no problem driving the car down the highway during heavy heavy snow fall, even as SUVs were sliding off the roads. If you take your time and learn to drive in those conditions then the P5 does just fine for a FWD Wagon.
8.No noises
9.The lean in pictures is due to the road or camera. Has nothing to do with the car.
But while I am up on my soap box let me add my .02 cents:
1.Mazda and Imports in general are typically not straight line performers. They have a complete different design goal with their cars with the focus on handling more than power. The P5 though weak on the power level is still able to haul itself around quickly. The true grace of the P5 is how it handles, and the upgrade potentional.
2.I have a sport shift and at 25kish miles with no problems at all with hard driving. Just keep maintance up on it and the tranny will be fine. If you plan on truely racing it get a tranny cooler as most failures are due to over heated fluid.
3.Paint is fine. I have a dent on my door that is pretty hard, but it didn't scratch the paint. Plus only a few dings on the front bumper from driving on the Highway alot. Nothing that is not experiance on other cars.
4.Skip ^
5.The stock system is good for a...well stock system. 6 speakers plus a 100watt sub in the back is pretty decent for a entry level system.
6.Tires are fine.
7.Rain?? What! Car handles just fine in the rain. And I had no problem driving the car down the highway during heavy heavy snow fall, even as SUVs were sliding off the roads. If you take your time and learn to drive in those conditions then the P5 does just fine for a FWD Wagon.
8.No noises
9.The lean in pictures is due to the road or camera. Has nothing to do with the car.
- :
- 2018 CX-5 GT
Padanky said:What are your Runner-ups in this price range?
Carolla
Focus
Neon
Hyundai
Cavalier / Sunfire
Echo?
Hell, they are all crap! Interior materials suck! Apearence suck! They all have less than 130Hp.
I love mine!
I just gotta say Padanky, that is a damn nice pic. The sun really shows off the color.
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- 2018 CX-5 GT
sjn8888 said:
I test drove many different cars (PT Cruiser, Pontiac Aztek, WRX Wagon & TS(RS?) wagons) and once I SAT in my P5 I felt INSTANTLY comfortable. I ended up buying the one I test drove, #7120 (dealer's #). It had everything I wanted and I financed it at just over $17k. In my opinion it's the best out there for the buck. Plus, with the advent of the '03s you have a wider selection of colors and interior finishes to choose from. I have 28k+ miles and no problems whatsoever and still look forward to driving it every chance I get. The choice is yours!
sjn8888 said:
trust me P5 is slow but still out accelarate ZX-5... i test drove one... check this link if you need more proof
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article_id=2338
I think everyone should consider one thing when talking about quality issues on the P5. The Protege line is Mazda'a base model vehicle and the Protege5 is just a variant of the Protege sedan. Things like modest engines and thinner paint and thinner sheet metal and low-end stereos are found on base model vehicles. What I'm trying to say is that any part of the P5 that is completely shared with the base Protege sedan should not warrant any higher expectations than a base Protege sedan. The things in common include (I think) the paint, sheet metal, and engine. The stereo might be nicer on the P5 - I don't know.sjn8888 said:
That doesn't mean you can't expect more in terms of performance from the added strut bar, nicer tires, rims (ground effects?) than with a base Protege. And the car does have a lot of PERSONALITY - much more than a regular Protege.
Yes, but...
All good points, and all car makers cut corners with their base models. But the thing about Proteges (as well as Civics and Corollas) is that they start out with higher levels of engineering, and better quality and reliability than all the other basic economy cars out there. So starting from a base Protege is a good thing, especially since the base model still has excellent handling.
spankee said:
All good points, and all car makers cut corners with their base models. But the thing about Proteges (as well as Civics and Corollas) is that they start out with higher levels of engineering, and better quality and reliability than all the other basic economy cars out there. So starting from a base Protege is a good thing, especially since the base model still has excellent handling.
FunkyBuddha
Tuned by Slick Nick
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- 2003 Spicy Orange MSP
Gotta come up w/ better excuses than that.
>>trust me P5 is slow but still out accelarate ZX-5... i test drove >>one... check this link if you need more proof
>>http://www.caranddriver.com/article...article_id=2338
Car and driver tested a ZX-5 with the 2.0 Liter zetech engine, not the new 148 hp PZEV engine (a version of the engine from the Mazda6). With an auto trans., the ZX-5 feels quite a bit faster and smoother than the P5 (but the P5 still looks better, better reliability, more comfortable, etc). I think people are claiming the PZEV has 128 hp and 135 ft-lbs torque at the dyno (with a broad, flat powerband). I have a feeling the Mazda3 will be quite similar to this.
>>http://www.caranddriver.com/article...article_id=2338
Car and driver tested a ZX-5 with the 2.0 Liter zetech engine, not the new 148 hp PZEV engine (a version of the engine from the Mazda6). With an auto trans., the ZX-5 feels quite a bit faster and smoother than the P5 (but the P5 still looks better, better reliability, more comfortable, etc). I think people are claiming the PZEV has 128 hp and 135 ft-lbs torque at the dyno (with a broad, flat powerband). I have a feeling the Mazda3 will be quite similar to this.
everybody said what needs to be said
all i can say is: I love the get-up-and-go, or the leap, whichever u guys call it; im always the first to get up and go at intersections.. everything i have is stock; stereo, rims, engine(for now)
Stereo: for me is not bad at all
Tranny: dunno about US version but Canadian version has tiptronic-manual and auto together and its very convenient for a small car like this
tires: i do about 150km on da highway u cant feel a single turbulence nor shaking of the steering wheel, and no noise at that speed as well..so quiet even a baby can fall asleep =)
p5 is the first car in my life and im very proud of it
all i can say is: I love the get-up-and-go, or the leap, whichever u guys call it; im always the first to get up and go at intersections..
everything i have is stock; stereo, rims, engine(for now) Stereo: for me is not bad at all
Tranny: dunno about US version but Canadian version has tiptronic-manual and auto together and its very convenient for a small car like this
tires: i do about 150km on da highway u cant feel a single turbulence nor shaking of the steering wheel, and no noise at that speed as well..so quiet even a baby can fall asleep =)
p5 is the first car in my life and im very proud of it
seth said:
Of course, and the better our cars sound, the faster they go.
Since when is the prelude a bench mark for cool sound? I find it amusing that quote-unquote 'ricers' stick these loud ass exhaust systems on their car so they can sound like what? A mustang? A Corvette? A Camaro? The cars they s*** on all the time?
I hate people that scream hi-tech then turn around and put a muffler on their car so they can peal out around town sounding like a low-tech.
Ever heard the sound of an M3 comming off the line (I'm talking BMW here, not Mazda3)? That is the quality sound of high-tech...not some burping fart can.
Anyway, the P5 sounds like every other 4-banger on the road...nothing wrong with that, because as I said before, it is not a sports car.
Actualy I find the P5 has a nice low exhuast note as opposed to the raspy tin can sound of the honda's with idioticly large mufflers on them.
The M3 though has a strange sound, almost like grinding metal, but cool at the same time (thumb)
I had a customer with a 2002 blue M3 convertable. It was the first time I heard the car rev to 7K
The M3 though has a strange sound, almost like grinding metal, but cool at the same time (thumb)
I had a customer with a 2002 blue M3 convertable. It was the first time I heard the car rev to 7K
