1.6L with Auto tran such a bad choice?

[mineroller]

Hello..
I am looking around to buy a used Protege..2000 or 2001 models..
Well I stumbled upon this 2000 Protege LX...
It's 8800 CDN$ (Around 6k american?) with 100k km of mileage (62,000 miles roughly)..it's dealer price so i am going to try to bring it down as much as i can..

The car has everything included..powered windows and locks, CD, A/C, rear spoiler, tinted windows, cruise, u name it. Silver colour, which was another plus. (No alloy wheels..which isn't too much big deal for me however.)

But!! It's auto tranny..aarrgg! and it's 1.6 engine..didn't have 2.0 lettering.
I have been auto driver ever since i got my license, but i really want to learn driving in standard..and on top of that i heared 1.6 coupled with auto tran is horrible combination in terms of power and performance..

Is it THAT bad?
I am definitely not performance-oriented driver nor am i willing to spend much on any mods. But then, I like cars driving very much and i wish to have fun while I drive.. Getting so used to auto (4 years of driving, only with auto) will make some difficult transition to manual trans, (I am going to have so much trouble parallel-parking on hillside.....) but I am willing to study..after all, my mother learned to drive standard when she first got her license..

But then, the near fully-equipped options are very tempting not to give this up right away just for transmission..exterior condition is great, i like the colour, a/c and rear spoiler plus remote starter are definite plus..
u know.

I looked a few other Protege with manual, but they were all underequipped or bad colour or wrong year..(I need at least power windows and locks!!)

So..
Would 1.6L with Auto be such a bad option for a young, fun-searching driver?

[KpaBap]

Imagine driving an old school Volvo with 0-60 times in the high 20s.

Now imagine something slower.

There you are, 1.6L auto Protege.

Learning a manual transmission is hard? Bullshit this bullshit that.

If you're really looking for fun then you wouldn't even be considering an automatic 1.6L Protege.

Oh yeah, welcome.

[hi-perf]

why dont you test drive and see for yourself.

thats why they have test drives. also if i was shopping for a japanese econobox, you better be damn sure that id get a manual.

[mineroller]

On flat roads, even now I can drive manual relatively well :) i know how it works..
I even once drove my friend's Jetta 1.8T manual..oh man that was a beauty..
It's the hill driving that I am quite afraid...:) I am going to damage my bumper (and someone else's front bumber) for sure during first month or so..

[mineroller]

I couldn't test drive it because the car was buried in middle of some 10 other cars..the dealer didn't want to move all that car just for the test drive..

Maybe i should ask him to find a similar one that's in manual ...

[BadBandar]

i got an 1.6L auto. its not the best car but its good to get around. but after that i got a 240sx 5 speed. so i got those 2 cars. 240 is diffentely my baby. the pro is fun to mod tho. make it "look" fast. :D

[20EVOLUTION01]

Well if he wants to sell the car, get him to move it out. Don't buy something without test driving it first, might turn out to be a lemon. Any manual car is fun. I learned really quick but I learned when I was 14 YOA. I had a 1951 Chevy Truck 4 speed or 5 speed, I forget. Fun little truck. As for learning to drive Manual, don't worry, trial and error. Once you learn manual, you'll want to stay manual, too much fun.

I taught my girlfriend to drive manual and she learned in less than a weak. Couple of Grinds here and there and some stall outs but from about 1 year and 5 months ago when she learned and now she thinks she owns the road. . She has gotten really good now. She also has mastered the stop at a hill top at a light. I was impressed how quick she learned. She liked driving a manual so much I helped here get her dream car, a 1995 Acura Integra GSR. Love the car, FAST! IMO I would try going for a manual, even if it had a small engine. Manual is just so damn fun. Plus you can save on gas milage with the manual, just have to know how, really easy.

[ZiO]

If you want real performance, don't buy the car. But if want a very nice economy car, then buy the car. Proteges are not sport cars.

[mineroller]

Well..i am not looking for real performance..
I mean, right now I drive a nearly-dying plymouth sundance (1991..aarh!) and even with this junk i am having reasonable performance and fun in my standards..
So, as long as proteges are not some kind of golf cart, I will be happy enough.
Maybe i will get those famous KN air filters and maybe an intake system if i get lucky..but that will be it.

But i am indeed looking for some fun..and manual is something i really want to learn.

Then the option is too nice to pass by..that's my dillema!

[Shane5425]

"

Imagine driving an old school Volvo with 0-60 times in the high 20s.

Now imagine something slower.

There you are, 1.6L auto Protege.

Learning a manual transmission is hard? Bullshit this bullshit that.

If you're really looking for fun then you wouldn't even be considering an automatic 1.6L Protege.

Oh yeah, welcome.""

hey now, its not that slow.... id say 18 to 19 seconds quater...

but thats beyond the the point... get a standard ES.... its the best way to go...

[Astral]

Well..i am not looking for real performance..
I mean, right now I drive a nearly-dying plymouth sundance (1991..aarh!) and even with this junk i am having reasonable performance and fun in my standards..
So, as long as proteges are not some kind of golf cart, I will be happy enough.
Maybe i will get those famous KN air filters and maybe an intake system if i get lucky..but that will be it.

