rocketman

Just wondering if you take a stock protege and do the same engine upgrade like turbo etc. im guessing fm is the only one who has a kit out right now. Would get get the same spec's as the msp or low/high and besides interior/exterior/sound would it cost more or less to tune up a 02/03 protege lx/es to get up to comparible specs. If you are will to shell out around 27k cdn and you not just going for the "i have a mazdaspeed protege and you dont" would you get a better car from spending the difference on the same upgrades

rocketman

More power for less money, or more money for less power?

rocketman

hmm, on the mazda webpage it says 170hp @ 6000 rpm / 160trq @ 3500 rpm. and that the addition of everything, on fm's page "167.5 hp and 191.5 ft/lbs - at 6 psi of boost" more torque a touch less hp and that just adding turbo. ? granted i dont know alot about ther performace upgrades on the msp but i know theres alot more then just the turbo in the engine/performace area.

Vindication

the 167hp and 191 lb/ft of torgue is at the wheel for the fm turbo, and MSP is at crank. So aftermarket would be better but you would be spending more for all of the upgrades(flywheel, clutch, drive shaft, etc).

funkdaddysmack

Keep in mind the 167hp is with a 2.5" thermal exhaust. With a stock exhaust the hp number are very similar, but the torque is still higher than the MSP. You'd probably end up paying about the same or more for an MSP 'replica'. If you can get one, do it. If not, the FM kit is an excellent place to start.

rocketman

Ok, that sound good. i want to get a 4door "sport" compact and once of warrenty tune the f**k out of it. and usally when a company comes out with a pre-tuned car there are some catch's. ie: spec-v with 6spd, the 6spd is just marketing.

JasonH

The Mazdaspeed Protege is not just an ES with a turbo, which is what you would have if you bought an ES and put a turbo on it. Performance-wise, it has the wheels/tires, suspension, limited slip diff, bigger axles, bigger brakes, and exhaust all in addition to the turbo. Just adding those items to the cost of an ES will put you over the price of a Mazdaspeed Protege, and I'm not even mentioning the stereo and other interior and cosmetic changes.

redrims

Plus you won't get the cool colors the MSP has.

Installshield

A review in Road and Track stated that the revised rack is a bit slower than the MP3's. They said it didn't have quite the steering precision of the MP3 because of the diff and different rack. I have driven only the MP3 so my word counts none...

pollax

Also don't forget the body kit which also costs a pretty penny. In one of the Mazda ads it claims "over 1000 mods" were done to the MSP.

I don't know but if it was me and I had 20 grand to spend I would be looking into getting a Mazda 6 with the V6 and a manual. It's probably be more than 20 grand, I'd say around 23-24g's, but I think it's worth it. You get a more sophisticated suspension, better looking exterior, lower noise at crusing speeds, similar acceleration numbers, loads more torque, near identical gas milage and a better looking interior. Looks like an easy decision to me.

JasonH

Well, you can compare the two here. If I had a family and needed to get them to grandma's and have a little fun in the process, then I would get the 6. The MSP will be for me and only me. If anybody that rides in it thinks it's too stiff or whatever, screw 'em. It will be my daily driver and my weekend autocrosser, where I think the MSP will shine and the 6 would be out of place. Also, as slick as the 6 is inside and out, it feels small inside compared to a Protege. It's probably a combination of the dark interior (I was in a yellow 6 with black leather) and the fact that it has a high center console and semi wrap-around dash. I like it, I'm sure it would be fun, but it's no "Sport Compact". (It weighs over 3200 pounds, has no limited slip and gets worse fuel economy too.)

Most likely very few people are trying to decide between an MSP and 6.

azrakain

I was at the dealer and a V6 with an automatic was $22K.

Lamsock

The Mazda6 does NOT have a nicer interior than the MSP or Protege5. I examined one extensively at the dealership. The dash is interesting, but in the interest of being "sporty", the console has too much "aluminum" color. The round dials are ok, but only the sport package equipped cars get the red lighting and black interior. Besides that, its handsome, but plain.

I think the P5/MSP interior is much sportier and nicer. And there's no comparison with the cloth seats. The two-tone Protege seats are much better looking and more comfortable that the 6. I found the cloth seats in the 6 to be very hard- and they look like Ruffles potato chips. The leather in the 6, however, is pretty comfy. I wish it was two-tone, though. My advice is to go for the leather.

Overall, I prefer the Protege interior. Also, $22k for an automatic v6 is really good. From what my dealer said (and I saw his list of future arrivals), most 6's will be ordered more loaded, to get the price up closer to $25k.
Just my 2c.

funkdaddysmack

If you want a no-frills fast car, save money and start with a protege. You could get a brand new protege moving really quick for the price of a 6. Now if you wanted to still use the car as a family hauler or whatever, the 6 seems to be an excellent platform to start from. I'd love to see what kind of results you could get from a supercharger or turbocharger... Mazdaspeed 6 please!

JasonH

Mazda 6 V6 automatic MSRP is $22,520. The cheapest 4 cylinder Mazda 6 at my dealer is $22,480. You can see their inventory here. I think this is pretty typical.

Interestingly, if you "Build Your Own" on the Mazda site, it says a 4-cyl 5-spd with Sport Package won't be available until February 2003. That costs $20,710 so it would be direct competition with the Mazdaspeed Protege (as I subtlely get the conversation back on topic...)