Who drives the most mediocre car?
Shizelbs
Posts: 7,433
I am currently rolling in a 2000 Mazda Protege sedan. Mechanically there is nothing wrong with it. It handles amazingly well in the snow and for those two reasons I can't bring myself to replace it. Lately I've been thinking about Dynamatting it to reduce the absurd amount of noise in the cabin.
Who else is driving a totally forgettable car?
Who else is driving a totally forgettable car?
Post edited by Shizelbs on
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Hilarious. Here is my daily driver:
2000 Mazda Protege ES. :P
Car and Driver ranked it first out of a comparison of 13 economy cars that year, saying it had "BMW verve for half the price." I have to agree. http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/mazda-protege-es-page-14 Still in love with my car. But if you got the LX model, then, yeah that would be a little too vanilla I think.
I have been itching for a newer car, but since my Protege only has 90k miles on it, it will be a while before I buy one. I want something smaller, like a 2006 Mini Cooper or a Fiat 500 or a Toyota MR-S. Maybe a Miata, but that is such a chick-looking car.
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95 Nisson. $500 three years ago. Still runs like a champ. Absolutly hate car payments.
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I drive a Saturn... '99 SC2 Coupe
Plastic car FTW! -
I have a 2002 mazda protege 5 with 240,000 miles on it without any problems,I will drive this car untill it dies.
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Perhaps Club Polk need a Protege owners' forum? lol
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S2000.:cool:I have been itching for a newer car, but since my Protege only has 90k miles on it, it will be a while before I buy one. I want something smaller, like a 2006 Mini Cooper or a Fiat 500 or a Toyota MR-S. Maybe a Miata, but that is such a chick-looking car.Polk Lsi9
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wattmeworry wrote: »I have a 2002 mazda protege 5 with 240,000 miles on it without any problems,I will drive this car untill it dies.
That's pretty impressive! You must live in a state with mild winters and Low or NO road salt. Up where I am almost NO car can make it past 12 years before it rusts to death. Actually the rust related repairs start at about 8 or 9 years and from then on, it's about 1000 dollars a year in inspection repairs to keep El Rusto on the road!
Think washing your undercarriage will help? Dream on! The vast majority have never seen SALT amounts like this. It tracks into your house and remains a nuisance on the roads and even sidewalks through most of the summer!
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
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S2000.:cool:
I don't hate it, but I don't love the looks of it either. I like cars that look unique, like the others I mentioned. Probably is a better machine, however.
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i can see that.... i just thought it was more stylish than the mazda, and a bit better of a roadster. i have only had the chance to drive the miada though.I don't hate it, but I don't love the looks of it either. I like cars that look unique, like the others I mentioned. Probably is a better machine, however.
i drive a red 2000 S-10 4x4, with the normal rusted fenders and third door that Chevy has traditionally put on their trucks. in Iowa, the Land of Pickups, it is pretty plain jane.Polk Lsi9
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i can see that.... i just thought it was more stylish than the mazda, and a bit better of a roadster.
I agree with that. Honda makes the most reliable cars on the planet, but as far as looks go, they haven't made anything worth looking at since the 70's IMO. But yeah, still better looking than the girly Miata.
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sheesh... i can't even spell...Polk Lsi9
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I drive the Bang Bus. :twisted:Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I am currently rolling in a 2000 Mazda Protege sedan. Mechanically there is nothing wrong with it. It handles amazingly well in the snow and for those two reasons I can't bring myself to replace it. Lately I've been thinking about Dynamatting it to reduce the absurd amount of noise in the cabin.
Who else is driving a totally forgettable car?
I drove a '98 Protege until a month ago. Bought it new, and it only had 80,000 miles on it after 14 years. Although it was very reliable, it started to rust out after only 5 years, and always had a ton of road noise, rattles, and a very rough ride. And the worst acceleration I've seen since my buddies '78 Chevette in high school.
Luckily while driving on a strange backroad in a thunderstorm at night, I hit a deep puddle and hydrolocked the engine. It still ran, but had several bent valves or lifters, and MPG dropped to 12. Now I don't have to put up with it anymore. Replaced it with a Camry, loving the smooth ride and silent cabin. Still not an exiting car though. -
I'm happy to say I no longer have a horse in this race.
I've had more than my share over the years."The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson -
I drove a '98 Protege until a month ago. Bought it new, and it only had 80,000 miles on it after 14 years. Although it was very reliable, it started to rust out after only 5 years, and always had a ton of road noise, rattles, and a very rough ride. And the worst acceleration I've seen since my buddies '78 Chevette in high school.
Luckily while driving on a strange backroad in a thunderstorm at night, I hit a deep puddle and hydrolocked the engine. It still ran, but had several bent valves or lifters, and MPG dropped to 12. Now I don't have to put up with it anymore. Replaced it with a Camry, loving the smooth ride and silent cabin. Still not an exiting car though.
Yeah, but it had BMW verve for 1/2 the price, right? That has to be the funniest thing I've read in a long time.
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
'98 was a different chassis than the '99 and later Proteges. And it's OK if you find the BMW comment funny. Back then at least C&D knew what they were talking about. Haven't been a subscriber in a long time, however.
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yea that miata got a girly rep to it but that car handles turns great !
I heard there was some guy in LA dropping a 302 ford V8 in them , I bet handling would suffer it may plow in cornors but lower it get some tires it would be a fun ride .
LOL may have to wear a skirt heels and wig though LOL -
'98 was a different chassis than the '99 and later Proteges. And it's OK if you find the BMW comment funny. Back then at least C&D knew what they were talking about. Haven't been a subscriber in a long time, however.
