 Mazda Protegé and Protegé5, 1999-2003 (excluding Mazdaspeed and MP3) |
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 Jun 2 2009, 11:03 PM
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#1
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 Talkin' the talk since 2003  Group: Admin Posts: 28,271 Joined: 27-August 03 From: Seattle, WA Member No.: 27 Car: 2004 VW GTI 1.8T  |
Debuting in 1999, Mazda's final rendition of the little Protegé (Familia overseas) lost its more exciting Miata and Escort GTX-bred powerplants but enticed economy car shoppers with a lively, balanced chassis (particularly on ES models) as well as a roomy, comfortable interior. Available with a 1.6 or 1.8 liter motor until 2001, the Protegé received a facelift where a 2.0 liter motor replaced the 1.8 on ES and some LX models. For 2002, the 1.6 liter was dropped and all Protegés got the 2.0 liter, including the new Protegé5 hatchback. As the 2003 model year drew to a close, Protegés could be had with leather interiors, manually shiftable automatics, with or without sport suspensions, and much more (not to mention the performance MP3 and Mazdaspeed models that are not of interest for this poll) before being replaced by the bigger and more refined 3 in 2004. In its last few years in existence, the final Protegés earned Mazda high praise from the motoring press for offering a compact car a cut above the rest in terms of driving fun and also brought them welcome sales success that propelled them headlong into the 21st century. Is it cool though?
1999-2001 1.6L Engine ZM-DE 1.6L DOHC 16-valve I4 Displacement: 1598 cc Bore x Stroke: 78x83.6 mm Compression Ratio: Output: 105 HP and ft.-lbs. of torque 1999-2000 1.8L Engine FP-DE 1.8L DOHC 16-valve I4 Displacement: 1839 cc Bore x Stroke: 83x85 mm Compression Ratio: Output: 122 HP and 120 ft.-lbs. of torque 2001-2003 2.0L Engine FS-DE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I4 Displacement: 1991 cc Bore x Stroke: 83x92 mm Compression Ratio: 9.1:1 Output: 130 HP and 135 ft.-lbs. of torque All engines available with a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission (with manual mode in Protegé5's and late-model ES sedans) Chassis Front Independent, MacPherson strut, stabilizer bar Rear Independent, Twin-Trapezoidal Link, coil springs, stabilizer bar Vented front disc brakes w/ rear drums (solid rear discs on ES and Protegé5 models), ABS available as an option Curb weight: 2449 pounds (1999 DX 1.6 5MT) to 2716 pounds (2003 Protegé5 5MT)  
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Jun 2 2009, 11:32 PM
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#2
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 Posting God Group: Moderators Posts: 11,366 Joined: 30-January 05 From: Dubai Member No.: 1,451 |
Fun to drive, but completely boring in every other way. No coolness value whatsoever.
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Jun 3 2009, 01:58 AM
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#3
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 PwnStar Group: Members Posts: 816 Joined: 17-March 07 From: California Member No.: 3,752 Car: 2011 Mazda3s Grand Touring 6MT |
Fuck yes it's cool!
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Jun 3 2009, 06:49 PM
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#4
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Living the dream Group: Moderators Posts: 8,859 Joined: 27-August 03 Member No.: 28 |
Good car? Maybe
Cool car? No way |
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Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM
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#5
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 **Snuggles** Group: Moderators Posts: 14,251 Joined: 13-November 03 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 166 Car: 2006 Subaru WRX STI |
No MSP so no chance in hell i am voting it cool. Since its not a neon i give it neutral.
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Jun 3 2009, 08:00 PM
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#6
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Talkin' the talk since 2003 Group: Admin Posts: 28,271 Joined: 27-August 03 From: Seattle, WA Member No.: 27 Car: 2004 VW GTI 1.8T |
I definitely went the neutral route. It's cooler than most economy cars it competes against, but most of those are uncool, so cooler than uncool is neutral?
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Jun 3 2009, 08:25 PM
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#7
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 Pit Mechanic Group: Members Posts: 1,092 Joined: 3-June 07 From: California Member No.: 3,913 Car: 2006 Mazda3s Grand Touring Hatchback |
I say cool because among its competition, it stands out. Also, I think its better then in successor.
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Jun 3 2009, 09:16 PM
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#8
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Race Driver Group: Members Posts: 2,510 Joined: 10-September 04 From: Texas Member No.: 1,037 |
I've been to enough SCCA events to know what to rank this car.
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