![]() The ergos are not as good as the other two cars, and if you are over 5'8" you will be cramped inside a ZX2 with a sunroof. Not to mention the Focus SVT has more power and torque. It can be made much better, but needs struts, springs, sway bar, brake and wheel/tires upgrades to even begin to approach the other cars' handling at factory level. I see the ZX2 mentioned also - well, I have one of them too, and if you are looking at an MP3 you wouldn't like the ZX2 stock, it isn't even in the same country as the MP3 or the SVT - the ZX2 is a pig from the factory. The Focus SVT is way more car at the same or less cost, with tons of aftermarket support. I also own a Focus SVT for DD - even with Konis and aftermarket (higher rate) springs, it is much more comfortable than the MP3 and every bit as competent, handling wise. $7500 for a Protege5 with 120k miles? Crazy. The prices on MP3 and Protege5 cars in decent shape are crazy, at least around here. My impression is the Protege is a tin can that is well built - way too little metal in many areas but the tin is put together well. Prone to lots of squeaks and thumps from the rear suspension. Suspension from the factory (Racing Beat) is fairly harsh - almost as bad as my Focus SVT track car with H&R race springs and Koni Sports on full stiff. I have a 2001 MP3 - great handling but uninspiring power-wise. Lots of upgrades are available for the cars from (Can we link directly to vendors?) That being said, I have over 130K hard miles on mine, and it runs as well as the day I bought it.Īs far as age, the newest Protegé (Mazdaspeed or otherwise) is going to be a 2003 model, so not a huge difference over an Integra. Stock boost for the Mazdaspeed was around 7 psi, and anything over 10 psi makes the engine a ticking grenade. Weak rods, so it's not boost friendly either. But it's a bit coarse, runs out of steam well before redline and has a lumpy torque curve. It's not a terrible engine, as it's reliable and fairly torquey for around town driving. It's much more composed and responsive than the strut suspension would have you believe. Fantastic steering feel, decently lightweight (it's no Miata, so I know it's heavy by GRM standards), very tossable on backroads. ![]() The more new cars I drive, the more I like my car. Max Payload-Towing Capacity-Max Towing Capacity. Standard Seating: 5: Max Seating: 5: Rows-Hauling. Choose the desired trim / style from the dropdown list to see the corresponding specs. The Mazdaspeed Protegé also gets stronger axles and a limited slip differential (never available from the factory in lesser variants).īrilliant little cars, they are. Research 2001 Mazda Protege specs for the trims available. I don't know specific spring rates, but the Mazdaspeed springs are stiffer, and would lower a P5 roughly 0.5 inch. OEM was Tokico Blues for the Mazdaspeed, IIRC. Wheels and tires are bigger on the MP3 and Mazdaspeed too. The ES and P5 have the same suspension, the MP3 and Mazdaspeed have stiffer springs and struts, and thicker sway bars (but the architecture is the same across the board). Suspension is definitely interchangeable between all iterations of the car. ![]() Inaugural post from a somewhat long-time lurker here.
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