My family owned a Mazda dealership, that's why I bought one, I got them at true dealer cost (way under invoice). I've driven all the Protege's at one time or another. None of them were comparable to a BMW, not even close. -
Haters gonna hate. Argue it with Brock Yates, Patrick Bedard and Csaba Csere. Their words, not mine, and they have a little more experience than "my dad owns a dealership."
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/mazda-protege-es-page-14This Mazda tops the charts for driving fun. Its chassis muscles are athletic, its engine is sweet and strong, its controls are precise and direct, and the look is classy inside and out. This is a car that does everything well. And it has spirit. BMW verve for less than half the price. What's not to like?
The quality of this car starts with body structure, as solid as the vault at Wells Fargo. No rattles and buzzes. No quivers and thrums. And there's room for very tall drivers. The seat knows exactly how the orthopedist told you to sit. It's easy to find a good driving position in this car. There's a wonderful leanness all about you, with imaginative shapes to please the eye, but no fat, no froufrou. Just pure car flavor delivered without distraction.
This is a disciplined machine with quick, sure suspension responses starting right down where the low-profile 195/55VR-15 Bridgestones meet the pavement. So you can hurry without worry. Path control is excellent, whether you're bending through the twisties or cruising the interstate. Acceleration numbers trail the Dodge Neon's by a nose, until the Protege, with its songful 1840cc, pulls ahead to finish the quarter in 16.8 seconds at 82 mph. A glimpse of the handling prowess appears in the results of the emergency-lane-change test, where the Mazda outruns all but the big-tired Hyundai, which squeaks through 0.1 mph faster.
Although most of the fun happens in the driver's seat, this four-door also takes exceptionally good care of its passengers. For both two and three occupants in the rear seat, the Mazda ranked just behind the Focus. Both of these sedans have high, firm rear benches with good thigh support and excellent footroom under the front buckets.
There aren't many sedans at any price that can match the dynamic balance of this Mazda, that possess the quick, confident moves and the carved-from-billet integrity of structure. At a sticker of $15,570, this Protege ES seems an easy choice.
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do tires make a difference? i heard they are all the same...Polk Lsi9
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Never said "my dad owns a dealership", I said my family.The quality of this car starts with body structure, as solid as the vault at Wells Fargo. No rattles and buzzes.
Very believable, until you take a ride in my sister's 2001. It may have been rattle free when new, but give it 10K to 20K miles and check again.
And I certainly don't hate the cars, I just accept it for what it was, a cheap, slow, reliable sub-compact that lasted me 14 years. And would have certainly lasted longer, were it not for a huge puddle. Like the title says, mediocre. -
My 2000 has 90k miles on it, and aside from the usual dings and fading paint, it's still nearly as good as they day I bought it, so perhaps your sister is a little careless with her cars. No NVH issues.
I did have to remove one of the heat shields from the exhaust system thanks to the winters here in Louisville rusting it away, but no major issues to speak of. The heat shield in question protected the ground from the heat of the exhaust system, so I have to avoid parking in tall, dry grass (or risk catching it on fire), but other than that it doesn't affect the function of the car. Yes, it did rattle before I removed it, so maybe that's her problem. BTW, not even BMWs are immune to this type of failure. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=940178
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Yes, her interior started rattling and squeeking (just like mine) because she was careless with the car. Really?
She drives 20K+ a year, likes to get a new car every 3 or 4 years, and hasn't owned it since 2004 or 2005, I don't recall exactly. Like I said, several times now, they are reliable, no complaints there. It's an economy car, glad you like yours. -
Just sold a '98 S10 xtended cab that I bought brand new.
Vortec V6, I put 220,000 miles on it, and all I ever had to do is replace 2 oil lines, fuel pump,
and alternator.
Purred like a kitten when I sold it.
Last 3 years a '88 Yota xtra cab 4x4 (multiport 2.4L).
Everyday driver yet goes anywhere, had 92k on it when I bought it.
Had many offers to buy it, but I will never sell it, and probably be driving it until the day I die.Testing
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i have the 4.3 as well, and i am sure replaced the same lines (to the stupid chin-mounted filter)... but have never had one single issue with the motor. great engine. but mechanically, the rest of the truck is cheap. some big things, some little things over and over. luckily i had a warranty early on....now 120,000 and climbing. i drive gravel roads every day. no need for new, and no need changing the devil i know for one i don't.Just sold a '98 S10 xtended cab that I bought brand new.
Vortec V6, I put 220,000 miles on it, and all I ever had to do is replace 2 oil lines, fuel pump,
and alternator.
Purred like a kitten when I sold it.
Last 3 years a '88 Yota xtra cab 4x4 (multiport 2.4L).
Everyday driver yet goes anywhere, had 92k on it when I bought it.
Had many offers to buy it, but I will never sell it, and probably be driving it until the day I die.Polk Lsi9
N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
NAD 1020 completely refurbished
Keces DA-131 mk.II
Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2 -
I have two that I drive...
2001 Pontiac Sunfire, and 2002 Chevy AveoThe Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
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I saw a Sunfire recently that had a very tall Nascarish wing on the back.
Guess it was to keep the rearend planted at 200+mph.
I could not help but LOL when I saw it.
You should consider that John, as a safety measure, LOL!Testing
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I saw a Sunfire recently that had a very tall Nascarish wing on the back.
Guess it was to keep the rearend planted at 200+mph.
I could not help but LOL when I saw it.
You should consider that John, as a safety measure, LOL!
You didn't mention the N20 charged turbos that are hidden under John's hoods! And that he races those! lol
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
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A 1999 Lexus ES300 with 207,000 miles on it and still drives and runs beautifully. I will drive it till it dies as I see no need to get rid of it..
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You didn't mention the N20 charged turbos that are hidden under John's hoods! And that he races those! lol
cnh
HA!
I do not doubt that at all!
Prolly has the worlds first VTFI "Vacuum Tube Fuel Injection" to boot!Testing
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