Hey guys i have a few questions on this Mazdaspeed protoge.

I heard from a few people that the intercooler on it is mounted vertically instead of horizontally which could cause some over heating problems eventually.. is that true? : confused :

also, i talked to one dealer about pricing, he wanted me to pay $24,000!!! whatever! i mean is that reasonable considering it is a limited production vehicle?? or am I just trippin?

I like the look of it and now i'm debating wether i should get the spec-v or the mazdaspeed. The protoge has a NICE interior! i like it a lot. but i dont' want to get something that could have problems like that.

well thanks for reading!

lol. msrp is $19,980 with $520 for destination/pdi etc.. total of $20,500

i wouldn't pay anything over that.

the mazdaspeed protege is a decent car, fairly comparable performance to that of the spec-v, but overall, the nissan is probably a better car with a better engine. the reason being is that the NA SE-R spec-v pushes out 175 hp to the shaft, while a turbo'd only produces 170 hp, and alot less torque at 160lb/ft compared to the nissan's 180. Therefore the the nissan has a much better engine, and if u are worried about quality, well N/A is always better, plus since the nissan has a stronger engine to begin with, u well have a strong base to work with if u want to add forced induction in the future.

plus, the base price of a spec-v starts at low 17's while the protege starts high 19's, so with 2500 u could prolly find a turbo for the spec v

do you know what the times for the msp are?
lowest magazine time i've seen is 6.5secs
and quarter mile being 14.9 secs @ 93.18mph
slalom being 72.0mph

style, handling, acceleration, quality, features/package for the msp are better overall vs the spec-v

only thing spec-v has over the msp is a higher tech engine and 6 speed tranny, and maybe the seats.

canadian price on the spec-v with sports package is 24,900, for the msp it is estimated to be only 26,500 or so. only a $1600 difference. Heck that's cheaper than the focus svt which goes for 28k (canadian) base.

as for the power and torque #'s, the msp is actually underrated to the point that the hp and torque at the wheels is greater than or equal to those of the spec-v.

another note: the stereo system in the msp is far superior to that of the spec-v, the headunit is truly aftermarket. in the spec-v the ONLY "rockford fosgate" part of the whole audio package is the amplifier hence rockford fosgate "powered".

as for the issue of the msp being already "turbo'd" and putting out only such and such amount of power, the point is that it's faster than the spec with just a mild boost. to get a RELIABLE well-tuned turbo setup for a spec will cost around 3500 american or so (check out travis' custom turbo kits on b15sentra.net)

point is: the msp is a better overall package hands down (read: worth the price dif and more).

how do u call a turbo a mild boost, it should create a 20-30 percent increase in hp, so with a mazdaspeed it should add about 30-40 hp, and that shows that the mazda engine is a POS, since its a 2 liter that only pushes out about 130 hp NA, and if you look at the number figures for a regular 2.0 litre protege that shoudl look about right, even the ford gets better effieciency than the mazda (so sad) Also, in real (american) dollar differences, there is a 2700 diference in base price, so for 800 dollars more you could get a custom turbo kit and completely blow away the msp. and what the hell is a spec-v with a sports package, the spec-v is the sportiest version of the se-r, and how the hell does a svt cost so much, the us version msrp is around 19k * 1.4 is 26.6k in mounty money, a queer folk u canadians r. :eek:

Originally posted by BingBingMa
how do u call a turbo a mild boost, it should create a 20-30 percent increase in hp, so with a mazdaspeed it should add about 30-40 hp, and that shows that the mazda engine is a POS, since its a 2 liter that only pushes out about 130 hp NA, and if you look at the number figures for a regular 2.0 litre protege that shoudl look about right, even the ford gets better effieciency than the mazda (so sad) Also, in real (american) dollar differences, there is a 2700 diference in base price, so for 800 dollars more you could get a custom turbo kit and completely blow away the msp. and what the hell is a spec-v with a sports package, the spec-v is the sportiest version of the se-r, and how the hell does a svt cost so much, the us version msrp is around 19k * 1.4 is 26.6k in mounty money, a queer folk u canadians r. :eek:

