Potential Newbie Questions

[TrueBlueKew]

First time poster, several day reader. Great website. I am considering purchasing a 2002/2003/ Protege Sedan in the next few weeks or so and am hoping someone might be able to answer a few questions that I have not been able to find on the forum.

I'm assuming that the line goes as follows: DX, EX, LX. Could someone please advise (or direct me to a place in the forum where I can read) some of the primary differences between the trim lines? And just to bring out the absolute newbie and subsequent beatings that may follow... Could someone provide brief info on the difference between the gen 3 sedan, the mazdaspeed, and the MP3 (does MP3 just mean 3rd gen protege?)

Is the Air Conditioning on 2002/2003 Protege's standard/factory installed? If not is there an easy way to distinguish between factory installed/after market?

I have done a lot of research and everything I have read gives this car excellent reviews in terms of reliability and handling ability. The only thing I have found negative/of concern that keeps coming up is that there is significant road noise and wind noise. I have not test drove the an 02/03 yet (hope to in the next week or so), so I'm hoping someone might weigh in on this and advise whether or not it is truly significant at highway speeds (65-85mph) and whether or not there is a fix for it, such as using dampening material for the road noise and foam pad/felt tape for window seals for the wind noise, or is it pretty much just something you have to live with?

Any specific Technical Service Bulletins I should be aware of and have checked out before buying the car? The only thing I could find was something about the ac not working on level 2 but this may have been an older model prior to 02/03.

My thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide.

Thanks,
Brian <--- I'm with stupid.

 

[NegatiZE]

It goes DX, LX, then ES. ES has 5 lug wheels/four wheel discs/black interior/red on white gauges, and some other goodies to set it apart from the DX/LX. 2002+ models all have the 2.0 liter FS-DE 130hp motor.

The MP3 was a limited edition version of the 2001 Protege with several handling/styling/minor engine enhancements. It and the Mazdaspeed Protege are known for their awesome handling prowess.

A/C is optional on the DX and LX (IIRC) but standard on the ES.

Road and wind noise? Yeah, there is some but it doesn't bother me at all. If you're looking for a quiet cruiser, you're looking in the wrong segment of the market. Compact cars aren't known for being super quiet usually. Perhaps a used luxury car instead?

Hope this helps.

 

[chuyler1]

People have had good luck adding an extra layer of padding under the carpet and on the insides of the door panels. For the Protege5 (wagon), if it has a roof rack you can remove it to reduce wind noise.

The 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege, if you haven't figured out already, comes with a turbo along with other performance goodies. It is far more sporty than any of the other models but people seem to have more problems with them (try searching for clunk on this forum).

I suggest getting a 5-speed. It is a very easy car to learn on and it will make it so much more fun to drive once you get the hang of it. The automatic transmission just sucks the life out of the car.

For more information about options and trim levels check out the following link:
http://research.cars.com/go/crp/summary.jsp?logtype=6&aff=national&call=crp&makeid=30&year=2003&modelid=283

 

[trbomp5]

def get the 5-speed. If you ever do anything crazy like throw in a turbo (like I did) you wont have to swap in the 5-speed later. Thats where I'm at now and slowly rounding up the pieces to do it.

 

[sage11x]

The protege has established a good reputation with the enthusiast press, especially Car and Driver, mostly due to the cars superb handing. Less performance oriented auto publications like Consumer Reports have blasted the car for its stiff ride.
note: While all Proteges are sporty, the ES and 5-door models have a slight edge with thicker anti-roll bars, larger (16") wheels and lower-profile tires. The MP3 adds 17" wheels and 10 more horse. The Mazdaspeed is in a class by itself...

The ride in the Protege is pretty rough. For the the driver it's all smiles, but for the passengers it's anything but. The back seat is the worst, I've been back there once...
Front passengers won't be raving either. My girlfriend complains on long trips that she can't lay her head back never-less sleep as the headrest constantly jolts with every pavement crease. In it's defense, most small cars make lousy long-distance tourers -- combination of short wheel-base and tall seating.

It's a compromise, to be sure. The protege sacrifices a compliant ride for sporty reflexes. Few cars in this price range come close to offering the kind of enjoyment the Mazda delivers -- I'm thinking the SVT Focus, which is slightly more comfortable with even better performance gains... But then you've got all the BS that comes with owning one of those.

