Are you happy with your P5?

[Fasta76]

Just wondering if everyone is happy with there P5?

If there is anything you would change? Or do different? I have a 2003 Yellow.. Leather,5speed. Mods, Lowered, 18" wheels,Injen Intake,Exhaust,JDM Tails,Lots of DG Carbon Fiber, AutoExe Front lip. My lease is up in about 7months and am trying to figure out if i should keep it? CAr has been great.. MPG is not as good as i thought it would be Seems to Rev way to high on the HWY.. And starting to have little problems with the ABS??

Let me know what you guys think!!

TOm

[5PADZAM]

Mine is an '02, and it's been a great car. I wasn't sure when I first saw it on the lot, but from that first test drive, I knew I had to have it.

Don't know about any abs problems, as mine is not equiped with that. If I could ask for one thing, it would be about 50 more horsepower. It does alright for normal driving, but there are times that I would like to accelerate a little faster than it does.

All in all, if I were you I would keep it.

[Cellerator]

Yeah, overall it's a very good car and I'd prefer it over any others in the category. Also glad I got this car and not some more powerful car for it would probably mean a lot more trouble for me vs the blue dudes...

[Sveivo]

I with it had a better transmission. First-to-second shifts are clunky as hell at high RPM. I think motor mounts have to do with this as well, but motor mounts can be changed.

[kura808]

i love my p5 xD its an '02.5 and also my first car hehe. as soon as i saw it when i was in 8th grade, i fell it love wit it.i did much searching in the classifieds and stuffs till i found it about a yr ago. i was snooping around these forums for a while and found out that this car is pretty reliable. i thought mazdas werent that reliable b4 cause of the rotory engine konking out lol but when i read more about it, i came to believe in mazda. as soon as i drove it, i fell in love wit the handling too hehe.i had it for a little over half a year now and had no big problems. just had to take it in a bit cause the previous owners didnt take it in for any servicing just oil changes.all in all, i'm very happy wit my p5.made me into a mazda believer lol.

if ur not getting that good mileage, i'd check out ur sparkplugs(mine were worn so it ate my mileage up alot lol),tire pressure, or just take off the roof rack. simple things can increase ur mileage. if ya dont like the high reving, i think ya can swap out the tranny and put in a different one.( i read a thread about a tranny that lowers ur revs) also if ur car is an '03, i think ya might have some of ur warranty left. mine is gonna expire at the end of this month so i took it in for everything. if u still got ur warranty, i'd check out the abs sensors at the dealer or ya can use the cheat code(disconnect the battey for like 10 mins and the cpu will reset<-i dont advise that lol)

haha long post but i could have made it long LMAO. anywayz its totally up to u on what ur decision is. if u got the money to buy an upgrade go for it but if ya dont, i'd stick wit this car cause i personally think this is the best bang for the buck. plus ya dont wanna put all ur hard work from ur mods to waste :)

[Freeridin' Al]

Well, my P5 is no Buggati but then you could look at it the other way as well - the Buggati ain't no P5... :P

Super happy with my P5. Any issues that I have with it really aren't issues at all and aren't worth mentioning. I like it. My girlfriend likes it. Our friends like it. It's fun to drive and it handles well even when it's filled with people and is carrying 5 bikes. Decent milage (ok, not the best in the world it encourages me to go GREEN anyway and commute by bicycle) and great looks. I mean, it's a sport wagon. Best of both worlds for me, who comes from a background of wagon of all shapes and sizes. Only this one's sporty!

Sure there a plenty of other great cars out there but just like what we have - they all have their + & - points. Meh, what can you do but enjoy it and smile on those sunny highway days with the lid open.

[kura808]

btw i forgot these cars bring alot of good attention xD hehe i like it when the girls say ooo nice car (i hope theyre not thinking its a chick car lol) plus u wont get any stupid ricer comments like "hmm rotory right?" or "wow is that a new model subaru?" hehe

[carter1551]

Im pretty happy but my tranny seems to hum in a certain rpm range which is worrying. Other than that I've loved the car.

[Phoenix5]

Hell ya!I love my car(Especially w/ the mods I've done to it and will do to it)!Granted it isn't the fastest thing on the road but it is on of the sexiest,haha!The only problems I really had w/ the car are a broken motor for the rear right door lock but that was it.Everything is superb!

[BadKarma]

LOVE my P5. Only thing that's bugged me lately is the unintuitive way of setting the clock. Arrg! I do it so infrequently that I seem to forget which buttons to press to actually change the time. :)

[the tortoise]

I was gonna write a long post, then I read what Freeriding Al had to say. Turns out he said it all.

