I enjoy driving. I own both manual and auto. I enjoy rowing my own gears in my ‘01 M Roadster when the road is all mine. I commute daily in congested SoCal highways in my X5 diesel and in that context I don’t miss the ability to row my own gears at all.

That doesn’t mean the transmission or act of driving itself has been made more distracting. It is the multitasking [bad] drivers who are voluntarily introducing unnecessary distractions.

Mazda takes great pains to fine tune everything... including shift points and responsiveness.

Then you should probably be shopping Cadillacs. Mazda’s design philosophy isn’t to create a spacious VIP airport lounge on wheels. They are all about sporting feel, from the driving dynamics to the interior. The designs are meant to be comfortably snug like a well fitted cockpit/command center. Like how one would…

Yes. But what happened in band camp?

1. No shit Sherlock.

Can you kick it? Yes I can. In the tailpipe and to the curb.

Mobile chilling place is me carving an empty canyon in my ‘o1 M Roadster. Fuck this self-driving mobile lounge crap.

It’s a tie rack.

Everything about this car makes me physically ill.

No kidding. And usually said by those who aren’t even in-market. Present-day autos aren’t bad. And for everyday use in metropolitan areas, it’s actually more pleasant and less distracting.

It’s lighter than a CX-9. Think of the fuel savings.

This might as well have been penned by Captain Obvious.

“We’ve be been making a lot of fuss about new variable compression engine technology from the likes of Nissan and Mazda lately”

Looks like someone thought proofreaders aren’t an important part of the production process.

The first-gen DSM is actually a pretty fine car. But $14k is very optimistic even at this condition.

It is the unminivan minivan. There was a time when minivans outsold SUVs. When SUVs were ladder-on-frame trucks without cargo beds... handled like a boat and rode like pogo sticks. When old men used to (and still do) yell “get off my lawn!” Also, back then you could still buy a truck without spending over $40k.

Ha. The auto industry and auto journalists in general disagree. The distinctions are now so blurred that no one cares.

Bridges are OK. But, when it’s a tunnel... it’s like driving through someone’s colon.

“cynical heights of tearjerkery with images of grandmas and pregnant bellies and Xmas lights and weddings.”