I love the protege 5....I need help should i buy it??? [Archive]

YodaHo110

02-10-2006, 03:48 AM

Ive been looking for a used car and i am leaning towards the 2002 or 2003 protege 5....can you guys help me with my decision??? is this car good for a college student like me??? theres no defects or major problems cause i really really want this car

Cellerator

02-10-2006, 04:02 AM

65racecoupe

02-10-2006, 04:10 AM

The car is damn slow, but cool. The slow problem is easliy fixed though.

I only see a few around the Phoenix area, and this place is huge.

I am a college student and love my P5.

tsekaos

02-10-2006, 07:29 AM

pro 5s are the ish man u def. shud get 1

Jack Daniels

02-10-2006, 07:45 AM

P5's are incredibly practical, especially with a roof rack. They're fun to drive too. It's a great little car that can carry a lot of stuff when you need it to. My only issue right now is clutch chatter. I'm debating whether or not to pursue it at the dealer as I'm at 40k miles. It's annoying and intermittent, but I'm not sure it's worth the battle or my time. I may just live with it.

Katya4me

02-10-2006, 07:47 AM

It's perfect for a college student. Loads of room to carry stuff, enough power to get you where you need, and no real major problems. On the 03's, you may just need to see if the previous owner got his VTCS problem fixed and if not, it's a simple 1 day at the dealer thing if you have the problem. Other than that, the car runs spectacular with normal maintenance.

Actually it is the '03.5 that has this issue, not the '03. I haven't had any problems w/ mine other than the A/C TSB which was covered under warranty and I am at about 42K miles now.

There are a few college students on here who have P5s and they seem to be very happy w/ them. They're also fairly roomy when you have to haul your friends around too. :)

Mmmmmken

02-10-2006, 07:52 AM

I would'nt quite agree with "slow as hell", but they are not a really fast car like some other pocket rockets. BUT... try to find a better looking car that's as fun to drive. Reliable, solid, unique. You'll love it if you get it.The car is damn slow, but cool. The slow problem is easliy fixed though.

I only see a few around the Phoenix area, and this place is huge.

I am a college student and love my P5.

p5power

02-10-2006, 09:54 AM

i'm a college student and absolutely love my p5. i do a lot of driving in my p5 and i enjoy every minute of it. the gas mileage is pretty good too.

and just like someone said above, they are totally unique. you hardly ever see one on the road, so you do get a lot of people asking you what your car is. and i've said it before, and i'll say it again: the ladies love the p5!

get the car. you won't regret it!

Protege52003

02-10-2006, 10:44 AM

relaible with proper maintance, gets okay milage and great with the roof rack!
get one with low milage and you should be fine......
not a fast car but avarage for its class with the 5-speed!

arcane73

02-10-2006, 10:58 AM

I bought mine 3 weeks ago. I love it! Everything i wanted, quick, fun to drive, easy to zip in and out of traffic (when it's necessary ;)) Now if i could only get up early enough to beat my better half to it. She started leaving earlier for work and taking my car while leaving me with her 96 Protege. :(

aMaff

02-10-2006, 01:40 PM

KYMP5

02-10-2006, 01:41 PM

mine got me through college with no probs at all.

djdanny5000

02-10-2006, 01:49 PM

hey i got mine at 16 and i loved it man i would see them on the streets sometimes and be like damn thats a nice car so when i got one i was happy its not the fastest car in the world but not the slowest either atleast its not a civic anyways it handles great and with some few mods n\a it will give you a bit more power so itll pull harder overall i think its a freakin awsome great spectacular car for what it is

nealric

02-10-2006, 02:05 PM

The only problem with being a college student with a p5 is the urge to mod it- which ends up taking place in a parking lot most of the time.

Overall, its perfect for my needs.

