Personally, I think Mazdas are underrated. I've always found them to be really good cars. I say go for it, Conrad.
Next question is all wheel drive or just front wheel drive?
All wheel drive adds ~$1k to the total price and reduces the fuel economy by ~3 mpg on the highway. I'd prefer all wheel drive to deal with our lovely Illinois winters but the Jetta is front wheel drive and I've never had an issue getting around when the weather turns to ****.
I have one, a sport model so not quite as well appointed as the touring. Most of the issues I have with mine are minor inconveniences that will be addressed by the higher trim level. The only issue I can think of usability of the the center armrest for the passenger. The center console houses the cup holders behind the rotary dial for the entertainment system. The center armrest has a cut out on the passenger side that effectively makes it useless for the passenger. Small thing but it drove my wife nuts for the first few months. She's used to it now.
In my opinion, the thing drives very well and is extremely comfortable. Fit and finish is very good and I like the interior materials. Going from it to our other car highlights how tight everything on it is. For a small suv I paid $26K for, it feels better than the price point. We piled up more than 20K miles in the first year, averaging mid to high 20s in mixed driving, which is good for my wife as fuel mileage drops significantly whenever she is behind the wheel.
I installed a class III hitch and tow a 4x8 trailer with it. It drags the trailer well with no issues. Haven't done it yet but I'd have no qualms about trailering the C14 with it.
Overall, I love it. I've had very good experiences with Mazda. I'd buy it again but would likely spring for a higher trim model. You may also want to go look at the Kia Sportage and Sorento. We had a 2011 Sorento and loved it, only sold it to PCS to Italy and it was on the short list when we returned. Very nice vehicle and a great warranty.
I would absolutely agree. I had a 2000 Mazda MPV minivan that made it 250,000 miles before my son killed it with neglect and lack of even the most routine maintenance. Apparently, no matter how much I try, if I'm not there to do it for him, my son has no concept of taking care of a car no matter how much he has been taught or reminded.
What year did you buy Mac? 2.0 or 2.5 liter motor? It seems that Mazda made some updates to these cars from 2016 to 2016.5. I'm looking at the 2016.5, gotta have heated seats for those cold mornings.
Personally, I think Mazdas are underrated. I've always found them to be really good cars. I say go for it, Conrad.
Next question is all wheel drive or just front wheel drive?
All wheel drive adds ~$1k to the total price and reduces the fuel economy by ~3 mpg on the highway. I'd prefer all wheel drive to deal with our lovely Illinois winters but the Jetta is front wheel drive and I've never had an issue getting around when the weather turns to ****.
So this is the interim thread before you actually buy it, C?
I you plan to do much of any winter towing with it I would go with the AWD. Usually you get a bit more suspension than the FWD version.
I sold my sleds and trailer so the only thing that I might tow would be if I was trailering my bike somewhere. If I was going somewhere in the winter months most likely I would be pulling the trailer with the RV. So I'm not really sure that I need AWD but I sure do want it.
Ok, I am getting what I want.
I have to wait on VW for the buyback before I can buy our new car, well, I don't HAVE to but I am. I've been negotiating with area Mazda dealers via e-mail. It's amazing the lies I get told in 'writing'. The small town local dealers are the worst, such bullshit. The closest Mazda dealer to me (they don't have what I want on their lot) told me that there are only 5 of the Mazdas that I'm looking for in the Chicagoland area and they could get one for me, at a 'price'. One of the 'big city' (Chicago) dealers, has 8 of the exact cars I want on their lot (confirmed by Mazda) and this dealer gave me a great quote. If a salesman is going to flat out lie to me they should at least make it over something that's not so easy to check on.
Had that exact experience about 10 years ago when we bought our Toyota Highlander Limited. Colorado Springs dealer told us they are rare and very hard to get. Drove 35 minutes north to south Denver and found about 15 on the lot.
That's when you buy it and go back to the first salesman and show it off, mentioning how truthful and trustworthy the second guy seemed...
Jamie