Sold on the P5..what sold you guys?

[anarchistchiken]

My story is very similair to yours dinux. I was looking for a new car, wanted to get something under 15 grand. Looked at civics, corollas, matrix, focas, actually looked at the regular protege sedan (and decided I didn't want one ) One day we were leaving the Toyota place after I was sickened by the corrola s, when I said "Hey, lets stop by carmax and see if they have anything."

We pulled in, talked to the guy in the showroom, got it narrowed down (5-speed, under 15 grand, sunroof, etc) and went out to look at the cars. Sat in a Mustang GT, couldn't live with that godawful interior, looked at a few other cars, started getting sad and thinking the Civic was gonna be it after all. Then out of the corner of my eye, a ray of light decesded from the clouds and alighted upon a 2002 Classic Red Mazda Protege5. I fell in love at first sight, test drove it and became even more deeply entranced. It took every single ounce of self control I had not to sign the papers right there and take the car home, but I stopped myself, and I eventually got a brand new 03.5 for less than Carmax was asking for the 02 with 25,000 on it.

Sorry that's so long, but it's a very imporant memory for me, lol

 

[SlowPro98]

Before I picked up my P5, I had only owned American cars, god bless this country and all, but all of them were pieces of s***, Ford, Saturn, Buick, Dodge. All of them fell to pieces after 50,xxx miles. The only car that handled decently was the neon, but the headgasket went at 60,xxx, the tranny at 120,xxx. My wife has a 98 protege, and I got hooked on how well it handled BEFORE I upgraded the suspension.

When I went to the dealership, i was going to get an 03 focus, but it was sold before I could put money on it. The dealer was a a friend of a friend, so he talked me into test driving a P5. I flogged the thing on the highway, I really tried to wring it out, see if I could scrub the tires. I took the ramps hard, and the tires held. The car feels solid at highway speeds, and it handles lane changes very well.

Even my wife gets aggressive when she drives it, but not driving fast, just maneuvering.

The fit and finish was also a factor. The seats are very comfortable, and very adjustable. The guages are already white faced. The car is silver with a black interior, and it's very slick. I like the look of the front facia, it has a body kit straight from the factory, it just looks so slick!

And the engine bay is HUGE, it was so easy to reach in and work on things. I'm really going to enjoy working on this motor (ever try working on a dodge neon? you'll rip your knuckles off in the first 10 minutes of breaking down a head)

There's a ton of room in the car, I have used it for moving, and while it's not a van, it does hold lots of boxes.

I have a buddy in NEPOC, Protege52003, and he has a black on black P5 with black or gunmetal rims and tints. The first time I saw his car I was loving it. He has an ebay intake and I don't know which exhaust, but it sounds sweet.

There's a canadian guy, Maxx_Mazda, and he's got a SWEET lookin' red sled. definetly worth checking out.
I think of my P5 as a Driver's car, not a racer car.
zoom-zoom

 

[SlowPro98]

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106950 (drool)

 

[dinux]

i agree with SlowPro98 about working on a Neon. one of my old buddies has a 2003 srt-4 that i did the work on and busted my hand up a few times. replaced the intercooler with a much bigger one, hard pipes, bov, wastegate (which the heatshield on the back had to come off and i broke a finger and lost three finger nails trying to get off) as well as a stereo system and a turbo timer. yeah, i did it all and then he basically turned around and f****d me in the ass and said f**k you. so, anyways, yeah they are a b**** to work on.

 

[Protege52003]

Even my wife gets aggressive when she drives it, but not driving fast, just maneuvering.

lucky you, wish my woman would get aggressive when driving my car, or hers!!

