New car buyer, tell me about your protege

iluvmacs

Member
:
2003 Protege ES
Hello all. This is my first post, since I'm currently looking for a new car. I've been offered a good deal on a protege (2003 ES) and it's on the top of my list. Here's what I test drove:

protege 5 auto
protege ES stick
SE-R spec V
focus SVT
vibe GT
celica GT-S
corolla S
civic Si

Besides the vibe and corolla (which suck), the protege is the most underpowered of the group, but driving it felt the best.

I was just wondering what other people thought about the protege, especially compared to these other similar cars.

BTW, the mazdaspeed protege I didn't get a chance to drive because there isn't a dealer within an hour of where I am. I'd love to drive one, but I got a great deal on the 03 protege probably because it has 2000 miles on it.

Thanks.
 
The handling on the protege is absolutely outstanding considering the price. The MP3 (which admittedly has a stiffer suspension) tied for 1st with the Porsche in a road test (for average speed in the twisties).

Yes, it is underpowered. Make sure if you do get the protege that you get the cash back that they are offering
You can get a new P5 for 12,900 after all the rebates and such (search for the thread on it, it's recent). Anyway...

I drove the focus SVT, I thought the layout of the car internally was crap, other than that it was fun, and the suspension well-tuned.

The vibe and corolla did not impress me, I agree with you.
I chose the mazda over those similar cars (the P5) because it is less likely to be stolen (as opposed to the nissan and hondas), and I just loved the handling and styling of the P5.

The focus, for all its wonder, has several recalls already. It is a risky car to buy.

Having said that, Civic Si's are fantastic cars. For reliability and fun-to-drive, they are up there. However here in DC they get stolen by the thousands.
 
I would definitely try to test drive an MSP before you purchase anything. When I was deciding what car to buy, I drove many of the cars on your list (Civic SI, SVT Focus, SE-R Spec V, Celica GT-S) and a few others (SRT-4, RSX-S, TSX, Saab 9-3, A4 1.8T....and a bunch others).

If you were impressed by the regular Protege you will probably be even more impressed with the MSP.

Most people don't test drive enough cars when they are shopping. I made sure to drive every single car that (a) appealed to me and (b) I could afford. I chose the MSP, and 9000 miles later I'm still smiling ear to ear every time I sit behind the wheel.

But what was the right choice for me may not be the right choice for you, which is why you need to drive more cars :)
 
Many thanks

Thanks a lot guys. That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. Luckily I have till May to figure out exactly what I want, so I'm going to try to find a MSP before I make a decision.

12??? would be amazing for the MP5. I'll keep an eye out for even more dealer incentives since the car has been discontinued.

I've found some aftermarket on the forum already, which is a good sign. Since I like everything about the car but the lack of power, maybe the MSP will be the answer.

Thanks.
 
If you can find a "lightly" used (like you said 2k miles on it?) Protege' I would jump on it man.

Nice little cars, and you can mod it.
 
Ceej said:
Nice little cars, and you can mod it.

I was looking into that. I found out that the engine is the same as the 2.0 ford probe and mazda 626. I didn't find a whole lot of aftermarket products for any of the three, untill after reading some posts in the performance section of the forum.
 
I have another question about the protege. One thing I HATE about my wife's accord is all the crap it does for you. If you turn on the defrost, it turns on the A/C and turns off recirculate. That's nice for people who don't know how to defrost their glass, but I hate it. Some cars lock the doors when you reach a certain speed (focus for one). I can't stand that.

Are there any auto functions the protege does similar to the examples I gave?

Thanks.
 
Every car I've been in turns on the A/C compressor and switches off recirc when you put the defroster on. The Protege does this as well.

The locks don't automatically lock though. But again, MOST newer cars do it.

Why do you hate those? It makes it quicker to defrost your windshield, because you only have to adjust one knob rather than three. And the auto-door locking shouldn't matter either because most cars allow you to open the door from the inside even if it's locked.
 
Personal preference. I don't like A/C to begin with, and I don't like things happening unless I tell them to happen.

How many times do you use the defroster when the windshield is perfectly clear?

I've had issues with my grandmother's car, and my mother's van locking everyone in. On those cars you can't open the doors from the inside without hitting the power lock, which you don't have in the rear seats. It's pretty annoying.
 
Thanks again for the replies. I'm going to the dealer to figure out how I'm going to pay for my new protege.
 
Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the 'family'! :)

If you want to meet a lot of Protege owners to see in person what can be done to these cars, you should consider driving to NJ in April for the regional meet.
 
invest in a msp

get a msp. ill sell you a 02 mp5 cheep..... i say its worth a few more thousand to get a msp..:D
 
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