Seeking Opinions
- Thread starter connick74
- Start date
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- 2002 BJFW, 2007 BK3P, 1979 SA22C, 2005 BK3P
where is brookfield? i live in Illinois near the Wisconsin border.
Anyhow, my experience with the Protege5 is that it is a very well built, high quality compact car. You'll notice that the fit/finish, the interior and exterior pieces seem to give the car a feel that it is more expensive than it actually is. Just my opinion.
Performance wise, the P5 is one of the best/better handling vehicles on the road. At the price, the car cannot be beat for pure driving enjoyment. Depending on what you are used to, the engine can be a little underwhelming but remains middle of the pack for this price range/class. If you are performance minded, definetely go with the five speed manual.
The car is very versatile in any configuration. The seats, both front and rear, offer very good room for a compact car. The cargo capacity, with or without the seats folded flat, is very good.
Up until the point where I blew my engine to all hell and gone, the car was the best vehicle I have ever owned. And to reiterate a point; the engine exploding was of my own idiocy, no design fault of the car.
Buy one!
Anyhow, my experience with the Protege5 is that it is a very well built, high quality compact car. You'll notice that the fit/finish, the interior and exterior pieces seem to give the car a feel that it is more expensive than it actually is. Just my opinion.
Performance wise, the P5 is one of the best/better handling vehicles on the road. At the price, the car cannot be beat for pure driving enjoyment. Depending on what you are used to, the engine can be a little underwhelming but remains middle of the pack for this price range/class. If you are performance minded, definetely go with the five speed manual.
The car is very versatile in any configuration. The seats, both front and rear, offer very good room for a compact car. The cargo capacity, with or without the seats folded flat, is very good.
Up until the point where I blew my engine to all hell and gone, the car was the best vehicle I have ever owned. And to reiterate a point; the engine exploding was of my own idiocy, no design fault of the car.
Buy one!
Thank You for the Info!
Thank You!
Obviously, I am in the research mode. It is good that this forum is a round, otherwise all that I have to go with is articles from magazines. It is great that I might get info from actual drivers of the car.
I am not really speed orientated when purchasing a car. The reason for looking for this type of car is that I have 2 large Golden Retrievers that seem to take up a lot of room in my Nissan Altima. Plus, I am not two thrilled with the size and performance of the Altima. Before the Altima I was driving a Neon, which obviously was smaller and a little more fun to drive. I was debating between the P5 and the Toyota Matrix, and so far the P5 is winning the race, in affordability, style, performance, and general opinions.
Thank you once again for your response/opinion! Brookfield is a suburb just west of Milwaukee.
Thank You!
Obviously, I am in the research mode. It is good that this forum is a round, otherwise all that I have to go with is articles from magazines. It is great that I might get info from actual drivers of the car.
I am not really speed orientated when purchasing a car. The reason for looking for this type of car is that I have 2 large Golden Retrievers that seem to take up a lot of room in my Nissan Altima. Plus, I am not two thrilled with the size and performance of the Altima. Before the Altima I was driving a Neon, which obviously was smaller and a little more fun to drive. I was debating between the P5 and the Toyota Matrix, and so far the P5 is winning the race, in affordability, style, performance, and general opinions.
Thank you once again for your response/opinion! Brookfield is a suburb just west of Milwaukee.
Captain KRM P5 said:
The good Captain has summed up pretty much all of the finer points of the Protege 5.
I would like to add that nearly all of the editors reviewing the P5 commented on the comfortability of the front driver's seat. (due to adjustable height). I can't begin to count the number of smiles that cross my face whenever I zoom through a tight turn ... priceless. My only complaint (a prevelant one in this forum) is that this car deserves more horses under the hood, but that in no way shape or form outweighs the pro's of this car.
And by the way ... our P5 beats the Matrix in looks and style hands down, no questions asked, in my opinion. (2thumbs)
I would like to add that nearly all of the editors reviewing the P5 commented on the comfortability of the front driver's seat. (due to adjustable height). I can't begin to count the number of smiles that cross my face whenever I zoom through a tight turn ... priceless. My only complaint (a prevelant one in this forum) is that this car deserves more horses under the hood, but that in no way shape or form outweighs the pro's of this car.
And by the way ... our P5 beats the Matrix in looks and style hands down, no questions asked, in my opinion. (2thumbs)
I'll say right off the bat, my sister has a 2000 Altima and it has more 'get-up' than my P5...but my P5 is sooo much more fun to drive.
