Ranting About Keeping Cars And What Sucks About New Ones: Quick Jump
Greetings, humans! All seven of you regular readers who keep opening the email to gaze upon whatever bullshit that I decided is worth sharing, thank you for continuing to stand by it.
When I started this Substack malarkey, it was a small outlet to quell these intrusive thoughts in my head and disperse them into the digital sphere with little consequence. The reason these posts come far and few in between is because I am usually working or writing elsewhere, true to the brand.
Recently, I was notified that my writing contract for the latest gig will end mid-October. Unfortunate but typical as this industry has a lot of turnover. Making it worse, car sales—the other profession that I have a years-long background in—also has a high turnover rate. What I lose in potential income, I gain in editorial feedback, at least one of whom love this blog so much and wants to see it grow.
I want to see this grow as well. The difference is initially, I didn’t have the moneys or means to vest in this venture. Some two years later, that is no longer the case. It would be swell if I could turn this into something greater while I await the next opportunity to come in.
That starts with more posts. The editor in particular that’s heaping praise toward Sped thinks I’m onto something with the 10-year car mentality. The trends that follow modern cars are more negatively received. Solely because they embrace more digital tech features. The era of Software-Defined Vehicles is here, upstaged by a massive touchscreen display that sits on the center console.
Amazing how nobody in the R&D department stops to think how people will use their cars when that screen goes on the blink. Because for some reason, they think by incorporating convenience features into the display such as seat warmers and radio controls that they’re doing you a favor.
Cars are not toys, no matter how many people use their cell phones to distract themselves while driving. Apple CarPlay and its contemporaries are instrumental in improving safety but a balance is needed in the form of physical switchgear to accommodate the less tech-heavy crowd. This is where I belong.
Four years with my Miata is right around the corner. It remains a light in my life, a forever vacation, my biggest source of pride as it was the first car I ever bought with my own money. To say I can pay it off soon is an understatement of elated joy.
It’s also dead simple to use—a sentiment I continue to embrace to a greater degree as the industry continues to commit to features that frustrate buyers. The center display encompasses a screen smaller than the iPad mini. Seat warmers are buttons, there are just enough safety features equipped without being overbearing.
Mazda Connect is famously behind the curve, with critics panning it often. For me personally, it works fine. Maybe I just haven’t encountered as many glitches as the internet seems to suggest but I can still connect my phone and crank up the Bose stereo. What more do you need?
This and so many other qualities make it a keeper, true to the 10-year car philosophy that I’m trying to uphold myself. As I expand this site to social media and merch (hopefully!), others are invited to share tales of cars they’ve held for dog years. I’m sure that consist of more Miata owners.
Let’s make this a good week, not just for life but for this blog. How lovely would it be for Sped to become a renown institution?
-TA