How influental are you?

yes. 25-50. i see a lot of people per day.

1.) Aww hell nah!

2.) quite a few... some of you even here. Overall I'd say 5-10 per year on average.

1) Not currently, just recently sold a pristine '94 Miata R-pkg which I miss something dreadful. 2) Not too many, I've found. Lots of times, friends and acquaintences will ask my opinion about cars (especially my dad's friends) because I'm an engineer that previously worked for Honda and now work for Toyota. What I've found is that usually it's better to ask them what they're thinking about, and then give them my opinion of the vehicles on that list. In general, people just want you to agree with them. That said, I know for a fact that my realtor bought a Lexus because I told him they were the best (while I worked for Honda) and I convinced a friend to buy a Miata. So... two persons.

No, never have

Yes, 5-6 a year and the last 2 bought Mazdas

We will own another miata in the future, as my wife told me this recently.

3-5 people.

Yes, I own a Mazda.

I think I can honestly say that I have some input on at least ten vehicle purchases per year.

1. Yes- my dd for the last 6yrs has been an 06 Mazda6 hatchback. Also owned a 3 hatch before that
2. Not many- I get asked a lot of questions on new cars, but not many of those folks have bought cars recently

I do own a Mazda. I have 5-10 people a year talk to me about car purchases. They never seem to listen, but they do like to ask.

Tim Suddard wrote: 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. Yes, a 2014 CX-5
2. Everyone I know asks me before they buy anything, new, used, or otherwise. I work in engineering and cover the whole central part of the country and I can't go into any office without a trip out to the parking lot to diagnose something-or-other or recommend a new or used car purchase.

Once you earn a reputation as a car-whisperer, people find you.

1) No

2) None, unless you count the number of people that look at me and my car and say, "Man, I am never buying a Fairmont!"

1)I own the floors and suspension of one Miata, a megasquirt I built for one, lots of random parts for one, and am currently devoting too many hours to thinking about/working on a challenge one. I also own a project FC and have owned a couple of FC's and about a dozen first gens and a Protege over the years.
2) 1-2 a year on average. I mostly give decent advice on what to avoid in the used car market or give "have you thought about" advice on the new car purchases.

1) I own two Mazdas.

2) I probably help five people a year with buying a car. I usually convince at least 2 people a year to buy a Mazda product.

I own a Mazda and Mazda accessories, but I've been doing so since forever. I influence exactly nobody regarding new cars, although if Mazda made the Mazdaspeed2 then I would be heavily influenced regarding a new car on a very personal and debt-inducing level, if you know what I mean.

At a rallycross a year or two back, we (a bunch of old farts who decided to call ourselves the Ohio Rally Idiots, a lot of us were running regions or sere divisional stewards or some other E36 M3 either then or now) were talking about what brought us to rallycross. I mumbled something about a 240Z i saw online. Everyone else said something about that crazy E36 M3 Pete kept putting online here there and everywhere. So I'm apparently at fault for a lot of the Ohio rallycross regional stuff. I'm not sure whether to be proud or ashamed

• OG ORI

1) Yes , 2014 mazda 3, this is our 11th Mazda. 3 - proteges, 2- miatas, 1-626, 1-mx6, 1-mpv, 1- B2000, and 1 - millenia.

2) 2 or 3 a year

1. Currently own 3 Mazdas, have owned at least 20 overall (none were a Miata)

2. At least once a week, sometimes more, but I am their driver and the car guy so all my clients ask me sooner or later.

1) not any more. I have owned my fair share of RX-7's though (about 4, I guess?)

2) Dunno. Friends and family seem to value my advice as far as maintenance and car buying goes (so maybe 10 or so) but I think only 2 people have bought Mazdas because of me (Both bought FC RX-7's so not much help to Mazda there) one of them did upgrade to a Mazda 3 when he got married.

Although I did get one guy, in a Miata, to try autocross. He stinking loved it.

1) Yes B2200, MZ3, MS3, RX8, P5

2) No, because most don't understand what I mean by driving feel.

1) Yes
2) 8 directly, 15+ less formally

1. Yes, a '15 MX-5.
2. 0 directly. I don't talk cars very much with acquaintances.

1. Yes

2. I have 100s ask, in part through work, 30+ that are personal friends or family, only 4 have ever followed said advise though.

In reply to Woody:

You should keep a few brochures around to hand out at car accidents.

1) Yea, I'm on my third Miata.
2) I always recommend beater Saturns.

Yes I own several Mazda

I probably have influenced 20 or more people over the past 5 years with car buying decisions. Many have bought mazdas, but not all. I don't speak with those people anymore.

1) between the RX-7's(FB and FC) and MX-5, I have owned over 30 Mazdas. My ex still drives her Mazdaspeed 6. I raced RX-3's for over ten years in ITA(and won a few races and championships) 2) I met my current girl friend helping her buy a Miata. I get asked on weekly basis my opinion of vehicles for purchase. I usually recommend Miata's for a child's first car.

I just realized that by the "don't be like that guy" standard, I probably influence a lot of decisions!