Roddimus is right, it's packaging. To get the nice low hood line, the "small car outside/big car inside", they cant be wasting space all around/on top of the motor. Fewer people are doing their own maintenance, and less is required these days on a modern car. The FS oil filter location is actually very common among small FWD cars.

 

Ladies and Germs; Be gentle on yourselves and others. Go to Wally World or your neighborhood car-parts box and buy some silver Rhino Ramps. They fit under the front airdam on my P-5 and raise it enough to make life reasonable. Drive up, change oil, drive down. .Jacks and jack-stands are a PITA for oil changes.
Note to isawyou: I concur. The Protege filter location is a royal pain.

 

Hey Matty, I'm confused? Is he agreeing?













Hey, he stole my line!

 

HAHAHA! Roddimus you crack me up. rktktpaul, I'm on board with that theory of yours as I thought of it myself. I also don't think Mazda really cares where they put thier oil filter either, its not like any has ever not bought a car because the oil filter was hard to reach.

 

I love Jesse Jackson...that dude will make up any word he wants as long as it rhymes with a word he used 5 words ago....