I'm really happy with my P5. It's an 02 with 102,000 km on it and it's running great. There's a few more rattles than last year, but the -25 C temperatures play a big role with that. Mechanically it's in great shape. Cosmetically I've seen few cars that catch the eye in the same way.

Here's to another 100,000 km on motoring. (drinks)

[Fasta76]

Thanks for the replys guys!! I love the car!! But just wanted to know how others felt!! I wish i could put a trany with longer legs in it but im sure the $ would be huge! Everything else has made me happy. But always hard to not look at a new car. When the lease is up.. But i leaning towards keeping it..

Tom

[JoshP5]

I don't know about the install cost/effort, but you could get NSN's 5th gear swap (http://www.nsnmotorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=162&osCsid=06377328fd9b881f4a44533de6dec90e) for $255. That would help a bit.

[iracemine]

Super happy with my P5. Any issues that I have with it really aren't issues at all and aren't worth mentioning. I like it. My girlfriend likes it. Our friends like it. It's fun to drive and it handles well even when it's filled with people and is carrying 5 bikes. Decent milage (ok, not the best in the world it encourages me to go GREEN anyway and commute by bicycle) and great looks. I mean, it's a sport wagon. Best of both worlds for me, who comes from a background of wagon of all shapes and sizes. Only this one's sporty!

X2

fix da tranny its worth it. and far as the ABS it cant be that much of a biggie.

[P-Funk!]

Just wondering if everyone is happy with there P5?

If there is anything you would change? Or do different? I have a 2003 Yellow.. Leather,5speed. Mods, Lowered, 18" wheels,Injen Intake,Exhaust,JDM Tails,Lots of DG Carbon Fiber, AutoExe Front lip. My lease is up in about 7months and am trying to figure out if i should keep it? CAr has been great.. MPG is not as good as i thought it would be Seems to Rev way to high on the HWY.. And starting to have little problems with the ABS??

Let me know what you guys think!!

TOm

Uhm, all these mods on a leased car? Would you have to bring it back to stock to turn it in? If so - you would be *way*better off buying it. Two years of payments and then no more debt = a 'good thing'

[NMMotorsport]

p5s cool all round motor, but id do a couple of things to it stock if i had been mazda.

1. give it a 6th gear
2. give it 200bhp
3. half leather racing seats
4. better standard alloys, and lower stance from the factory.

[Kansei]

No car brings a smile to my face like my P5 does. I can't wait to see her back together soon.. should be about two weeks from now. It honestly pains me quite a bit to drive the rental car with it's slushbox 4-spd automatic, awful visibility (pontiac g5 coupe.. it's the cobalt with a different front grille and taillights), horrible sounding engine, cheaptastic interior, less than 20mpg fuel economy, terrible ergonomics, world's longest doors, craptastic hubcaps, awful smushy suspension, plastic steering wheel, crappy thin seats, horrible rear seat room, tiny trunk opening, gaudy spoiler, shitty looking muffler, mirrors that don't fold in, no map lights, no cruise control... I could go on for months about all the huge ergonomics and human interface design flaws that this car has...

You really don't realize what you have until it's gone. I will be much more excited when I get my car back in a couple weeks than I was the day I bought it just over 3 years ago!

[TreFlip999]

i love it...my only regret is not getting a 5 speed instead of the sport auto..if it was just just a straight automatic i think id go nuts

[JoshP5]

slushbox 4-spd automatic, awful visibility,...horrible sounding engine, cheaptastic interior, less than 20mpg fuel economy, terrible ergonomics, world's longest doors, craptastic hubcaps, awful smushy suspension, plastic steering wheel, crappy thin seats, horrible rear seat room, tiny trunk opening, gaudy spoiler, shitty looking muffler, mirrors that don't fold in, no map lights, no cruise control...

I'll take my underpowered, rubbery-motor-mounted P5 over any of that crap. American cars FTL.

[nKukoly333]

Yes, I love my Protege5, unfortunately I am a broke college student so I can not mod my car heavily :/.

[Erci]

I've had 12 cars (p5 being my 12th) including some fairly expensive ones ($30K+) and p5 is my favorite of the bunch. I usually can't hold on to a car for more than few year cause all the little issues start to get to me.
I've had p5 for 3 years now and I still love it.
I wouldn't mind if it was quieter on the hwy and if the rpm's could be lower (6th gear maybe?).. everything else about it rocks!

[Thieu]

Mine's a love/hate relationship.

