Skip to content

Inside Mazda

Mazdas Run in This Family

Four years and 15 Mazdas later, the Commale family is already looking forward to new additions to their garage.

mazda family commale

Two years ago, Bridget and David were broadsided in their Mazda3 when another driver ran a red light going nearly 50 mph. Both Bridget and David walked away from the crash with only minor bruises.

“When I saw the car after the accident, I had a hard time believing the other driver was going so fast,” David’s dad, Sam, explained. “The car was totaled, make no mistake about it, but there was no penetration at all into the passenger compartment. That Mazda3 did an amazing job of protecting them.”

Mazda 3 sedan safety

Over the past four years the family has purchased 15 Mazdas. It all started in 2012, when Sam’s son Dan and Dan’s wife Alicia were looking for a new car.

“After test-driving everything in their price range, the Mazda6 absolutely stood out over everything they’d seen,” Sam said. “The way it drove and the way it was outfitted, they realized the Mazda6 was a complete package. So they bought one for Alicia. And Dan, who wasn’t even actively shopping for a new car at the time, was so impressed he bought a Mazda3 for himself—the same day.”

Sam also found himself looking for a new car to drive for his business. As a computer-engineering consultant, Sam drives to his customer’s sites, bringing along the equipment he needs to do his work. Having driven Alicia and Dan’s cars, he decided to get a Mazda, too. Sam test drove a few different Mazdas but ultimately chose the Mazda2 for its great fuel economy and functional-hatchback design. What really sold Sam on the Mazda2 was the way it drove.

Mazda 2

“I’d gone in to get a Mazda3 hatchback because I really liked the sporty way it felt,” he said. “But after driving it back-to-back with the Mazda2, I was surprised at how similarly the two cars drove. In fact, I’ve noticed that same trait in every Mazda I’ve driven since then. There’s a commonality to the way they feel—and believe me—I’ve driven enough of them to know!”

Along with the Mazda2, Sam and his wife Norma have owned a Mazda3, a Mazda6 and two CX-5s. Sam recently added a 2016 MX-5 Miata to his lineup that he got for Christmas. In fact, the same day he and Norma picked up their new MX-5, they traded-in their 2015 CX-5 for a 2016 CX-5.

Asked which Mazda is his favorite, Sam immediately replies the MX-5, citing it as everything he’s always wanted in a car.

“They’re reliable, economical, nice-looking and one [Mazda] saved the lives of my son and daughter-in-law,” Sam said. “Plus, they’re so much fun! We always look forward to driving. What else could you possibly want?”