Hi! I've been a 2003 Protege 5 owner for 5 months now and I love the car. I searched long and hard before I made my choice and now find that Mazda will be releasing a Mazda3 next year & it will use the Mazda6 engine at 160HP.

Can anyone tell me how this will affect my investment? If Mazda stops building the current edition, what will be parts availability, resale etc?

Thanks

 

I'm in the same boat,,,,i don't think that it will be that bad cause the pro5 is based on the pro,,,,but if you look around alot of people are looking at our cars,,,and hopefully after a few years down the road they will be worth more than they are now, just cause people will want them,,,cause they will be an oddity,,and what ever esle,,,so don't do to many mods that you can't change back,,,,and welcome to the rare car club

 

Aaaaawww,,i was just talking to a Canadian

what was i thinking J/K

 

Here is my opinion... the MP5 has the distinction of being the most tuned car in the Protege lineup -- in other words, the 3rd gen sedan has been out since 99 but the aftermarket didn't catch on until the MP5 was released, and if you didn't already know there are a ton of more parts for the MP5 than for the sedan.

On the other hand, I do think the Mazda3 series is a replacement for the existing Protege lineup, as shown in Japan and Europe. Therefore there will be no more P5... the successor car will be the Mazda3 five-door hatchback similar to the Mazda Axela in Japan.

So to put 2 and 2 together... The MP5 has had a short life span but has had excellent aftermarket support and market desirability. The Mazda 3 will clearly be a better car, but that is true of almost all new cars when compared to the cars they replace. Although you can weigh the benefits of waiting for the Mazda3, you need not do this because you just bought an MP5. You've made a good decision because the MP5 is an awesome car, but a better car is going to replace it.

That's just the way the industry is and you have to live with your decision (at least for a while). To answer your questions: parts availability will probably still be excellent, and resale will be average, just like all other Mazda cars. The MP5 is not a rare care (so your resale will not go up appreciably) -- it's not limited production like the MP3 or MSP -- it just had a short life span.

My 2 cents.

-Drew

 

Just like getting married.

Find a woman with whom you can expect a reasonable level of happiness - don't worry about 'what if a BETTER chicky comes along'.

 

I agree with Darin except that cars are more faithful than women (just kidding).

I bought a 2000 ES sedan at year end clearance (when the 2001's were about to come out) and imagine my dismay when the P5 came out soon thereafter -- better styling, more cargo room, more aftermarket parts. But you can't have every car so you have to choose your poison. The plus side of my decision is that now if I decide to get rid of my '00 I can buy a Mazda 3 in the next year or two.

-Drew

 

 

The Pro5 will continue to be the same car that it is; cool. Regardless of how trendy the Mazda3 might become, the Pro5 will still be a solidly built, good handling and, fun to drive car.

If you're the kind of person who buys/leases a new car every 2-4 years, then just go get the Mazda3 and don't worry about it.

I wouldn't buy the Mazda3 for at least a year or two until they work out all the bugs that usually come with a totally new car.

 

One important thing to remember is that cars (most anyway) aren't investements. Even if you buy a BMW or ferrarri as soon as you leave the lot it's worth less then you paid for it. Even great old cars ie 57 chevy, old vette's etc. Really haven't increased in value if you count inflation.
With the P5 look at it as a good car that was purchase to have fun with. All protege's have a fairly decent aftermarket, that will most likely stick around (especially if the 3 takes off)

 

I agree, you can't purchase a car and expect it to be an investment... if the car does what you want, isn't that all you should expect?

I'm sure that it'll last a long time, just as the first gens have...

 

in all seriousness, if anyone buys a 14-20 thousand dollar car and expects it to be an investment...

 

I got my MSP to be in investment into getting the ladies.


IT HASN'T WORKED YET.

 

What kind of investment are you considering a car to be???? A car is just a tool that can get u to and from point A and B, and then C,D,E,F,G etc..etc. Nowadays present cars are so chealy made that they decrease in value. Only cars out there that are actually worth ten times there retail price and are INCREASING in value are Classic old cars that are more then a half a century old.

 

Thank you to everyone who responded to my fit of self pity regarding the introduction of the Mazda 3.

In reviewing all the comments it became quite clear that I should be happy with what I have. The P5 is a really great car and as was pointed out...not an investment.

Up in Canada prices are higher than the US. When I factor in all the options I purchased, along with the 7 year extended Warranty, paint protection, rust proofing & so on, leather, heated seats, (it's cold up here), sunroof, cold air intake & performance exhast etc... I was at around $31M plus taxes. A lot of cash for a tired old musician. However, the cargo capacity is perfect for my music gear and I didn't have to resort to a van or station wagon.

As this was my first posting I wasn't sure how to answer and post responses etc., so please bear with me for the time being.

 

Just keep in mind once you buy something, another something is going to come along that's more "up to date" or newer/more stylish. Cars, computers, houses, clothes, etc it's all the same. While my 99 Protege to some is considered old, it still does what I want it to do. I may be missing out on a few things that Mazda's added on over the years for the Protege lineup but if I wouldve waited...I wouldn't have a car would I?

Every year I'm tempted to trade the car in on something new and more exciting, but I keep realizing every time I do that something else comes along. Just another part of life...