DAMN this is weird...

[shaolin]

So, I bought a honda accord in 1998, a 2001 civic in 2000, both of which were heavily modified, and I was very pleased with both. Realizing I needed a second car (the accord is gone) with four doors, I went to mazda and discovered this beautiful cornering machine...well, I here I am, a new owner of a titanium grey 2003.5 mazdaspeed protege. Strange feeling...I've always been a honda guy, and an NA honda guy at that. I just wanted to "look" at the RX-8, and here I find myself. Well in any case, I like this feeling. I think I might be becoming a mazda guy after all.

[supman]

Congrats and welcome! hope you'll will have as much fun with the msp as i am right now:D!

[AutoBox]

lol i came from the nissan camp, with a previously owned 240sx....its a nice feeling, i needed a car to commute to work in the city and the abundent pot holes and my full coilover kidney moving ride on my 240sx wasnt cuttin it so i sold it and picke dup a msp for its sytlyin, turbo and 4 doors plus the handling its sick for a fwd factory car...all in all im in luv with it, some fuel tuning and more boost and its perfect for my tastes......im still hopin to pick up a second car to fully open up thou....

[MazdaDryvr]

I switched from honda in the late 80's. The attitude at the Honda dealer was "Take it or leave it" so I went to Mazda in 90 and havent looked back. Honda makes a good car but it aint made of gold which is the way they talk at the dealership. I have had little trouble with the 5 Mazda vehicles in our family since 1990.

[shaolin]

Yeah I'm loving the car, but you know how it is, you're like dang I love it, but dang...should I have? haha....I always feel this way after a big purchase...I believe it's called "buyer's remorse." Well anyways, I just want to say thanks for the welcome, and as soon as I have time I'll find out my production number for you guys...and please forgive me for any n00b questions, because I've never worked with a turbocharged vehicle before. I'm somewhat familiar, but I need alot of guidance...

[freekwonder]

welcome aboard man. i never owned a mazda until i got my mp3 two 1/2 years ago. just last week i got rid of it and now im on my second mazda. its a great car.

[Tex]

Welcome. I was a pickup truck driver, (Fords), until I got a job that required a lot of driving around town. My 12 MPG V-8 4-wheel drive would have cost me an arm and a leg to drive around all day, so I looked into Mazda, since I knew a few people who had them and loved them. The price was right, so I jumped in, first to a Protege LX, then the MSP. It's a great car.

[ping]

Welcome aboard, Shaolin! I know the feeling, had beena VW nut for decades, stopped by the Mazda/Toyota dealer to cehck the Matrix and P5, test drove the MSP, and it was all over. Handles, sticks, accelerates, and grins like the Mini (what a great car THAT is - see the Italian Job, that's what they really drive like!), but will hold more people, costs less, and is FUN.

I drove it and bought it (in my mind) before I'd even gone a mile. Actuallly left rubber when I exited the dealer's lot on the test drive (hey - it was a pretty hard right, and the driveway was sloped, and, well, the turbo kicked in, my wife went "whoopee!", and off we go!) I miss the VW's but don't miss the time spent under them in winter. I miss the VW mod-ability (the MSP is pretty well tuned as-is), but am working on a few things... should be fun...