Mazda shatters North American sales records with no EVs in the lineup....

[The Tradition]

Sales for Mazda North American Operations rose 17% last year boosting the company to a new record for the number of vehicles sold.

A total of 424,382 vehicles were sold in 2024 compared with 363,354 the previous year, the company said Friday.

Mazda had its best December ever last month with 40,201 vehicles sold, including 35,540 trucks and 4,661 cars. Sales rose 1.7% in December despite there being one less selling day in the month compared with the prior year.

The company also had its best month ever for sales of the CX-30, CX-50 and CX-90.

Mazda's Canada division posted a 23% rise in sales last year, and a 2.4% increase in December. Sales for the company's Mexico unit climbed 31% in 2024 and increased 19% in December.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mazda-s-u-s-sales-rise-17-to-new-record-0e758770?mod=markets

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

They’re pretty darn good vehicles.

Here’s Sarah with her CX30 review.

 

[bhawk24bob]

I refuse to believe that anybody would prefer to drive an EV over a gas-burning automobile based on the driveability and performance of the vehicle. They're heavy, uncomfortable pieces of shit. And I'm saying that as somebody that drives a 4,400 lb 2 door car

 

[BioHawk]

I refuse to believe that anybody would prefer to drive an EV over a gas-burning automobile based on the driveability and performance of the vehicle. They're heavy, uncomfortable pieces of shit. And I'm saying that as somebody that drives a 4,400 lb 2 door car

Tell me you haven't ever driven an EV without having ever driven an EV. Driveability and performance are superior to ICE vehicles in just about every scenario with cars normal people drive. These things are coming whether you like it or not. You might want to start dealing with that.

 

[theiacowtipper]

I drove a CX 90 as a rental over thanksgiving and it was decent. Not as good as a similar sized Toyota but ok.

 

[swagsurfer02]

Zoom Zoom

 

[ericram]

I refuse to believe that anybody would prefer to drive an EV over a gas-burning automobile based on the driveability and performance of the vehicle. They're heavy, uncomfortable pieces of shit. And I'm saying that as somebody that drives a 4,400 lb 2 door car

I absolutely love driving my Rivian R1S. It is incredibly nimble, comfortable, and fast. 0-60 in under 3 seconds. I so prefer to drive I than an other vehicle I have ever owned. Believe it buddy!

 

[The Tradition]

I absolutely love driving my Rivian R1S. It is incredibly nimble, comfortable, and fast. 0-60 in under 3 seconds. I so prefer to drive I than an other vehicle I have ever owned. Believe it buddy!

Endorsed by the New Orleans terrorist.

 

[RileyHawk]

Endorsed by the New Orleans terrorist.

He drove a Ford truck EV. You're not smart.

 

[LBoogie28]

Endorsed by the New Orleans terrorist.

This is beyond Trad.

 

[hawkcub]

I absolutely love driving my Rivian R1S. It is incredibly nimble, comfortable, and fast. 0-60 in under 3 seconds. I so prefer to drive I than an other vehicle I have ever owned. Believe it buddy!

Rivian's are rated as some of the most unreliable vehicles.

 

[TheCainer]

This is what I was driving 40-some years ago. It was fun to drive.

 

[DFSNOLE]

This is what I was driving 40-some years ago. It was fun to drive.

I had an RX-2 50 years ago. An RX-7 was my dream car as a teenager. I wish Madza would bring back the Wankle engine as the primary power source in one of their models.

 

[General Tso]

I refuse to believe that anybody would prefer to drive an EV over a gas-burning automobile based on the driveability and performance of the vehicle. They're heavy, uncomfortable pieces of shit. And I'm saying that as somebody that drives a 4,400 lb 2 door car

Lol, has to be a joke, right?

 

[ericram]

Lol, has to be a joke, right?

I hoped so myself but I don't think he was joking. So he is just one of those people.

 

[The Tradition]

I had an RX-2 50 years ago. An RX-7 was my dream car as a teenager. I wish Madza would bring back the Wankle engine as the primary power source in one of their models.

They reportedly have a new rotary engine sports car in the works, which will also be a hybrid.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Use to love the B series trucks back in the early 90s

 

[The Tradition]

Use to love the B series trucks back in the early 90s

They are coming back, too. Big seller in Mexico.

 

[bhawk24bob]

I hoped so myself but I don't think he was joking. So he is just one of those people.

