DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Rena At The Selby-Snelling Intersection

Q: Hi Rena! Can you start by telling us why you chose the Mazda?

A: We previously had wagons, an Audi and a Subaru before that. I just really like them because I have kids, but don't like the stigma that comes with vans.

Q: You didn't want to be too much the mama, so then what sold you on a wagon?

A: Yeah! It came down to this one or the Hyundai Elantra Touring, which has a very similar shape. It boiled down to speed and styling. This car had more kick to it than the Hyundai did.

Q: How did you get the nickname "Agatha?"

A: My daughter was asking me, "What's the name of your car?" and somehow she and I came up with Agatha. She had read it in a book and it was also on my list of baby names.

Q: Like agates. Very pretty. What tunes do you listen to Agatha?

A: The older the kids get, the more inclined they are to share their opinions on what gets played on the radio. We trade off. For me it's a lot of classic rock, some indie rock too. For the kids, it's their mixed CDs.

Q: Was it a positive buying experience?

A: There was some drama getting this car. It's a long story, but at first we wanted to buy a different car. We went back to the dealer the day after looking at it. They wouldn't sell it for the price we had negotiated. They had moved it to a different lot and jacked the price up by $3,500.

Q: That's terrible! But it led to you finding this car, which seems meant to be.

A: Yeah. When we finally got to this car, this guy was awesome. He didn't give us any fake salesman attitude or banter.

Q: What are you favorite features?

A: I like the great gas mileage and smooth ride!