But i am indeed looking for some fun..and manual is something i really want to learn.

Then the option is too nice to pass by..that's my dillema!

Test drive the darn thing! Go to the dealer and say: if I dont' test drive this car, I'm not going to purchase it period.

Pop the hood and check that it's a 1.6... it could be a 1.8? Not sure how you'd check, but *shrugs*

On the test drive, go through a couple of intersections, see what the off-the-stoplight performance is like. Do you notice yourself flooring it to get an acceptable acceleration off the light? How well does it pick up on the highway?

Check the car's history with Carfax.com.

If you feel "uhh, ehh" (unsure) about it during the test drive, don't get the car. Tint and remote starter are nice, but are not necessities. On the other hand, you'll keep cursing yourself for the years that you have the car (and $6000US is not a light chunk of cash).

Case in point: me. I got an auto (albeit new). I used to 30% regret it, now I 70% regret it. Yes, it helped me learn how to drive (I drove a total of 300-400 miles on my own before), but I would gladly give up the moonroof/6-cd changer, for example, to have a manual now.

[Shane5425]

99 2000 lx is a 1.6 only.. only the es has the 1.8

[Dexter]

Autos are (for the most part) gay.

[Shane5425]

i agree... ps i have one..... they are too weak , and cannot perform as well as a manual... when i bought the car, i wasnt expecting to fix it up... if it was a manual i wouldnt have a huge stereo or body kit, it would be stock lookin with a turbo-kits.com turbo kit in it... sleepers rule....

[RenzoMSP]

Buy a manual. Then you'll be force into driving a stick and you'll love it.

[99toppro4u]

please let me Clarify the 1.6L can be swapped.

[Shane5425]

umm, only for the 1.5, top motor mounts are different from the 1.8...

[MIA protege]

it can be done.

if you're lazy like me buy the auto. if u wanna have fun and ur a performance freak, buy manual. its all what u want

[BadBandar]

i dunno. the 1.6L is not a bad car. it always gets bashed on for being the slowest pro. to me it looks pretty cool. i would say better then some hondas. but it all depends on you. what do u want a fast car or just a car that can get you around.

i personally love my 1.6L slowtege. but i love my 240sx alittle more:D hehe. good luck bud.

[Shane5425]

i not knockin the engine, cause the 1.6 is a good engine to get some performance out of ... it is the tranny that kills it..

[BadBandar]

i not knockin the engine, cause the 1.6 is a good engine to get some performance out of ... it is the tranny that kills it..
my apolgizes. i stand corrected. damn you mazda auto tranny making people.(dark)

[Drackonn]

quater mile time i ran an 18.16 with 2 12's in the trunk and an intake on the automatic, its really slow.

[justjake71]

Yeah I have the exact car your talking about its not a bad little car for crusing around in and automatic is good if your other hand is occupied. Id say its all where you wanna go with it.

[Shane5425]

my apolgizes. i stand corrected. damn you mazda auto tranny making people.(dark)
yes... damn ford..... lol

[steve_protege]

Im in the same boat with whoever else has the 1.6 liter auto tranny. Just because its an auto doesn't mean you shouldn't fix it up. Sure, it won't be as fast as an Acura or Honda w/VTEC, but you still can tune it up to make it quick (and respectable). Im going to get a turbo in the future and add some Zoom to Protege, so who's say someone else with the 1.6 can't? Granted, I won't be running anything more than 6 or 7 PSI, but I still can make it quick according to my standards. It all depends on whatcha wanna do with the car and how much you are willing to spend. All in all, if you don't like the car then trade it in or sell it altogether. Good luck either way!

[Shane5425]

yeah, a buddy of mine that lives in florda has a 1.6l auto turbo charged.. he is here on the boards... paid 2000 for it... he says its great he beats his sisters eclipse easily now..
i just dont have that kind of mula to do that kind of work to it... plus i want to find a 99 2000 es... I just want to drive a stick... they are fun to drive... but i am gonna get through USAF Basic training and Job training first to see what my options are.. hopefully , i can get what i want( 2000 Es 1.8l Turbo)


OO and our protege doesnt stand a chance against a 96 Eclipse GSX .... my friend and i were fooling around... he beat me as soon as the clutch got a good grip...

[steve_protege]

Yeah, I see no problem boostin an auto. Only if you're not going to go over 7 or 8 psi. Which I don't plan on doing at all since my Pro is my daily driver. But if anyone wants an option for turbo other than the Wagner one, you can go to www.turbokits.com (http://www.turbokits.com/) and scroll down the page till you see Protege turbos on the left side of the page. They have the superior and extreme kits. One is 1,999.00 and the other is 2,799.00.

Edit: Ive found the above mentioned turbo kit for cheaper. On the site www.mmrusa.com (http://www.mmrusa.com) , they have the kit for 2,650.00. Thats 150.00 cheaper than the other site!! Any amount of money I can save on a kit is a GOOD THING!!

[justjake71]

Pop the hood and check that it's a 1.6... it could be a 1.8? Not sure how you'd check, but *shrugs*


look for the oil cap ... 1.6 is on the left side of the engine... it shows in the book