I was looking at the Matrix but the interior was hiddeous and the exterior wasn't that great either. However, if you're looking for AWD it may be the route to take. I would have like AWD but having a manual transmission was more important to me. If you're looking for equivalent speed performance to your Altima, you could consider the 180-hp engine option on the Matrix.
But what sold me on the P5 was the overall package and price. I could get all the options I wanted at the price I wanted, and the interior makes it look and feel like a car that should have cost $5,000 more. Plus, it corners like a sports car, not like a minivan/suv and it has enough power to zip around town and still get good gas milage.
If you read those magazine reviews you will notice the one flaw that comes up is the lack of power...well, compare the engine to other cars in its class and you will realize that they were just nit-picking. Its an economy/compact car, not a sports car. But when you drive it, it feels like a sports car soo much, you wonder why there isn't the power under the hood to make it an all-out sports car.
I was looking at the Matrix but the interior was hiddeous and the exterior wasn't that great either. However, if you're looking for AWD it may be the route to take. I would have like AWD but having a manual transmission was more important to me. If you're looking for equivalent speed performance to your Altima, you could consider the 180-hp engine option on the Matrix.
But what sold me on the P5 was the overall package and price. I could get all the options I wanted at the price I wanted, and the interior makes it look and feel like a car that should have cost $5,000 more. Plus, it corners like a sports car, not like a minivan/suv and it has enough power to zip around town and still get good gas milage.
If you read those magazine reviews you will notice the one flaw that comes up is the lack of power...well, compare the engine to other cars in its class and you will realize that they were just nit-picking. Its an economy/compact car, not a sports car. But when you drive it, it feels like a sports car soo much, you wonder why there isn't the power under the hood to make it an all-out sports car.
car and driver LOVE the protege5.
it got number 1 in the sport wagon shoot-out and yesterday i just saw a mp5 segment on the speed channel with a yellow p5 hosted by car and driver.
it got number 1 in the sport wagon shoot-out and yesterday i just saw a mp5 segment on the speed channel with a yellow p5 hosted by car and driver.
- :
- 2018 CX-5 GT
I definitely agree with everything said in the previous posts. I think the P5 would be a great match for you and your retreivers. I'd suggest, that is if you want the pups to ride in the hatch, to get the rubber mat/tray that fits in the back. Two retreivers could easily curl up back there in their own little spot - just take off the privacy cover and you're good to go! I've enjoyed the space this car affords, I've been able to fit (and haul) everything I've needed to in this vehicle.
As far as performance, the others are right, it handles like a dream. I test drove the PT Cruiser (which I LOVED... until I drove it), the WRX, the Matrix and the Pontiac Aztec (don't ask me why) and I felt immediately comfortable in the P5. I take the twisty roads on purpose because of this car.
I'd strongly recommend it over the Matrix (and not just b/c I'm biased
), but because it just... fits... with me, my lifestyle, my sense of style and definitely my bank account. It's really an overall well rounded, economical car. Plus, it's very customizable to your own tastes and always looks sharp. (thumb)
As far as performance, the others are right, it handles like a dream. I test drove the PT Cruiser (which I LOVED... until I drove it), the WRX, the Matrix and the Pontiac Aztec (don't ask me why) and I felt immediately comfortable in the P5. I take the twisty roads on purpose because of this car.
I'd strongly recommend it over the Matrix (and not just b/c I'm biased
), but because it just... fits... with me, my lifestyle, my sense of style and definitely my bank account. It's really an overall well rounded, economical car. Plus, it's very customizable to your own tastes and always looks sharp. (thumb)Re: Thank You for the Info!
I too would suggest the p5. The only complaint that I have is the lack of power. If you test drive a WRX, you will know what I mean. Actually if I never test drove the WRX, I probably wouldn't want to turbo my p5 now
Also, I have 2 large dogs as well and they fit very well. Here is a pic... http://www.lboe.net/p5.jpg
They fit very well in the car. And since I have leather, it stays clean of dog hair (not including the carpet).
connick74 said:
I too would suggest the p5. The only complaint that I have is the lack of power. If you test drive a WRX, you will know what I mean. Actually if I never test drove the WRX, I probably wouldn't want to turbo my p5 now
Also, I have 2 large dogs as well and they fit very well. Here is a pic... http://www.lboe.net/p5.jpg
They fit very well in the car. And since I have leather, it stays clean of dog hair (not including the carpet).
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