As of May 18th, I'm now the proud owner of a 2018 GT Reserve. Deep Crystal Blue with Black interior.
It turns out that it's currently the only 6 in upstate NY with the model/color combo, it had to be transplanted to me from Buffalo. 3 days and over 200 miles later, the smile has gone nowhere, and I feel it won't be leaving anytime soon either!
I'm still learning all the new (to me) features, but a few things stand out already:
The turbo continues to impress me. Despite the abundance of torque that it generates at low revs, there's absolutely NO turbo lag, nor any torque steer from a standstill. I'm getting used to the more linear throttle (compared to my '10 S GT), but I've never felt the need for more power, whether it's off the line, or passing on a two-lane open road.
Despite the less-than-optimum tires, the handling/ride is typical Mazda. In other words, precise, aggressive, and so damn fun! It definitely feels much lighter compared to my 2nd-gen, which makes it more nimble and willing to take curves at higher speeds.
Inside, the quality and fit-and-finish is still surprising as to how good it really is! Every surface I see and touch looks as if it's straight out of an Audi. The seats are getting more comfortable every day, and the cooling function is IMO just fantastic! As I mentioned, I'm slowly acclimating to the radar cruise and the other newer functions, but the LED adaptive lighting and high-beam control is just about perfect, both in looks, and how well it lights up the road at night.
I do have one gripe: if Mazda decided to go LEDs for all the outside lighting, as well as the turn-signals and puddle lamps on the door, then why cheap out and go with filament bulbs in the interior ceiling and in the trunk? This will be addressed in a future mod, but still...
I'm also looking into getting a few other items in the near future. Stay tuned!
It turns out that it's currently the only 6 in upstate NY with the model/color combo, it had to be transplanted to me from Buffalo. 3 days and over 200 miles later, the smile has gone nowhere, and I feel it won't be leaving anytime soon either!
I'm still learning all the new (to me) features, but a few things stand out already:
The turbo continues to impress me. Despite the abundance of torque that it generates at low revs, there's absolutely NO turbo lag, nor any torque steer from a standstill. I'm getting used to the more linear throttle (compared to my '10 S GT), but I've never felt the need for more power, whether it's off the line, or passing on a two-lane open road.
Despite the less-than-optimum tires, the handling/ride is typical Mazda. In other words, precise, aggressive, and so damn fun! It definitely feels much lighter compared to my 2nd-gen, which makes it more nimble and willing to take curves at higher speeds.
Inside, the quality and fit-and-finish is still surprising as to how good it really is! Every surface I see and touch looks as if it's straight out of an Audi. The seats are getting more comfortable every day, and the cooling function is IMO just fantastic! As I mentioned, I'm slowly acclimating to the radar cruise and the other newer functions, but the LED adaptive lighting and high-beam control is just about perfect, both in looks, and how well it lights up the road at night.
I do have one gripe: if Mazda decided to go LEDs for all the outside lighting, as well as the turn-signals and puddle lamps on the door, then why cheap out and go with filament bulbs in the interior ceiling and in the trunk? This will be addressed in a future mod, but still...
I'm also looking into getting a few other items in the near future. Stay tuned!