No, on performance and comfort alone there is no reason to buy one over internal combustion. You buy it for the rebate, emotions, politics, the environment, cost to charge vs. cost of gas, etc.

 

[RileyHawk]

No, on performance and comfort alone there is no reason to buy one over internal combustion. You buy it for the rebate, emotions, politics, the environment, cost to charge vs. cost of gas, etc.

This is incorrect. It's easy to tell you've spent little or no time in a quality EV.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Still liking yours, Trad?

 

[The Tradition]

Still liking yours, Trad?

Love my CX-5 Turbo. Zoom Zoom.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

This is what I was driving 40-some years ago. It was fun to drive.

Our Mazda dealer has one in the showroom. It’s amazing how small they are compared to modern cars.

 

[SolarHawk]

No, on performance and comfort alone there is no reason to buy one over internal combustion. You buy it for the rebate, emotions, politics, the environment, cost to charge vs. cost of gas, etc.

Are you a moron or just being obtuse? You know a Tesla will blow the doors off any ICE out there right?

 

[DFSNOLE]

They reportedly have a new rotary engine sports car in the works, which will also be a hybrid.

It was released in 2023 but the rotary engine powers a generator but not the car.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

I refuse to believe that anybody would prefer to drive an EV over a gas-burning automobile based on the driveability and performance of the vehicle. They're heavy, uncomfortable pieces of shit. And I'm saying that as somebody that drives a 4,400 lb 2 door car

Honest question - I’m not trying to play gotcha, but what EV have you ever driven? Legitimate concerns would be if you drive extended range regularly (I know this is an issue for Trad), tow heavy trailers/boats for distance, etc.

But on virtually every other driveability measure EVs outperform ICE vehicles. Torque, traction, no gear changes, low center of gravity, one pedal driving, fewer moving parts to breakdown, cheaper fuel, top end speed, etc. As for heaviness there are one or two underbraked EVs out there, but overall they generally get excellent driveability reviews from experts.

As for maneuverability: take one of the best handling car brands Porsche. Porsche EVs outperform their ICE equivalents routinely in expert reviews.

So again, which vehicles have you driven to reach such a conclusion?

 

[The Tradition]

Are you a moron or just being obtuse? You know a Tesla will blow the doors off any ICE out there right?

There's there's a bunch of chuckleheads at work who are all-in with Tesla. Yep, better 0-60 than any stock car readily commercially available.

But when do you really need that? My little turbo grocery getter is zippy enough for my needs.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

There's there's a bunch of chuckleheads at work who are all-in with Tesla. Yep, better 0-60 than any stock car readily commercially available.

But when do you really need that? My little turbo grocery getter is zippy enough for my needs.

See my post. Sure the torque is amazing, but virtually everything else is also superior except for long distance driving (and I suppose cost).

 

[The Tradition]

It was released in 2023 but the rotary engine powers a generator but not the car.

Different car. The next gen is still under development.

The content of that patent sent our eyebrows skywards. Why? Because it now appears that the rotary engine will drive the rear wheels in a mild hybrid system, not a range extender setup. In fact, we queried the original Mazda explanation last year as the Iconic SP concept car employed a rather thick center tunnel between the driver and passenger down which a propeller shaft would run. When we asked a nearby Mazda staffer whether this concept’s rotary engine would definitely take on the role of ‘generator’ to charge the batteries, the nonchalant answer was ‘not necessarily.’ So the patent has confirmed our original queries.

The Truth Emerging About Mazda’s New Rotary Sports Car Is Eye-Opening

We originally heard that the rotary engine would just act as a generator in a new-wave Mazda sports car. Now it seems that the rotary will drive the rear wheels!

www.forbes.com

 

[DFSNOLE]

Different car. The next gen is still under development.

The content of that patent sent our eyebrows skywards. Why? Because it now appears that the rotary engine will drive the rear wheels in a mild hybrid system, not a range extender setup. In fact, we queried the original Mazda explanation last year as the Iconic SP concept car employed a rather thick center tunnel between the driver and passenger down which a propeller shaft would run. When we asked a nearby Mazda staffer whether this concept’s rotary engine would definitely take on the role of ‘generator’ to charge the batteries, the nonchalant answer was ‘not necessarily.’ So the patent has confirmed our original queries.

