Topic: The car thread.

[JDeck]

  Im not sure if this topic already exists, but I might as well start one.

This is a thread showing what we drive. The other kind of toys.

[JDeck]

  I bought a 2018 Mazda3 Grand Touring. I'll tell you what this is a fun car to drive. It might not look like much but it's git it where it counts. Actually I think it's a sexy little number. I like that it has no "GT" badges. It's classy. Pretty much all of Mazdas cars are race inspired.

  when I test drove it, the salesman and I pulled into an empty parking lot, and I gave it as much abuse as I could. Figure-eights, corkscrews, and it took all of my abuse like a go-kart. The tires didn't so much as chirp, it did exactly what I wanted it to. After I stopped the salesman yelled THAT WAS AWSOME!!. I heartedly agreed  .
I was never really a Mazda guy, but after doing my due diligence, I've become a true beliver. I could go on and on about how awesome Skyactiv Technology is, but it's incredible. I can't wait to take it up to the mountains. But first I want to get more acclimated to it.  I only wish it had a tad more power. It's a 185hp 2.5 4cly. which is bigger than the base model's. It doesn't throw you back in your seat, but then again I haven't tested "Sport mode", which is a setting on the auto trans that changes the shift point to the exact moment to get the most power. Also it has a manual setting with paddle shifters.

[Darth More]

Hey congratulations to your new car JD! Your new ship looks awesome in white! Really like the shape of the front with slick headlights and a nice panoramic roof!
I really love the models of Mazda with their sporty bodywork and shapes! I especially like the red metallic which really pops in the mass of other cars.
Back in 2015 one of my colleagues got herself a Mazda 3 (compact) from 2014 in anthracite metallic which looked really nice as well! Ah I could go on and on, thanks for sharing this great story with us! I'm sure a car dealer doesn't always have so much fun on test drives!
In Germany we say: "Allzeit gute Fahrt!" May the safety be with you, always.

[Tamer]

Congrats on your new car JDeck. My wife loves Mazda. Here first car was one and she drove it to over 200,000 miles.

I think we have a car thread around here somewhere, I will have to see if I can find it.

[JDeck]

Thanks! Yeah that is a cool color. Mine is white pearl mica. It has a little metal flake and a pearl finish, it's only noticeable up close.  Yeah it's cool styling. I especially like the the nose. I was going to wait a couple more years to get the gen 5 2019-present, but they're not much better. They offer AWD and a turbo option, but I don't need AWD, and I would never buy a turbo. Tbey will wear your engine out. So I said screw it. I bought it at a VW dealership a friend of mine works at, so I pulled the trigger, and my friend got a $100 bonus.

Yeah mazdas are really underrated. I asked friends what they thought of Mazdas and they had no opinion.  I didn't know anything about them either. So Ive been doing a ton of research over the last couple of weeks, that's why I haven't been on here much even lurking. They're just as reliable as Honda and Toyota, low maintenance. Theyre just as safe as a Subaru, with the five star safety plus rating. My insurance is lower with this car than my old one because of all the safety features. Mazda just doesn't advertise, the last commercial is remember was the old zoom zoom campaign. The only problem which is actually a good thing that I personally think is great, is the suspension is stiff. So if you're looking for a soft ride, you probably won't like mazda. The fuel mileage isnt the best in its class. But i only live 10 miles from work so I don't really care. Its the same gas mileage as my old focus.  For me I just wanted something completely opposite from my bread truck. I have to drive that all day every day, and it's not always a fun drive. So today I got off work, rolled all the windows down opened the sunroof and blasted Rammstein in the Bose surround system.

[Darth More]

Haha I can feel that! I had no idea how popular Rammstein really are in the States when I was an exchange student a decade ago.
So it's calles sunroof, I was wrong. It's "Panoramadach" in German and I tried to find the right translation.

By the way I really like the rims you chose, too! I'm happy for you and your buddy at the dealership! That's a nice bonus.
Well, Mazda run their commercials on TV here on a daily basis. Mazda has become very popular here in Germany especially since they made a complete reset on their design back in 2012 or so.
The MX5 is quite a popular "classy" car here as well. It's so low that I didn't see it through my rear window until I bumped it, but no damage was visible approved by the police I called afterwards. Love the design of their models a lot and the paint they apply! Excellent choice, Sir! THIS must be a fun car regardless how annoying the traffic can be!

[JDeck]

  Rammstein is awesome. I was too young to appreciate them when Du Hast came out, that's when they were most popular here. I was riding an hour long taxi several years ago and the driver was playing Rammstein. I've been listening to them since. Evidently their shows were banned here, but they were supposed to go back on tour last year, and i was going to see them but stupid covid hit.

That sucks about backing into that MX-5. I never thought of them being too low to see, especially with the top down.  If I get to the point I can own a fun car that's not a daily driver I could see myself getting an MX. I was thinking about a Mustang GT, but 460hp is crazy. I don't under any circumstance need that much power.  It would be kind of a waste of car for me.

