Why did you buy your MSP?

M

mgerst1

Member
:
2003.5 Mazda Protege MAZDASPEED Laser Blue Mica
Let me start by saying if this thread already exists, I'm sorry I did not see it and feel free to close it.

I am curious to find out why MSP owners bought their MSP instead of a Subaru WRX or a Mitsubishi Evo. I know there are those out there who hate their MSP with a passion and I respect your opinion but please do not post MSP hate in this thread.
 
I bought my MSP out of necessity and because of it's features. I had a 2002 Mazda Protege ES that was totaled when I was hit head on turning at an intersection so I needed a new car. I looked for another protege and found a few MSP's at autotrader.com. (at the time I did not know there was such as thing as the MSP) I compared the price and mileage of the MSP against the price and mileage of regular third gen proteges and decided that the MSP was the way to go. It had a color i loved right away, many of the mods that I wanted for the third gen protege I had, low mileage (30,000) and a great price (taxes, tags, and title out the door for $13,000.00). I have loved every second that I have owned this car and have no regrets
 
i bought mine thinking it was special....little did i know how big of a piece of s*** it'd become....should have bought that evo :(
 
i fell in love with the spicy color first time i saw it and had to have one. i didn't go the wrx or evo route because i wanted a vehicle that was limited in production as well. all about being different.
 
I got it for its rarity and its was within my budget. I could have gotten evo or s2000 but ive always wanted an msp since i had my 3rd gen. Im very happy with my msp and i dont really care if an evo or sti is faster. It brings a smile to my face when i get in and drive it around.
 
I could only afford around $15k, and wanted the best handling, sportiest, four door, with a warranty remaining, and good gas mileage. And I wanted a local private seller. I believe the options were;

Nissan Sentra SE-R
Ford Focus SVT
Dodge Neon SRT-4
Ford Mustang
Chevy Cobalt SS
Saturn Ion
Honda Civic SI


and out of all of those, I am very happy with my decision. I love my car.
 
why? because i wanted it... then 2 weeks later, i changed jobs, got a comopagny truck.. and since then the car has been doing 4000-6000 miles per year.. i dont even use..

so i'm selling it..
 
because i was an idiot and didnt go drive a srt-4 1st. O well youd be suprised what dropping over 10k in a msp will do lol
 
A/C and prior good experience with a turbo mazda product.
After 5+ years of ownership I have no regrets about the purchase. The a/c is still ice cold and its proven to be another relieable turbo mazda product in my driveway.
 
I REALLY wanted a wrx. Too much. Then I wanted an SRT4 and it again was just out of my budget, so the next best car was the msp. The SRT-4 was a full $4,000 more than this, $20k vs $16k brand new. (real world prices, not MSRP) If I put $4k into this it would stomp an SRT!

I absolutely love this car. 101,000 miles currently and it is such a champ. It broke down 1 time and that was the stock LSD which was replaced at no cost under warranty. It's our only car (my wife and I) and it's driven every single day of the year up here in Minnesota (100 degrees and 30+ below zero and in blizzards). It's plenty fast (and getting faster!) I'm sooo happy that I was kinda forced to buy this car.

And Evo/STI? Sure I'd rock either one, but they would cost double what this car does (insurance, gas, maintanance, pricetag, etc). Dollar for dollar, this car is unreal. Even the MS3 isn't as good as this for the money. It's all about how you use it. If you can afford a weekend race-car, get an evo/sti. Used if you need to as they are a better car than the MS3. If you want a daily car for cheap fun, this is where it's at.
 
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Bought it because my 240sx frame was falling to crumbs, my gas tank was leaking, my lock wouldn't open....you get the picture....test drove a P5 and and MSP and I was really surprised by the MSP. Add 0% financing and the trick was done. I enjoy this car, but I think it's not a reliable Mazda turbo product. I take really good care of the car, it my daily driver so no ridiculous driving and there is always something to annoy me. I changed the turbo, a bizillion sway bar links and bushings, muffler, WG, falling rear skirt, 2 sub-woofers, amp, stereo, casing, rust on the hood....as fun as it is to drive, this car is poorly designed. The latest is a rattling horn and heat shield. So thumbs down to the MSP, it's real not the Japanes quality that I expected.
 
I bought it because I couldnt get my hands on a srt 4. waiting 4 months to get a car wasnt worth it. plus my truck I traded for it was beat to death and mazda actually gave a GREAT trade in price. it didnt have a straight panel on it and something was screwed up with the electrical system. and it was only a three year old truck. stupid dodge.
 
i got mine because i loved the way it handled, and the way it looked. my buddy had a turbo'd P5 and i loved his car. everytime i walk out of a place and see the car sitting in the parking lot it brings a smile to my face. it also puts a smile on my face when i show my tails to people that underestimate my MSP.
 
b/c the rx-8 was slow as s*** and this was limited production, plus, i bought it used with some mods and it ran even up with the srt4 and just a shade behind the evos.. and all for 10K.. its a fun car too.. wish i didnt have so much in it right now though :(
 
The MSP has been one of my dream cars for a very long time. Bought mine absolutely immaculate with 30k miles on it. Laser Blue... so beautiful. :)
 
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