High RPM's?
November-18th-2002, 07:39 PM
#3
Protege Newbie
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Washington, D.C.
Posts: 46
yep
The only way to be under 3000 RPM for me is to be around 60 mph. If I go to 65, it jumps up and seems to keep going up until I reach my usual max speed of 70-75 mph (about 3500 rpm). I assume that decreases the fuel efficiency. 
November-19th-2002, 05:18 AM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: May 2002
Location: los angeles CA
Posts: 255
it just seems really bad on the engine to take this car on long road trips (i've been on several) cause if you want to sustain like 85+ mph the engine needs to be at 3500 - 4000 rpm..... which is really high.... and for like 3-4 hours non stop.... is it really bad on the engine?
is this true?
is this true?
November-19th-2002, 07:32 AM
#6
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central New York
Posts: 1,241
Originally posted by tttP5
it just seems really bad on the engine to take this car on long road trips (i've been on several) cause if you want to sustain like 85+ mph the engine needs to be at 3500 - 4000 rpm..... which is really high.... and for like 3-4 hours non stop.... is it really bad on the engine?
is this true?
it just seems really bad on the engine to take this car on long road trips (i've been on several) cause if you want to sustain like 85+ mph the engine needs to be at 3500 - 4000 rpm..... which is really high.... and for like 3-4 hours non stop.... is it really bad on the engine?
is this true?
November-19th-2002, 01:13 PM
#7
Cubaricua Mazda Lover
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Queens, NYC. School in Binghamton
Posts: 277
and if your worried about reving high, just change the oil more frequent to ensure engine protection. i got the '96 92 hp 1.5 LX and she revs at like 4000 when i'm doing only 80, but i change the oil every 2000 to 2500 miles.
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Roll Blunts
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Roll Blunts
Last edited by boricua; September-14th-2011 at 04:28 PM.
November-19th-2002, 02:35 PM
#8
Demands Perfection
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 344
You've Opened Up The Can!
Oh no, folks! It's time for me to rip again! 
The high RPM issue is something I've long been unhappy with regarding the Protege. As if noise wasn't a big enough issue in this car, and as if it already didn't sport the worst fuel economy of any of the main Japanese auto makers (due to poorer, less modern engine design), Mazda added insult to injury and shoved in a transmission that's inefficient, irritating, and totally unnecessary. You won't find a single current small car out there, not one, that turns such high RPM's at boring, standard highways speeds as does the Protege. Not one.
Many have noted that the Protege sports excellent torque for a small car of this size. Be that true, then it wasn't necessary for Mazda to force the engine to turn that fast in it's top gear. In my personal opinion, this is an irresponsible, thoughtless design on Mazda's part. As said, it worsens engine noise, and it certainly worsens fuel economy.
In terms of working the engine excessively, there may be precedent for that theory, but it's not definitive at this point. Reliability records for the Protege have consistently been "Much better than average" (as in, as good as it gets), up until this last year. Since then, reliability has dropped to "Better than average" (a step down from the best, but still very good). Whether this has to do with the lousy transmission ratio remains to be seen. It certainly doesn't help the situation, though.
Despite all of this, the Protege remains a reliable, reasonably efficient (although worse than it should be), car.
That transmission, though, functionally (although I like the crisp feel of it when shifting) is totally unnecessary and I hate it.
The high RPM issue is something I've long been unhappy with regarding the Protege. As if noise wasn't a big enough issue in this car, and as if it already didn't sport the worst fuel economy of any of the main Japanese auto makers (due to poorer, less modern engine design), Mazda added insult to injury and shoved in a transmission that's inefficient, irritating, and totally unnecessary. You won't find a single current small car out there, not one, that turns such high RPM's at boring, standard highways speeds as does the Protege. Not one.
Many have noted that the Protege sports excellent torque for a small car of this size. Be that true, then it wasn't necessary for Mazda to force the engine to turn that fast in it's top gear. In my personal opinion, this is an irresponsible, thoughtless design on Mazda's part. As said, it worsens engine noise, and it certainly worsens fuel economy.
