Hi all, looking at an 03' P5 with the tiptronic transmission. It has 107K miles and is a one owner car. My question is are these trannys reliable and solid? I would really prefer a 5spd but can live it as a somewhat inspiring toaster of a car.
Thanks
Paul
Considering Mazdas were never built with Tiptonic, yah, I'd run the other direction.
Then again, I'd be curious to know how they got a Porsche tranny into a FWD Mazda........ 
ActiveMatic is the proper term, but I digress. For daily driving, it's an acceptable gearbox, but lacks the feel and connectivity that a true manual provides, and the P5 can use every bit that it can get. The transmission isn't known to be problematic and if you can suffice with an auto, go for it. The P5 is a ton of fun to drive, compared to other cars in its class and , in my opinion, any form of an auto detracts from that.
Be sure to do the standard checks when purchasing a car with such millage, noting especially the color of the transmission fluid.
Get one with a manual. They're slower than most eco cars anyway and an auto certainly won't help.
Also, look for rust in the rear fenderwells and along the hatch and door bottoms. At 80k my P5 was starting to rust pretty bad for a newish car.
ActiveMatic, thanks, I tried to find the Mazda term but couldn't. I'm really only looking at this as a DD / kid hauler, so lots of fun will be left as a requirment for the miata. I was just concerned about the reliability of the activematic auto trans. If they aren't a known problem and the rest of the car is solid then it may be one to consider. Are there any other known major problems with these? Of course all the standard used car stuff applies, but anything specific to the P5. Thanks for all the help
paulmpetrun wrote: ActiveMatic, thanks, I tried to find the Mazda term but couldn't. I'm really only looking at this as a DD / kid hauler, so lots of fun will be left as a requirment for the miata. I was just concerned about the reliability of the activematic auto trans. If they aren't a known problem and the rest of the car is solid then it may be one to consider. Are there any other known major problems with these? Of course all the standard used car stuff applies, but anything specific to the P5. Thanks for all the help
Front wheel bearings seem to go a lot, as do motor mounts, and there was a run that had screws that let go into the intake, but those should have all "taken care of themselves" by now...
Where are you located and what are you looking to pay? There's a pretty clean 90k-miler at a dealer lot here in Wilmington DE with a 5 speed that has been there a while. I've driven it and it seems pretty straight and clean. It could probably be bought in the $5k range if not less.
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