1999 Mazda Protege vs 2017 Mazda 6

Early in February, I was told the lurching and hesitation in my 1999 Mazda would require a new engine. 

That would make moot my attempt to get to 300,000 miles.  New motor would mean starting over.  So I accepted the fact that my baby would need to be replaced.  

But not then.  I had only 3,200 miles to go to make it to 300,000.  The mechanic said it "probably" wouldn't die on me.  So the quest was on. 

Complicating matters is the fact that I have a work from home job now.  So it took me until July to rack up those last few miles. 

And it was getting scary at the end.  Mid-July.  Arizona.  I could have the a/c on.  Or I could use the brakes.  

Not both.  

Applying the brakes when the a/c was on caused the car to stall.  I went without a/c for a couple very hot weeks.  

But I made it.  


I had previously test-driven and evaluated cars so I knew I wanted another Mazda.  I drove my Protege into the dealership with 300,012 miles on it.  

And drove out with a new Mazda 6. 

A whole lot has changed in cars since I bought my Protege 18 years and 8 months before.  

There's the whole push-button start for one thing.  That took some getting used to.  My Protege was a manual transmission.  Seemed more logical to get an automatic this time.  Supposedly the gas mileage is optimized for the automatic.  But I kept forgetting to put the transmission in Park.  There were a handful of times I couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't shut off.  

The key fob in your purse threw me off as well.  I kept reaching into my pocket for my keys.  Gotta say though, I like the keyless door and trunk opening. 

The automatic headlights and windshield wipers are a nice touch.  I was paranoid for a while, thinking the lights weren't going to shut off on their own.  

I love the backup camera and warning. The only thing I don't like?  I don't like that I can mute the radio, but not turn it off.  

I've adapted.  The dogs have adapted.  Back seat is still good sized.  I added seat extenders so they wouldn't fall off onto the floor.  The leatherette seats are more slippery than my old cloth seats.  The windows are a little smaller.  Bogie has to duck his head more to stick it out into the breeze.  

Overall, very pleased.  Haven't had a car payment in ages.  That's not fun.  But it's peppy and gets good gas mileage. 

And I can use the brakes when the a/c is on. 

 

I work with a bunch of car nuts.  Formula One following car nuts who know the finer points of Ferrari vs Maserati vs Lamborghini.

So it surprised me when they were supportive of my car goal.

My goal is to get 300,000 miles on my car.  My mechanic is shooting for 500,000 miles on it.

I currently have 277,000 miles on my black 1999 Mazda Protege 4-cylinder, 4-door sedan.

It has a dent in the front left fender where I hit a pillar 10 years ago in the parking garage.

It has hail dents on the hood, roof, and trunk from a hail storm in 2010.  It would have cost more than the car was worth to fix them.

There is a slight dent in the right tail light assembly which doesn't meet flush with the trunk lid any longer.  I backed into a post earlier this year.

There are dog drool streaks on the back windows and doors.

But the interior is good.  It's peppy and responsive.  My Great Dane and my Belgian Shepherd fit in the back seat.

And it's paid for.   It's been paid in full for over 12 years.  Twelve years without a car payment.

So I was more than a little perturbed when it started heating up a couple weeks ago.  Yes, the outside temperature was over 110°.  But that doesn't mean the temperature gauge on my car should peg.

I had the thermostat replaced.  Didn't help.

Had the radiator fan and cooling fan replaced.  This is where having an older car became a problem. The cooling fan took an extra day to come in.

Helped, but only a little.

Finally, we replaced the radiator.  It was the original radiator, so I'm not surprised it was faulty.

Ta-da.  I again have a car that doesn't heat up and, as a bonus, the air conditioner works better than it has in a long time.

Cost?  $1000.  Or as I like to categorize it - 3 car payments.

The last major expense was 2 years ago.  So I figure I am well ahead.

Onward to 300,000!

A Quarter million miles

Fifteen years ago this month, I bought my 1999 Mazda Protege.  She's a little, black, 4 cylinder sedan that gets 33 mpg. 

And today on the way home, we turned over 250,000 miles.  A Quarter Million miles sounds even more impressive.

She's hail dented with one dented fender from hitting a parking lot post and a scraped up bumper from when the computer brain was malfunctioning and I kept needing a push start.  

But she was paid for 10 years ago.  I have a great mechanic that keeps her running.  And despite the dents, there is no rust.  

After all, she's an Arizona native. 

I figure it will take 3 more years to get to 300,000.  

Challenge accepted. 

It's a little fuzzy.  I was driving.  Yeah, bad idea, I know.