So I have a 5 year loan for my P5, I have 13,000 miles and am upside down $3,000 (cause of my father buying me a shitty Corrolla I traded in and lost like $10,000 on it, thanks dad).. I want to fix it up kinda. I drive a slowtege, and I know it. I got it cause it's pretty and not everyone has one.


Then again, there's a few things I want done.. A new system, new wheels, Racing Beat cat-back, etc...


So my friend and I went up to the Mazda dealer ship today, you know, just to look around. I didn't want to sign my name on anything, I just wanted to look. I found a 1st gen MSP, the kind with the fog lights on my P5.. In black like my P5... I sat in it and loved the seats as much as the first time I sat in one... Everything was just what I wanted, even the stock stereo was really really nice.


It's just what I want in my P5.


So the sales guy is willing to wheel and deal, I am still telling the guy I LIKE MY P5, I JUST WANT TO LOOK, he understands.. We run the numbers, and I am so very upside down on my current P5 and he goes to talk to his boss..


They have NO used P5s, and mine's in PERFECT condition. (I take good care of it, you know) The boss is happy to get one to sell and will eat what I am upside down...

That takes care of that, but means I don't REALLY have a trade-in at this point. The car is still $22,000. I start to try to play hardball. I told him, LISTEN PAL, THIS IS THE OLD MSP, WHO WANTS THE OLD CAR? IT'S A PIECE OF ****!! And he's like I'll take off $100.

I stood up.


Smelling a lost sale the guys says OK OK, I'LL TAKE OFF $1000. I am like you mean $2000. He's like OK, $2,000- I butt in, Oh, and the $500 Mazda cash back cause this is my 2nd Mazda.


Sucker, I just got $2,500 off. That's about as good as I could EVER ask for on this car. The lot's only making like $1,000 at this point. SUCKERS!!

Let's talk cash.


I pay $320 a month now on my payments.. I like this number, I am willing to bump it up to $375 at the very very most. $400 is OUT of the question, sorry $400 a month is a ******* BMW. So he's like $380-400 a month right now with nothing down. I sign my name, take my CDs out of the P5 and we are done.

I stood up, NO FREAKING WAY.

So he's like how much you got. I tell him I can give him $1000 cash right now. That's not really what he wanted to hear, but he knows I could care less about getting a MSP, cause I still like my P5. He smells a missed sale on an ageing car and is like if you give me $4000 you can have this car at $360 a month.


Damn. Four thousand dollars. 3 more than I have to waste on a car.

What to do, what to do?

The MSP is everything I really want, but damn. I just layed 4 grand on my P5 a YEAR ago. **** man, but then again.. I'd spend WAY more than 4 large putting my P5 on the level of a MSP, ya know???



You tell me, what should I do? I told him I'd come over Thursday to let him know what I wanted to do..

 

If you have the money - go for it, you only live once. Just don't get into trouble.

 

Have you factored in insurance costs? Have you factored in the requirement of premium gas vs. regular gas on an annual basis?

I rrrreally wanted a MSP but I felt as though the $4500 savings in the Protege5 were a worthy save. Minus asthetics, you can put some mean power in the Pro5 for $4500 with all the turbo kits coming out for them (even automatic trans).

As much as the MSP is the looker and the talker, on a price-to-price basis... the Pro5 is the walker. From the figures you've just laid out, I'd enjoy what you have.

 

I am still looking into insurance and what kind of intrest I am looking at, I'll have that laid out some time later this week. I know for the 4 large I could go turbo from HKS or someone else..

So much to think about..

So it's a 50 / 50 split between yes and no?

 

One more thing before I go to bed, the car will be in my name. I co-signed with my dad on my P5.


Just something else to add.

 

Which dealership did you go to? I got mine from Cory Fairbanks. They were much nicer than the people at Classic Mazda.

I went to Classic first, showed some interest in the black MSP they had parked in front of the showroom and the guy asks if I need any help. I tell him that I'm looking to buy an MSP and he asks some basic questions like if I'm going to be trading in anything or co-signing. I tell him that I'll be trading in my Cavalier (which was in my name) and co-signing with my father. Well, then the guy tells me he won't even unlock the car until my dad is there with me. He was very adamant about no one being in the car unless he knew they were seriously looking to buy it.

So, I just eye the car for a couple of minutes. And this salesman just stands there giving me this real condescending look like I'm going ot try and steal the car with him standing right there...while it's locked and I have no key for it...

Then I went to Cory Fairbanks, they let me test drive an orange MSP right away. I told them that my dad would be co-signing and they said it was fine, just bring him back with me if I decide to get one. Next weekend, I bought my yellow MSP (which had just arrived at the dealership that week, I didn't even realize they were at the dealerships yet).

I say go for it, I love mine. But ultimately, it's your choice. After all, you're the one driving it, not us.

