Flesh Cakes

Hey everyone..

I'm thinking of buy a new car and the Protegé is at the top of my list... I greatly like the P5 and the ES Sedan and I am not sure which one to get. They seem pretty similar besides the fact that one is a sedan, and the other a hatchback.

If I were to get the ES sedan, I'd just add A/C, the spoiler and AT (I know manual is better, I just can't drive stick yet). If I were to get the P5, I'd add A/C and AT... The only differences I'd see would be the 16" alloy wheels and the rear disk brakes on the P5. Are these differences worth the extra money? Or are there other noteworthy differences?

I like both cars, yet not sure which one would be the better value. I still have to test drive both (Which I will do once the snowstorm here dies down) but I'd like to get opinions/comments/experiences, etc from people who actually own this car. The cars I've owned/tired (long term) are the Mazda 323 and the Honda Civic LX.

Thanks for your help.

tempop

i dont know how long you are willing to wait but the p5 also has the sportmattic tranny option if you special order. some have said they are showing up on the lots already. i think this option is going to be available on the sedan sometime, just dont know when.

Mxyzptlk

I like my P5 but I would have rather had the MP3. I would wait and see if a 2002 mp3 comes out or a turbo P5. But if you can't wait get the P5. But get the manual. It only takes a few days to learn how to drive. I learned on mine. Took me like a week. Sure its not so great on the clutch but its all in the break in time anyway.

But ... and I know people are gonna kill me... but if you are looking at price. Go with a Nissan SE-R Vspec. 175HP Priced at under 20Gs.

JustinMP3

If I where you I would eather get a manual. (trust me you will learn it in like a week. practice in your drive way and have a friend drive it home or something until you are comfortable with it) you stear an auto and you DRIVE a stick. if you get an auto you will regret it later. Or I would wait and see if the new mp3, or mp6 or whatever comes in a turbo or anything cool like that. if you ar not sure I would wait.

js1

I own a P5 and that's what I would go with. Not only do I think it looks better than the sedan, but it stands out more and gets more attention. Plus when I sat in the back seat of both models, I noticed the headroom in the sedan is much less. Plus the extra cargo space in the P5 is nice. The P5 also has a sportier look to the front end compared to the sedan. But if you want the sportier look in a sedan style then go for the MP3. Yeah, the Sentra Spec v is nice with more power but I just can't get myself to like the styling of the back end. Plus the Sentra name just doesn't do it for me. It was always too cheaply made in the past. Not on par with civics and corollas in the quality dept.

reefruner5

hey man, i just got an ES this summer and i regret not getting a P5, thats def the way to do

Mxyzptlk

I just think the two look alike and the Nissan has more bang for buck. But I have never been inside one nor do I know of its quality track. Plus the Nissan doesn't come in yellow.

nightowl

IMO, the P5 looks alot better then the sedan, but the sedan is much cheaper, i think the P5 has better suspention then the sedan, all wheel disk brakes with EFD, better headlights...etc

carguycw

It largely boils down to whether you want a sedan or a hatchback. The options on both cars are exactly the same- both cars come with A/C, 16" alloy wheels and rear disk brakes standard. From a mechanical standpoint, they are exactly identical. The suspension is the same other than the standard strut brace on the P5, which honestly doesn't make that big of a difference.

The sedan performs and handles better than the P5 due to its lighter weight and stiffer chassis. It is less expensive, both in sticker price ($16,150 MSRP vs. $16,975) and in "real world" terms because the sedan is less stylish than the P5, so the dealers will probably discount them more.

The P5 is more stylish and more functional, at least from a cargo-hauling standpoint. The styling is cool IMHO, it may impress your friends and it may help resale value, but it will attract more attention from the police (who now persecute import racers the way they used to persecute muscle-car owners), it may result in higher theft/break-in rates, and every teenager in town with a loud, modified Civic will try to race you. It's good or bad, depending on your outlook The P5 is also noisier on the highway due to the roof rack.

In summary:
Sedan: Faster, cheaper, more stealthy.
P5: Stylish, more cargo room.

Personally, I vote sedan. Your results may vary

Mxyzptlk

In other words do you want a boring car that blends in with the family cars or do you want to stick out.

jcilforever

I have both and like the P5 better

Makaveli

ouch.... kiss my sedan's a$$ haha, cause P5's got no booty

KrisA

Personally I like the looks of the sedan better.

If I had it to do over again I might get the P5 though. The extra versatility would be very handy.

Can't go wrong with either imo.

As far as the auto goes, buy a standard. I taught my fiance to drive a standard in about 2 hours. It's easy.

silverblt

I recommend getting the P5!

It looks bad *** and there's more space for speakers and subwoofers!

Flesh Cakes

Just a note: The 16" alloy wheels and rear disk brakes are not standard for the sedan in Canada (where I'm from) and the A/C is not standard for both the Sedan and the P5... Since I don't really feel like paying the extra money for the 16" wheels and rear disk brakes on the sedan, I was wondering if it would make a big difference without it (driving wise).

Oh yeah, a friend of mine is going to show me how to drive manual... so I'll see what I prefer