Hi All,
About six weeks ago, I put a deposit down on a Diesel CX-5 having never seen a single CX-5 in Australia.
I was looking forward to my order: a Black Mica Diesel GT. An additional wait was required because the diesels were going to be released a month after the petrol models.
Order became....
Model: CX-5 Black Mica AWD GT
Build date: 15th February 2012
Ship name: Michigan Highway
VIN: JM0-KE1021-00102915
Having this information made it official. It existed. It had just been built *barely*.... just for me.
I watched the position of the ship Michigan Highway online (using http://www.marinetraffic.com), and imagined it was being loaded (carefully). I watched as it the ship departed Hiroshima on 20th February. I watched the ship visited other Japanese ports picking up other brands, and hoped that ship workers were careful not to overpack the ship and scratch my new paintwork.
Something particularly boyish about dreaming about a journey of a new car purchase along the route that takes it from port to port, before the keys get handed over. Waiting in anticipation, knowing that it exists... and knowing where it exists only adds further to the excitement.
It was only when "my" car had finally arrived in Australian waters that the earlier ship carrying petrol CX-5's had been, gone, and they were available for test drives.
As you may remember, I posted a review of the Petrol (a GT with Tech Pack) a few weeks back:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...-a-CX-5-GT!!&p=5898961&highlight=#post5898961
I did a drive with my best mate, then my wife and lastly a third test drive with my Mum. They were to be the critics, because I had driven only 20 metres by the time I knew this was the perfect replacement to my Mazda 3.
The dealership must have been annoyed with my persistence to test something (multiple times) that I'd already ordered. But as you know with my posts, I've been reading everything I can, researching as much as I can and annoying this forum with posts to the wazoo - even before I get my own set of keys.
I think with the knowledge and research I'd gained deciding the product was right, I'd managed to teach the friendly salesmen a thing or two, and probably even helped a sale by rabbiting on to someone looking over the vehicle while at the car yard.
The test drive confirmed it was the right vehicle, but the model I drove had the Tech Pack (which in Australia equates to blind spot monitoring, high beam control and lane depart warning). One thing became clear - the blind spot monitor was a must-have feature, particularly in Sydney traffic.
But unfortunately my order... my preciously tracked order.... didn't have the factory fitted option.
My romanticised tracking of the ship that contained "my" car was left futile as I cancelled my order on 6th March - just as (ironically), it was docking at my home port.
So close, and so far - the order clock was reset and the car containing my needed blindspot monitoring was sitting on the dock in Hiroshima, ready to board the ship Azalea Ace.
The start of a whole new tracking adventure, and waiting game started for....
Model: CX-5 Black Mica AWD GT + Tech Pack
Build date: 28th February 2012
Ship name: Azalea Ace
VIN: JM0-KE1021-00104494
Well today I was at the dealership within 30 seconds of their first diesel arriving....
The sales team hadn't yet had a drive before I arrived.
I looked over at a Black Mica CX-5 GT.
...and fate had it, that it was the very Black Mica I'd tracked then cancelled weeks prior.
Today I took the beast for a drive, and I am the process of uploading photos and videos as I type.
Review, coming every so shortly......
About six weeks ago, I put a deposit down on a Diesel CX-5 having never seen a single CX-5 in Australia.
I was looking forward to my order: a Black Mica Diesel GT. An additional wait was required because the diesels were going to be released a month after the petrol models.
Order became....
Model: CX-5 Black Mica AWD GT
Build date: 15th February 2012
Ship name: Michigan Highway
VIN: JM0-KE1021-00102915
Having this information made it official. It existed. It had just been built *barely*.... just for me.
I watched the position of the ship Michigan Highway online (using http://www.marinetraffic.com), and imagined it was being loaded (carefully). I watched as it the ship departed Hiroshima on 20th February. I watched the ship visited other Japanese ports picking up other brands, and hoped that ship workers were careful not to overpack the ship and scratch my new paintwork.
Something particularly boyish about dreaming about a journey of a new car purchase along the route that takes it from port to port, before the keys get handed over. Waiting in anticipation, knowing that it exists... and knowing where it exists only adds further to the excitement.
It was only when "my" car had finally arrived in Australian waters that the earlier ship carrying petrol CX-5's had been, gone, and they were available for test drives.
As you may remember, I posted a review of the Petrol (a GT with Tech Pack) a few weeks back:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...-a-CX-5-GT!!&p=5898961&highlight=#post5898961
I did a drive with my best mate, then my wife and lastly a third test drive with my Mum. They were to be the critics, because I had driven only 20 metres by the time I knew this was the perfect replacement to my Mazda 3.
The dealership must have been annoyed with my persistence to test something (multiple times) that I'd already ordered. But as you know with my posts, I've been reading everything I can, researching as much as I can and annoying this forum with posts to the wazoo - even before I get my own set of keys.
I think with the knowledge and research I'd gained deciding the product was right, I'd managed to teach the friendly salesmen a thing or two, and probably even helped a sale by rabbiting on to someone looking over the vehicle while at the car yard.
The test drive confirmed it was the right vehicle, but the model I drove had the Tech Pack (which in Australia equates to blind spot monitoring, high beam control and lane depart warning). One thing became clear - the blind spot monitor was a must-have feature, particularly in Sydney traffic.
But unfortunately my order... my preciously tracked order.... didn't have the factory fitted option.
My romanticised tracking of the ship that contained "my" car was left futile as I cancelled my order on 6th March - just as (ironically), it was docking at my home port.
So close, and so far - the order clock was reset and the car containing my needed blindspot monitoring was sitting on the dock in Hiroshima, ready to board the ship Azalea Ace.
The start of a whole new tracking adventure, and waiting game started for....
Model: CX-5 Black Mica AWD GT + Tech Pack
Build date: 28th February 2012
Ship name: Azalea Ace
VIN: JM0-KE1021-00104494
Well today I was at the dealership within 30 seconds of their first diesel arriving....
The sales team hadn't yet had a drive before I arrived.
I looked over at a Black Mica CX-5 GT.
...and fate had it, that it was the very Black Mica I'd tracked then cancelled weeks prior.
Today I took the beast for a drive, and I am the process of uploading photos and videos as I type.
Review, coming every so shortly......
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