Mine is going in tomorrow for the sub that died and the power shudder. Car & driver noticed the shudder too, maybe we should bring in a copy of this article.
"Occasionally, the Mazdaspeeds engine surged under load and then rocked with a violent shudder. Fuel problems and computer hiccups were suggested as possible causes. "
Third Place
Mazdaspeed Proteg
In its previous life as the MP3, the hot-rod Proteg dazzled us with its quick reflexes but disappointed with its lack of muscle. So Mazda called around and found a turbocharger for it. Things are definitely looking up, but whether by accident or design, the Protegs makers have left ample space to grow.
Fundamentally, the Mazdaspeed is just the same feather-footed dancer as the MP3except that it cleaves 1.2 seconds off the MP3s 8.3-second 0-to-60-mph time and 0.9 second off its 16.5-second quarter-mile. That latter distance now passes at 90 mph in the Mazdaspeed instead of 84 mph in the MP3.
The Protegs invigorated throttle now answers the call with more than just noise, especially between 3000 and 4000 rpm, where the MP3s non-turbo 2.0-liter was about as exciting as a snifter of Listerine.
Turbo lag is pleasingly short, but the engine remains thrashy around its 6500-rpm redline. Worse, power delivery is sometimes lumpy and less predictable. Thrust can vanish with a whoosh when the pedal lifts, provoking an unsettling whiplash through the driveline. The turbo can always be heard as that dog whistle under the hood.
Occasionally, the Mazdaspeeds engine surged under load and then rocked with a violent shudder. Fuel problems and computer hiccups were suggested as possible causes. No longer Listerine, the engine improves its status to that of boxed wine.
In comparison tests, the Mazda Protegs always seem to offer the sharpest steering, the best weight balance, and the lowest center of gravity. Likewise, the Mazdaspeed rewards real drivers.
The svelte, three-spoke wheel feels honed enough to splice a lane into millimeter-sized cutlets. The steering is lightno sneezing in a sweeper or you may dart for the weedsbut tugs itself to the center with a good sense of the straight-ahead, wrote one driver. The seedling-tall Sparco shifter has overly heavy detents but never gets hung up or lost.
Once the suspension sets in a turn, the pilot can park the car at its handling limit with the throttle. No bobbing or wandering, plenty of grip, no surprises. The only real cheap-car DNA is in the tire thrum, the thunks from suspension impacts, and some wind noise.
The Mazdaspeed carries on the MP3s role of being an elaborate stereo-delivery device. The Kenwood Excelon receiver and its various accessories will put up a 450-watt (0.6 horsepower) wall of sound. So dont even try to ignore the radio. It craves attention. The motorized folding faceplate performs a little ballet every time the car is switched on. Its digital display ceaselessly winks with pixilated TV commercials for the car, for itself, and, apparently, for interstellar travel.
If the objective was to distract the driver, fumed one, it has succeeded.
Titanium-hued, Lycra-looking inserts make the seats resemble jerseys for a pro-football team. Fancy pseudo-suede inserts on the doors, delicate ribbons of orange stitching, and painted trim plastic prove that someoneperhaps with a peculiar taste for colorswas sweating details. The back seats are the most spacious to report for duty.
Given that the substantially slower MP3 won the Budget Banditos comparison, how come this Proteg only rates third here? Before putting pen to furious letter, dear reader, note that there was no SVT Focus or SRT-4 in that earlier test.
Also, just three points separate the top three finishers in this test. A harsh decision, but until Mazda serves up an engine to match the moves, we have to defer to those more transformed.
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