Amy: 00:00:02.589 Hi, it’s Amy. I’m welcoming you back to Puente Hills Mazda’s podcast. It’s a pretty great time of year. In fact, some would call it the most wonderful time of the year. We’re all getting ready shopping for our loved ones, and being all festive, and celebrating. I’m joined today by Matt, who is a car aficionado. He just loves driving. And I was talking to him a little bit about the season, and he thinks that there is no better gift than a vehicle for the ones that you love. Is that right, Matt?
Matt: 00:00:35.706 I mean, if you can. Yeah. I’d appreciate that [laughter].
Amy: 00:00:39.717 All right. Well, welcome today. Thank you for joining us.
Matt: 00:00:42.332 No worries. Thank you for having me.
Amy: 00:00:44.674 Of course. So tell me, what is the atmosphere like at a car dealership like Puente Hills Mazda this time of year?
Matt: 00:00:55.376 Well, honestly, man, it’s pretty busy. So obviously, everyone’s happy. A lot of our guys here are kind of in and out for vacations, seeing family, welcoming family. It’s just a great time. It’s actually pretty busy still. Obviously, there’s a lot of shoppers that come in that feel like I feel and think that it’s the perfect gift to get a new car [laughter]. But around this time, I think a lot of people, a lot of consumers are just more interested in the type of deals that we have at the end of the year. And I think even if they don’t buy a car in December, let’s say, they’re looking to get something pretty soon, so early January or maybe even February type deal. But that’s typically how it goes at dealerships. And around here, man, everyone is festive. Everyone is wearing the little Santa hats, elf hats, all over the place, and it’s just a great time.
Amy: 00:01:56.167 Are you wearing a Santa hat?
Matt: 00:01:57.456 Not right now. For this interview, no, but I do have one. I do have one, and I definitely do like to wear it. I’m one of those guys that likes to wear hats all the time, and unfortunately, I just left mine. But I do have one, so if you see me walking around, guys, and you see me with a hat, don’t laugh.
Amy: 00:02:17.051 Why would anyone laugh? I mean, maybe if it was a February like you were saying. But it’s December.
Matt: 00:02:23.263 Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Amy: 00:02:25.041 It’s a wonderful time to be wearing Santa hats. So you mentioned that people might be window shopping a little bit, kind of prepping themselves to buy a vehicle in January and February. What is something that– what’s a good reason for them to actually take the plunge now?
Matt: 00:02:41.722 Well, I mean, obviously, we do want to get rid of everything that we have for 2018, and we want to bring in the new year with new vehicles. So 2019 models, they’re pretty much around the corner. You know what I mean? So we have all those ready to go. And right now, you can find all types of deals on our 2018 models, and that’s just typically how things go each and every year. Every dealership wants to get rid of 2018 and get ready for the new stuff.
Amy: 00:03:12.945 And I know people think that they always want that new vehicle. And obviously, I know being in the car space, you would agree that getting that new vehicle is a great idea, that 2019 model. But there are still a lot of great benefits to the 2018 models, right? I mean, it’s not like they’ve changed anything just because they’re getting older. They’re still a good investment.
Matt: 00:03:34.162 Oh, yeah. 2018s are definitely– I mean, especially for a Mazda. We’ve included so much in 2018 as far as engine-wise, as far as being gas savers, as far as new technology goes, if you’re into the infotainment centers. So there’s all that stuff. Not to mention that body types and body styles of a lot of our cars, they just look so good. Anything from the Miata to our Mazda6. Mazda3s are still pretty popular. The thing about Mazda is there’s something for everyone, even if you guys typically have a– you need a larger vehicle like some of our SUVs. The CX-5, for example, has been one of our top sellers. We anticipate that still being the case in 2019. But, I mean, as far as 2019 goes, there might not be too much of a difference from 2018 besides a few little modifications here and there. So, I mean, unless you really are looking to get those modifications specifically, 2018 models are still definitely a way to go for anyone. I mean, I would suggest looking into that first.
Amy: 00:04:51.015 So let me pitch you a few people that I’m thinking about buying something for this holiday season. And can you tell me which Mazda would be the correct one for them or the best one in your opinion?
Matt: 00:05:01.251 Okay.
Amy: 00:05:01.984 So my cousin has three kids, and she cannot keep up with them. That’s the lifestyle [laughter]. And she’s looking for a new vehicle. She wants something reliable, something that she’s going to be able to haul around her family in, but also something that she’s going to feel good about herself when she drives it. Do you have any ideas for her?
Matt: 00:05:22.707 I mean, yeah. Obviously, it would depend on what she feels comfortable with as far as even payments go and such. I’m not sure how old–
Amy: 00:05:31.205 Oh, this is a gift.
Matt: 00:05:31.859 –the kids are.
Amy: 00:05:32.437 We’re Christmas shopping here.
