What else qualifies as Premium? Off the top of my head: Buick, Chrysler, Hyundai post Genesis/Kia, Acura and Mini. Everything else is luxury, just cheap or low-key.

“To me, most concept cars usually seem like a massive waste of resources, ridiculous exercises in ego.”

Somewhere an AMC Eagle is beaming with pride.....

The help can afford a $45k SUV?!

But I like shopping at Target.

Every day we get a lil closer to Rock N’ Roll Racing becoming reality, for better or worse. 

Yet Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Acura, and Lexus all sell FWD vehicles.

Give me a real world interior like the Q4 E Tron (NOW). Introduce Autonomous mode when viable. I REALLY wanted this until I saw THAT interior. Barf. I still want to drive my own car.

Girlfriend has a 2022 top-trip Mazda3 Sedan. It’s easily better than any of the entry-level Audi or BMW’s I’ve driven- on par with a C-class, but more tastefully done. 

When is the last time you’ve been in a Mazda?

“I think Mazda has delusions of grandeur.”

I think they have a very good product for what it is, and how they advertise it.
e.g.: if they were taking swipes at Mercedes and other Luxury positioned brands, I’d agree, but they aren’t. They advertise a fun engaging drive, style and some premium features. Not “Luxury”.

98%…

Hi. Californian here. Also (now former) Mazda owner, two different models; the late-model 6, and a CX-9.

I guess Mazda sits where Saab used to, more stylish and better to drive than the Japanese competition,  less expensive and more reliable than the Germans.  My in-laws bought an Audi Q3 around the same time we got a CX-5.  The Audi has some luxury touches like pads on the seat belt buckles , leather and satellite…

...and yet they’re still bland. I really don’t know how they do it.

Soul Red is a gorgeous color. If Mazda paint will still crack by looking at it, I would wrap the whole car in PPF.   Close to the Soul Red is a similar shade I saw recently on a 2022/2023 Lexus IS. 

IMO, Mazda’s cars look way more clean and upscale for a non-luxury japanese brand than most other major nonluxury japanese brands. Toyota is a bit...bland. Honda is a bit busy. Subaru, well, let’s just say that they don’t make pretty cars. I almost forgot about Nissan and Mitsubishi. 

Even the modern stuff? That’s disappointing because their new red is one of the most startlingly awesome colors on the market, from any manufacturer.

yes, this is why they did this. But times have changed.

This is one of the core problems of the whole thing. People often talk about how in most countries, traffic cops don’t have guns. But unfortunately, in the United States, they kind of have to assume everyone they stop has a gun, because they COULD have a gun. So of course they have guns. It’s just classic escalation.

Maybe, just maybe, if your country didn’t allow everyone - including this delusional kid - to wear a gun, shit like this wouldn’t happen. Without that gun on his hip, this probably ends with the kid getting some (well deserved) fines. Yeah, he was a fucking idiot, but that clearly isn’t yet a death penalty offence.