CTt3P5

02-10-2006, 02:08 PM

Definitely buy it!!! I have had my classic red for two weeks and love it. It is not the fastest car on the road but merging onto the highway for my commute is not a problem and besides the car looks great...even standing still. This is my first car with lower profile tires so it is a bumpy ride (on some of PA's wonderful highways) but I don't mind because it is so much fun to drive.

I think the car is great for a college student...plenty of room for your books and of course for your friends....keep us updated.

Kansei

02-10-2006, 02:37 PM

OMG DO IT! they are so fun :) :) :) I got mine because it was so functional for college.

aMaff

02-10-2006, 03:15 PM

The only problem with being a college student with a p5 is the urge to mod it- which ends up taking place in a parking lot most of the time.
hehe, find a job that has a warehouse / garage area u can pull into, where they don't mind if u work on ur stuff on the weekends ;)
plenty of room for ... your friends
hahaha, both of my roommates drive trucks, and another 1 of our friends has an old camaro...so I'm basically the driver...and w/ 4 ppl 6'+, around 200lbs ish, it's pretty comfortable

Canecreekfreak

02-10-2006, 03:30 PM

Kansei

02-10-2006, 03:33 PM

hehe, find a job that has a warehouse / garage area u can pull into, where they don't mind if u work on ur stuff on the weekends ;)

hahaha, both of my roommates drive trucks, and another 1 of our friends has an old camaro...so I'm basically the driver...and w/ 4 ppl 6'+, around 200lbs ish, it's pretty comfortable

That's why this year I got an apartment with a garage instead of living on campus. So far I've installed a racin beat cat-back and JDM intake cam, and I've done plenty of washing and waxing indoors :D

YodaHo110

02-10-2006, 03:34 PM

relaible with proper maintance, gets okay milage and great with the roof rack!
get one with low milage and you should be fine......
not a fast car but avarage for its class with the 5-speed!

NICEEE i really want one...im looking to buy a 2002 with 50k miles on it thats okay right?

Kansei

02-10-2006, 03:48 PM

NICEEE i really want one...im looking to buy a 2002 with 50k miles on it thats okay right?

I've got an 02.5 with 60k and everything's fine here :D

What color?

Oh yeah.. the difference between the 02 and 02.5 is that the 02.5 has the upgrades the 03 has. It has the newer style wheels, the sidemarker lights, and the cupholders that are open (as opposed to the 2002 with the door over them).

nealric

02-10-2006, 04:56 PM

Great car. Very reliable, looks great, carries lots of people and stuff, gets good mileage... It's only drawback is that it's a little slow (0-60 in about 10 seconds). But other than that, I say go for it!

0-60 is much faster than that with a manual- somewhere in the 8sec range depending on the driver.

Whatever you do, stay away from the autotragic. I learned to drive stick just for the p5. Now I would never consider an automatic for any reason (well, maybe if I had a leg amputated- but anything short of that (boom04) )

Canecreekfreak

02-10-2006, 05:12 PM

0-60 is much faster than that with a manual- somewhere in the 8sec range depending on the driver.

Whatever you do, stay away from the autotragic. I learned to drive stick just for the p5. Now I would never consider an automatic for any reason (well, maybe if I had a leg amputated- but anything short of that (boom04) )

Really? I thought C&D tested it to 10.3 seconds or something like that w/the stick? They're usually faster to 60 than the other magazines. I guess I'll have to do my own little time trial for it. :)
(I have a 5 speed.)

nealric

02-10-2006, 05:22 PM

A few sites I saw googling put it in at about 8.8 seconds. 10sec is definetly way too slow- Im slightly modded, and I do it in the lower side of 8 seconds.

Kansei

02-10-2006, 05:27 PM

Really? I thought C&D tested it to 10.3 seconds or something like that w/the stick? They're usually faster to 60 than the other magazines. I guess I'll have to do my own little time trial for it. :)
(I have a 5 speed.)

I tested 7.7 with my gtech pro

with intake, header, UDP, and at the time just the mazdaspeed axleback.

