My Thoughts Driving a 2019 GT

I think my point is still not getting across. If Mazda intended to give us a technology choice not a power choice wed have two engines with similar performance but we dont. That would probably be NA 2.5 or a turbo 1.5 or 2.0. Honestly doing that would not make sense as most consumers dont understand or care about NA vs Turbo. What they care about is power/performance and economy. Which is really what the choice is about.
 
I would also add 2.5 litre is a practical upper limit for a 4 cylinder engine. And if you do some studying on how Skyactiv works you will discover a larger displacement (I6 or V6) is impractical. As a result they used a turbo. With SkyactivX however the constraints are different and it sounds like were going to see an I6 likely above or replacing the current 2.5T.
 
You don't mention WHEN you had that problematic turbo, but they have come a long way. I had a problem free MINI Cooper S and now a GTR. Neither gave me even a hint of problems (so far) and if you didn't know it was a turbo motor, there'd be no way to tell when driving it. No lag, no whine, nothing but clean power.

Yes, the 40k mile plug change is a nit-picky PITA, but for the performance I'm enjoying, I can't complain.

If you are happy with your GT's performance, that really is all that matters!

Sorry, it was a 2012 Chevy Cruze. I was always a Chevy guy until I turned to Honda and now Mazda. Now I'm debating a Mazda 6 over the Accord.
 
I wonder if the a/c feels better because (1) it's a fresh charge vs your 4-5 year old car, and (2) this generation has better soundproofing/insulation.

Regarding the infotainment system labyrinth just to use the radio, I 100% agree. One of the first things I noticed was some things that are disabled while in motion "for safety," while making me stare at the screen for an extended period just to get from one radio station to the next or one audio source to the next. Even Voice Command is goofy. It does not always load properly, and when it does, it does not work--by design--when on the Favorites screen (which is where I stay to make changing stations easy.) In my truck, I don't even have to look to hit the button for each specific station or to change the audio source...I know where it is by habit. The radio feature is the one that is used throughout each driving session, and it is unnecessarily complex.
 
I think my point is still not getting across. If Mazda intended to give us a technology choice not a power choice we*d have two engines with similar performance but we don*t. That would probably be NA 2.5 or a turbo 1.5 or 2.0. Honestly doing that would not make sense as most consumers don*t understand or care about NA vs Turbo. What they care about is power/performance and economy. Which is really what the choice is about.

We could talk all day about what drives most people's buying choices, in cars and in everything else, and walk away from that conversation highly disillusioned.

This is especially true for SUVs, where the advertised impact it is supposed to have on your recreational life eclipses any discussion (and there really are none) on performance or even economy.
 
I wonder if the a/c feels better because (1) it's a fresh charge vs your 4-5 year old car, and (2) this generation has better soundproofing/insulation.

Probably both but moreso the age. Our 2013 CX-5 stopped blowing cold air a few months ago. Had a mechanic change both check valves (universal known issue all makes/models) in the engine bay. Solved that issue and so far so good.
 
We could talk all day about what drives most people's buying choices, in cars and in everything else, and walk away from that conversation highly disillusioned.

This is especially true for SUVs, where the advertised impact it is supposed to have on your recreational life eclipses any discussion (and there really are none) on performance or even economy.

I agree. My main reason for buying it was utilitarian, luxury, and driving in snow. I have performance and gas mileage in the Accord if I need it.
 
Id go 6. Looks so much classier but the Accord isnt bad. Both are much better than a Camry IMO.
 
I'd definitely go with the Accord.

I*d go 6. Looks so much classier but the Accord isn*t bad. Both are much better than a Camry IMO.

I have a 16 Accord Sport now with a CVT transmission. Probably my favorite out of all the cars I*ve owned. I love the body over the new ones also. If I got one I would probably get a manual. I do like the cvt though. All the stuff you see on YouTube about it being slow aren*t true imo. People like shift points I guess but the smoothness and linear acceleration is another reason for me to like it. The cvt was actually banned in formula 1 for being too fast.
As for the Mazda 6 it will be a hard decision as it is every bit as beautiful as the Accord if not more. Not a fan of Toyota. They*re bulletproof but boring.
 
