How influental are you?

Sooo, I was out at the track this a.m. (you might know that we have the SCCA Runoffs here in Daytona this week) having a meeting with our friends at Mazda. The agency guy asks me how many of our readers drive Mazdas, which I could answer. Next he asks me how many people do our readers influence, when it comes to making car buying decisions. I know it is a lot, but I couldn’t give him a number. Figured it was time to ask you guys so here are two simple questions please. Thanks for your help on this. I will tally these up and report back to the suits at Mazda.

1. Do you own or drive a Mazda?

2. How many people do you honestly talk to, or influence, as to car buying decisions?

1- No. 2- 50? I run an automotive service shop.

1. No

2. Yes, too many to count

1. My wife does (Sold my Mazda5 this year.)
2. Many

No

0

1. No (nothing against them, just don't happen to)

2. All my friends my age and a lot of family. In fact I encouraged my sister to buy an NB (although I told her it wasn't as sensible as a Suzuki Swift), although she just wanted the cute little convertible and couldn't care less what the hell it was

When people at my office want car-buying or car-repairing advice, they come to me. But I'm the only "car guy" who works full-time here, everyone else here either sees cars as status symbols or appliances.

Owned a Mazda 626 from 1980 to 2001, although haven't had one since. I've recommended the brand many times but can't say how influential I was in convincing people.

1. Yes.

2. Probably 5-10 a year. Serious conversations about their car buying plans.

1) Yes.

2) Somewhere between 10 and 20 is a fair estimate.

Yes.

I've sold at least 5 Mazdaspeed 3s, and a mazdapseed protege for dealers, without working there. The techs ask ME questions.

No,
Have directly influenced five people on car buying choices this year.

1. Yes
2. I can point specifically 2 vehicles purchased because of my suggestion. One of them is a Mazda. I know of one person who will be shopping soon. I am encouraging her to look carefully at a Mazda3.

I currently drive a 2005 Mazda MPV ES, bought new. Also currently own and sometimes drive a 1988 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II. First ever new car was a 1988 Mazda 626 LX, which I drove for 14 years. First ever car was a 1973 Mazda RX-2.

Many of my friends and acquaintances speak with me regarding car repair and purchases. I did manage to persuade my wife to buy a new 2010 Mazda 3, but she hated the car and ditched it after a year. I loved it, but she found it too noisy and thirsty and not her cup of tea. It didn't help that she was coming out of an Audi A6. LOL.

My favorite Mazda advertising slogan was "It just feels right" from a few years ago. Much more appropriate than the juvenile "Zoom, zoom." Recent Mazda commercials seem well done.

1 - Yes
2 - Less than 5.

1. Yes

2. Around 5 people a year

1. Not yet
2. @10

1. Used to. Just bought a Fit; if they offered the new 2 here I'd have bought one.
2. 10-15 people per year. I am somehow known as the "trustworthy car guy" in my larger social circle, so I get tapped for advice a LOT.

1. Not at the moment. I really enjoyed my 2 though. Wish it had more guts, hence why I have a Fiesta 1.0L

2. In a year, at least 5. Sometimes more.

1. No
2. Guesstimate 9-ish (used to be A LOT more when I was a service advisor)

1. Not at the moment, but I've owned 6 or 7 over the years
2. Honestly, I'd say 20 per year. Working in auto insurance claims will do that....

1) No, but an ND would likely be the first car I would consider if forced to buy new (I like their lineup overall as well)

2) Hard to say, plenty of friends and family ask my advice but many choose disregard it ("Well I found X for less money" or "I just liked the way Y looked better.")In the last year or so, I would say I directly influenced four decisions and offered input on maybe a dozen.

I owned miatas for 8 years and its been a week since I sold my miata and im still having withdrawals.

No influence on me, no one makes a car today that has what I want in a vehicle so I dont buy new, my current dd is 30 years old and perfect for me.

1. 0 Currently, I've had miata's and MZ 3 in the past
2. I've influenced 6 people to buy Mazda 6's this year.

1. Own two.
2. Hard to say. I own a fleet business of 6 cars plus 3 other personal cars so there are those purchases but also influence an easy 1 real NEW (not used) car purchases per year.

1: Yes. Both my wife and I drive Mazda 3's.

2: Yes. I help people all the time with recommending what cars they should buy. I even influenced someone to buy a CX-5 last year!