Hard riding every imperfection in the road
 

Bought an 03 Protege. Didn't realize the stiff, hard ride that the car has. Any way to soften the ride so every imperfection in the road is not so magnified? Otherwise I love the car.

hmm, nope.

you could try some 15" rims with a 65series sidewall. I call them "curb jumpers".

Have you checked your tire pressures? Miatas ship with about 50psi in the tires- Proteges may be the same.
Chris

I checked tire pressure. 32 PSI. Maybe It's the suspension? Springs?

Yup, it's the suspension & springs!
I'll take a stiff suspension & better handling any day! You didn't test drive the car before you bought it???

Thanks for your reply. I did test drive before I bought it. I guess the streets around the dealership are smoother. Do you know what option I may have to a smoother ride? I do alot of long distance driving for my work. At the end of the day I feel like one of those bobble head toys.

Which '03 model do you have?
ES, LX, DX? P5?
If you have the ES, I guess you could look around for a set of the springs from a DX model.
I have read they are not QUITE as stiff. Otherwise, you are going to have to live with the ride.
I drive @40 miles each way to work on crappy PA roads, didn't have a problem with the stock ride, I guess everyone has different tastes...

I noticed that my P5 ride improved slightly over minor imperfections after bolting on a set of Eibach progressive rate springs. This is characteristic of progressive rate springs. It takes an increasing amount of force to compress them for each additional inch of travel. But that first little bit of travel is rather supple. Better yet, they help control body roll around corners, and improve the handling of the car. It looks cool, too.

Eibach Pro Kit springs are progressive-rate, and offer a 1.2 inch drop in the front, and 1.4 inch drop in the rear.

Whoops! I got that wrong. 1.4" drop in the front, 1.2" drop in the rear. Don't mind me, folks. The clock is getting close to "beer thirty" around here.

I also have the Eibachs and love them, but unless you are on the highway, the ride is going to get bumpier!
BTW, sedan drop is 1.4 F, 1.8 R

Tires maybe, look at Tire Racks customer feedback on "ride quality". Try running 28 PSI in the back, there's not much car back there to hold up off the pavement. Throw a 50 pound plate weight in the trunk? As for spring swaps, etc, lots of parts aren't different model to model. For example, all 2.0L models (2002 and up) get the same front springs regardless of trim line, although M/T and A/T use different rates. The DX/LX has slightly softer strut valving, and a 1mm smaller front sway bar. The rear springs are all differnet, with the ES and P5 getting the firmest ones, the P5's being a more progressive design. The ES/P5 also have a rear sway bar that is .004" larger in diameter (16MM versus 15.9MM). That's 2/3 as thick as a single sheet of paper, why Mazda did this I'll never know. Enjoy the fine handling, or find a curvier way to work everyday!