From Honda to Mazda .. convince me

[aMaff]

Ya, that and u can keep the engine in the sweet spot. Honda's are a bit more peppy, but the P5 is pretty rev-happy, so it's easy to keep it where it needs to be. The clutch on the P5 (in my experience) is easier to use, and 1st gear's a lot more usable in traffic than on the honda(piss). And yes, the P5 handles WAY better.

 

[SkinnyJoint]

i love imports but HONDAS suck PERIOD

 

[Canecreekfreak]

i love imports but HONDAS suck PERIOD

Well, that's a bit extreme and harsh. They do last, and keep their resale value well. And they're easy to mod. Saying the suck is a bit much I think. They're not Kia's or Fords.

 

[aMaff]

Ford DID circle the problem, you know.

 

[mikeweb]

I went from a 1999 Acura 1.6EL w/B18C1 (GSR motor) w/ T3/T4 turbo.. pushing over 300hp at the wheels. Needless to say it was a way better car then my 03 MP5. Not just speed wise, but build wise too.. overall quality of my Acura was better then Mazda in every aspect. Plus the tranny was smoother aswell.

Some ass sideswiped me on the highway one day and I hit the concreat bearier going 110km.. needless to say the car was a rightoff :'(

Got the MP5 more for insurance reasons then anything else (cheaper then Acura/Honda)

 

[Roywhitep5]

so do you like it?

 

[Poseur]

Had a 91 SI that I sorta played with in the days before the term rice was even known. It kept giving me small problems (to be expected at 200k miles) so I opted to lok for somethign new. prettymuch just based on reliability ratings, etc I started looking at 5's, then I saw one, and drove one, and from then on it was just a matter of finding a laserblue 5speed noleather with a sunroof.

After I had the 5 for ahwile I went on a goodbye drive in the civic. It struck me as a go-kart. YES I had some toys in it, chip/header/exhaust/swaybar/drop/wheels/ and a bunch of other little things. At anyrate, hte honda was much lowerslung unrefined, vague handling, and just kidna of bucket of bolts feeling. but in the end the only thing that got it through the twisties faster was the fact that It was an old car not worht much and I didn't feel bad pushing it as far as I could. The P5 feels MUCH more refined, seating is definately more upright, longer wheelbase IS noticeable but not in a bad way, it merely serves to add an extra touch of stability.

 

[clicknext]

I get the feeling that my Honda is built better than my Mazda (the honda shifts smoother, tight fitting on parts inside and out, less rattling), but its got no zoom zoom and no sexiness.

 

[Mike R]

Honda is a much better car. Between my civic and the P5, the P5 has been alot of trouble. Civic has been almost problem free. The only issue is the AC.

My 5 has lost a motor, lost the AC (prolly due to the engine being replaced) The engine mounts suck, the clutch has chattered since day one, mazda won't fix it, the airbag system is nothing but problems, I could lemon the car for it. Oh, and the VICS sytem falling apart..

 

[novadan67]

My wife had a 98 prelude. The tranny kept giving us problems (stupid automatics) and she was tired of having no room for anything or anyone. The P5 is a perfect fit for our lifestyle.

Having driven both I can honestly say that the P5 is 10X more fun to drive. The prelude had more power, but most of it came in a high rpm rush (VTEC). Coupled with an automatic is was not that impressive. The P5 with the 5 speed feels *almost* as fast right off the line. It is not a contest in the corners - P5 hands down. It is by no means a sports car, but for an economy car, it is VERY fun to drive and is very versitile.

As far as build quality they feel very similar. I prefer the look and feel of the P5 - especially the interior. I have not had any problems with the P5 and the Prelude was trouble free until the tranny started acting up with 50K miles on it.

Bottom line - I think Hondas are high quality cars, they just lack that sporty, fun to drive feeling that Mazdas give you. It really depends on what you are looking for from a car.

 

[Mike R]

My wife had a 98 prelude. The tranny kept giving us problems (stupid automatics) and she was tired of having no room for anything or anyone. The P5 is a perfect fit for our lifestyle.

Having driven both I can honestly say that the P5 is 10X more fun to drive. The prelude had more power, but most of it came in a high rpm rush (VTEC). Coupled with an automatic is was not that impressive. The P5 with the 5 speed feels *almost* as fast right off the line. It is not a contest in the corners - P5 hands down. It is by no means a sports car, but for an economy car, it is VERY fun to drive and is very versitile.

As far as build quality they feel very similar. I prefer the look and feel of the P5 - especially the interior. I have not had any problems with the P5 and the Prelude was trouble free until the tranny started acting up with 50K miles on it.

