New Mazda + Car Control School?

[Fobio]

If you are considering purchasing a Mazda or any new car for that matter...how likely will having complementary/free or discounted advanced drivers' training available, affect your decision with which car maker or dealer you purchase from?

Say for your teenager. Do you think having advanced car control will improve their safety margin and chances of collision avoidance?

For your spouse, do you think he can benefit from advanced driver training? Maybe he has always wanted to go to track school and this is your chance to get more value from the next family purchase...

Let's hear some opinions!

[Riftler]

Being a young person who would not plan to buy a car for anyone but my self for the time being, I would care less about the driving course. But if this carrys over into the future, I would totally take it into a count for if im buying a car for the kid or spouse.

[Iceman_F1]

Would affect it a bit. I see the value of learning more about any new car's limits in a safe environment but not sure if I would buy a car just because it offered that.

[starscream]

It would affect my decision. I would totally want to go to a school of sorts.

The only issues I see:
- Will the people actually go?
- Will the 'cheapies' try to get the car price lower by trying to opt. out of a free lession? (oh yeah I've seen this happen sooo many times when I used to work retail)
- Will the manufacturer still warranty the car after going to track school, knowing the car was ripped on?

[Fobio]

It would affect my decision. I would totally want to go to a school of sorts.

The only issues I see:
- Will the people actually go?
- Will the 'cheapies' try to get the car price lower by trying to opt. out of a free lession? (oh yeah I've seen this happen sooo many times when I used to work retail)
- Will the manufacturer still warranty the car after going to track school, knowing the car was ripped on?

1. You should be allowed to choose between advanced car control or winter car control...so it should help everyone.

2. Ppl can opt out or sell their vouchers (which others can use towards car control or track school)...

3. Subaru did this...it was ghey...this is car control school first and foremost...track school is separate...so it's more about becoming a better driver vs. lap times. So I think it's a little different and your car isn't "ripped" on but you are shown its thresholds.

Great points starscream!

[Donutz]

In a few words, it wouldn't influence brand selection for myself greatly, but it would if I were purchasing for my wife / kid. All else being equal, it would definitely affect my dealer selection.

[omalak]

It would not affect my purchase.. infact i consider it a moot point.. When spending over 20 grand on a new car, my decision wont come down to picking a mazda because the dealer threw in a 200-500 dollar course on car control

[m_bisson]

it should be mandatory by the government instead of the lame driving tests we have now. "go, stop, change lanes, parallel park". Instead it should be a pylon course that lets you feel your car lose control and force you to regain control, emergency braking, high speed lane changes, etc..

[Fobio]

it should be mandatory by the government instead of the lame driving tests we have now. "go, stop, change lanes, parallel park". Instead it should be a pylon course that lets you feel your car lose control and force you to regain control, emergency braking, high speed lane changes, etc..

that is basically the point...especially winter car control...as an immigrant myself, I realized how dumb struck I was when I saw the first snow storm...but guess what happens when you try to drive for the first time you've ever seen snow...

it's a very daunting proposition for new comers to adjust to CDN driving...it's not just about gas, brake and steering wheel.

[m_bisson]

think about it. the entire time you're learning to drive you have someone in the seat next to you forcing you to drive safely/cautiously/etc. You never have someone TEACH you what it feels like to spin out or lock up your wheels on ice. So, when it comes time for your first emergency you don't know how to react.

Imagine how many people would fail that test! My mom probably would. My sister for sure. There are so many bad drivers out there yet nothing is being done about it. Politicians make laws like "no cell phones" while driving, because THAT'S the cause of accidents (sarcasm). What if they had higher standards for licensing? I bet you could cut the number of driving related deaths down by 90% if people were taught how to handle a car and not just make it move.

Just last week during one of those rain storms I saw a pickup truck try to turn left, but the front wheels skidded and he plowed into the 2 oncoming lanes of traffic. This happened 6 cars in front of me. If that driver knew the performance threshold of his vehicle, or how to correct the skid once it started, that accident likely wouldn't have happened. The cars in my lane stopped completely and the truck did a slow motion slide into them. Very minor accident, but it validates my point nonetheless.

[Fobio]

I wonder what someone like Jeff @ MOT or Jason @ Oakville think about this...would love to hear their input!