 

[SkinnyJoint]

Welcome to the board first.
second my story is pretty simple, i have lived in japan and wagons/xb type cars were really popular and i was getting tired of trying to be fast etc cuz in the end your still slow lol. but i had a supra and a couple 240s then in the states i wanted a new car fairly new since everything i had was like 12 yrs old etc.
thought id go with the wagon, made my girlfriend buy one and fell in love with it even more and now i bought one. thats my story...... but i still have a need for speed so i think ima have to get a bike here soon

 

[p5power]

I'd have to say the styling is what sold me. I personally think it's one of the coolest little cars you can find out there...and I never stop getting compliments, even from people driving audi's and the such. The interior may be a little squeeky at times, but it looks damn good, especially at night with the gauge cluster all lit up. plus it was yellow!

but then again, getting a 2002, 30,000 mile car for 9500 bucks might have had something to do with it.

 

[chuyler1]

I had always been a fan of the Audi A4 Avant and other sport-wagons. The first time I saw the zoom-zoom commercial with the yellow P5 I was sold. At the time I wasn't in the market for a new car so I kinda forgot about it until I saw one on the road a year or so later. This time I was in the market for a new car and had been looking at SAABs and VWs. I walked into the dealership to test drive one (an automatic), did some research online, and purchased a 5spd a week later. I had only driven stick once or twice as friends tried to teach me. My sales rep took me out back with the car and gave me a few more pointers and I was on my way.

Sure, people will tell you it doesn't have enough power but the problem is that they are comparing it to the wrong class of cars. It is not a sports car. Yet the car is so sporty and handles so well you tend to forget that. If you put the P5 up against any car in its class it out-performs all of them. Car and Driver still picked it over the Matrix and Vibe which both had higher HP ratings and more cargo space.

Sure the seats don't fold flat but think of that as an added 2-3" of cargo space instead of a mechanical flaw. The Mazda3 and other hatch/wagons simply build up the floor with plastic to get the fold-flat look. If you want that, go to home depot and buy some plywood.

Some things to look for when buying a P5: The 5spd is 200% more fun to drive. The 2002.0-2003.0 have a roof rack while the 2003.5 comes with the subwoofer instead. All P5s have 4-wheel disc brakes but for 2003, ABS and Side Air Bags were a combined an option. P5s with a sunroof also have a 6-disc changer, another combined option. Black leather was also a new option for 2003 and it gives the interior a classy look.

 

[RedKatanax9]

I was in Japan in 2001, while driving down the road in a friend's car one evening, I saw this black hatchback/wagon looking car passing us, i was like: "Man! That was one sexy looking ride. I gotta have me one of those!" But I didn't know what it was because it was dark. Then came the zoom-zoom commercial in the States and I realized that that was the car I had saw that night. And when it came the time to buy a new car, P5 was one of the first on my list to see. I thought about Hondas as well, being a Honda fan all my life, but concluded that Hondas are just everywhere, I needed to be different. P5 just stood out in that it was sexy, practical, reliable and yes, different. I got the 2002.5 yellow 5 spd, with all the options, leather, sunroof, etc. It's been 3 years and 40K miles later and I still love it. Zoom-zoom 4-eva!

 

[Cellerator]

didn't have a say in my car but hey, I love it more than any of my other personal belongings. Was going to get a DX 5spd but my car was only like a couple grand more and I get a whole lot more. Prettier car, more room for storage as a college student, handles beautifully, much more power than what I had before and is a 5 spd compared to my old auto tranny.

 

[NJP5Guy]

Sure the seats don't fold flat but think of that as an added 2-3" of cargo space instead of a mechanical flaw. The Mazda3 and other hatch/wagons simply build up the floor with plastic to get the fold-flat look. If you want that, go to home depot and buy some plywood.

.

YOU DO KNOW THAT THE SEAT BOTTOMS FOLD UP...RIGHT? its only off by a few degrees from total flatness.

 

[chuyler1]

I know that...but someone complained about it in a previous post.

 

[Action Jackson]

And the engine bay is HUGE, it was so easy to reach in and work on things. I'm really going to enjoy working on this motor (ever try working on a dodge neon? you'll rip your knuckles off in the first 10 minutes of breaking down a head)

I'd wish that the engine could be a bit more forwards towards the nose though.