Replica

02-10-2006, 08:21 PM

The slow problem is easliy fixed though.

hahahahah

Martino617

02-10-2006, 08:28 PM

College student here.. P5 = Awsome! my first mods are going to be suspension. Deft worth it even though its a station wagon! I for one dont car about 0-60 time right now i just want the car to stick to the ground better!!!

redpr5

02-10-2006, 08:30 PM

the ladies love the p5!
haha man is that the truth! both my best friend allison, and my friend liana LOVE my p5...and they both want to drive it lol, idc, i let ppl drive my car..as long as they dont fuck my ride up.

sorry to go off topic....def get a p5 man, youll love it. great handling car, pretty decent acceleration, top end isnt TOO great, but hey i can hit 110 in my auto with the roof rack and wind deflector on heh.

smurfedpro5

02-10-2006, 08:45 PM

go for it

aMaff

02-10-2006, 08:46 PM

even though its a station wagon!
SPORT WAGON (deadhorse
(eek2)

I for one dont car about 0-60 time right now i just want the car to stick to the ground better!!!
The P5 does that pretty darn well...

Mick

02-10-2006, 08:50 PM

Another college student here. I love my P5. All i did was put in a B&M short throw, roof rack caps, and a new pioneer HU.

I love the handling, and the capacity of the thing is amazing. I am a mountain biker and i can put 2 mountain bikes in the back just by taking off the front wheels. I drive it pretty hard, and all my friends think that since i drive it kinda hard that its pretty fast in a straight line, but umm, no. hahahah!!! The thing about this car is, it drives like a car thats MUCH faster. Its slow on paper, but its DEFFINATLY a lively ride.

aMaff

02-10-2006, 08:51 PM

Kansei

02-10-2006, 09:11 PM

And let us not forget that it's damn sexy! Great proportions, amazing side profile, nice visibility, agressive front end, nice fenders. Nicest looking steering wheel I've ever seen, decent interior styling overall.

weee fun Japanese sport-wagon!! I think I'm going to go out for a drive but snow + Ecsta MX isn't a good mix so we'll see.

DeadGeneration

02-10-2006, 09:22 PM

Get an SRT-4

Kansei

02-10-2006, 09:24 PM

Get an SRT-4

How dare you!

Care to explain why?

DeadGeneration

02-10-2006, 09:25 PM

cuzzz's its terboed duh

Kansei

02-10-2006, 09:41 PM

cuzzz's its terboed duh

does that make it fun/functional like the Protege5? :D

Mick

02-10-2006, 09:43 PM

Nicest looking steering wheel I've ever seen

I havent ever really thought about that, but damn you are right. The sterring wheel is VERY nice. Its a small detail, but ill drive a friends car, and my hands are disgusted with big diameters and cheap finish. Our steering wheels are of a small diameter but practical, and have a great feel and shape.

Its not somthing thats thought about too much but its sooooo true, our steering wheels really are quite nice.

aMaff

02-10-2006, 09:43 PM

honestly? It was stupid fun in a straight line (I test drove one). Insane thrust, only problem is that the chassis's just not up to snuff w/ what's under the hood. What that quaffie (sp?) lsd, it could have been awesome had the chassis been better. The protege's chassis is EONS better. Far stiffer.

Upon further inspection of times @ my last auto-x, I beat a Street Mod SRT-4's raw time.....

my best was 49.726 and his best was 52.613

I didn't see him run (we were in the same run group, so I had other things on my mind), so it could be (and probably was) that he couldn't drive...but, you know ;)

aMaff

02-10-2006, 09:46 PM

I havent ever really thought about that, but damn you are right. The sterring wheel is VERY nice. Its a small detail, but ill drive a friends car, and my hands are disgusted with big diameters and cheap finish. Our steering wheels are of a small diameter but practical, and have a great feel and shape.

