Im not sure how reliable a source it is, but it is the first and only thing ive heard about the p5 being limited production. I went this past weekend to look for a snowboard rack at the local shop. the guy that runs that place said they didnt have any mounts for the factory rack that comes on the US version of the car, which he didnt understand. so he called up Yakima, which is the brand of rack i was looking at. When he was talking to the person at yakima, they told him that they had no intentions of making the mounts for the rack on the p5 this year because they were told by mazda that the p5 would be a limited production car. He also said that from the numbers given to them by mazda they would probably never make the mounts for the car, because they didnt think they would be able to sell enough of them to cover production costs.

i dont know whether to believe any of this or not. If this is true, it doesnt make sense, considering the car is selling like hot cakes.

 

It could be that the story goes something like this.....
The P5 has been available world-wide for a few years under different names. Even so, this is the first year Mazda has brought it to North America .. as a 2002 model.
All indications point to Mazda doing a complete re-design of the Protege platform in North America (and probably world-wide? ) for 2003 ... with the new 2.3L engine developed for Ford.
Since the P5 is only going to be available in its current form for another year that's probably why it's considered "limited production" ... not exactly limited, but it's a short run. Hence, potentially not worth it for companies to develop completely new products to fit a car that will not be made in another year or so.

 

I've been hearing this since day 1 so it has some validity.

 

Sooo, it sounds like P5 production is limited to as many as Mazda can sell before they redesign the platform.

 

yeah, thats how i took it too.

 

Any ideas of what resale value for 2002 P5 will be?
If Mazda 3 will have all new, ultra smooth and efficient engine with more power along with even better new suspension, that Mazda3 will be so hard to pass by.
How will P5's resale value be in 2004, considering it's limited N.A production and new Mazda3 replacing Protege being already out on the market?
I hope you know what I mean.
Which Duratec engine will it get?.
If bigger Mazda6 will get 2.3 I4 160hp, will smaller Mazda3 get it as well or will Mazda3 use 2.0 Duratec with around 150hp?
I wish 3 could be sold in econo version with 1.8 Duratec 140 hp for around $15K and in more sporty version with 2.3 Duratec, 160 hp and sportier springs/sways with 17" wheels all for about $17K in a three door hatchback body.
Is it a realistic dream?

 

Hey, getting back to the roof rack thing. I got a yakima rack and used the 12V Mighty Mounts and a Big Powderhound and it fits good on my factory rack. theres pics i poseted a while ago in the pics section. i dont have a link though


All this talk about P5 being limited to this year is scaring me. Does that mean that i will have a crappy re-sell value?? well, i guess you sorta do with selling any used car. but my main concern is that will aftermarket companies not make performace parts such as body kits n stuff for our **** wagons because theyre limited?? oh man, you guys are scaring me. maybe ill sell my wagon next year if i have a secure job, but i dont wanna part with my **** wagon, muahaha. hmm, whats the P5 called in japan/china/hong kong? 2002 Sport 20? Whats the exact same thing(im planning on getting a kit sent over, i got a hook up).

sorry for all the wuestions, please answer them if possible

 

the cars in not a limited ed. like say a type-r. the Pro5 is as limited as any otehr mazda sold here. OTOH, the Pro5 is in a way, by its own model life in the NA market, a self-limited ed. car.

what i mean by that is, mazda waited until almost too late to sell it here and in doing so, have created an self-inflicted limited ed. because the car's model year is only going to be two years at the most. even if the Pro5 sells 30,000 units (I dont think it will), it will be as good a seller as the once new Honda civic si/SiR(for all you canucks out there!).

in that respect, it will be a sales success and i am sure that Mazda NA will sell the new Pro5/323/3 series here(unless mazda NA loves to cut off their own feet), etc....here because of the success of the Pro5.

as for engine choice? the 2L wouldnt be all that crappy. it makes around 145 hp(actually thats the ps rating and usually it ends up about 2-3hp less in the U.S. imperial standard measurement. ). thats 15 (approx.) more hp,which is better than 130hp! plus almost all the euro mags testing the new mondeo witht his engine says its very sweet and revs very nicely.

now, the 2L engine is made in mexico and michigan.(and i think the 1.8L is too). Now as for my choice of an engine? the 2.3 of course! 160hp in the Pro5-WHOO HOO!!!
now keep in mind that the Euro ford focus ST170 (euro version of our SVT Focus) has the new 2L duratec engine that is "slightly" as the magazine called it (its in the new CAR or the other high class british car mag) modiefied to produce 170hp!!!

i thnk the intake manifold was ported a bit and more radical cams, so on....but i remember reading that it was allot less work to produce that power than iw was for the SVT guys to do it for the U.S. SVT focus which utilises a 2L Zetec motor with a completely new and SVT engineered intake manifold with dual stage runners w/ butterlies, etc...high-comp pistons, etc... and they also got 170hp. i thnk its a testament to the new duratec engines. why ford NA wouldnt let them use the saem one as europe-politics and unions i am SURE AS HELL!!

 

Mazda 6 will have a I4 and a V6 version. The I4 will be 2.3L and produce 160 hp, while the V6 will be a 3.0L engine producing more then 200hp, I forgot the exact number.
Don't see why they couldn't use the I4 2.3L in a Protege

 

It could be just the opposite. This is the LAST real all-Japanese all-Mazda Protege and that will have value to eople who want a very long lasting, reliable car. There have been plenty of people who would not have bought this car if it was a Focus clone and that is what the next one will be (with some tweaks of course) It is also dead sexy and get's a lot of attention... who knows what the next one will look like or be built like.

I don't care either way since I'm keeping mine a loooonnnggg time. Protege's have never led the field in resale value and I expect that at worst the Pro5 will fair the same.

 

If it was limited, or whatever you people are saying, that wouldn't really drive the price down, I mean you could still get all the parts if that's what people are worried about....

Resale value on the P5 won't be known for quite some time, as nobody will want to sell theirs hehe

 

Why would Mazda keep old noisy and not economical current 2.0L in new Mazda3 (Protege), when new Duratec engines are lighter, more economical, way smoother, more powerful and need lot less service ???
2.0 l on P5 sucks, it is the weakest link of the car!
1.8 l Duratec would be better in every area than current 2.0.
I hope Mazda can avoid what Ford N.A did with Focus by keeping ancient 2.0 SPI (from Escort) in Focus LX.
Will Mazda3 (Pro3 would sound better than Protege) be treated by Mazda as another econo car or will it get a serious and respectful treatment that it needs to battle new Golf, Matrix,Vibe etc (I'm not talknig about family members, new-Focus, Volvo V50)

 

Do a better home work on Duratec engines!
Duratec family of I4 is mostly Mazda's design and thanks god, I agree with you that Ford N.A does not have good tradition in building good engines.
Duratec HE will be just so much above what Ford and Mazda did build in the past. Again, do your homework on that subject.
Duratec HE will most likely be the best overall I4 engine out there.
Very modern, very fuel efficient, very smooth, very fun to rev, very quiet and vibration-free, just very very good in every area (possibly the best in it's class!!!)

 

I think they are a little confused, the protege 5 is here to stay, the mp3 was the limited edition protege only 1500 made supposedly, but i was talking to my dealer and they actually made a few less than that.

 

His question is not that the car itself is not here to stay, but this ITERATION of the car. This body style, this platform, this design.

Surely the next-gen. Protege will have a wagon version, but it will be the new, Focus -based car, not this, current, all-Japanese, all-Mazda car.