Too tough to reach the intake manifold and EGR valve.

Never worked on a Neon so I guess that's a good thing (boom07)

 

[HBOC]

one step closer to owning one

Well, let's see if i can get the financing i need. I checked on insurance and from state farm, it is $135 a month for full coverage, $200/500 deductibles. I am sure i can get a better plan, as state farm only has a $10,000 coverage for uninsured. that is fairly lame.

I hope to have one on thursday! First thing i will do is change the oil (lol) and buy HIDs, as i have horrible eye sight, even worse at night. i guess i can put off buying the 70-200mm f/4L lens for a while.

anyways, thanks for the advice for the year changes. I am looking at either a silver or dark blue wagon. Roof rack or sub? i can always buy a roof rack, then again, same goes for the sub.
I NEED a moonroof. it is necessary for southern california. Leather is not as important, but i would like it. No question about transmission. 5 speed all the way. i havent owned an automatic yet, and dont intent to start now. all wheel crossed drilled discs are nice as well.

I really hope i will be picking up the 5 in a few days. pictures will be taken and posted

later
Dustin

 

[Lord_Zath]

If you're choosing between roof rack and sub, I'd say go sub. It fits in the spare tire and is a great show piece in itself. Plus if you don't get the 2003.5 the wiring harness isn't there so you'd have to build up the sound system from near scratch...

Good luck let us know on your choice!

 

[anarchistchiken]

Actually, you can't really use the sub wiring harness to power anything else, and if you did it wouldn't be any louder. The power, contol, remote, everything runs through a wire no bigger than my pinkey finger. If you plan on upgrading to better subs or a new head unit soon after getting the car, the sub becomes a useless commodity.

 

[Lord_Zath]

Actually, you can't really use the sub wiring harness to power anything else, and if you did it wouldn't be any louder. The power, contol, remote, everything runs through a wire no bigger than my pinkey finger. If you plan on upgrading to better subs or a new head unit soon after getting the car, the sub becomes a useless commodity.

But then he can sell off the stock sub for moneyz!

 

[Mr. 4500 RPM]

well here is my story. i got into a car accdient and totalled my previous car. i went "car shopping" with my dad. basically he told me "chose one...civic, matrix, protege5...those are your choices" so i said "lets check out mazda" i beleive thats how it went i might have brought the protege5 in the mix i cant remember now (bad memory) but anyways i went to check out the protege5 as the first car. was at the dealership...saw the car inside and out and i was in love. i wanted it even without a test drive. we got a good deal and were to go the next day for a test drive and to sign the papers. well i test drove it, i loved it...zippy nice and comfy small compared to the previous car a drove. and i knew there was aftermarket support for it...come one mazda people. anyways we settled on a price and what we wanted and the hunt began for my black or midnight blue car. i wanted abs package moonroof and 6 cd changer, no leather. well they found a blue car but i decided i liked the black better. so they looked for a black car and found 2. one with abs no moonroof or one with moonroof and no abs....decisions decisions...well i wanted a moonroof and went with that abs would be great but was not a necesity. i got a 2003.5 so subwoofer + points and no roof rack + points for sleaker sexier design. the subwoofer hits well for our little car. its not the best thing ever but for the size of our car and the power it puts down its not bad. my friend recently upgraded his speakers and headunit in his 91 integra ls and always comments "i love riding in your car bescause of the bass it has" he tells me i shouldnt touch the system because of how perfect it is. anyways i love the car, no issues, no hassles, no problems. only thing is that every now and then the car does not go into reverse the whole way so i have to play with the gears a little before it can go fully in, an issue ill address with mazda later this week. yes its a 5 speed and amazing. nice and light clutch easy to zip around town. yes it lacks power but its always great to see that your car can out corner others or how people slow down while taking turns while you speed up!

 

[HBOC]

all of my cars have done that reverse thing. i always had to put it back into first and then roll a little and then try again, lol.
lets hope i can get the financing.