In terms of working the engine excessively, there may be precedent for that theory, but it's not definitive at this point. Reliability records for the Protege have consistently been "Much better than average" (as in, as good as it gets), up until this last year. Since then, reliability has dropped to "Better than average" (a step down from the best, but still very good). Whether this has to do with the lousy transmission ratio remains to be seen. It certainly doesn't help the situation, though.
Despite all of this, the Protege remains a reliable, reasonably efficient (although worse than it should be), car.
That transmission, though, functionally (although I like the crisp feel of it when shifting) is totally unnecessary and I hate it.
November-19th-2002, 04:52 PM
#9
I Can Be Teh W1N!!!!
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,870
Originally posted by tttP5
it just seems really bad on the engine to take this car on long road trips (i've been on several) cause if you want to sustain like 85+ mph the engine needs to be at 3500 - 4000 rpm..... which is really high.... and for like 3-4 hours non stop.... is it really bad on the engine?
is this true?
it just seems really bad on the engine to take this car on long road trips (i've been on several) cause if you want to sustain like 85+ mph the engine needs to be at 3500 - 4000 rpm..... which is really high.... and for like 3-4 hours non stop.... is it really bad on the engine?
is this true?
our engines love to rev unlike sunflowers and cavaliers, its not hard on it at all just don't expect 50MPG gasmillage
November-19th-2002, 05:48 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 1,122
Re: You've Opened Up The Can!
Originally posted by ProtegeMaster
In terms of working the engine excessively, there may be precedent for that theory, but it's not definitive at this point. Reliability records for the Protege have consistently been "Much better than average" (as in, as good as it gets), up until this last year. Since then, reliability has dropped to "Better than average" (a step down from the best, but still very good). Whether this has to do with the lousy transmission ratio remains to be seen.
In terms of working the engine excessively, there may be precedent for that theory, but it's not definitive at this point. Reliability records for the Protege have consistently been "Much better than average" (as in, as good as it gets), up until this last year. Since then, reliability has dropped to "Better than average" (a step down from the best, but still very good). Whether this has to do with the lousy transmission ratio remains to be seen.
So much for your theory.
November-19th-2002, 07:16 PM
#11
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 47
I just bought my P5 and think it's great...except for the way it drives on the highway! Unfortunately they don't let you take it on the highway for a test drive at the dealship I bought mine at. I have a 2002 civic and it seems to be much quieter and has lower rpm's at higher speeds
November-19th-2002, 07:29 PM
#12
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: right outside of New Orleans
Posts: 155
Originally posted by TheMAN
seems like someone has always been repeatly complaining about the pro...
maybe that person should have bought a corolla or civic?
seems like someone has always been repeatly complaining about the pro...
maybe that person should have bought a corolla or civic?
November-20th-2002, 12:41 PM
#14
Cubaricua Mazda Lover
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Queens, NYC. School in Binghamton
Posts: 277
Whatever the damn case is, we all love our Pro's. I couldn't give two craps about how high she revs, cause you know what, i love my Pro and i don't care. I'm a true Mazda enthusiast - true they may not exactly be comparable to like a Honda 
or somthing, but who cares. this is my company!
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SexFloWeRR cam
or somthing, but who cares. this is my company!________
SexFloWeRR cam
Last edited by boricua; September-14th-2011 at 04:29 PM.
November-20th-2002, 04:42 PM
#15
Hooray for Zoidberg!
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 491
The high revs are not working the engine any harder than low revs would. As long as you're not hitting the rev limiter, there's nothing to really worry about (well maybe bad fuel economy). My friend's MX-3 V6 has a damaged automatic transmission that he didn't bother to replace (because it would cost more than the car itself is worth). The car only has 1st and 2nd gear and he's been driving it around like that for about a year and a half now. You think 3000 rpm @ 60mph is bad? My friend does 5000+ rpm @ 60mph for hours on end. Needless to say his engine still runs with no problems at all. In fact, I was amazed at Mazda for making an engine that can withstand such abuse without breaking anything. That was another one of the numerous selling points for Mazda.