I finally found a blue protege5 with the exact options I want. I test drove the car and it seemed like it was a bumpy ride. I'm planning to go test drive a civic ex to see if it's the same bumpyness. Has anyone noticed the ride being bumpy or is it just me? Maybe I'm just use to being in a SUV and luxury cars.

 

Kenji-it's not bumpy, it's tight!

 

I felt the same way when i drove the car. I think its because it has a little tighter suspension due to the awesome handeling(or vice versa), but i dunno. Its awesome and not that bumpy, really. Just do it!

 

Trust me...the "bumpiness" is just a sweet, tight ride. Still, compared to my Miata, the P5 feels like I'm riding on clouds...



--Dean

 

The P5 has a very soft ride. I just got rid of a 92 mustang GT. That was bumpy and it would shake you to death. So the P5 is a nice ride. Granted it could be softer at the expense of handling. My friend has a civic EX and his handling is no where near the P5 and the ride is about the same. Just my .02

 

As the other posts have mentioned... that "bumpiness" is just a nice tight suspension. That's the reason the car handless as well as it does.

As one of the reviewers in Road & Track said about the MP3:
"Pro: Communicates everything."
"Con: Communicates everything."

It's just the way it is with a good performance suspension.

 

Driving a new Civic is like having the controlls travel through a layer of jell-o to connect with the pavement. I thought my ES was a bit rough riding at first, but now I think it is perfectly set up between good handling and comfort. Alot of the choppyness is due to the 50 series tires btw.

 

The P5 is a little stiff, and if you're used to a big car or truck (or, god forbid, an SUV) you may find the ride a little rough. There is a big payback, though, which is HANDLING. You'll probably find the ride in the Civic to be smoother, but I'll take the P5 over a Civic in a slalom course--or simple accident avoidance maneuver--any day.

 

Most likely what you are feeling is not necessarily the suspension but more like the lack of rubber on your wheels. I have noticed the bumpiness as well and determined it is the stiffness in the sidewall of the SP 5000 tires. My Impreza RS doesn't ride no where near as choppy as the P5 and the tires on it are 205/55/16 SP 5000 as well. The tires on my RS have less stiffness in the sidewall resulting in a smoother ride due to their larger size. Does any of that make since?

 

I think 205/50 16" tires would fit very well onto our stock 16" wheels.
Lower profile (50 rather than 55) will give better cornering but at cost of a little bumpier ride.
I think Mazda decided to use narrower tire on P5 so it's low power
130hp/2750lbs will not be not so visible.
205's will defintely improve cornering and the ride will be less bumpy than with 195's but at the cost of some lost quickness in the steering and slower acceleration.
I still think my next tires will be Bridgestone Potenza RE730 205 /50 16", Dunlop sp5000 are very good tires and I do like them but RE730 are just in a different class.
I still don't know wheather I should invest in P5, or should I rather wait till next year and trade-in for next gen Protege (or whatever it may be called than).
New engine will be so much better in every way than current 2.0 and suspension may be a newer design as well ( less bumpy more tossable and simply a perfect ballance of tight, confidence inspiring handling and very smooth ride just like in Focus)???

 

Focus?????

That car handles like crap compared to the Pros. Crappy tires, sport-wanna-be suspension, bad diving, and a lot of understeer.

If you think this is perfect handling, get out of the Pro and buy the Focus. Oh, and enjoy that crappy handling on your way to the repair shop every two damn weeks.

 

Hehe, personally i wouldn't buy anything from a brand that has a abbreviation that means:

Fix Or Repair Daily

Found On the Road Dead

For Only Retarded Drivers

 

There is not even a bit of objectivity in your very wrong opinon.
Focus does have great balance of "higway cruiser" and tight handler, and P5 is not so universal in this regard.
Our P5 is a great car but it's suspension/ergonomics are not as sofisticated as in Focus. That's a fact not my opinion.
North American Focus (ZX3, ZX5)are build in Mexico with Ford North America "truck like mentality" with no assembly precision, overall poor build quality.
Focus as a design is much more sofisticated than latest Mazda 323 (that our P5 is based on). Mazda did anything possible to finish and tighten it as much as possible so it will be competitive with european Focus, VW's, Peugeots.
It would be very hard to squeeze anymore refinment from P5 without pushing it into way over $20K price range.
Tuned-up Focus in N.America will be availabile in SVT version, SVT improvements are taking Focus into P5 price range.
I hope you can objectively see what's a better car!?
ZX3 sells at around $14K and SVT sells at $18K.
Protege sells at around $14K and P5/MP3 sells around $18K.
Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.
I did choose P5 over ZX3/5 mostly for it's build/assembly quality and better resale value. Also when making decision I wanted a car with ABS/Side Air bags, and I could not locate ZX3/5 with it and P5 was waiting at the dealers lot with 6 miles on.
If Focus could be build in Japan (with Japan assembly quality) it would be my choice as a more sofisticated design.

 

Here's some more evidence where Ford Europe is a leader in chassis design, Ford Europe is so much different than lazy and unmotivated Ford North America.
Mazda can take as much from Ford as Ford can from Mazda.
New Mazda6 will be a great car, guess what type of suspension it will be based on?
Focus and Mondeo are all based on superb multi link rear suspension, and Mazda6 will also borrow it from Ford.
I hope that next generation Protege will also use it.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/otash/p....php3?id=33345
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/otash/p....php3?id=33342

 

I've driven the Focus, and was unimpressed with its handling and overall feel.

The P5 has a MUCH tighter feel than the Focus, SVT aside. Yes, the Ford has a bit more power, but in the handling department, the Mazda wins, hands down, and always has. Um, ever drive a Miata??

As far as ergonomics, the whole topic is opinion - there can be very little fact involved. Who is to say what the best placement for controls are? I feel the comfort level in my P5 tops the Focus by far. All controls fall easily at hand, and are right where they should be IN MY OPINION. Please stop thinking that your opinions are facts - it makes you sound ignorant.

Here are MY facts - I drove the ZX3. I drove the P5. I paid more for the P5 than I would have for a Focus because the handling is FAR superior. If you want a highway cruiser, buy a Grand Marquis. If you want to rock the turns, get a Mazda. If you want to FEEL like you can corner, and be dissappointed when my hatchback flies past you at the apex, get a Focus.

Besides, the P5 is gorgeous, and the ZX3 is just about the ugliest thing on the road. If I had bought one, it wouldn't have been for its looks.

And I'm not even going to argue the reliability factor with you. I have peace of mind with my Mazda. Fords break - that's the bottom line. If (When) Ford starts using Mazda mechanicals, maybe I'll reconsider - maybe. To think for one second that any Mazda will ever use an engine from a Ford is very faulty thinking, indeed.

You love the Focus? Buy one! I don't think I'll see you at 200,000 miles. I've got plenty of confidence in my P5s ability to reach that mark. If I remember correctly, some Focus's (Foci?) have already been recalled - hmmmm.....

Again, your opinions are welcome here, but I don't think anyone wants to hear them stated as "facts".