[JDeck]

  Here's my 3 week review of the 2018 Mazda3 GT. I took it to my hometown in the foothills, through the backroads that are known to be very winding, and it just hugged the road like a sports car. I was going pretty fast through those curves without hesitation, the steering is responsive as well as the suspension.  Passing on a two lane highway was easy. Even without sport mode I can get from 45-60 in no time. Interstate travel is good. It gets up to speed on the entrance ramps with no problem at all.
 It's funny there is no recommended octane level. First fill up I used 87, with a slightly over 300 mile range. Second fill up with mid grade 89, I got 360 mile range. But with super 93 I got 340 mile range. So it seems mid grade is the best for fuel range.

Cargo capacity is good for what I need. I was able to fit at least 8 cases of cakes maybe 10 and four folded cardboard displays with the back seats down. Which is the reason I opted for the hatch as opposed to a sedan. I've found fold down seats in a sedan are pretty much useless, but in a hatch, it's almost like having a truck. The body curves are a little prohibitive, it's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, but it's not bad.

Only complaint is the infotainment system. I use Bluetooth spotify for music, ( best driving playlist ever composed  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4F2tzvIe1fI5EhlHfjcBoC?si=UdcSJYADTdKQyyEm4_vNcA&utm_source=copy-link )  and it takes a long time to load. Then last week the screen froze. It still played my music, but the screen and functions were fozen. I can get a system upgrade to 2021 specs with android auto for $200.  Overall I'm pleased with the car. My old focus was a good A-B car, and I gave it a good home, but this is sooo much better overall. It's like a jack of all trades. It's part sportscar part luxury car with good mpg and cargo space. As far as I'm concerned it's a great daily driver. It's not a fast car, but it's a fun car to drive fast. 

[Tamer]

I think it is important to not just see your vehicle as servicable, but fun too. I am glad you are enjoying it. Sounds like it handles great. 200 is well worth it to get the jams you need imo.

I like my Tacoma and it is so nice to have a bed to haul my different junk and have four wheel drive when the snow hits or I get off road.

My wife loves her Subura Crosstrek. That car can go forever on a tank of gas. Kinda sporty for a family car too. She couldn't wait to get rid of the Corolla even though it was a fantastic car too. It was another one of those A to B vehicles where you never have to spend any money on maintenance or gas.

[JDeck]

  I've been car shopping for several years really. Toyota cars seemed pretty basic and uncomfortable. For luxury or sport you have to go with Lexus or Scion. But my Aunt swears by them. If I had to commute like she does I'd go with a more comfortable ride. The trucks are cool. Resale value is really high. My sales rep has a rav4 with 250k miles, but he replaced the trans and it's currently in the shop. Now days every car should give you 250k miles.

I narrowed my search to either a Subaru Imprezza hatch or the mazda3. I live in the Coastal Plains so AWD/4wd is unnecessary. If I lived in WVA or CO, yeah id go with the Subaru. A woman I was dating was looking at a Fiesta, at a really good price, but she was like, I "need" AWD. I was like why? It snows like once every other year, and we're in a metropolitan area where they're pretty good about plowing. All weather tires is all you need.  So the resale value is really low on Mazdas, so I'll probably just keep it as a daily driver till it dies. My only concern is how all of the electronics will age.

[Tamer]

Well the great thing with electronics now is most of em work through your phone so I figure that trend will continue.

And yes, I wouldn't see the need for AWD where you live. A couple hours north probably, but not where you are located.

[JDeck]

I had a '98 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L 4x4. I drove in moderate snow and mud and so forth and never once engaged the 4x4 the whole time I had it.

Im seriously concidering driving to see my brother in Colorado. Take 10 days, 3 days to, 3-4 days there 3 days back. Spending a night in Louisville and KC on the way to, then OKC and Nashville on the way back.  Take parts of route 66 see the stupid kitschy stuff like the worlds largest ball of yarn or whatever.  Yeah airlines are cheap but I hate flying. Actually I love to fly, but commercial flights are terrible and getting worse.

[Tamer]

That definitely sounds like fun in your new car!

[JDeck]

That definitely sounds like fun in your new car!

Yeah I've made arrangements to take the last ten days of September off to go out there. I'll take I-64 to St. Louis, take route 66/ I-44 through Missouri, Oklahoma, northern Texas and Santa Fe, New Mexico, then hit I-25 to Colorado Springs. Then on the way back take the direct route through Kansas to St. Louis and hit I-64.  The trunk with the seats down is long enough to lay down, so ill bring a camping mattress and sleep at truck stops.  Actually here's a picture of how much capacity the back has.

[Tamer]

Sounds like you have a nice route planned. Wow, I didn't think that had that much space!