Bottom line - I think Hondas are high quality cars, they just lack that sporty, fun to drive feeling that Mazdas give you. It really depends on what you are looking for from a car.

Yeah, I agree. Mazda's are more fun and sporty to drive. I also have trouble getting in and out of the civic.

 

[Protephile]

I've owned Subaru, Toyota (2), Mitsubishi, Nissan (3) and Honda (2).
This is my first Mazda. I'm never going back.
I've never driven a more sure-footed econo-box.

 

[Pesty]

Ive owned 3 Hondas. 2 accords and a 93' prelude. The Prelude was my favorite of the 3 (obviously) but I swear my P5 handles better, that, and your sitting higher, so you don't have to worry about doing this quite as much.

 

[Brian MP5T]

P5 Has a "Racecar" feel on the road, but it get's passed by almost everyting.

 

[aMaff]

It's all abt feel. Straight - line prowess is fun and all, but all that'll get you is a ticket (five-0) . Twisties are way more fun.

 

[haveaniceday]

well results of the test drive are .. i was very suprised on the interior .. it was much better than my civic .. even though it was dusty/dirty.. no floormats in it .. 5spd red .. i noticed it had a run in the paint on the passenger side mirror.. i thought it had a clean title.. final price was 9100 w/ 53000 miles.. i didnt get it .. due to i didnt get to talk to my bank.. it was very nice but i almost feel like i might regret it .. i know the potenial of the motor .. but im looking for something in the 150+hp .. the civic si (EM1) is a winner if i can find one.. one i was looking at was stolen .. so thats on my mind to but i live in the country so unless someone follows me home theyll never know .. but i still think about the p5 i really only got on it once and didnt even hit all the gears only redlined 1st then let off .. the clutch felt very weird .. i think my sit was to far back to, ha but overall it felt very good and was nice .. but i just had this feeling in my gut that i should keep my honda .. plus prolly has something to do with money .. but i should be ok with that .. who knows what i will do ..

 

[Replica]

I had a 1994 Civic DX running some boost. I loved that car till i popped the motor at excessive boost. I bought a P5 because I thought it was a nice car when i test drove it. I had the P5 for about a year and a half. The Entire time I wished I was back in my civic...so i bought an 05 Civic Si about 3 weeks ago and am thrilled.

P5's cannot be fast. It just isn't possible. The motor is crap unless you build it. The FS-DE motor that comes with it stops making power at about 5900 rpm and my 5spd with an intake dynoed at 101whp and 111trq. It was fast enough to beat sohc civics with ease but still sucked ass. With exhaust and a header I dynoed at 103whp. After that dyno I actively looked for ways to get rid of the car. P5's have the illusion of handling great but if you look at skidpad numbers and slalom speeds it isn't much better than anything else on the market. What's weird about a P5 is the steering whell doesn't give you any feedback in sharp turns, which gives the illusion that it's handling well. Also Mazda is tricky about putting a nice ratio in the steering rack to make you think the handling is sharp.

I was really let down by my P5. If I were you I'd look for another Civic hatch with a 5spd. The cargo space is only a little less than a P5. You can make a Civic **** a P5 in the turns with some Suspension technique Sway bars and some nice coilovers. With some nice shifter bushings a Civic can feel great to run through the gears. Also a turbo kit for a sohc is only like $1,300 and a D series motor can take boost, unlike a FS-DE.

Don't stray from Honda....trust me....you'll be back.

 

[Replica]

but im looking for something in the 150+hp .. the civic si (EM1) is a winner if i can find one.. one i was looking at was stolen .. ..

I looked for EM1's too but I just don't feel like getting stabbed for my car.

Check out the EP3's. I used to talk s*** about them until I bought one. With i/h/e and the hondata flash some people are running mid-high 14's and the K series platform is amazing. The tranny is slick! True, it doesn't handle as well as my P5 did, but with some decent tires, a rear sway and some coilovers ill be glad to take on a P5...

Used Ep3's are about 10-12k.....

 

[orng1]

for me it is an issue with the size of the car I am a big guy and as much fun as I had with my honda it was anoying to have to slide the seat back and lean it back just to fit. I've driven almost every honda and all the new ones and I didn't fell comfotable in any. with my msprotege I can sit normally and still have people behind me and not have any problems. Before if I had a person behind me I would fell as the steering wheel was in my chest. good luck finding a car. oh yeah I had a 95 civic EX.

 

[haveaniceday]

bump for more opinions ... i keep looking at this P5