If you truly think you can get a "custom turbo kit" for anything that costs less than $4K, you are truly ignorant.
I take it your screen name describes how you lost your virginity...

heh, i wanted to reply to this guy's post but i didn't even want to bother. lol

btw, the mazdaspeed protege DOES push out another 40hps with the boost. NOT to mention that the compression ratio is relatively high (meaning you get more power per psi of boost given all other conditions are controlled, duh)

btw, your conversion of 1.4 is WRONG, it's actually around 1.55 and with banks buying and selling, it's more like 1.6

19kx1.6=~30k

why am i not surprised ford dealers have focus svt's sitting around on their lots.

spec-v with sports package (you lazy ass that has to be fed information instead of looking it up) is the base spec-v with all the options minus 6cd changer ie (sunroof, abs, side airbags, stereo package, etc).

not to mention that SCC has stated that it has "dethroned" the integra type-r as their fwd pocket rocket (since it great power/torque area under the curve and b/c of handling).

i'll finish with what Murco stated, "you are truly ignorant".

I have raced a protege like this and they aint got nuthin on my SPEC. I beat him by about a half a car and he was pissed. I told him that it was stock and he almostcried. Just thought Id throw my 2 cents in.

umm. no you haven't, there is no protege "like this" not yet anyhow. all the aftermarket turbo kit addons for the protege actually have more power than the msp and would get even faster times. but the turbo on the msp is tuned to be as smooth with delivery as they could get it (ie, no problem with turbo lag).

the msp will beat the spec in the 1/4 mile and 0-60 times; the CONSIDERABLY lower magazine times already show that.

the spec-v is a great car, but not as good in the handling and speed dept as the msp stock vs stock.

Originally posted by sleeperguy
not to mention that SCC has stated that it has "dethroned" the integra type-r as their fwd pocket rocket (since it great power/torque area under the curve and b/c of handling).[/B]

Hi5 sleeperguy...can't agree more. You guys really gotta get the facts right b4 spitting out.

By far the ITR was the king of fwds, but now the ms protege is the new king...Pls go read on SCC mag for detailed infos.

Mazdaspeed are infamous for their car handling performance tuning and it will always the first that comes to their mind. Bear in mind that ms protege has the pedigree to dethrone the ITR on slalom/track racing.

Power wise, this car is tuned for almost non-existent turbo lag to achieve immediate throttle response. For a car that has exceptional handling characteristics, it must have the right power to fully utilizes it potential and advantages. But, SCC does mention that there few thing that has to be revised for better performance (for e.g. intercooler).

Finally, the ms protege is a pure racing enthusiast's car in terms of great all-round performances and not just any straightline drag car.

PLEASE correct me if i'm wrong. But didn't they not mod the 2.0 protege motor at all and just add a turbo and an IC? i don't know mazda, i do nissna, but all in all they are both very beautiful, in every aspect. but i think i remember reading somewhere that the reason it's not as fast as it could be is because the stock protege motor couldn't handle the high boots? and that the intercooler did more harm than anything else, being blocked by something? like i said i don't know anything about mazdas so please don't call me "ignorant" :D

-Giancarlo

all these noobs think they kno everything... have u drivin the car urself?
just because u see the insignificant increase in numbers doesn't mean that its the faster car

I signed up just to have a discussion with BingBing,He obviously thinks alot but has nothing to drive in the league or even close.Any way as far as the cars go lets look at the base motors and the cars themselves,the proto has better reports and in ES form a great suspension that no nissan sentra se or gxe or whatever can even get close to .Ive driven many many of both and I would put an ES against the mighty se-r specv car in the handling department.The base 130hp 2.0 in the proto has a far better rep than the nissan and so does the car as a whole plus the nissan just flat looks goony.Now on to the real cars,the Protege is a stick ES sent from the factory to racing beat/mazdaspeed and prepped and a SCCA race car.It would be nice to have more power in numbers but the bottom line is that it gets it to the ground in perfect form.Ill talk from experience here having driven numerous times all the cars in question PLUS the EVO,97&96 TWIN TURBO SUPRA AND RX7 TWIN TURBO,AND MORE.(PERKS OF THE JOB)The nissan does not amount to much of a car,its slightly over stock in every department,the ford isnt worth mention(its a chick car.)Here is a list of what goes on the SPEED,please respond with your Nissan list,dare to comare!!!!
tochigi-fugi sangyo KK super differential,24mm driveshafts,heavy duty clutch,racing beat stabil.bars,catback sytem,special eibach springs,tokico struts,short shift,sparco pedalsand shift knob,garrett T25 ball bearing turbo,intercooler,racinghart 17s,big rotors and calipers,callaway induction,custom interior,spoiler,ground effects,wind split,air dam,kenwood EXCELON system w sub and 6 speakers-all for 20,500.00$$ add half that to the Nissan and were talking 28,000 at least.
Buy the Nissan then you can talk,Isee responses from guys with hot cars who know cars,wheres yours??

