Just got back from participating in a Mazda Zoom-Zoom LIVE! event at FedEx Field just outside Washington, DC. I've been to a number of these kinds of events by various automakers there before, including last year's Mazda Zoom-Zoom LIVE! event. I must say this year's version was much better than last year's event...
Last year I made the mistake of signing up for a midday time slot. BIG! mistake, as the crowds were huge and the lines to each vehicle took almost an hour to get through. Frankly that ruined the event for me...
This year I signed up for a 9:00 AM time slot on Sunday, and the difference was like night and day. By noon time some of the lines were pretty long, but by that time I had driven most of the cars I wanted to, so it wasn't such a big deal. If you're interested in taking part, click on the link above to register.
Anyway, about the cars:
RX8 6-speed manual: The most fun ride there. I think I could have floored the car around the whole course, as it just stuck like glue. Very impressive!
MX5 6-speed manual: Another fun ride, and very close to the RX8 in terms of driving pleasure.
MX5 6-speed auto: I left it in "D," just to see what it was like, and it's not nearly as much fun as the 6-speed manual. A. J., whom I was with, left it in the manual-mode (second gear), and it was much better, but still not as much fun as the 6-speed manual.
MazdaSpeed6: Another fun ride, but noted some turbo lag. This car has a similar engine to that found on the CX7, but the 6-speed manual saved it.
CX7: Lots of turbo lag noted when trying to point-and-shoot between the pylons. It really felt out of it's element in that kind of driving, as it kept toggling between boost and off-boost, resulting in a very jerky, and unpleasant ride. I left it in "Drive." In hindsight perhaps I should have used the manual mode, and kept it in second gear. It also felt large. Frankly, I was disappointed. It sure looks good though...
Mazda5: Not bad for a small minivan. I actually liked it better than the CX7. It seems like an excellent value for those in the market for a small minivan. They had one on display with a MSRP a bit over $20K, if I recall correctly.
These types of events are a lot of fun, but they're also somewhat misleading too. I've found that I spend all my concentrations trying for the best lap times, which is fun, but really has little to do with real-life driving situations or vehicle ownership. I just find myself not spending as much time as I should studying the vehicles, but rather playing with them instead. Oh well...
This year I signed up for a 9:00 AM time slot on Sunday, and the difference was like night and day. By noon time some of the lines were pretty long, but by that time I had driven most of the cars I wanted to, so it wasn't such a big deal. If you're interested in taking part, click on the link above to register.
Anyway, about the cars:
RX8 6-speed manual: The most fun ride there. I think I could have floored the car around the whole course, as it just stuck like glue. Very impressive!
MX5 6-speed manual: Another fun ride, and very close to the RX8 in terms of driving pleasure.
MX5 6-speed auto: I left it in "D," just to see what it was like, and it's not nearly as much fun as the 6-speed manual. A. J., whom I was with, left it in the manual-mode (second gear), and it was much better, but still not as much fun as the 6-speed manual.
MazdaSpeed6: Another fun ride, but noted some turbo lag. This car has a similar engine to that found on the CX7, but the 6-speed manual saved it.
CX7: Lots of turbo lag noted when trying to point-and-shoot between the pylons. It really felt out of it's element in that kind of driving, as it kept toggling between boost and off-boost, resulting in a very jerky, and unpleasant ride. I left it in "Drive." In hindsight perhaps I should have used the manual mode, and kept it in second gear. It also felt large. Frankly, I was disappointed. It sure looks good though...
Mazda5: Not bad for a small minivan. I actually liked it better than the CX7. It seems like an excellent value for those in the market for a small minivan. They had one on display with a MSRP a bit over $20K, if I recall correctly.
These types of events are a lot of fun, but they're also somewhat misleading too. I've found that I spend all my concentrations trying for the best lap times, which is fun, but really has little to do with real-life driving situations or vehicle ownership. I just find myself not spending as much time as I should studying the vehicles, but rather playing with them instead. Oh well...
ahightower says:
05:12 PM, 08/14/06
Thanks for posting this. There is going to be one in my area and I registered to attend Sunday morning. Should be a lot of fun!