Matt: 00:05:35.086 Okay. Well, I mean, if you’re– yeah. If you’re just going to buy it cash. I mean, I don’t know how old the children are or if they play any sports. But CX-5s are definitely something, like I said before, pretty popular right now. A bunch of space in the back, so if they do play any sports, you’ll be able to throw it in the back, man. Baseball bats, cleats, anything like that. There’s definitely room for all of the children. And the thing that I like about it is, typically, when we talk about families, we might think of a car seat and everything like that. I’ve been in the back seat with families, even on test drives. I actually had to install their car seat, and I stayed in the back and just had the drivers– well, the mom and the dad be driver and passenger. So I was really in the back seat and really got to feel. I had plenty of leg room and it wasn’t like we were a bunch of sardines in the back seat, even with that car seat. So that’s definitely a reason why I think the CX-5 is one of those that keep on selling. It looks good. It’s not one of those– when you see a CX-5, you’re not necessarily thinking, “Oh, I’m an old person now,” or something like that. You still look very stylish. You can still feel the engine. You can still get that feeling of, “I might be going pretty fast right now.” We’ve got the heated seats. It’s one of the safest cars on the road, so I would say look into that one.
Amy: 00:07:11.166 Okay. That seems like a good option. I’ve definitely heard a lot about it on the street, so. Yeah. So it backs up what you’re saying. Okay. So now, how about my other cousin? He just graduated from high school this past June, and he went away for college, and he’s been relying on his friends kind of to drive him around and stuff. And I’d really just love to be able to get him a car of his own. What Mazda do you think would be a good fit for him?
Matt: 00:07:43.099 Typically, for a college student, I like to say maybe a Mazda3. It’s not the biggest sedan we have, but typically, you don’t really need a big sedan when you’re a college student. You just need something that’s going to be reliable, fun to drive, and that’s definitely a Mazda3 there. So it does come in a couple different styles. If you wanted the four-door-type sedan, then that’s still pretty good looking too. So just because it’s four-door, it might not– people have this thing in their head where if it’s a four-door, it’s probably not sporty. Mazda doesn’t give you a reason to think that way. When you’re behind the wheel, the dash looks phenomenal. The steering wheel looks almost like a racing wheel kind of. And then we also have our– where you shift, it can actually go into manual mode. So even though it’s an automatic vehicle, you’ve got the option to run it as manual, the sport-shift-type thing. So I suggest those. If you’re a college student, it’s great on gas, it’s going to be reliable, and it’s just fun to drive.
Amy: 00:08:52.968 That’s a great recommendation, and I’m sure that he would appreciate that recommendation from you [laughter]. All right. Let’s do one more. My uncle, he’s actually just recently retired, and he’s looking for just a chance, an opportunity to enjoy his life a little bit more. He loves to drive and travel, but he’s not looking for anything too serious. What do you think?
Matt: 00:09:20.015 You said he likes to travel? Is he like the open road type of guy, or does he–
Amy: 00:09:24.097 The open road.
Matt: 00:09:26.104 –have a wife that he’ll be taking with him maybe, or pets or something?
Amy: 00:09:28.888 Well, he always like to bring his cat places, but a lot of times, he’ll leave the cat at home for the drive.
Matt: 00:09:34.498 Okay. I guess that would depend a little bit on just how he is. But I’ve seen some retirees come in, and they actually look for our Miata, the MX-5. It’s one of those cars that look great. The thing about the Miata, they kind of have this following where people loved it from the very jump, and they stayed on top of what’s coming new, what’s to expect from the Miata. They love that it looks good. It’s a roadster that’s been around for a while, and I think there’s been a lot of car companies that have tried to duplicate what we have, but they’ll never be able to do what we’ve done with it. So–
Amy: 00:10:19.817 Here, here.
Matt: 00:10:21.413 Yeah. Look at the Mazda Miata MX-5. That might be a good one for him.
Amy: 00:10:26.487 Okay. Well, it seems like no matter who you are and what your situation is in life, there’s a Mazda for you. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?
Matt: 00:10:31.946 I promise. Yep.
Amy: 00:10:32.684 Okay. And do you have any other suggestions for a kind of gift I might be able to give someone besides buying them a brand new car that still– I mean, well, I’m not talking a spa certificate here or something. Something that I could find at Puente Hills Mazda.
Matt: 00:10:52.791 Yeah. I mean, definitely. I think you can come right in and maybe give them a certificate for our service department. Or even if you go back there to our service area, you’ll be able to find just some nice little accessories for their cars, as far as key chains. We’ve got even blinds for your windshield. There’s a bunch of little knickknacks there that are kind of nice. Steering wheel covers, even things that go on your pedals to make it look a little sportier. We have a ton.
Amy: 00:11:29.267 Great. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. Is there anything else you wanted to add?
Matt: 00:11:33.062 Just Happy Holidays to everybody out there. I’m so anxious to see my family coming in. It’s been a while for me, so spending time with them is just going to be, gosh, just amazing to me, and I really can’t wait. So everybody, Happy Holidays. I hope you enjoy your family and all your loved ones, and don’t forget to make some time. Come see us at PH Mazda [laughter].
Amy: 00:11:58.445 All right. Thanks.
Matt: 00:11:59.567 All right. Thank you.
Amy: 00:12:01.142 Happy Holidays, everyone.
