I need Serious Opinions Only Please!

[Sic03Mazda]

First off, I have an LX sedan and I need something with a turbo. I owe 13k on this car at the moment. Yes, I was upside when I bought the car. I was looking at getting a MSP or a Dodge SRT-4. Yes, I know some of the board members despise the srt-4. Performance wise, I see that dodge is ahead of us.....besides DiscreetSpeeds Protege, I have yet to see another protege break 235! I want to know if it will be wise for me to go ahead and buy a new MSP or a SRT-4 or just turbo the car I have now! All serious opinions will be responed to! Thanks!

 

[Notorious]

Turbo the car you have. Your losing a lot of money by changing cars often and you are probably gonna be upside down on your current car anyways.

 

[MazdaspeedNJ]

True that....

 

[jersey_emt]

I'd say turbo your current car unless you want a warranty.

 

[low_psi]

turbo the LX...

 

[t3ase]

turbo the lx. definately.

Not only will it be a sleeper, you'll get a much better turbo kit.

 

[R2Di2Dc2Do]

turbo the lx. definately.

Not only will it be a sleeper, you'll get a much better turbo kit.

i agree also.

 

[MotegiMazdA]

Considering the retail value of the protege and its trade in value and the fact that you were burried to begin with stick with your car, you are just going to get deeper and deeper into debt and without a hefty downpayment your payments will go up. If you can afford that then, go you. But thats not something I personally would want to undertake. I say stick with the car that you have. Why do you need a 235hp daily driver? I understand the whole power thing (400+hp RX-7 here) but I think you would be better off in your current situation.

 

[Hypnotized]

Turbo your existing car. It will be cheaper.

 

[KyRaceFan]

Not necisarily cheaper to turbo your current car.
Youre gonna spend quite a bit on the parts, install, proper tuning. etc.

Plus all the downtime when youre installing it.
If youre looking for balls out straight line performance, id consider an SRT-4. They're holding 500hp on the stock bottom end, with no fuel management, just a bigger turbo, i/c upgrades, and other stuff.

If you want a good looking semi quick, good handling daily, get the MSP.

If you want a total sleeper, that youre willing to fight with some, then turbo your car. It wont be a total nightmare, but it wont be easy like an out of the box setup, but then again, you have a bit more potential... well except when compared to the srt4

 

[murdock_]

buy an srt-4

 

[RyanJayG]

imo, building a car for a daily driver that only goes fast in a straight line is dumb... that is all

 

[Dexter]

turbo LX + haltech

 

[KyRaceFan]

imo, building a car for a daily driver that only goes fast in a straight line is dumb... that is all

the 04 srt4's have LSD, and they actually handle pretty well now.. but yes, you have a graet point.
Taking turns fast is great, but powering out of them is also very very fun.

 

[OhioMSPinNJ]

Take into consideration dealer rebates right now -
MSP - $2500 (According to Mazdausa website)
SRT-4 - $0 (According to edmunds and Dodge website)
Also, if dealers are as eager to get rid of the MSP's as everyone says they are (and if all other accounts on the forum are correct in saying they are going for $15500 - 17000), that will help eliminate the negative equity.

i.e. if you are $5000 under - Take the rebate ($2500) and negotiate another $2500 (or more if possible) off the price, your negative equity is gone.

But, you now have paid almost full price for a MSP that is now only worth about $12500 or so; hence you will automatically be atleast $9-10k under on your brand new MSP. So IF you do trade for the MSP, plan on driving it for ATLEAST 4 years.

Just my 2 pennies.

 

[DiscreetSpeed]

get the msp.....imho.....the car is awesome..everything is done on it except for some performace mods...i tell my brother the same thing.

but you got the interior, exterior, suspension, turbo, and i.c.e all done. what else can you ask for.

 

[seatbackfurther]

That's a really tough decision. You have to realize the costs especially if you are looking to tune your car and do it properly. If you get the MSP you are paying for a body kit, suspension, turbo, and ICE. Now if you are going to tune it you have to get forged internals, an ems, etc, etc ,etc. Pretty much the same as you would with your lx, but you are going to have to pay for a turbo kit. Which would be the cost difference between the MSP and keeping your car. If you have the money to drop on the kit, then you apparently have enough for a downpayment for a car. Which is probably a wiser thing to go ahead and drop the money for a down payment on a car. I'd say SRT-4 if you want a fast car that is cheap to tune. Other than that I don't see spending the difference on an MSP when it is going to cost you so much to tune it. Just my opinion though...

 

[Ceej]

First off, I have an LX sedan and I need something with a turbo. I owe 13k on this car at the moment. Yes, I was upside when I bought the car. I was looking at getting a MSP or a Dodge SRT-4. Yes, I know some of the board members despise the srt-4. Performance wise, I see that dodge is ahead of us.....besides DiscreetSpeeds Protege, I have yet to see another protege break 235! I want to know if it will be wise for me to go ahead and buy a new MSP or a SRT-4 or just turbo the car I have now! All serious opinions will be responed to! Thanks!

Um, well......YOU STILL OWE THIRTEEN GRAND ON A PROTEGE LX????

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

O.k., sorry about that. Um, how long have you owned it for? A few months? Do you realize how much you are going to get *****? Jesus dude...I don't know where to start, you have made some bad car buying desicions is all I can say man.....good luck with it.

 

[PhreakV]

if you absolutely 'have' to have the turbo I would consider turbo-ing the one you've got but I would think you'll end up happier with the SRT-4. from a $ to $ standpoint nothing is better right now IMO. yeah you'd own a neon but its a nice one.

my advise to you, since your asking, is to keep your car and just pay money on it ($13k on an LX is rough!). if you have the 'need' for a turbo, first off your car had better be a stick, but overall I don't know what to tell you...

 

[ghettojetta16v]

i would trade in your protege for a GTI or Jetta powered 1.8T. I was considering a MSP when i got my Jetta and test drove them both and the jetta just seemed quicker, but on the downside the MSP has much better handling. I decided to go with the Jetta Wolfsburg (special edition jetta) cause i was planning on doing alot of engine mods and heard that the MSP's engine is just a Protege 5's engine witha turbo slapped on it so i heard it wouldnt be able to handle 15+ psi or regular basis on stock internals. Only mods i have done so far is a REVO (chip) and im up to 217hp/249lbs torque. Im not putting the msp down, if you dont plan on doing alot of mods to the engine then get a MSP cause the handling is unmatched! But if you are i say look elsewhere.