Thanks John. I will be going to Mazda, Toyota, and Hyundai dealers in the next couple of weeks and look them over. But so far, at least as I can determine online, the Mazda has the least nannies.
I wouldn't know how to compare nanny factors. Due to the car having Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist, I think Mazda lawyers got worried that owners would act like Tesla drivers , so they installed a feature that admonishes you if you don't have your hands on the wheel for a period of time (meaning when you drive with your knees as you floss IHOP from between your teeth.) The only thing I see consistently criticized is the warning and automatic brake if the car sees you come up on the car in front of you too quickly. It actually saved my butt the first week I had the car when I was playing with the settings on the screen and not realizing that traffic has stopped in front of me. Some find it annoying when the guy in front of them is turning and they cut it close. the car will not brake if it sees driver interaction but you get whichever warning style you've selected (I get BRAKE! displayed on my windshield, but it does not happen very often.) THAT feature cannot be permanently disabled...it automatically comes on every time you start the car, and you have to turn it off each driving session. Everything else can be disabled/tweaked. If you like the Heads Up Display (and I do), make sure to read the forum comments on getting the NAV System card on EBay rather than from the dealer (it used to be included in the base price.) I think the price is $50 EBay versus $500 dealer, and you need it for the HUD to display speed limits and your NAV directions. The Next Cross Street displays on the screen and also requires the database that's on the card. (This is 2 year old data, things may have changed.)
I do occasionally ride with the Spousal Equivalent. He has a '13 Harley Electra Glide Ultra Ltd. It's a big 'ol hog and if there were any motorcycles I'd feel comfortable on, that'd be the one. However, I am an Uneasy Rider. I have a badly-healed broken tailbone that doesn't like riding, even with the comfy gel butt-cushion he got me. Also, I just don't like riding. I keep thinking about who's going to be the loser in the meet-up of a 5000-pound car and an 875-pound motorcycle with a couple of old fogies on it......
Uneasy Rider. Good one Mary. I do understand the thought you're having about others on the road, had most accidents because of other drivers not paying attention or lack of respect for a biker. I always expected them to do something stupid like pull right out in front of you, knowing you can't stop fast as a vehicle can. Once I was on my dirt bike and the guy pulled right in front of me and I missed his car but hit the trailer he was pulling behind him. I drove the trailer straight up into the air. Thought I broke my leg and arm they hurt so much but had only bruises for a while. Come to find out he was an old grammar school classmate of mind. I told him as he took me and my bike home, this is a hell of a way to run into each other after all this time. He said, man I am so sorry.
Hey @John Brunner -- I just bought a '23 Mazda CX-5, PF trim, this afternoon. Bright red, white leather interior. The dealer will be getting it in about 4 weeks. Thanks to you and to another guy on a Corvette forum who also has one and loves it. I got every feature I was looking for and am having dealer-installed mud guards and a trailer hitch. And I did NOT want black/white/gray/silver or any drab shade in between, which nearly all vehicles are today, although those would not have been a deal-killer. I was hoping for either red or blue. It's been total frustration in recent weeks looking online, because EVERY manufacturer's site has serious problems, as viewed from a prospective customer's eyes. The other day I went to the Toyota dealer where I bought the '17 Tacoma that I have now. It would be a 6-8 MONTH wait for a new Taco, although I might have bought a RAV4 -- I hadn't decided for sure if I needed another truck or not. But the salesman was SUCH A PUSHY JERK that I walked out. So today I go to the Mazda dealer; the salesman was very nice, normal, personable, not at all pushy. So it's a done deal. On the way out I told him about my experience a few hundred yards down to the road at the Toyota dealer -- they are both owned by the same parent company that covers much of western NYS. And then I thanked him for being normal, although I worded it more diplomatically. I have a feeling that my negative comments about the Toyo dealer will find their way back to them. So that's it. I've had pickups since 1975, I hope I can live without one. I will have to re-think some things.
Congrats, man! The award-winning Soul Crystal Red Metallic (SCRM) 3-layer paint job!! I almost got that color, but they seemed to have issues with it early on. The same for the Metallic Grey, which is the same technology. So I decided to go with blue. You and I got the exact same options: mud guards and hitch. I also got roof rack rails, but not the crossbars. Here is the hitch mount I got from Amazon for under $45: I also installed interior LED lights and hydraulic hood struts. When you pick up the vehicle, make sure that the cut-out in the bumper for the hitch is done cleanly. Those are often done at the dealer or at some central location when they hit the states (not at the factory), and some installs are not-so-pretty (see egregious example below.) Mine turned out fine. They are not 2" receivers, but are adequate for the stuff I might tow. The mud guards do a real nice job for as small as they are. A guy on the Mazda forum did a Before & After test of them. They look small but are the exact right height to stop the spray from hitting the body. The only other option I got was the rear cargo cover so no one can see what I have stowed in it. I bought WeatherTech mats and am not happy with them...they stain easily and do not fully cover the Dead Pedal. I think folks on the forum were happier with the Canadian mats. So what's the PF Trim? I got the 2019 Grand Touring Reserve, which was the lower of the two trims that had the 2.5L turbo. It only came with black leather interior. The top trim (Signature) had some fancy trim stuff as well as Rear Parking Sensors and a 360° camera. It only came with brown leather interior. I assume you got the HUD. Oh...don't forget to download a softcopy of the manual so you can get a head start. I think mine is over 700 pages long. I kept my truck because of (a) Lowes runs and (b) hauling my trash to the recycling center. If I got a cargo carrier or a small trailer I could do without the truck. But it's real handy to have around...and it's paid for.
The hitch and flaps will be installed by an independent place down the road from the dealer. He must be trustworthy or I wouldn't think they would use him. Living on a dirt road, mud flaps make a difference. I wanted climate control so I had to get the PF trim, which includes heated seats, power moon roof, leather memory seats, etc. I will never learn all the doo-dads.
Did you get the turbo or the regular engine? Either way, you'll really enjoy it. The handling is more than impressive. And you're right...you will never learn it all.
Standard engine. If I want to go fast, I'll drive the Vette. I test drove a 2019 CX-5, and it was snappier than my 4 cylinder slug Tacoma. No HUD, didn't even think about it. But it does come with "Mazda Connected Services," which enables remote start, among other things. Might that include enabling a HUD?
1966, Ann Margaret on the set of, The Swinger. She did all her own bike stunts while filming, last interview I saw her in, she said that she still has bikes and rides.
No choppers, no. My last bike was a 1980 650 Kawasaki, like this one. The same color but I don't remember it having the pinstripes.
The Kawasaki bikes were really fast, I rode quite a few of my friend's Kawasaki bikes growing up and loved them. Nice bike.
Plus, they didn't demand the constant coddling that the Harleys required. I wasn't one of those bike guys who liked spending a half hour adjusting stuff after a ride. I just wanted to be able to start it and go where I wanted to go, and, if something went wrong, I'd pay someone to fix it.