Classic Mazda

Holler-Classic dealership among elite U.S. group
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 1, 2012) -- Mazda North American Operations recently presented Classic Mazda with two national awards -- its President's Club and Gold Cup -- in recognition of outstanding dealership operations. The elite honors are given to a very select group of dealerships to mark achievement in sales and customer relations.
 
The President's Club Award is awarded to just 50 out of Mazda's more than 700 U.S. dealerships. Winning dealerships are ranked on sales volume and customer loyalty, which are weighted based on the dealership's overall size of operations. Dealerships must place in the top of their respective sales volume group in these categories to earn a place in the President's Club.
 
Classic Mazda is among only 18 percent of the company's U.S. dealerships to win the Mazda Gold Cup, the company's highest honor. To qualify, a dealer must demonstrate emphasis on customer retention and service along with maintaining a high volume of new Mazda sales. Classic Mazda is one of only 11 Florida dealers to achieve this recognition.
 
"Staff at Classic Mazda use our Buy Smart -- Be Happy principles to provide the best customer experience, from no-haggle pricing to clear information about service and repairs," said Chad Rogers, Classic Mazda general manager. "Our customers appreciate this approach, and we build great, lasting relationships through communication."
 
Mazda North America awarded the distinctions based on dealership performance from Jan. 4, 2011, to Jan. 3, 2012.

Test drives raise $875 for school libraries
 


Orlando, Fla. (March 19, 2012) -- More than 200 race enthusiasts gathered at Classic Mazda on Saturday for its annual MAZDASPEED Pre-Sebring Race Exhibition showcasing MAZDASPEED team drivers Gerardo Bonilla, left, Sylvain Tremblay, Tyler Cooke and Spencer Pigot. The team hosted the event before hitting the track at the 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race on Saturday, March 17.
 
And like the Mazda advertising campaign, attendees experienced their own "zoom-zoom" by buckling up with the professional racecar drivers to test drive the brand-new 2013 Mazda CX-5. Each test drive generated a donation by Mazda to benefit public school libraries, with $875 going to benefit the library at Riverdale Elementary School of Orlando.
 
Classic Mazda's fan-focused racing exhibit featured an inside look at the Daytona Rolex 24-winning SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 and the American Le Mans series Lola B12/66 Mazda LMP1 Coupe. Families also enjoyed an appearance by The Lorax and had the opportunity to register their children for a child identification card through the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

From the article:

1st Place: Mazda3

Theoretical mileage: 50.9 mpg
Actual mileage: 38.4 mpg
Percent lower: 25
Fuel cost/mile: 9.9c

Cars with day-glo "Eco" or "mpg'"badges slapped on their fenders are as often as not automotive empty suits: little more than a tall top gear ratio sitting on a set of skinny tires.

But in the case of the Mazda3's Skyactiv engine technology, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Its 2.0-liter inline-4 is a state-of-the-argument case for advanced-technology gasoline engines, a Bach fugue of interweaving smart ideas with its engineering keystone being an eyebrow-raising 12.0:1 compression ratio. High compression ratios like this are good for efficiency, but bad for knock.

To make it work, the Mazda3's compressed intake charge is cooled by 3000psi, six-hole, direct fuel injection. The next heat countermeasure is that the ensuing combustion is contained by a small cavity at its top to the piston, and finally, long exhaust headers help prevent exhaust heat back-washing into other cylinders. As a kicker, friction has been reduced by 30 percent. Mazda has done its homework, and it showed on the road as the '3 returned better mileage than the both the Elantra and Focus.

That said, it was also the car that most caused us to glance around the room during our deliberations and silently concur that it was the one we could most enjoy driving every day. Let's listen in on the conversation: Evans: "Great-handling car, very tossable with quick steering and very good feedback. The Mazda3 is easily the most fun vehicle to drive at the Proving Ground. Digging the big seat bolsters." Martinez: "A few hundred feet into the heart of downtown Tehachapi, I could already tell it was a solid car."

Naturally, there were a few dings, too: Evans: "The transmission is a bit stingy with downshifts, and that navigation screen is just too small to be so high up and far away on the dash." But Markus summed it up perfectly: "Bottom line, this car's a sacrifice that drives like a splurge."

The question we started with was "Is there actually a '40-mpg' car that you'd want to own?" Indeed, there is -- the Mazda3.