Its not somthing thats thought about too much but its sooooo true, our steering wheels really are quite nice.
agreed 100%

p5power

02-11-2006, 12:35 AM

The only problem with being a college student with a p5 is the urge to mod it- which ends up taking place in a parking lot most of the time.

geeze, ain't that the truth! and because everyone sees me in the parking lot working on my car, they think i want to work on their's too!! somehow i've become the resident mechanic...i don't go anywhere without my tools anymore. and you'd think with a school full of mechanical engineers (roughly, like 80% of the class are m.e.'s here), there would be more of them out there.

anyway...back onto topic... buy it!! you'll love it!

Flash5

02-11-2006, 12:37 AM

Yea def get it, the gas mileage is good for a college kid working his way through college. And it is perfect for moving back and forth from dorums too.

Mounty

02-11-2006, 12:48 AM

cuzzz's its terboed duh

Apple and Orange! He wants a Protege5, NOT a MSP! And last I check, the MSP has a turbo in it (smash) and the SRT-4 is a SEDAN (a butt ugly one at that)!

p5power

02-11-2006, 12:58 AM

Apple and Orange! He wants a Protege5, NOT a MSP! And last I check, the MSP has a turbo in it (smash) and the SRT-4 is a SEDAN (a butt ugly one at that)!
last i checked, the msp was a sedan too! still way better looking than the srt-4 imo

65racecoupe

02-11-2006, 02:19 AM

Another college student. Hauls what you need, does OK w/ engine mods, and will handle like you wouldn't believe w/ minor suspension mods. A great toy to have in town. Def get a 5 spd if you can. And laser blue rox!! ;)

Do not buy a P5 if it an automatic. It takes all the spirit out of it.

I can rip around corners like you wouldn't believe, and my suspension is NOT modded yet (K - Sport coilovers and 17x7.5 Rota rims are my only handling mods installed). When I add some GT Spec and AWR parts, it will be killer.

Yes, these things are so fun to drive. When they have power, they are stupid fast. I challenge someone to make a better all around street car than a boosted P5.

You guys will see some stuff this summer with the P5s. There are 4 or 5 SERIOUS P5s (300 plus wheel hp) with MAM stuff (mine, CWILL, Dwayne.....) and Juan's crazy ass will keep his high power builds up. He has 2 serious cars that HE is doing personally, I believe.

It is an exciting time to own a P5.

Mounty

02-12-2006, 01:08 AM

last i checked, the msp was a sedan too! still way better looking than the srt-4 imo

Yep. Agree! I would rather save more and go with a WRX WAGON if you want a turbo, seriously! Lookwise, still hands down for the P5, so go for it!

65racecoupe

02-12-2006, 01:26 AM

Yep. Agree! I would rather save more and go with a WRX WAGON if you want a turbo, seriously! Lookwise, still hands down for the P5, so go for it!

No, not really. If you are looking for a fast street car, look no further. 12 seconds is easier territory than ever.

YodaHo110

03-02-2006, 04:35 AM

hahha thanks for all the replies i really like the p5 but damn its so hard to find thats for sale and the right miles or price

2k2silvermp5

03-02-2006, 12:22 PM

Yeah I think the general consensus is you should buy it

Boston5761

03-02-2006, 01:36 PM

Buy it!!!

theZD

03-02-2006, 05:30 PM

If you have the patience, I would strongly suggest sticking with the search. I just bought my P5 yesterday and absolutely love it. Like you, I had a hard time finding the right one...but obviously did! :) If you go at the right time, you can get a dealer to take a lot of the price, too. (depending on the car, obviously) They took $2000 of mine to make it $10,000.

Like I said, I think you should stick with it. The car is definitely worth the wait and time spent researching/looking. Good luck!!

aMaff

03-03-2006, 10:08 AM

I didn't read the whole thread so this may have been said already lol, but here's a little tip:

These cars don't sit on dealer lots very long. Most I've seen was 2 weeks tops. If you find one you like, don't sleep on it, cuz you may come back to find it gone