Mazda corporate sent out an email several months ago offering some seat time in a 2017 CX-5. The email made it sound like there would be a chance to drive a CX-5 a bit more than an average dealership test drive so I jumped on it. Their timing was perfect as we are looking for new wheels.
Normally at events like this you visit them at some location and they allow you to take a specific route that ends up being all right hand turns. BMW did this about 10 years ago, and while entertaining, the route was urban and didn't allow you to explore the dynamics of the car. The Mazda event turned out to be completely different. Long on short, Mazda dropped off a GT (all options except AWD) to my house and let me drive the car for 24 hours before they came to pick it back up. No mileage restrictions and they didn't even require filling the tank before they came to pick it up. The one oddity? I had to pass a sobriety test.
Needless to say we spent the day driving the thing all over and were able to get a very strong impression of the CX-5 in a way that you just can't do in a quick drive or an urban crawl. We had it on local roads and highways. We took it on many roads we travel regularly (both good and bad) and were able to get a fine handle on what the car was like in our neck of the woods. The road test was responsible for moving the CX-5 to the top of the list of vehicles we're considering. It was quite a promotion and we really appreciated the time, effort and expense Mazda took to do it.
The odd thing is that none of the local dealers know Mazda did this. Or at least none of the sales folks I've talked to know about it.
Was anyone else here able to take advantage of the promotion?
Normally at events like this you visit them at some location and they allow you to take a specific route that ends up being all right hand turns. BMW did this about 10 years ago, and while entertaining, the route was urban and didn't allow you to explore the dynamics of the car. The Mazda event turned out to be completely different. Long on short, Mazda dropped off a GT (all options except AWD) to my house and let me drive the car for 24 hours before they came to pick it back up. No mileage restrictions and they didn't even require filling the tank before they came to pick it up. The one oddity? I had to pass a sobriety test.
Needless to say we spent the day driving the thing all over and were able to get a very strong impression of the CX-5 in a way that you just can't do in a quick drive or an urban crawl. We had it on local roads and highways. We took it on many roads we travel regularly (both good and bad) and were able to get a fine handle on what the car was like in our neck of the woods. The road test was responsible for moving the CX-5 to the top of the list of vehicles we're considering. It was quite a promotion and we really appreciated the time, effort and expense Mazda took to do it.
The odd thing is that none of the local dealers know Mazda did this. Or at least none of the sales folks I've talked to know about it.
Was anyone else here able to take advantage of the promotion?