Never in a million years would I ever thought I would need a Medical Alert Service Dog. Well, life sure takes a few unexpected paths, and that’s ok. Read the story of picking up my little guy from clear across the country in North Carolina, it took me 20 hours to get there from Alaska. We then jumped onto two more planes before we landed in Indiana, where some of my family lives. Here is where Mazda made my day! I was super nervous to drive two hours after a full day of travel with a brand new 10-week old puppy. There was a gorgeous 2018 Mazda3 Grand Touring 5-door waiting for me at valet! Flash forward… The Mazda3 Grand Touring Coupe is Porter Approved!
The Mazda3 was completely gassed up and ready for us to continue on our adventure to my family’s home. I buckled in Porter Storm’s travel carrier and opened up the front door. He cautiously stuck his little head out and was licking my fingers as I scratched underneath his chin. Using the built-in navigation system, we were driving out of Indianapolis into the cornfields of the Midwest. Porter Storm was soon was lulled into sleep from the heated seats and the soft classical music. The Mazda3 might be a flashy, insanely gorgeous car, but in this moment, it was my pup’s ticket to a really great nap.
Every day Porter and I would visit my grandmother in the senior living home 45 minutes away. He loved car rides as he would snuggle into his carrier, pop his head out so I could pet him, and off to sleepyland he would go. I then had the chance to enjoy driving the Mazda3 Grand Touring car. I loved it!!! I’ve mentioned before that I’m in the market for a new vehicle and every time I drive a Mazda, I am impressed with the comfort of the interior, the sleekness of the car, and how well it handles turns, quick stops, and its super fast acceleration.
I love this pic of the Mazda3 underneath this big tree that has grown on my Grandparent’s farm for over a 100 years!
One of Porter’s favorite games was running around the Mazda3 over and over and over again. He was too fast to catch! Just like the Mazda3!! I finally would give up and sit in the driver’s seat until he would come over and see what I was doing. Sometimes it would take me a good 10 minutes to get him into the car! Who knew having a puppy was such hard work?
I just couldn’t take enough pics of my pup with the Mazda3. He is so little here! He would chase those big oak leaves right underneath the Mazda3! Porter would growl at them because he couldn’t get them. Luckily, there were a lot more leaves for him to play with!
A few years ago we turned my grandparent’s property into a wildlife refuge. As the bushes and trees were putting on their fall glory, the Mazda3 looked on. At least I like to think that the Mazda3 enjoyed this country view.
I have had the pleasure and privilege to drive quite a few of the Mazdas out there. I absolutely love the Mazda3 Grand Touring Coupe. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but it took me a long minute to remember that the volume and channel changer were in the middle console. We listened to classical music for days because it doesn’t let you change it via the touchscreen when the car is in motion!!
The only drawback to the Mazda3 Grande Touring Coupe for me was the lack of trunk space. I try really hard to pack light, but never accomplish such a lofty goal. This time I only had one suitcase with me. I would not have been able to have two large suitcases in the truck, definitely two medium ones would fit though.
The Mazda3 Grand Touring Coupe 5-door starts at $25,000, comes with awesome Bose speakers, and has all the latest auto tech. My favorite though is that it not only has some serious get-up-and-go, but I have more confidence taking the curves as this car drives oh so smooth! I loved it!
Thank you Mazda for the 2018 Mazda3 Grand Touring Coupe during my visit to Indiana. It was a weight off this new puppy mama’s mind that we would be safe and have fun driving such an awesome car. The Mazda3 is definitely Porter Storm approved because driving matters!
Disclosure: Links within this post may contain affiliate links that I earn commissions from. Example, if you click on the pet carrier link and purchase anything from that site, I make a small commission, no matter what you purchase, at no cost to you. This is how I pay for this blog and make a living as a writer. Thank you for supporting me!
Palms Casino Resort – Escape to beautiful Las Vegas with 10% off rates + complimentary bottle of alcohol!
I have been in the market for a car since July. Made three visits to local Mazda dealerships here in Minnesota and was still on the fence. Thank you for sharing this, it has encouraged me to make a return trip to Mazda and reexamine my options. Love the Mazda 3 in this – but the price tags a bit steep for me and my family, but; maybe I can find something else in my range.