Hey all... just bought a 2002 PR5 today....

Had to purchase a "commuter car" so I'm not putting a ton of miles on my other car (plus running a ton of premium through it).

Was wondering if there are any good online sites for purchasing some aftermarket parts for it (performance, looks and otherwise).. I won't be turning it into a beast (that money will go towards the Cobra ).. but I do want it running in peak shape!

 

Figure out what kind of mods you want to do, and do a search. There's lots of information archived here, even if the parts selection is not that great.

Basically, you've got intakes and exhausts on the mild side (maybe 10 HP tops with BOTH mods), and cams in the middle of the raod (MazdaSpeed cams - exhaust and intake together, probably 15 horses).

For the high-side - wait for he 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege (successor to the MP3), and pick up the turbo for the 2.0L. It only adds about 40 horses, but I'm sure it could be dialed in a bit .

Congrats on the car, and best of luck. I've got 28,000 miles on my 5 in just over a year (and yes, I like to brag about the horrific number of miles I'm accumulating on my car) - and still trouble-free.

You made a wise purchase, Daniel-Son.

~HH

 

Thanks!

I figure I'll run her stock for a couple months and then make some decisions... I'm not wanting to make another gas guzzler... and I don't want it sounding like a mad swarm of hornets either!

 

The Protege is one of the finest vehicles currently in production, from a reliability standpoint. In that sense, you couldn't have made a better choice-- The 3rd generations have exemplary records; so good, in fact, that they match that of Toyota and surpass the current Honda Civic. We're in elite, excellent company, I'd venture to say.

I always say that reliability, bar none, is my primary demand in a vehicle, and that expectation has been met in better order than it had been in my last car, a '91 Nissan Sentra. The Sentra from that generation was 'better than average' in reliability, while the Protege is 'much better than average' (i.e., as good as it gets). Thus far I've found the build quality very sound, whereas at the same point in ownership when I had my Sentra it had already been recalled twice to replace faulty components, and adjusted once to correct improper belt tension (all under warranty).

The Japanese designed and built vehicles from Mazda are world class in reliability. The Ford ones aren't. Ironic, isn't it?

 

Every commute gets me closer and closer to complete satisfaction with the car...

It was a huge adjustment at first.. but it fits what I needed perfectly. Hearing of it's reliability only solidifies that fact!