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Mazda Protegé

24043 messages,  Last post on Jun 10, 2012 at 12:01 AM

You are in the Mazda Protege Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mazda Protege, Sedan

Messages Page 1947 of 2405

#19461 of 24043 Late to the discussion... by newcar31

Jan 11, 2003 (11:18 am)

but my 2001 Protege ES is almost ready to turn 25,000 miles and it's almost 2 years old. It was REALLY cold here yesterday and last night and the car starts very well. Having synthetic oil in it can't hurt. I am just starting to do extended drains (longer than 3K) on the oil. The current Mobil 1 5W30 just passed the 3K mark and I'm already feeling weird about it. I know the oil should be fine till at least 5K, but going past 3K still messes with my "piece of mind". It must be all those years working at Jiffy Lube; my mind is hopelessly brainwashed. For those of you who live in cold climates and have 5sp cars, I recommend the redline synthetic MT90 transmission fluid. I don't have any problems shifting, even when it's severly cold. When I first bought the car, it didn't shift very well when cold. Either it's broken in now, or the MT90 is better than what Mazda used.
 
About the Focus....I saw that pic a while ago. I don't know if it's to be trusted, but I like the look anyway. The next Focus and Protege should be to the compact car wars what "Fatman" and "Little Boy" were to WWII. I don't expect anything but excellence from these two. I can't wait.

#19462 of 24043 Hard Shift manual when cold by gecko

Jan 11, 2003 (11:55 pm)

Hello,
 
02 Pro ES 5sp. Cannot get it to slip into 1st gear when it is cold outside. Frees up nicely when warm. I have Mobil 1 syn gear oil in the gearbox. Any suggestions?
 
Pete

#19463 of 24043 Hi Everyone! by stretchsje

Jan 12, 2003 (3:46 pm)

I'm a Mazda6 owner who got to fool around in a 5 speed Protege LX yesterday. I recommended the Protege to a friend (who was shopping for an Accord) after nearly buying one myself last summer, but I held out for an M6. I want to emphasize that I was really close to buying a Protege, loved the car, and felt completely natural in it, so I probably share the same driving preferences as the others on this board. Before that I had a 1990 Celica. Anyway, I'd like to share my thoughts, and I hope you Protege owners will post your thoughts of the Mazda6 on the Mazda6 board.
 
The Protege is quite a different experience from the '6. It has a much smaller, insignificant feel that I like. The beltline is much lower than the 6, making visibility excellent. The shifter didn't always seem to want to go into gear, but it didn't detract from the fun of the car- I just wasn't used to it. I wish the shift knob were bigger, though.
 
The car handled just as well as I remembered, and was a blast to drive. While the '6 handles corners better, the Protege is definitely the more fun of the two. The '6 is much more isolated inside, despite having good feedback. I liked the heavier steering in the Protege better, however, and really wish they had borrowed it instead of the old 626's steering for the M6.
 
One thing clearly better on the M6: the horn My friend had a good time making fun of his roadrunner sounding horn Actually, the '6 sounds better everywhere- nice engine tone, less road noise, and no squeaks or rattles. Though, I think this lack of noise isolates the driver a bit from the road- I miss that. The expression is, "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow." I love both cars, but think the Protege is more fun to abuse, even though the '6 seemed to be clearly the better performer.
 
So, to summarize:
 
Mazda6 = feels big, feels luxurious, and consequently doesn't feel as extreme when at the limit (even if the limits are higher).
 
Protege = feels small, has more character, and is consequently more fun at the limit, even if the limit is lower.
 
I should mention that I suspect the M6 comes with better tires standard, even though I have a stripped 6i MT- no options. Also, when I say the M6 feels big, I'm talking in relation to the Protege only- the '6 feels hands down better than the Accord, Altima, and even most sport coupes (I haven't yet been in the all). I'd recommend it to anyone.
 
-----
A few questions for you owners, to help my friend:
 
The car was very, very rattley before warming up in the freezing weather. The car has 2500 miles on it. Normal? I was kinda disappointed with that- my first test drive was over the summer, and the car felt very solid.
 
The tranny doesn't shift into first until the car is stopped, he says. Also, though I didn't notice anything, he says the clutch sometimes feels like it is slipping. I did notice that the clutch doesn't fully grab until the pedal is completely depressed.

#19464 of 24043 gecko by newcar31

Jan 12, 2003 (4:31 pm)

Yeah, put some redline in it. I had Mobil 1 in my gearbox until I found out that it isn't a dedicated transmission fluid. It's also used for differentials which require different additives than manual transmissions.

#19465 of 24043 stretchsje by newcar31

Jan 12, 2003 (4:36 pm)

I suspect that a Protege ES would handle better than non-sport model Mazda6s. It has a lot to do with the tires. If one were planning to autocross, I think the Protege would be a better choice. It's much lighter, and the chassis has tons of handling potential. SCC said that the Mazdaspeed Protege is the best handling FWD car in the world.

#19466 of 24043 Need some guidance by mzim1

Jan 12, 2003 (5:04 pm)

My daughter is thinking about buying a 2003 Mazda Protege automatic LX with ABS brakes. With incentives the dealer has quoted a before tax and fees price of $15,000. What should be our price target. Thanks.

#19467 of 24043 newcar31 by stretchsje

Jan 12, 2003 (6:23 pm)

You may be right- no doubt. I compared a 2003 Mazda6i to a 2002 Protege LX, both stock, both under 3k miles. Car and Driver tested grip at .87g's, which is pretty outstanding, and a bit better than the heavier 6s. Indeed, it would probably take the Mazdaspeed Protege to best the 6i. I hope I get a chance to pilot one soon

#19468 of 24043 mzim1 by the_big_h

Jan 12, 2003 (8:23 pm)

I'd say shoot for somewhere between high 13's to low-mid 14s.
 
check this site's TMV for a more concrete price.
 
good luck.

#19469 of 24043 stretchsje by newcar31

Jan 12, 2003 (8:28 pm)

You're talking about sport models right?

#19470 of 24043 Have they been able to sell any Mazdaspeeds yet? by gee35coupe

Jan 12, 2003 (9:02 pm)

Or are they still waiting on that missing part?

Messages Page 1947 of 2405

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