protege5 or matrix???
- Thread starter herecomesthep5
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jrodhotrod
Contributor
- :
- 2003 Mazda Protege5 (Mine) 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE (Wife's)
Most of the arguments have been stated but I'll weigh in. I drove both when looking and the P5 felt much better to drive. The driving positiong was superior as well as the handling in my mind.
You might be able to get a little more cargo in the matrix but I feel that's all it has on the 5.
As for the 115 outlet, it's nice, but one can easily get an inverter the plugs into the cigarette lighter (I have one) and then you have a 115 outlet in any car you ride in.
The Matrix is one of those cars that I really liked when it came out and the more I see it the less I liked it, I just don't like the roofline and the rear end very much. On the other hand the more I see of the P5 the more I like it. Every once in a while I stop and look and just have to say, damn that's a good looking car.
You might be able to get a little more cargo in the matrix but I feel that's all it has on the 5.
As for the 115 outlet, it's nice, but one can easily get an inverter the plugs into the cigarette lighter (I have one) and then you have a 115 outlet in any car you ride in.
The Matrix is one of those cars that I really liked when it came out and the more I see it the less I liked it, I just don't like the roofline and the rear end very much. On the other hand the more I see of the P5 the more I like it. Every once in a while I stop and look and just have to say, damn that's a good looking car.
LA dreamer
Member
About a year ago I was in the same dilemma. I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy the P5, the Matrix or the Pontiac Vibe.
I test drove the P5 and liked it, but wasn't sure if I could deal with the advertised gas mileage or limited cargo space. Then I test drove the Matrix and didn't really like it, but thought that the good gas mileage and extra cargo space fit my needs more than handling or good looks. So I tried to buy the Matrix, but since the car was so new I was unable to get a good deal. If the dealer had been willing to give it to me for even the sticker price I would have taken it, but that didn't happen. Then I test drove a Vibe, which is basically the same thing as a Matrix. I liked its look better, but the car was just coming out and only a few of them were available at the time. The one I found was so loaded with options that it was out of my price range. So I went back to the P5, got a good deal with Mazda's incentives and bought my car.
Ten months later I am happy I bought the P5? Yes and no. It looks GREAT and handles GREAT. I love it when it's washed and waxed and still look back on it every time I walk away. The cargo space seems to be sufficient for what I'm using it for and though the engine could use a little more power, the overall driving experience leans towards fun. BUT...with that said I am disappointed enough with the gas mileage to say I wish I didn't buy the car. I'm getting on average in the low 20's for the driving I do. If I were getting in the high 20's I would not complain. That's not great, but it's adequate. The resale value has dropped quickly and now I feel stuck with it. In no way am I saying that the P5 is a bad car, because it's not...it's an excellent car for the value. What I am saying is that you should figure out what your greatest needs are and buy a car based on that. Looks only go so far.
I test drove the P5 and liked it, but wasn't sure if I could deal with the advertised gas mileage or limited cargo space. Then I test drove the Matrix and didn't really like it, but thought that the good gas mileage and extra cargo space fit my needs more than handling or good looks. So I tried to buy the Matrix, but since the car was so new I was unable to get a good deal. If the dealer had been willing to give it to me for even the sticker price I would have taken it, but that didn't happen. Then I test drove a Vibe, which is basically the same thing as a Matrix. I liked its look better, but the car was just coming out and only a few of them were available at the time. The one I found was so loaded with options that it was out of my price range. So I went back to the P5, got a good deal with Mazda's incentives and bought my car.
Ten months later I am happy I bought the P5? Yes and no. It looks GREAT and handles GREAT. I love it when it's washed and waxed and still look back on it every time I walk away. The cargo space seems to be sufficient for what I'm using it for and though the engine could use a little more power, the overall driving experience leans towards fun. BUT...with that said I am disappointed enough with the gas mileage to say I wish I didn't buy the car. I'm getting on average in the low 20's for the driving I do. If I were getting in the high 20's I would not complain. That's not great, but it's adequate. The resale value has dropped quickly and now I feel stuck with it. In no way am I saying that the P5 is a bad car, because it's not...it's an excellent car for the value. What I am saying is that you should figure out what your greatest needs are and buy a car based on that. Looks only go so far.