-- I've heard that up-grading to the MP3 suspension will help to even out the bumps while further increasing at-the-limit handling... can anyone confirm this?

As far as the road and wind noise is concerned, I don't think the Protege is that bad. Road noise can be determined greatly by tire choice. For everything else just turn up the radio.

I've never heard of any A/C issues...
Some other things you should know:
-The car gets middling gas mileage. It's not bad -- just don't expect Civic or Corolla territory. Credit the rev-happy, torquey four and short gearing. Again, a compromise of the cars sporty nature.
-After-market is pretty sad. Even OEM parts can be a b**** to find. I had to have my rear brake calipers re-built after one failed because no one other than the dealership (who wanted an arm and a leg) sold the part...

Other than that, AWESOME car. Fun to drive, a serious looker (I think the best looking Mazda since the late RX-7), and oh-so easy to get around in. In a set of twisties I'd take it over my "summer car".

Hope that helps... Good hunting!

 

[KFaulk]

I'm in the same boat as you trueblue. I'm preparing myself to buy a '03 ES protege. As a used car and in this price range, it seems like the ES is definitely the way to go, with it's little interior perks and such.

I'm definitely going to go for the 5-speed. Is it true that manual tranny cars get better gas mileage than autos?

Lets just say I did my research, and this looks like the best car I can possibly get for the money. And now, I can start squandering my paycheck on mods (but, nothing ridiculous of course). Any suggestions for small scale, newbie modifications?

 

[Sveivo]

All I have to say is I LOVE my protege. End of story.

The manual is better for those tight corners when you downshift 5->2 and accelerate out of it.

An automatic WILL NOT downshift like a manual. An automatic downshift can be compared to a kick in the ass. A manual downshift is a push from behind that you can control.

 

[Sveivo]

Any specific Technical Service Bulletins I should be aware of and have checked out before buying the car? The only thing I could find was something about the ac not working on level 2 but this may have been an older model prior to 02/03.

Cold Engine Rattle TSB! This cost me $200 because I got the car w/o warranty. Not that big a deal, it goes away when the car warms up. Def something to look for though.

 

[Sveivo]

I'm definitely going to go for the 5-speed. Is it true that manual tranny cars get better gas mileage than autos?

Lets just say I did my research, and this looks like the best car I can possibly get for the money. And now, I can start squandering my paycheck on mods (but, nothing ridiculous of course). Any suggestions for small scale, newbie modifications?

I don't think the difference is noticeable as far as gas mileage is concerned, maybe 1 or 2 mpg.

If money is an object, I would start with tint, exhaust (mazdaspeed axle-back is $150 shipped from mazdastuff.com--I have this ), and I know a lot of people will advise a short shifter, but I like the stock one.

Lowering springs and shocks would be nice, but it's about 1K USD if you have a shop do it.

Everything else is pretty much not worth it IMHO. Unless you can afford to throw money at a car.

 

[KFaulk]

Thanks for the tips... I'll be perusing that mazdastuff.com site for a while.

I really don't have a lot of money to throw at the care, but I like the idea of being able to if I want. Tint might be a good start... how is the stock audio system?

 

[Sveivo]

Thanks for the tips... I'll be perusing that mazdastuff.com site for a while.

I really don't have a lot of money to throw at the care, but I like the idea of being able to if I want. Tint might be a good start... how is the stock audio system?

The early 02 protege5 (which is what I have) has a very basic audio system--nothing to speak of. They added tweeters and a sub later that year.

The CD player plays CD-RWs though, I was impressed.

Sorry, I can't fill you in on the sedan.

 

[vapors]

Here, I'll answer your questions.

Like mention earlier the trim models go DX, LX, ES, MP3 and MSP. They are all pretty much the same exact chasis. The only thing that sets them apart is looks, performance and features.

DX - Base Model. Nothing special at all. It's pretty much 4 tires, a shell, and a motor. No Power Options and usually No A/C. AM/FM Radio and usually a 5speed trans. 4 lug wheel pattern

LX - This one has a bit more upgrades from the DX. Includes the power options and can come with A/C. And of course they added in a tape player to go with the AM/FM reciever. Auto tranny is an option. 4 lug wheel pattern.

