I hadn't really considered a Mazda until my wife wanted a 6. After hers was totaled, she went with a larger car- a Flex. But I picked up the Mazda bug, and it's been pretty satisfying. I just like the ride better than the S80 turbo I was coming from, which is strange since it's a lot lower price point.vivalarevolución wrote:We might be the same person. I narrowed down my choices to a Mazda 6 or CX-5. I went with the CX-5 because I wanted the extra cargo space and the ground clearance will be nice when I toss it around on the gravel roads I like to drive on and my inevitable driving over of curbs. The 6 certainly drives better, but I wanted that hatchback for just tossing loads of stuff in the back. I'm not crazy about all the electronic gadgets and gizmos that might break and be pricey to repair, but they seem almost unavoidable kn any car that costs $20k plus these days.chuckdee wrote: That's actually my choice that I'm considering. I have a 6, but giving that to my daughter, and trying to see if I should get a more recent 6 or a CX-5. I wasn't considering a crossover, as I like sitting low to the ground, but the CX-5 seems like a good compromise.
As far as purchasing, I've gotten to where the only dealership I shop is CarMax. Done it for my last two cars, and those were two of the most low-pressure buys I've ever experienced. Their financing is pretty good too.
I think Mazda gives you more for your money than any other car maker. They are not high performance cars, but they aren't bore-mobiles, either. Even the portly CX-5 puts a smile on my face driving around town. I would consider it more of a wagon than SUV, because it sits pretty low, even with 8 inches of ground clearance. If you care about driving experience and design, this is the choice in the segment. It's a shame that the wagon market is essentially nonexistent in the States.
I am not a huge fan of Carmax, but I do appreciate that it is a much lower pressure sales environment than dealerships.
What is it about CarMax that throws you off?
