Agreed on the dash lights, mine are super dim right now. Replacing the bulbs isn't too hard though, there's a good tutorial on youtube.

Haha weird, I am also currently thinking of an EL with Premium package and 5 spd for a hassle-free, comfortable daily driver. Good thread.

I think almost everyone had an 1.6EL/Protege5 back in highschool. The 2.0 in the P5/Protege ES is a lot of fun, and I've always loved the later model in Laser Blue. It's not a gas miser by any means, at least when compared with the 1.6EL.
The rust thing is due to the fact that the bumper is overtightened from the factory, causing it to rub against the fenders. You will see this a lot on the forums, but that's b/c the guys are located on the East Coast. It wouldn't hurt to pay attn when checking out one though.

The EL has a pretty good stock sound system, and can be had with heated seats (not available on the P5/Protege ES). You really can't go wrong with either.

May I suggest an Infiniti G20t as well? SR20DE goodness with very comfy seats. BOSE system sounds decent and comes with auto a/c standard.

I picked up a second hand '99 1.6EL with 89,000kms on it back in the day, and drove it for almost 6 years. 3 of those years in basically stock form, the other 3 in engine swapped form :D

It's the most reliable car I had owned. Talk about trouble free. Keep up with the regular maintenance, and it'll never let you down. When it was in stock, I took it on 2 huge road trips through the states, and served as my loyal daily driver. Gas mileage was awesome, especially on the highway. Mine was a 5spd too, which made it a lot more fun. I never had any issues with roominess... I'm 6'2" about 180lbs, and found it comfortable enough. Never had any weird issues with the car :) As for insurance, it's like any other import. It's not the cheapest, but I never found it to be outragous either.

On the flipside, a guy at work just picked up a used P5, and he's had it for about a month now. Seems really happy with it, and is impressed with the gas mileage (but then he's coming from a full size GM truck, so anything will be better on gas :D)

I wasn't really looking for an entry-level luxury sedan (no i dont count EL as one)...but its fuel economy and power seems to be on par with the protege.

http://www.revscene.net/forums/66336...ml#post7819096 :alonehappy:

too bad for that rust spot though

I just bought a 97 EL yesterday. I couldn't believe the insurance costs. I have 30% discount, 1mill liability, no collision and I'm paying 179/month. My 2000 S2000 with the exact same insurance is 181/month
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Wow wtf that is expensive... Good to know, maybe time to re-consider other cars.

Lol told you guys it was expensive, y u no believe?
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I was honestly expecting 140-150. I've had 15+ Honda/Acuras over the past 5 years, so I understand the high insurance, but I didnt expect it to be as much as my S2K

It's still cheaper to buy a 1.6EL than a comparatively equipped Civic Si of that era (used)

Exactly, and to have a back seat, leather, A/C is kinda nice. It is only my second day owning the car, and I will like other complain about the cup holders. Aside from that I can't really complain.

:fuckthatshit:

Something is wrong i have 2mil liability and comp but no collusion and i am only paying 98 dollars for my 97 el
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Ha! After reading this I made a quick call to the insurance place. When I bought the car yesterrday I was told there is a $63 increase over my previous car. It was over the year, not a month. I pay $126/month, which makes much more sense to me.

it would be helpful to know what your CRS (claim rated scale) is, to put your insurance cost into perspective.

G20's are a fucking joke. POS car with a shitty engine.

That sounds much better. I'm at 43%
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