Hyundais are compelling if I only paid attention to the features list. For the money, they pack a lot of features. And the quality is there, at a glance (which is really the depth of most at-dealer shopping experiences). To me, their styling is getting better, but still a bit off—borrowed elements from other brands.…

I believe it. I personally had a new-ish CLA dealer loaner for a day and it was complete shit compared to even the CX-3 I sampled last year. For work, I got some seat time in the entire Mazda line up. The latest of current [6th] generation cars (all of the CXs) were noticeably improved compared to the rest. The CLA…

My problem with the Civic-R is exactly what Chris Harris said in TG. A younger me would’ve thought it’s great, but that younger me wouldn’t have been able to afford it either. So that leaves two types of potential owners... spoiled kids and that middle aged guy who never grew up.

Not only that, it puts a big giant blinking neon sign on the front saying “this is all plastic”. While true, it’s just not something you want to call attention to when the price tag is north of $28k.

I have no say in the matter (a hint)... But, I personally think that Mazda should start a customer-order program similar to the other premium brands (except Lexus; I don’t think they have one).

Yet they exist.

Yes... because crossover offerings from the competition are built and drive like appliances. The difference is much more noticeable.

Employees can only say so much (obviously).

It’s been reported that AWD is coming.

You’ve not shopped for a car for several years have you? $30k has been the average cost for a typical car for quite some time.

That’s been the challenge for Mazda. It takes a drive (and not just your typical dealership around-the-block test drive) to realize why Mazda is the better choice. A 10 minute spin is just not enough for anyone to really notice the attention to details and engaging driving dynamics.

2018 interior is a leap forward.

Let you in on a secret (and this is true of just about any car company): the social media presence is not manned by the people who make product decisions. Basically, you bitched to the people who have no say in the matter.

At that price point you speak of, the BMW and Audis are very low on content. For people who aren’t hung up on badges and have no brand loyalty, they will wonder why they had to sacrifice features for a badge.

The new Accord may drive as good as all the reviewers say... but I just can’t get past that unibrow face.

More upscale = greater customer satisfaction/loyalty = potentially higher profit margins (and implied ability to gradually charge more). No mass market manufacturer can thrive or survive by catering only to enthusiasts. Enthusiasts make up only a small portion of consumers. Even Porsche had to expand beyond the 911.…

It’s been said that packaging size of this turbo mill is the same as the NA 2.5L.

My impression from corporate level folks is that anything associated previous _speed products are deemed too immature/crude for where the brand is [clearly] headed. Think more towards Audi and less SportCompact (if you still remember that magazine). If there is ever to be a performance oriented line of Mazda, I would…

Speaking of tuning, I’m a little surprised the aftermarket has not started tinkering with this turbo motor. Packaging size is the same as the non-turbo 2.5L. Which means someone could potentially swap it into a Mazda3 (or possibly the Miata and RF).

I believe it is 227hp on regular 87 octane. Figure goes up with 91 or 93, just like the CX-9. Same trick dynamic turbo setup like the CX-9 to minimize turbo lag. Engineering Explained has a nice video on how the system works.