I just bought a 2003 PR5 last month, silver. I didn't any options on it at all, except for the rear bumper guard because I transport equipment to gigs frequently.
I LOVE MY CAR.
I do have a certain amount of perspective on the PR5 - my wife has a 99 Protege LX, and I can clearly see many of the engineering improvements Mazda has made to this line of cars. They really skimped out on some things on the Protege to make it cheaper... like:
1) Excessive amounts of exterior noise - in my wife's car, half the time I can't even tell what's on the radio at a reasonable volume when we're on the highway going 75-80.
2) Cheap door locks? Anyone notice this on the Protege? The interior of the locks seems to be plastic or -really- cheap metal, and it falls apart over time. She can't even use the key in any of her locks now (thank god for keyless entry).
3) Crappy interior controls - a la the "slider" that alternates between fresh and recirculated air. I know 5 Protege owners that have had this break...
You get the idea - Mazda has really improved these things for the current model years.
I do have the following concerns about my PR5 after 2500 miles:
1) Assorted weird rattling mentioned already in here (cargo area, and undercarriage, anyone get this one?).
2) Whistling noise at > 70mph or so.
3) LAME cargo light that needs to be switched on. The first time I opened my hatch was at night, and I was going, :wtf: no cargo light???
4) Few people will likely notice or appreciate this, but the pedals are not conveniently mounted for heel-toe shifting techniques. Guess I have to get new pedals.
Overall, like I said, I love the car.
I think we all need to keep in mind that the engineering concept of Mazda seems to focus on making cars that will provide a thrilling driving experience for motorsports enthusiasts. How many other car manufacturers have the balls to keep developing something like the rotary engine? How many other manufacturers have an entire line of passenger cars all of which you look at go, "Man, I want to race that thing."?
Ya know?