I've been spoiled by powerful cars that I drive often (ie G35 w/ 280hp.... more than double the P5).

I would add:

70hp
LSD
AWD/RWD (one can dream)
Sunroof (to mine)
Wider wheels/tires
Engine/tranny not made of glass

so basically I want a WRX wagon... in white... or a Saabaru 9-2x

I got so used to beating the hell out of my 240 everyday, but I'm afraid to push this car too much...

But all in all, it's a fun little car for around town.

[Kansei]

^^ you speak of the glass tranny and then say you want a WRX in the next sentence.. you crazy!

You don't have to be afraid of beating the CRAP out of the P5 every day unless you are boosting 8+ psi.. it's an incredibly reliable car.

[XxaltezzaxX]

Coming from a base model corolla, I can say I like my car very much.

[MyZmZm]

Im pretty happy but my tranny seems to hum in a certain rpm range which is worrying. Other than that I've loved the car.
if it's what i'm thinking of and you have an auto, you might want to check out The Man's faq on tsb's... there's one out for that, and i had my own experience with it - but now i have a manual, so i'm happy :)

just like everyone has said, i LOVE my baby - so much so that i'm going to the hassle of importing my car when i move to the states later this year. knock on wood, but i haven't really experienced any issues that would cause me to dislike or want to get rid of the car, it's been very reliable and above all FUN TO DRIVE! any time i get in another car, i wish i was back in mine.

if i did have any complaints it would be what so many have said already...
- 200bhp would be about perfect for this car, stock
- 6th gear - OMG yes, please! - and/or slightly different gear ratios so it doesn't rev quite as high
- better/smoother synchros for the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts...

actually, scratch that; just give me the tranny that's in the miata, that would be PERFECT for this car (first)

[Kansei]

a kl-ze with some mods and a 6-spd would be PERFECT for the car. just gotta do something about the additional 150 pounds it would bring to the table.

[LilPixieMama75]

I love this car more than any other cars I've had. I would love a 6th gear so it ran a bit quieter on the highway and some more hp. The only thing I didn't get on mine, that I really wanted, was a sunroof. But I went in wanting something manual, practical, good on gas, fun to drive, roomy, and with leather seats. I got all that and more.

I was out looking for (don't beat me for saying it) a *gasp* Honda. But my "Little Yellow Car" called me over to the Volkswagen dealership it was sitting at when we drove by it on the way to the Carmax. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was mine. My father tried to talk me out of it, but I talked him into it. LOL! I have never regretted my decision to buy it.

[JoshP5]

kl-ze has enough torque, should be fine even with 5 forward gears.

Are any compatible 6boxes out there...

[Flash5]

Mines a 2002, I am very happy with all of it. I am not a power fiend (for now) that needs to beat every ricer I see, I just need it to get me from A to B. No real problems at all, very reliable. When I first saw it, I was skeptical. I wasn't even able to test drive it because I didn't know how to drive manual yet, but the longer I have it, the more it grows on me. Perfect car for a 19yr old college student.

[Beau M]

Its a good car. I wish it had more power, but it can be fun to drive. Ive had a LOT of cars, and sad to say my 96 mustang gt was my favorite. I currently also own a mercedes c230. That thing has balls compared to the p5, and is heavy and only has .3 liters more. What happened mazda?

[Thieu]

^^ you speak of the glass tranny and then say you want a WRX in the next sentence.. you crazy!

You don't have to be afraid of beating the CRAP out of the P5 every day unless you are boosting 8+ psi.. it's an incredibly reliable car.

haha, I knew someone would call me on that.

I could deal with a fragile tranny if the rest of the car was up to my standards.

Didn't they fix the fragile tranny in the later years on those cars? I know the STi 6spd are pretty strong.

[FunkyBuddha]

haha, I knew someone would call me on that.

I could deal with a fragile tranny if the rest of the car was up to my standards.

Didn't they fix the fragile tranny in the later years on those cars? I know the STi 6spd are pretty strong.


Not the wrx 5 speed. It's still glass, but "tempered" now LOL

mine's a 2003 (2003.5 in USA) and I haven't had much problems with it. I still like mine. Just wish more power..that's all.