how much boost could you add to the stock ms protege.

You can add 10psi safely. Some have gone to 12. In stock form it is 6.9 psi I believe.

Don't forget....turboed engine take very very well to mods.

OK so when you are buying an economy car, buy an economy car. when you want a sports car, buy a sports car, not an ECONOMY Car with a "THEME"

I found tha tthe protege has the best stock handling VS. the competion, E.G.> Sentra, civic, integra, lancer, and all those other over sold, overbought and over hyped imports.

Just got back from the dealer, his price on the MSP was 21500, not too bad, but still 1000 over MSRP. The MSP suspension package for the ES Protege I have is A colossial 1850. I could stand to go elsewhere for that. It would only lower the car 1/2 in. in front and 1/4 in. in back. I don't want to lower my car, but if I had to, that is not bad. I will go somewhere else if I am ever interested. (pkg includes struts, springs, and swaybars, NOT strut tower brace.

I'm at 300 whp and 341 lbs of torque. I guess thats what happens when Mazda makes a shitty engine. Spec-V's are a hunk of shit. Overweight and underpowered. And just so you know, they turbo only pushes 5 psi from the factory. I guess 40+ hp is bad at 5 psi. But what do I know. . .

Spec-V's are a hunk of shit. Overweight and underpowered.. And just so you know, they turbo only pushes 5 psi from the factory. I guess 40+ hp is bad at 5 psi. But what do I know. . .
Correct me if Im wrong. But seems like you are talking about the stock turbo of Spec-V. If so then, 2002, 2003, 2004 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V NEVER NEVER had a stock turbo. Bro you lie alot. No one even still made the turbo for it. There are 2 companies at b15sentra.com who are still working on their turbo kits. Bro you full of shit.

As far as everything else, YEA Mazda Protege DOES have better handling (own one, not the turbo one tho) But as far as performance, Nissan DOES HAVE better engines. here are the specs for the Spec-V 4 cylinder, 16 valve, 2.5 litter engine, 175 hp with 180 lbs/torque. CVTC - continous variable timing control. 2 timings. 2nd timing kicks in at 5,000rpm. Plus, Those 2 companies that develope turbo kits for Sentra's showed the dino results, which showed that Sentra engine can handle upto 10 psi on stock internal engine parts. My friend has that, meaning i drove that car alot. I mean COME ON, 4 cylinder engine pushes 175 n/a stock. Thats freaking good.

Kinetix, I'm totally in agreement with you. I drove bothe the SER Spec V, and the Mazdaspeed, and I now have a 2003.5, titanium grey MSP sitting in my garage. Not only does it blow the Nissan's doors off in a straight line, it kicks a$$ in the corners too. I've had my car for all of 4 days, and already have a fairly extensive list of cars that I've completely blown away, and with a CAI, blow-off valve, T3/T4 hybrid, upgraded intercooler, and upgraded wastegate, and some Greddy tuning devices, it's adios to anyone who thinks they can run. So for 2000 on top of the 18K I paid for the car, I'm the fastes guy at the autocross and one of the fastest at the drag strip. Just my :2cents: This car is awesome.