P.S. State Farm jacked up my rates when I got the car. I was paying $207 a month with my cavalier. Now I pay $364 a month, and they won't even give me a fair reason why.

 

MSP all the way baby! You have the money? You want the car? And the MSP will make you happier once you get it, plus like "PseudoRealityX" says, you will get more out of the MSP than you will the PS. Just my opinion bro. I, myself, am looking into a P5, but only because I can't afford a MSP. PLus I love my girlfriends 2003 ES Protege. Good Luck Bro!

 

You might want to reconsider this, I know I did when it came time to figure out interest rates. As a new car buyer (21) I was quoted at 7.49% APR due to the fact that my credit score wasn't very high, due to the fact that I'm still young.

However pops scored higher (obviously) and got the percentage to sub 3.49% APR. That 4% makes a huge difference in a 60-month payment term. Plus everything is still in my name, I still make the payments, etc. but I use his name to save me money.

 

Listen:

You people are mad. Who in their right mind would lease or finance a Protege (of any type) for more than 48 months? I mean, they are nice and I'm on my second one (I just bought a Mica Black P5 loaded), but I waited until I had either enough in the bank to make the payments or enough to put down. Remember, its only a Mazda, not a BMW or better.

I say stick with your P5 that you have been paying off for a while now. The "used" MSP is just another car that loses value like the rest. You have no idea who drove that car before, how it was driven, what was done to it (accidents, dents, bumps, etc.). To my brother from my second home - Florida, listen to migrating Canadian friend: stick with the car only you have driven, the P5.

Someone mentioned to you that you must think of the higher insurance and gas costs. I discovered that going from my Mica Blue 1999 1.6 litre SE to the P5. This new car loves gas, and my insurance went up buy $50 a month -- fortunately in British Columbia, we have government run insurance, but in Ontario (my home) it is privately run and super high (and I am 26 with a clean driving record).

Keep your P5. Don't follow in the foot steps of other young guys. You will be ahead in the long run if you keep the P5. Money can be better spent on other stuff, like ladies...oh yeah (can I get a Hell Yeah?)

--Leafsboy

 

I got my P5 at Cory Fairbanks and I am looking at the MSP at Classic Mazda.

ROUND TWO IS THURSDAY.

I am going to go to Classic for their new offer, whatever it is. Then I am going to drive to Cory Fairbanks and be like THIS IS WHAT CLASSIC IS OFFERING ME, BEAT IT RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE A DEAL...


Then I'll take their deal and run to Classic and see if I can get them to play off one another. The guy at Classic was all about me taking the car for a spin and messing with it. Most likely cause I already have a P5 and that shows I have the green to buy a new one. I am really really leaning twards the MSP now. I am going to give them my work number so they can call me there and my manager said he'd talk them down some more over the phone for me.

Like the ***-istant manager told me this morning. For the money you want to waste on your P5 and have NO trade in value for it you might as well get the MSP. It's all coming out of your pocket, man.

 

It comes down to what you want outta life Pluto.

I was looking at a MSP, but got the P5. I figure it gets me around with some style while I save up for something like a BMW M3 or a Porsche 911 C4. From the looks, comments, and all out performance I experienced in my buddy's 911 last Sunday, I'm willing to settle for the P5 for a couple years while I save up for a better ride.

 

Well, I'd say if you're happy with your P5, keep it. I mean, obviously you weren't looking to ditch your car before you drove the MSP, so do you really NEED the MSP?

Of course, cars aren't a matter of need, but WANT anyway... No one NEEDS a viper, but they buy them because they want it....

You don't NEED an MSP, but you WANT it....

I think if I were you, I'd just keep the P5 and save some dough. They're probably going to try and rape you on your tradein anyways, they love to do that!

 

Me, and the other 3 idiots that bought their Protege5s the same week from the same dealer. One reason might be the 0.0% financing special our region has on the model. For 60 months, not 48, 36 or 24.

Another reason might be because each monthly payment is less, although you do end up making 12 more. There's numerous reasons and I doubt many of them are because you expect to keep the car for 5 years.

However I'd love to see my car get 5 years, 100k-150k miles off it with minimal investment post warranty.

 

Do you really believe that it is cheaper to lease a car for over 48 months? Please. Mazda is not in the charity business. They are here to make cars and profit. You may have a cheaper lease payment but it is stretched out longer. They are making more money from you some how. The cars is cheaper to buy out, but worth MUCH less. Something in the contract tells the story.

 

Alot of good arguements on both sides but, I would have to agree with Leafsboy (even though I don't agree with his name but he is a 'Protege bother' none the less). I would hold onto the P5, ask yourself: Do I WANT the MSP? And: Do I NEED the MSP? If your answer to both questions is YES then do it, if not save your cash. Food for though. Everybody,... no matter what the business is; they're in 'it' for the money. Think about it. "My thoughts and not yours" - Dave Randorf, TSN