[Kansei]

Only the early 02 Protege trannies really had issues.

lol @ tempered glass... it's like my forged plastic rods (confused)

[P5SurchJunkE]

I love my P5 except for the fact that my girlfriend crashed it into my house a few days ago. (fight) (bj)

[maestro]

02 P5. Except for the poor quality paint (yellow) I love my P5.

[MyZmZm]

Only the early 02 Protege trannies really had issues.

lol @ tempered glass... it's like my forged plastic rods (confused)
ah damn... that would be when mine was built :( oh well, knock on wood nothing yet, except grinding the gears every now and then ((argh)synchros)

btw, i like the way you think chris... kl-ze, mmmm

[Salmon_Rob]

i hate mine. its a piece of shit

[FinalResort]

i like mine i just hate the gears on it.. as every one else has said. stupid early module protege5...

[Kansei]

i hate mine. its a piece of shit
(wink)

[Salmon_Rob]

(rofl) that made me lol. i love my fizzle. 22v FOR L1F3

[Kansei]

The guy at the body shop was scared that I knew my color code by heart :D

[LilPixieMama75]

Only the early 02 Protege trannies really had issues.

lol @ tempered glass... it's like my forged plastic rods (confused)

Yeah...They had weak shift forks, but that was fixed mid year in the '02.5's. I was lucky to get an '02.5 so I don't have to worry about that.

[Salmon_Rob]

The guy at the body shop was scared that I knew my color code by heart :Dtee hee

[Donas64]

I love my P5. It looks great, drives, great, overall very solid transportation. Only thing things I'd change about mine?

1.I would have gotten a 5 speed. But the wife does not know how to drive one.

2. 170hp from the factory.

The achilles heel of the P5 is the gutless motor. If mazda had done that right, we can only imagine.

[gottacatchup]

just wish they had offered a mazdaspeed version. I shopped this car right alongside the msp but had to give up the power for the practicality.

[Tasty]

Just wondering if everyone is happy with there P5?

If there is anything you would change? Or do different? I have a 2003 Yellow.. Leather,5speed. Mods, Lowered, 18" wheels,Injen Intake,Exhaust,JDM Tails,Lots of DG Carbon Fiber, AutoExe Front lip. My lease is up in about 7months and am trying to figure out if i should keep it? CAr has been great.. MPG is not as good as i thought it would be Seems to Rev way to high on the HWY.. And starting to have little problems with the ABS??

Let me know what you guys think!!

TOm

You did all that on a lease??! Good luck getting them to take it back.

[Fasta76]

They will take it back no problem!! I have the stock springs,intake,exhaust,hood,wheels,grill, and as for the carbon fiber. as long as it increase value they dont care. They just dont give you anything for it. You need to put on good summer tires. New front window and no dents any bigger then a credit card. I have already been in to see them about that stuff. As for changing everything back.. I do all the work myself so its just my time!!

[Phoenix5]

Ha!That's what I'm sayin'.If my car was a lease,it would be completely stock.No point in spending money on a car that your gonna get rid of within a year or two,IMO.

[Kansei]

just wish they had offered a mazdaspeed version. I shopped this car right alongside the msp but had to give up the power for the practicality.

Exactly what a lot of people said, hence one of a few reasons the Mazdaspeed3 is a hatchback :)

[Fasta76]

For the little $ it cost me im not to upset. I can sell all my other parts and ive had the car for 4 years. I could never drive a stock car!! What is the fun in that?

[gottacatchup]

Exactly what a lot of people said, hence one of a few reasons the Mazdaspeed3 is a hatchback :)

Which I love unfortunately dont have the money to upgrade right now. I just dont see why they cant offer both. I mean both body styles use the same drivetrain there's no reason why they cant drop the turbo'd engine into both packages and make everybody happy.

[vicham]

For the little $ it cost me im not to upset. I can sell all my other parts and ive had the car for 4 years. I could never drive a stock car!! What is the fun in that?
there are always market for front lip, JDM tails, intake and exhaust...so don't have to worry about can't get rid of them
Im currently looking for a front lip myself^^...so when ur going to sell ur lip...shoot me a pm

[carter1551]

if it's what i'm thinking of and you have an auto, you might want to check out The Man's faq on tsb's... there's one out for that, and i had my own experience with it - but now i have a manual, so i'm happy :)

just like everyone has said, i LOVE my baby - so much so that i'm going to the hassle of importing my car when i move to the states later this year. knock on wood, but i haven't really experienced any issues that would cause me to dislike or want to get rid of the car, it's been very reliable and above all FUN TO DRIVE! any time i get in another car, i wish i was back in mine.

if i did have any complaints it would be what so many have said already...
- 200bhp would be about perfect for this car, stock
- 6th gear - OMG yes, please! - and/or slightly different gear ratios so it doesn't rev quite as high
- better/smoother synchros for the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts...

actually, scratch that; just give me the tranny that's in the miata, that would be PERFECT for this car (first)

thanks for the advice, i looked it up but my tranny hums between 1-2k rpms and is more obvious in the lower gears but gets better in the higher gears. The only thing on his tsbs was in a certain speed range but i get it at all speed ranges.

