Protege 5 isn't that slow...

[Replica]

Reading through the forum I keep seeing posts about how slow P5's are. I don't think it's that slow of a car compared to other cars in its class. I'm sure this has been covered before, but i don't understand how people are losing to Civic EX's and getting blown away by SI's. With a few basic bolt ons a P5 easily keeps up with both of the mentioned cars. This weekend in Galveston I raced a 97 Mustang GT 5spd and through 2nd and 3rd I only lost by like a car and a half and the guy stole the jump too. The other GT races I've had were about the same. I just don't understand what the deal is. All I have is a header, intake and basic driving experience. Is anybody happy with the speed of their near stock P5's?

For the money I think it's a great, well-rounded car. I've owned faster cars, had a sohc civic in the 14's and test driven pretty much every car I can get my hands on and am still relatively happy with the speed of the P5 considering what's done to it. High 15's, low 16's are alot of fun and make races really interesting because there are so many cars that are around those times. Blah, just rambling I guess.

 

[Pretzellogic]

Some people like to b****, I guess.

Recently, I was driving my friend to work. We were stuck behind a Buick, so I dropped to third and passed it no problem. Throttle back, and my friend nods and says "car's got some balls."

Made me smile.

 

[billzebub]

I drive a WRX and my bro has a P5. I think the P5 is fine. Has pretty good get up and go...just needs an LSD to put the power to the ground, is all.

 

[SlimMilkMan327]

ya, I have a ractive short ram, and a raven cat back custom exhaust system, and I have a "manumatic" transmission, and I've beaten out some civics with what I have, but I lost to a el dorado the other day by a car length. My exhaust gave me a nice gain . Oh and my headers came in today so I'm going to install them when I get a chance to go home

 

[SlimMilkMan327]

P5's have a crappy first gear, but after that it's nice

 

[billzebub]

That's what I always tell my bro. It doesn't tear off from a stand still, but 2nd gear is gravy.

 

[mp5jeff]

P5's have a crappy first gear, but after that it's nice

my sub 2.0 60's tend to disagree with that , oh yea thats on regular radials too, give me some slicks and lets see what i pull lol

 

[nate0123]

my car felt really fast the other night when it was 30 degrees out and 2:30am and I was coming home from a club... really pulling through the gears, climbing hills like I was going downhill (yippy)

 

[Subghetto]

It depends in the mornings when it's like -30 c out my P5 it's faster but other times I'am like damn wtF??? It all depends how the weather is doing but it definitely feels faster than when it was stock that's for sure. My friends always rag on my P5 for being slow but that's because one of them has a GTS eclipse boostin 16psi and the other one has a V6 5spd solara with a couple of bolt-ons so I'am like no s*** my car is slower one of you has a turbo and the other has a V6. Even though it's slower I lose them on the twistes so bad that it makes it all worth it.

 

[proman]

i agree. we're not THAT slow.

 

[romecandleboy]

People b**** because it's human nature to simply want more of what we have. The P5 is not a 'race car' but more of a 'drivers car' -once you can accept that then you'll really appreciate what this car has to offer.

 

[SkinnyJoint]

ummm everyone keeps saying there car feels faster when its colder.... it doesnt only feel faster but it is faster... air is more dense...

me just throwing in my 2 cents

 

[Matthew]

the p5 aint too bad. when i had header, exhaust, intake i was happy. not quite the speed i wanted, but hey...

 

[mazdaspeedpower]

I loved my P5, and with a Catback and intake, it felt really nice. I loved that car, and I think if I was in the same position, I'd buy it all over again. It was nice, cause people don't always expect the little wagon to give such a valiant fight, and in several cases blow on by ya. like has been said, it's no straight line beast, but hell, no mazda is, it's the overall thats sickeningly amazing. I love being able to give full throttle through turns and not push too much. In both cars I've had(p5 before and speed now) and even my moms Mz3 is the same way. Mazdas are generally meant for a good overall drive, that out performs most stock suspensions in all turning aspect. Then from there, you add urself some power, and you're grinning all day.

 

[Mike R]

It's not that bad. I've owned much slower...This car has the most difference in performance with change in temperature of any of my cars.

 

[nate0123]

yep, two completely different cars going from 90 and sunny to 30 and dark

 

[GRMYSZN]

I think that if you're in a P5 and lose to a Civic EX that someone might need to take a driving course. I had a Civic EX previous and this car is definitly faster.

 

[SuperWagon502]

Oh wait, you said Nearly stock? My bad i thought this was gonna make sense like how you thought STOCK P5's weren't slow. And if that was true then Why does everyone laught when i tell em I ran a 17.00 in the 1/4?

Stock P5's ARE slow. Its different when the car has bolt-ons.

 

[Replica]

1/4 doesn't mean anything without the 60 foot.

 

[Mike R]

My stock 94 Civic DX seems quicker than my 5, and the 5 has a good bit of mods. The civic gets insane MPG too. The milage is my biggest beef with the 5. My friggin turbocharged 2.3L SOHC pinto motor got better milage than my protege-and I am really easy on the protege. Makes no sense to me...