LA dreamer
Member
I wish I knew what that problem was. I would fix it and be a much happier P5 owner.
jrodhotrod
Contributor
- :
- 2003 Mazda Protege5 (Mine) 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE (Wife's)
LA dreamer said:
I too in mixed driving, mostly highway generally get around 26 miles to the gallon or so, it seems to be a little bit better lately (switched to Shell 87 octane, they just started using MTBE free gasoline).
I have noticed on these forums that it's a common trend for California drivers to get worse gas mileage. I seriously think it has something to do with the reformulated gast that we have here in california. In several threads it has been brought up and the trend is that California drivers get worse gas mileage. Just my 2 cents.
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- 92 & 16 Meyatas
i'm geting around 30mpg mostly highway, but i drive the car hard too. i bought my p5 after seeing an ad, falling in love with the looks and how fun it is to drive. it was the right car at the right price for me. look forward to driving the car every day!!
LazerBlueP5
Member
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- 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe // 6spd
I really can't bash the Matrix beings it was the other car I was considering when I purchased my P5. Another guy on an earlier thread in this post said .."The Matrix is only 3 inches taller than the P5, so there isn't that much difference in height.." I have to totaly disagree with that statement. Even when you lower a car 1.5" it visually makes a difference. Double that is drastic.
The size of the Matrix was actually one of the points about it I liked. I was so sick of sitting in a crammed, lowered, Tiburon..I wanted something a little roomier. However when you look at the dimensional statistics the Protege5 actually has more leg-room and shoulder width in the front seat than the Matrix. So there goes the whole "Matrix being more roomy" notion. The Matrix does have a bit more cargo but I filled my trunk with audio anyway. Who cares- that's what a back seat is for! lol
If I would have purchased a Matrix it would have HAD to be the XRS. I have a weird quirk, if I buy a car it has to be the highest trim. I couldn't live with myself knowing there are others that drive the same model with a more powerfull engine. It would absolutly drive me nuts...almost like I got the watered down version...ugh.
Oh and who said the XR has more torque than the P5?! You can't compare statistics with an actuall dyno reading. Dyno both the XR and P5 on a dyno and then see. You'll always find discrepencies in HP when you actually run it on a dyno. Especially keeping in mind car manufacturers strictly list the flywheel hp. Bastards. heheh
The size of the Matrix was actually one of the points about it I liked. I was so sick of sitting in a crammed, lowered, Tiburon..I wanted something a little roomier. However when you look at the dimensional statistics the Protege5 actually has more leg-room and shoulder width in the front seat than the Matrix. So there goes the whole "Matrix being more roomy" notion. The Matrix does have a bit more cargo but I filled my trunk with audio anyway. Who cares- that's what a back seat is for! lol
If I would have purchased a Matrix it would have HAD to be the XRS. I have a weird quirk, if I buy a car it has to be the highest trim. I couldn't live with myself knowing there are others that drive the same model with a more powerfull engine. It would absolutly drive me nuts...almost like I got the watered down version...ugh.
Oh and who said the XR has more torque than the P5?! You can't compare statistics with an actuall dyno reading. Dyno both the XR and P5 on a dyno and then see. You'll always find discrepencies in HP when you actually run it on a dyno. Especially keeping in mind car manufacturers strictly list the flywheel hp. Bastards. heheh
if you're going to get matrix just get the Vibe looks much better and get their supercharger
http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/v...urce=vibema&pagename=vibeacspsr&on=vibeacsprv
love the flares
minus that roof wing
vroom
http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/v...urce=vibema&pagename=vibeacspsr&on=vibeacsprv
love the flares
minus that roof wing
vroom
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again if you're getting a matrix get the Vibe hehe looks 100% better than matrix
http://www.genvibe.com/html/features/gt-r/gtr1.shtml
http://www.genvibe.com/html/features/gt-r/gtr1.shtml
Many of the points that have been brought up I also went through when comparing. Two things not completelly covered.