ES - Way better than the previous 2. Power everything (windows, mirrors,steering) 4 wheel disc brakes, 16" rims, black interior. Pretty much everything the MP3 has but a little weaker motor and no body kit. 5 lug wheel pattern

MP3 - Pretty much an MSP with no turbo. Of course there are other technical specs with the motor and tranny that make it superfluous to the MSP.

And last but certaintly not least....the MSP. Grand Daddy of them all, Turbo LSD, Body kit, Rims, everything you could want from a 4 door sport compact.

On the concern with A/C, YES it is factory installed. But I don't think that there are any aftermarket ones people are installing. IF it didn't come with A/C, then there is a good chance there is never going to be an AC system in the car. To buy one with the AC already installed, is far cheaper than trying to aqcuire all the parts needed.

In terms of reviews, this is a pretty good all around car for the money it'll cost you. It's a blast to drive and with a few upgrades you'll want to do more with it. There is a pretty good aftermarket out there for these cars too. Stick to these forums and you'll learn a lot on certain products and where to get them. And just to remind you, this isn't a honda civic. You can't go to the corner store to get parts. Finding the right parts takes a little time. To Get rid of road noise add gain ride comfort, use less rim and more tire. The bigger the rim, the more performance you get and vice versa. But like all sport compacts, you're supposed to enjoy the ride rather than listening to the ride.

The only real major Technical Bulletins are on the Early to Mid '03 FS-DE Motors. For some reason, the production line went astray at one of the production plants. The thing to watch for is a screw coming loose and falling into the block from a "butterfly plate" on the intake manifold. The common symptom to look for when this happens is a sudden misfire and it seems like your running on only 2 cylinders...And of course a real rough idle and tapping noises coming from the head. Other than that, the motors are pretty reliable with regular maintainance.

As far as first mods, Ask yourself what you want to do with this car first. Autocross? Drag? Street Sleeper? All Around? Show? There are many options as to what you can do. But usually there is a better wiser combo. Say you wanted to AutoX. I'd say get a set of Tein SS's, some GT Spec Parts, good/light weight rims, good tires and upgraded brakes. Engine mods should be kept to what you can handle with your car. Think very thoroughly about what you want before you go and buy is my only advice. Like mentioned ealier, parts are a little harder to get since you have to pretty much order everything for a pretty penny. But if you stick to these forums, you shouldn't have a problem finding parts your looking for. Hope this helps a bit more.

 

[KFaulk]

Thanks for the info vapors, that's definitely helpful. I really covet the '03 ES and aside from it being broken or already sold, I should have it by early next week.

As far as the reviews I've read concerning road noise, does anyone have a suggestion as far as a good tire brand/size for the ES?

 

[DiS]

if you would take any car make/model and compare same model in auto to manual, on the price tag it says same milage, but in reality it just all depends on your driving habbits. With manual you would definetly save on gas. I use 89 octane. When I do "pedal to the metal" I get around 360-380 mpg, thats half city half highway miles. When driving below 4k rpm 70% highways I get around 420-440 mpg. It all deppends on the driving habbits. Although thats N/A, hehe, with turbo ill be making probably 320-330 on full tank.

 

[KFaulk]

There isn't a whole lot of action on these boards, is there?

 

[protege02]

get an es. im not knocking an lx, but i like the interior of an es out of the 3 trims, stock alloy wheels, 6 cd in dash radio, sunroof, 4 wheel disk, and so on. umm, if u want to stay cheap, get a 5 speed, add shocks/springs/short shifter/intake/exhaust/strut bar/sway bars. the car is great stock, but i just wanted it to be just like a speed and mp3. im just missing the swaybars which will be my next mod. it's a really fun car to drive. it's not the fastest car out there, but it has the right enough speed to get u in and out of traffic and daily driving. ummm i can't think of anything else, so i hope this somewhat helps u, but i'll catch u later and welcome to the forum.

 

[KFaulk]

I may be going tonight to get my new 2003 Protege ES!!!!

This is pretty exciting, wish me luck. (cool)

 

[NegatiZE]

hope you get it!

 

[KFaulk]

Thanks guys... but I'm gonna have to put it off until tomorrow (smash)

 

[KFaulk]

I got it!

2003 Mazda Protege ES... now what?

One thing I'd like to do is repalace the shift knob. Any suggestions?