The P5 is noisy but the I don't think engine doesn't sound truckish as some of you guys say. It just growls a bit more than cars in its class but it sounds pretty good to me since it is more of a refined growl.
I like it better than the dinky sounds from a Honda Civic engine and the harsh sounds of a Cavalier.

 

Yes... but a noisey car "seems" like a fast car.. eh eh eh..

 

No offense to anyone, but I can't believe any of you are comparing a P5 to the BMW 3-Series. Protege is so far out of BMW's league that even mentioning them in the same sentence is laughable; indeed, even ridiculous.

The 3-Series is one of the finest production vehicles in the entire world. Beyond the fact that it's a car that costs nearly twice that of a P5, thus placing it in a totally different class, BMW also excels in delivering excellence in ALL areas of driving. The 3-Series sports cool appearance, decent noise control, nimble handling, and a composed, comfortable ride-- ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Protege does well in some areas, but patently not all of them.

Anyway, if money wasn't an object (which is one of Protege's excellent points-- honest affordability), I'd get a 3-Series over a Protege any day. I mean, what are we even talking about this for!?

 

I think the one persons reference to a 3 series was an anomaly. The general tone of this thread wasn't meant to compare the P5 to a 3 series. That's an unfair comparo to the P5.

Most people are disappointed comparing the P5 to cars in its class. I just think Mazda could have done better, even for its class and price. Like I said earlier, the latest iteration of the Hyundai Elantra is better. That speaks volumes.

 

when you take the roof rack off the car is pretty quite, but with my aftermarket exhaust and intake, its pretty loud all the time

 

My P5 is not that noisy... what noise i can hear i like. It kinda enhances my driving experience i think.
My boss has a Cadilac... i drove it the other day to run an errand for him. It felt strange. TOO quiet, and i could'nt feel the road!! It felt like i was driving a cloud...arghh!

I don't know about you guys/gals but i like feeling like i'm part of my car. I want to know when i hit a bump... or my engine does something quirky.

Anyways... just my opinion.

 

I think we should all be getting Elantras then

 

my truck and my other car are both old and noisey (m/t tires on the truck don't help ) it makes my p5 feel smooth and quiet. it is a bit growly but nothing i'd complain about.
maybe you need to drive a piece of crap for awhile, then go back and enjoy your pro.

 

Just wanted to point out Rubberized Undercoating Helps a LOT..

and yeah i've noticed fully syn oil does smooth out the engine..

 

Its just that i keep reading reviews of the P5 and they claim the major cons are, lack of power, and that its very noisy..

I am just saying how anyone could find this car noisy. It is much quieter than the SE-R and much quieter than any car in its class.

I don't know.. maybe i don't drive at 6500 rpm all the time like some of u guys might.. haha

 

WTF are you talking about? The P5 kicks *** against all the cars in its class. It has won numerous awards/reviews. Im proud to be a P5 owner, and I KNOW my car kicks alot of *** in its class.

 

Did anyone see the decibel ratings of the Protege LX in the November 2002 CD comparo?

The noise recorded while idling is a remarkable 37 dB. Remarkable? Certainly, since the Lexus SC430 idles at a 42 dB, still very quiet.

The noise generated at full throttle, 70mph coasting and 70mph cruising were pretty much equal give or take 1 or 2 dB for the cumulative average of the cars tested (10 in total). It's noisier than a Camry but then Camry is in a different class.

I don't see why people are saying that the Protege is a VERY noisy car, when objective test results show otherwise. Subjectively, the sound may be more noticable, but still it cannot be labeled VERY noisy.

That is unless your prior ride was a Lexus LS430. Mine wasn't.

 

hehe you think your P5's are loud....you should here mine with my new thermal exhaust...hehe i can here my car starting up from my second story room faciung the back yard

 

I just got my P5 after driving a 1998 Cavalier with a 3speed auto and the mighty 2.2 pushrod I4 for 5years. Let me tell ya.. that was noisy at 70mph+. The P5 I have now even with a 5speed is a calm cruiser on the highway compared to the General's box o' clunks. Don't for get the cavalier is still on the same chassis from mid 1994. trust me, you think the protege is loud test drive a cavalier.

 

In many-a posts I've voiced my dissatisfaction with noise control in the Protege. Just as a point of clarification, however, when complaining about that I do so in comparison to the other major Japanese auto makers. Just for fun we can include Hyundai as well. Among these, the Protege is easily the most raucous of all of them. Sentra is quieter. Civic is quieter. Corolla (the new one) is quieter. Elantra is MUCH quieter. The bottom line is Mazda sucks in noise control-- Either that or they just don't care about it. Maybe it's both.

If, however, one was to compare the Protege to other scum sucking cheap-*** lousy vehicles from the likes of GM, Dodge, Kia, or Saturn, the Protege easily wins in ALL characteristics. The Cavalier is the worst, rotten quality, unrefined, noisy small car you can buy anywhere-- Well, so is Kia; they're both in a pathetic league of their own. Dodge Neon? The Neon is a ridiculous joke and I'm not laughing-- More like getting sick to my stomach. Saturns were once cool, but no longer. By today's standards they're crude, rough, and irritating. ALL the engines in these cars are coarse, dismal, wretched powerplants that sound just awful. Comparatively speaking here, the FS-DE is silky smooth.

On a side note, as far as ride quality goes, though, probably the only cars worse than the Protege are from Kia. That's right, Mazda is bottom dwelling with those guys, and they should be ashamed. Hell, my girlfriend's '97 Ford Escort rides more comfortably than my 2001 Protege! That, I'll hide not, pisses me off.