Driving position/Comfort - I am a big guy 6-0, 250. The Matrix was very uncomfortable for me. I felt like I had to hold my right leg up in the air, lifted off the seat, to get my foot in the right place. I also did not like the shifter on the dash arrangement that the Matrix has.
Rear Quarter and Hatch window size. As has been noted the roof lowers as it reaches the back. That is not so bad as the P5 does also. The problem I have is the lower window line comes up also. What this means for me is that the vision past the B Pillar and the rear window was poor compared to the P5. I just couldn't get used to this. It felt like I was driving a van with a tiny rear window. In Atlanta traffic you can't afford not to be able to see out all corners.
The other big minus for Matrix was price. Something like $2k more for similarly equipped P5. Down points of the P5 - Short on power. Sucks but hey, when the warranty is up I call Spool. I do have to agree with a previous post in that I am disspointed with the milage. I very seldom get on the interstate and it is rare that I get 20 mpg! Yes I do drive aggressively with the throttle. I do get great milage when on the interstate, close to 30.
All in all I am happy with my purchse for now. Who knows what I will do in a few years. I don't regret my decision because any other car I would have wanted would be at least $25k.
Driving position/Comfort - I am a big guy 6-0, 250. The Matrix was very uncomfortable for me. I felt like I had to hold my right leg up in the air, lifted off the seat, to get my foot in the right place. I also did not like the shifter on the dash arrangement that the Matrix has.
Rear Quarter and Hatch window size. As has been noted the roof lowers as it reaches the back. That is not so bad as the P5 does also. The problem I have is the lower window line comes up also. What this means for me is that the vision past the B Pillar and the rear window was poor compared to the P5. I just couldn't get used to this. It felt like I was driving a van with a tiny rear window. In Atlanta traffic you can't afford not to be able to see out all corners.
The other big minus for Matrix was price. Something like $2k more for similarly equipped P5. Down points of the P5 - Short on power. Sucks but hey, when the warranty is up I call Spool. I do have to agree with a previous post in that I am disspointed with the milage. I very seldom get on the interstate and it is rare that I get 20 mpg! Yes I do drive aggressively with the throttle. I do get great milage when on the interstate, close to 30.
All in all I am happy with my purchse for now. Who knows what I will do in a few years. I don't regret my decision because any other car I would have wanted would be at least $25k.
I'll try to give a balanced reply.
If your under 6' 5", I wouldn't even consider the Matrix. If over 6' 5" than the protege might be a little small.
Apples to apples, the Protege will handle better and seems to be a little more responsive than the Matrix. More low end torque.
Also there is just something about the feel of the Protege engine. I don't think all the zoom zoom is hype. They just did a great all around non gimicky job on the P5
The Matrix engine is also sourced from Yamaha. If I wanted a RZ Motorcycle, I would buy one( they are nice). I don't need the engine in the Matrix.
On the good side, the Matrix has a lot of cargo utility. I am a part time photographer and this would come in handy. However, I still bought the Protege. I just felt more in tune with the car. Anyway, enough with my idiotic rambling.
If your under 6' 5", I wouldn't even consider the Matrix. If over 6' 5" than the protege might be a little small.
Apples to apples, the Protege will handle better and seems to be a little more responsive than the Matrix. More low end torque.
Also there is just something about the feel of the Protege engine. I don't think all the zoom zoom is hype. They just did a great all around non gimicky job on the P5
The Matrix engine is also sourced from Yamaha. If I wanted a RZ Motorcycle, I would buy one( they are nice). I don't need the engine in the Matrix.
On the good side, the Matrix has a lot of cargo utility. I am a part time photographer and this would come in handy. However, I still bought the Protege. I just felt more in tune with the car. Anyway, enough with my idiotic rambling.
