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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
#22540 of 24043 Protege or Malibu? by mazdaprofour
Sep 24, 2003 (2:49 pm)
I plan to buy one of these two cars tommorow.The mazda is a 2003 LX 2.0 Auto with rims, moonroof, cd changer and all power. It has 1,500 miles on it. Dealer says that miles are from local dealer trips and test drives.
Malibu is 2003 auto basic with only power locks and cruise.
Malibu has 97 miles on it.
Both cars cost the same for me per month.
Which would you get.
I owned a 2001 pro in the past and got rid of it for the wrong reasons.
Here are my questions:
1- Which car?
2- Is 1,500 miles too high on the protege?
3- When you drive you pro's, do the steering seem on the firm side. Like if you turn a corner, will it want to pull back into center position. I know it is hard to describe. I doubt the car has a problem. I think it may be the design.
#22541 of 24043 PRO (of course) by dinu01
Sep 24, 2003 (2:59 pm)
The steering has "steering feel", something very few cars have and as an enthusiast, this is up there near the holy grail of automotive wants
I can't recommend a car that rides like the Malibu - it's just not for me. Too calm, too quiet, too boring, not fun to drive/corner...
What about a **NEW** PRO LX? Should be VERY similar in price and NEW.
Dinu
#22542 of 24043 Hmmm by ashutoshsm
Sep 24, 2003 (5:01 pm)
... I'd hate to buy a car with dealership demo/test drive miles on it. Its undoubtedly been abused.Mazda is running some great incentives. Can't you spring for a new LX? It HAS TO cost less than the new Malibu. Hope you're doing your shopping carefully.
Also, saying they cost the same per month means nothing, unless you're leasing. This is a common way salespeople trick innocent (but gullible) customers.
Do more homework. Walk into a different Mazda delaership and see if you can't walk out with a brand new Protege! If not - go back to the demo car!
#22543 of 24043 by mazdaprofour
Sep 24, 2003 (7:46 pm)
well they said that the vehicle is new. Never been titled. The rep said that it has 1,500 on it because it was used sometimes to go get other models from other dealerships. I am suppose to go in tommorow to sign the paper work. I test drove the car and everything seemed ok. How about the steering on the protege? is this steering suppose to want to straighten out when making turns. The steering just seems to want to straighten. I do not know if this is how this car is designed. This car is suppose to be new not preowned. I did not see anything wrong with it. Still has window tag on back seat. I am thinking that they may have let someone take it to try it out and the deal went south and they had to bring it back. I think that it might be hard for me to find another pro with the options at this point. I also have 4,000 that I am rolling over upside down so it is hard to get finacing. I just do not want to miss a oppertunity to get a car. I also have a bankruptcy in my past so I have two bad things going for me. They told me that the warranty starts from date of purchase so I am not sure what I have to fear.#22544 of 24043 malibu vs protege by steven39
Sep 24, 2003 (8:02 pm)
its a no brainer guys, pro has better warranty, loaner cars for warranty repairs,and the pro is simply much more fun to drive, more reliable(made in japan) and cost less also.4-48 warranty for pro vs 3-36 for mailibu.hey dinu?? i know you have a 2001 pro es and iam also considering a 2003 pro es with the cd-moonroof pack and abs= and compass mirror as well.how is the stereo sound with that 6-disk cd stereo. and how have you like your car up to this point? thanx steve
#22545 of 24043 Protege stereo and Malibu trivia by moparbad
Sep 24, 2003 (8:15 pm)
Please provide your opinion on the stereo in the Protege. I'm getting close to making my decision on the Protege.Malibu trivia-quote-The Malibu already beats Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima on J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey. But too few buyers recognize it, GM folks say. GM says Chevy’s perceived value is only half what the actual quality is, according to J.D. Power, while Toyota’s and Honda’s perceived value is greater than its actual scores.-end
I would not want to drive the Malibu no matter how good it's quality is.
Go for the Protege, you will not regret it.
Get the warranty statement in writing. Most manufacturers do NOT extend the warranty for mileage that occurs prior to sale, at 4 years or 50,000 miles I am guessing that is the end of the warranty. Does not matter too much with only 1500 miles though.
#22546 of 24043 by mazdaprofour
Sep 24, 2003 (8:47 pm)
"i know you have a 2001 pro es and iam also considering a 2003 pro es with the cd-moonroof pack and abs= and compass mirror as well.how is the stereo sound with that 6-disk cd stereo. and how have you like your car up to this point?"- I do not own a 2001 at this time. I used to have one. So you guys feel that the 1,500 is not a big deal huh?
- What about the steering? The best way that I can descrive is that when I was turning, the steering felt tight and wanted to coorect back to center position. Like as soon as you let go, it will straighten the wheels out.
#22547 of 24043 tires by tomciviletti
Sep 24, 2003 (10:55 pm)
I found the RE 92's tolerable. Their replacement cost is way out of line with their capabilities, though. What you want in a tire and how muc yu will spend should guide your choice. I went with Bridgestone s-03's in 205/55-15. They are fantastic handling tires, wet or dry. They are just as noisy as the RE92's though, and seem to be wearing about as quickly.the Yoko avids are good tires, but I doubt they have as sporty handling as the RE92's.
The Yokohama AVS ES100 is a cheap summer tire that performs well on dry pavement, according to tirerack tests.
the Falken Ziex ZE-512 looks pretty good at 1010tires.com
Folks here have like BFG comp t/a's [don't remember which model] and dunlop a2's [though others have hated them.
What can I say? It depends on what you are looking for.
#22548 of 24043 Steering effort. by mazdafun
Sep 25, 2003 (4:57 am)
That's normal for the Protege.Most drivers actually want this type of feedback. I much prefer it to the over-boosted power steering, which lets you steer with a pinky; no feedback, no idea where the "center" is etc., but makes parking easier.
However, to make sure it's not out of normal range, test-drive a couple other Proteges.
1,500 is a lot, but if they're willing to adjust the mileage limitations on your lease (y'know, how many miles can be on your odo when your return it) and your warranty (unless you drive few enough miles that you won't exceed the mileage limit) and it checks out OK, then consider the engine already "broken in".
I thought the 4 in the Malibu harsh-sounding (like it doesn't have oil in it), but it seemed OK. The Malibu is an OK car. Not much fun, but it is adequate. Fit & finish aren't as good as in the Protege, but are adequate. Seems that's the most I can say about the Malibu. I'd take one as a rental and be OK about it, but wouldn't own one if I could swing a Protege. The Malibu also feels only a little bigger inside to me.
#22549 of 24043 Steering by boggse
Sep 25, 2003 (5:03 am)
What you describe is a properly weighted steering rack. Too many domestic cars, and more often than not Toyotas, will overboost the power steering. The upside is a 96 year-old woman can still drive her car. The downside is average humans actually have less control of the steering because there is much less feedback from the rack.Trust me, this is a good thing, and it will ruin you for overboosted steering in the future.
If you are really concerned, drive another Protege and compare.
I wouldn't be too concerned about 1500 miles. Most dealers will sell "demo" cars with up to 5000 miles.
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