The Truth Emerging About Mazda’s New Rotary Sports Car Is Eye-Opening

We originally heard that the rotary engine would just act as a generator in a new-wave Mazda sports car. Now it seems that the rotary will drive the rear wheels!

www.forbes.com

The most surprising part of the article; Expect to see the Iconic SP, which will most probably appear with a more practical name, to launch in late 2026 for around $45,000 to $50,000.

Thanks.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

One thing I found a little disconcerting with Teslas recently. When that guy blew himself up in Vegas, almost immediately Tesla came out and said our telemetry showed the vehicle was operating normally, he had traveled and recharged here, here, here, and here, and here are the videos and records, etc.

Just made me feel uneasy about where we are headed.

 

[The Tradition]

See my post. Sure the torque is amazing, but virtually everything else is also superior except for long distance driving (and I suppose cost).

No, everything else is not superior. It's a lot heavier, requires special (read: expensive) tires that wear out faster than tires on an ICE vehicle has, I hate the interior of the Teslas, and frankly, I don't trust Elon.

 

[bhawk24bob]

It's not even a long range issue. If I would be lucky enough to get a spot directly in front of my home (you generally don't have that luxury in an urban environment) and plug it in every night to a level 1 charger, I wouldn't have enough of a charge to get to/from work 5 days a week even if I had somehow gotten a complete charge the previous weekend. Add in cold weather performance issues and it's not an option.

 

[alaskanseminole]

They’re pretty darn good vehicles.

Here’s Sarah with her CX30 review.

View embedded media

I drove my Mazda for 12 years with ZERO repairs, maintenance only.

That said, I wish car manufactures would push the hybrid model more. I'd love to own a vehicle with about a 50mil EV range (for my treks around town) with the ability to drive from SATX to Dallas on dino fuel.

 

[RileyHawk]

It's not even a long range issue. If I would be lucky enough to get a spot directly in front of my home (you generally don't have that luxury in an urban environment) and plug it in every night to a level 1 charger, I wouldn't have enough of a charge to get to/from work 5 days a week even if I had somehow gotten a complete charge the previous weekend. Add in cold weather performance issues and it's not an option.

If you don't have a garage it can be a pain to have to charge at a station or work. Installing a level 2 charger in your home takes this issue away. Still, the performance, ride and comfort of an EV is superior to the ICE comparables.

 

[RileyHawk]

I drove my Mazda for 12 years with ZERO repairs, maintenance only.

That said, I wish car manufactures would push the hybrid model more. I'd love to own a vehicle with about a 50mil EV range (for my treks around town) with the ability to drive from SATX to Dallas on dino fuel.

I have a PHEV and love it. The vast majority of the time I use only electric power but can also take it on long trips. There is a noticeable difference in engine noise and pickup when it switches to ICE power.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

No, everything else is not superior. It's a lot heavier, requires special (read: expensive) tires that wear out faster than tires on an ICE vehicle has, I hate the interior of the Teslas, and frankly, I don't trust Elon.

Yes, cost items like tires are generally more expensive, you save much more in the long run on less other maintenance and lower fuel costs. Interior is not an EV issue - I get it though Tesla style is not for everyone - I hate the cyber truck but love the model S. Weight is irrelevant, you should compare on handling, rollover, safety, torque, etc. the fact it is heavy doesn’t matter If all the driveability measures are superior.

I don’t trust Elon either for the record, but I trust my Tesla. My model S will be ten years old in August.

 

[Bro D]

I dont trust Elon as a reason is pretty funny

 

[The Tradition]

Yes, cost items like tires are generally more expensive, you save much more in the long run on less other maintenance and lower fuel costs. Interior is not an EV issue - I get it though Tesla style is not for everyone - I hate the cyber truck but love the model S. Weight is irrelevant, you should compare on handling, rollover, safety, torque, etc. the fact it is heavy doesn’t matter If all the driveability measures are superior.

I don’t trust Elon either for the record, but I trust my Tesla. My model S will be ten years old in August.

Weight matters a LOT if you hit something with your Tesla.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I have a PHEV and love it. The vast majority of the time I use only electric power but can also take it on long trips. There is a noticeable difference in engine noise and pickup when it switches to ICE power.

What make and model?

I would have already gotten an EV but my wife is stuck on the “what if we’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s 2:30am and below zero and we can’t find a charger that works” mindset. But she’s on board with a hybrid to ease into it.