I agree. My main reason for buying it was utilitarian, luxury, and driving in snow. I have performance and gas mileage in the Accord if I need it.

I don't buy new vehicles very often. I've been driving since 1970, my first not-paid-for-in-cash vehicle was my 1989 Chevy S-10. Then I bought my 2005 GMC Canyon. Then I bought the 2019 GT-R. All about 15 years apart.

I knew I wanted an SUV since I still have the Canyon, and I've gotten so used to sitting up in a truck I did not want to go to a car. I only test drove a Mazda because the local dealer happened to be next to Carmax.

I then did tons of research, to include signing up here and asking lots and lots of questions. Everyone just gushed over the CX-5, from Edmunds to other review sites to long-term owners here. Sitting behind the wheel sealed the deal.

I find it interesting that all the other manufacturers have tons of brand-level commercials with balloons and pretty girls ("Come and see your ______ dealer today, it's a party in here!"), while the only Mazda commercials I've seen have been done by the local dealer...except maybe during the occasional sponsored golf tournament. And those local commercials have solely been leasing deals on the 6 and the CX-5 Touring. I've never seen any Mazda commercial talking about discounts or financing offers or any other reason to "get in there today!".
 
Discounts arent a sustainable way to gain market share, Nissan is learning this, and Mazda is probably too small to even afford to try.

Their advertising strategy is odd for sure.
 
Discounts aren*t a sustainable way to gain market share, Nissan is learning this, and Mazda is probably too small to even afford to try.

Their advertising strategy is odd for sure.

I started looking in the Fall of 2018, then other stuff caused me to delay my purchase until the Spring of 2019.

Last Fall they had 0% financing.
By the Spring is was up to 2.9%.
Everyone else was still 0%.

I know discounts aren't a way to buy market share, but at some level you gotta meet comp.

I posted elsewhere that I pulled Mazda's 2018 financials to see what Corporate had to say about their global market goals.

Here's an excerpt: "In our most important market, the United States, we aim to create a sales network capable of selling 400,000 units per year by 2021. To that end, we will roll out marketing strategies that address market characteristics and increase the number of new-generation branded dealers in an effort to improve customer retention rates and increase sales volume per dealer. Over the next four years, in order to reinforce the sales network we will invest approximately 40 billion [$370M USD] in the realignment of the sales network."

They also spoke of starting manufacturing here, in a joint venture with Toyota: "Specifically, the two companies agreed to establish a joint venture final assembly plant to produce vehicles in the United States, to jointly develop technologies for electric vehicles (EVs), to collaborate in the area of next-generation technologies, including connected technologies and advanced safety technologies, and to further complement each other*s product lineup."

Elsewhere: "In March 2018, in cooperation with Toyota we established a joint venture company for the production of vehicles in the United States, and preparations are under way for the start of production in 2021."
 
Discounts aren*t a sustainable way to gain market share, Nissan is learning this, and Mazda is probably too small to even afford to try.

Their advertising strategy is odd for sure.

Eh, I see tons of Ram trucks. Junk...but damn them discounts...
 
Eh, I see tons of Ram trucks. Junk...but damn them discounts...

The other side to this is that the discounts are built into the pricing structure, so they're not really buying anything...they're just assigning a high "Recommended Retail" so they can lure us in with "specials."

I used to work for a Japanese company, but it was not in consumer goods and it was a long time ago. But I imagine most of this is tightly managed from the mother ship. That will never change.
 
The other side to this is that the discounts are built into the pricing structure, so they're not really buying anything...they're just assigning a high "Recommended Retail" so they can lure us in with "specials."

I used to work for a Japanese company, but it was not in consumer goods and it was a long time ago. But I imagine most of this is tightly managed from the mother ship. That will never change.

Oh ya, I'm not saying it's a good deal, AND it bombs resale, I'm just saying...its a thing
 
Junk? Not sure they are that bad. I had a RAM 1500 loaner for a couple of days and boy, that 5.7 V8 was sweeeeeet! I can see why pickup truck peeps are snapping them up.

Keep it a couple of years and have fun with replacing a TON of stuff, like transmissions, etc.
 
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