Anyone have any idea why they didnt turbo the p5? I bet it woulda killed sales of the speed sedan though, but then either way the money would be going into mazdas pocket.

[Fasta76]

I would think they never put a turbo in. Because they wanted to market the car to everyone! Young and old...

[Phoenix5]

Actually I've seen some guys that drive sporty cars such as S2000s and Evos who are like middle aged.It's pretty much their mid-life crisis period car so the more sportier rides aren't just for the young.Anyway, I think the reason why Mazda didn't boost the P5 is that they were already planning to come out w/ the MSP(which would obviously be the top of the line Protege),so they figured "no sense in the two cars competing for sales" much like how they didn't drop the AWD in the MS3 so that it wouldn't take away sales of the MS6.

[jjac28]

Its an excellent car but I would add a minimum of 50hp, inprove the gears for smoother 1-2nd shifting, but other than that its a great car (drive)


It looks great, nice interior, excellent handling ,decent fuel economy and excellent reliability. I admit Im a very proud owner :)

[Donas64]

Actually I've seen some guys that drive sporty cars such as S2000s and Evos who are like middle aged.It's pretty much their mid-life crisis period car so the more sportier rides aren't just for the young.Anyway, I think the reason why Mazda didn't boost the P5 is that they were already planning to come out w/ the MSP(which would obviously be the top of the line Protege),so they figured "no sense in the two cars competing for sales" much like how they didn't drop the AWD in the MS3 so that it wouldn't take away sales of the MS6.

I saw a guy who was about 60 years old yesterday driving a mint condition red 1992 3000GT VR4 Twin Turbo. How did I know it was a 92? Becuase his plate said 92 VR4. I gave him the thumbs up and he smiled and waved. And then gunned it down the road and left me choking on fumes. I hate the slowness.

[Phoenix5]

I saw a guy who was about 60 years old yesterday driving a mint condition red 1992 3000GT VR4 Twin Turbo. How did I know it was a 92? Becuase his plate said 92 VR4. I gave him the thumbs up and he smiled and waved. And then gunned it down the road and left me choking on fumes. I hate the slowness.

Whoa!That's crazy!

[Donas64]

Whoa!That's crazy!

I was sooooo jealous. The thing was mint! Not a ding or scratch on it. The red paint looked brand new and the little Twin Turbo badges were making me so jealous. I definatley had turbo envy. I was so busy admiring it that I forgot to go when the light went green.

[Phoenix5]

I was sooooo jealous. The thing way mint! Not a ding or scratch on it. The red paint looked brand new and the little Twin Turbo badges were making me so jealous. I definatley had turbo envy. I was so busy admiring it that I forgot to go when the light went green.

(lol)

[AlaskaP5]

4WD with 50 more HP, a little less road noise, and it would be the perfect car!

[DeadGeneration]

MORE POWER and a factory installed girl friend would be sweeeeet .... lawl

[Donas64]

MORE POWER and a factory installed girl friend would be sweeeeet .... lawl

(inout) :)

[Salmon_Rob]

lol oem blow job machine :p

[Phoenix5]

MORE POWER and a factory installed girl friend would be sweeeeet .... lawl

Mmmm..then you'd have to go for an aftermarket girlfriend,unless it's a..."factory performance model".

[Phoenix5]

lol oem blow job machine :p

Yes!That would have made the P5 sell like hot cakes!(lol2)Gives new meaning to the term..road head!

[Salmon_Rob]

can you imagine the liability issues

[BadKarma]

can you imagine the liability issues

Especially if the factory girlfriend turned out to be a psycho...

[Salmon_Rob]

man. clingy

[Phoenix5]

(notcool)

[THE Phen]

I'm loving my P5. I've always liked them, but could never get one until now. I picked it up a month ago as a daily driver because the alternator on my Civic crapped out on me, and I wasn't about to get under the car in snow and -5 degree weather to change the alternator. I bought it, and even though I've done alot of work on my Civic over the years, the P5 is alot more fun to drive. The Civic is quicker due to the engine swap, but it can't handle anywhere near the P5, and definitely can't haul as much stuff.

[Reitrof]

Very happy, 132K and still rolling.

Changes? about 50hp more, not turboed, and Rear Wheel Drive.

[THE Phen]

I've only got 94k on mine...but not a single problem so far!