The Msp isn't too bad... I wish i had bought one...

http://acera.homeunix.com/pics/MazdaMadness/real/38.jpg
http://acera.homeunix.com/pics/MazdaMadness/real/40.jpg
http://acera.homeunix.com/pics/MazdaMadness/real/37.jpg

The ms protege has its good points, like excellent handling, smooth power, nice wheels, and preset up turbo kit. Stock makes 6.9 boost, swap in some lower comp pistons and you could get more.Problems: doesnt make that much power, could use more boost, maybe even a LSD.

But the S-ER Spec V has good stuff too. makes 175 horses, limited slip diff,good handling, etc. But it also has problems. Exterior, Interior a little lacking IMHO. Shifter said to be pretty bad. It also uses 2.5 liter. Engine would be more immpressive if it was 2.0 tho. oh well still fun.

I might the protege just because i like them but are good at what they do.

:2cents: Do you guys even know what your talking about?
:screwy: I own a Mazdaspeed and have driven the specV. I'll agree that the QV25 is a good engine, but the 2 liter in the Mazda has been around longer, so all the problems are worked out. Mazda was ultra-conservative with only running 6 psi of boost, they played it more than safe.

And as far as deals go,.....
The difference in price is more than offset by the Mazdas 17" Racing Hart wheels, sport suspension (best handling front driver in US), and awesome Kenwood system,.... plus the interior beats anything near its price range. I will agree that the SpecV has better seats,.... but thats not very hard to do.

Until next time,.... :p

ok look i have a 97 dsm (eclipse turbo) with a fmic, bov, boost controller, and full exhaust. my friend has a msp 03.5 blue very nice but it is slower than hell. The stock tires on the car have no grip compared to my gay toyo procs. We whent to the trak and i was running very low 14's almost 13's and he was runnig high 15's because he had no trackion. When we race on the highway i beet him so bad its not funny, he out runs my friends spec-v with headers and exhaust on the trak and highway. SO THE POINT IS GET A DAMN DSM AND HAVE THE BEST SINGLE-TURBO OUT RITE NOW.

I have raced a protege like this and they aint got nuthin on my SPEC. I beat him by about a half a car and he was pissed. I told him that it was stock and he almostcried. Just thought Id throw my 2 cents in.


Im not believe'n that!!! I have a Speed........and 2 weeks later my buddy went out and bought the Spec-V and so naturally we went to the track.......All 3 trips I beat him by over 2 cars........ Led the whole way.......

And trust me it wasnt the driver!

Honestly if anybody was ever wondering what car to get, the speed is the one. I had a 2003 spec-v in black, i loved it, however it was stolen from me. so now i bought a 2003.5 titanium mazda speed(with a boomerang) and let me tell u this car is 100 times btter then my spec v. it's louder, nicer, and doesnt have any problems. the speed is worth every dollar. so if anybody out there was interested in buying one i'd highly recomend it.

back to the spec vvs. speed discussion. i guess evrybody has there own opignion however i owned a 2003 spec v which unfortunatly had been solen so i decided to go out and but a 2003.5 speed. I'll be completly honest wehn i say the speed looks nicer and drives alot smoother then my spec v. All in all thoguh there both great cars.

i've got a 2003.5 mazdaspeed and having compared it to the spec-v, srt-4, civic si, and the celica gts, i feel like the msp is the best overall package. sure it may not be the quickest or the best looking (though none of the other cars are exactly beauty queens :P), it's just got that perfect feel. handling, throttle response, power..

DiS - kenetix was talking about a turbo on the mazdaspeed, not on the spec-v.

Jrock88 - the mazdaspeed does have an aftermarket lsd in it.

SPEC V is a good performing car, i drove one before buying my MSP. i went the the MSP b/c i thinkn it looks way better, the the SPEC is really torque happy. but i know of a freind who has one ( from Rhode Island) and he blew his motor. come to find out they are putting out a recall on all 03' SPEC V. the cyleder walls are caveing in. thats a normaly 2.0 they bored it out to a 2.5. i guess they(nissan didnt think of the long term problems it may cause

1st. the msp focus's on handeling over power...2nd.the spec v dosent even have independent rear suspension...DOSENT HAVE INDY. REAR SUSPENSION!!! the new spec v is a descrace to the ser name...the tranny is garbage and 97dsm..yeh he could get an eclipse but it would brake down every 5 feet!