iv been looking around for cars around 20k.. i saw the mazdaspeed protege and i loved it

anyone here have one? if so is it reliable? fast? do u regret it?

would u rather have an RA or a Protege cuz i think they are around the same price.

if neither, wut car do u think you would get for around 20 grand n why.

thx alot.

 

Well, I have one, it was love at first site when I saw the paint (spicy orange mica). Other than the motor being a bit on the week side I loved everything else. I think they look great, all it needs is some wheels and its one of the best looking sedans I've ever seen. Handles great, gets tons of looks and with the right mods can be pretty quick.

If you really want some more info you should visit msprotege.com

 

For around 20k, why not buy a mazdaspeed 3?

 

the 3 is too tiny of a car IMO, the prots have a fun feel to them without being too loud and awkward. It reminds me of the SE-Rs but more fun.

 

the prot looks much nicer than the 3

 

i traded my MSP for my evo 2 years ago. you should be nowhere near $20k for one now, i paid $18k new back in 03. around $13k is more the going price. if you plan to keep it stock i'd say it's a decent car with the only issue you'll run into being the clunking rear suspension and the weak LSD that likes to break. you will also want to make sure the ecu has been reflashed with the updated maps. other issues you want to look for are the headunit likes to break, the windshield likes to break without being hit by anything, and if it's an 03.5 the muffler tip cracks. i also was lucky enough to have my IAC die. they're all minor things and most of them should have been sorted out in the car you buy by now seeing as it's 4 years old.

the engine is weak and if you're looking to modify the car for power look elsewhere. the aftermarket is also very small, though most things are available they're just a little hard to find, pricey, and not as well developed as they could be. that's the real downside of being "Limited Production"

if you want to spend $20k there are MUCH better options out there. if $13k is what you're looking at and you want to keep it stock and can find one that is stock and has been taken care of it's a good option

 

I have a friend that has one. Graphite grey colored. It is a really nice looking car, and I'm always impressed with the interior.

He has done a few mods, but the market for upgrades is really limited and can be expensive. He's made a noticeable gain in power, but still nowhere near the Evo.

Overall, it's a nice looking car with great handling and decent power. For $20K, I bet you could get something nicer - including an older Evo.

On a side note, my buddy may be selling his MSP (for something more luxury). PM me if you want more details.

 

Sirlancelot on this forum has one, I'll see if I can find it.

 

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=153762

 

i believe that is "boosted orange"'s car on msprotege. he doesn't have a lot of friends over there and was banned i believe for not being a reputable seller. he also tried to sell his car listing it at 542hp/480ftlbs when no protege has ever been anywhere near that and his parts list was all known parts so it's not like he did something unique to the engine that would make it capable of getting those numbers. i also saw his car in person (probably around the time of those pics, it changed a bit after) and it was meh. if that's not boosted orange's car i apologize but he was the only one that i ever saw put that black paint down the center of his wheels so it looks like they had electrical tape on them

more updated pics, don't know if he even still has it as it was for sale at one point

 

He sold his car and he has an evo now. It might be the same car but a different owner.

 

the owner that signed his posts ~ Nick ~ was the one that got banned and most of his posts are 2005/2006, around the same time period as the above post from evom. anyways, i'll let it die and we can get back on topic

 

Sounds like him then.

 

and the going price for clean, stock mazdaspeeds seems to be around 10-13k. well under the $20 they where when brand new. Tastefully modified speeds are in the 14-17k range.

 

It's a nice car, only real problem with it is the FWD.