The V&R Machine Ownership Diary: Turning Two

It is now two years that we owned our team car – the V&R Machine.

Our 2021 Mazda CX-5 Touring have been bouncing between our respective homes, talking road trips, shagging errands, and surviving all four seasons. It has been a trusty steed through the almost 20,000 miles we put on this vehicle. 

By the time of reading, we are reaching 35,000 miles on the odometer. After dealing with a longer-than-usual response to a service bulletin on the thermostat – and a surprise replacement for the battery – the V&R Machine has been drama free. 

Back to the thermostat, George remarked that in contrast to his Volkswagen ownership experience, Mazda has been great in communicating service bulletins and other ownership-related items. We were aware of the thermostat service bulletin back in 2024. It took an amber check engine light on a very cold morning to finally let us know to get it replaced. 

We were a few days away from potentially going to the Chicago Auto Show when I pulled the CX-5 into a local dealer for the thermostat replacement. I thought it was going to be a quick turnaround to get it done, but it ended up being a few days more than usual. The dealership did provide a loaner 2025 CX-5 for me to use in the interim. 

There was a twist to the story. George and I discussed whether we should still go to Chicago to work the show. He was feeling better from his illness. Yet, my left foot imploded with a new infection from a huge ulcer. The decision was made not to go. 

The day after I brought the V&R Machine for service bulletin work, I returned the loaner back to the dealer. I went to the emergency room instead. Two surgeries later and several weeks of healing, I am back to where I should be. 

While I was in the hospital, George received a message from the dealership that not only they replaced the thermostat, but they found the battery was running at 50% of what it should be. This past winter was brutal, and it may have did a number on the battery. The dealer replaced the battery, as well. I am still shocked at how much batteries cost for these vehicles. 

While I was recovering from the first surgery, George retrieved the V&R Machine from the dealership. A couple of weeks later, he did pick me up in it after my discharge. 

The V&R Machine did return to duty at my place after George and I worked on a run of vehicles into March. With some weather we had, I started to notice that the windshield wipers were losing their effectiveness. Keep in mind, there are three wiper blades to replace. We doubted that the previous owner – or, perhaps, the selling dealership – did not replace the original wipers. Maybe the selling dealership did, and they were at the end of its useful life. 

However, George knew that we would replace all three wipers. He did a parts run at another dealership and got the wiper blades along with a new supply of motor oil and oil filers. By this time, the wiper blades would be replaced. 

One thing we noticed is that you only replace the rubber blades on the CX-5. They’re supposed to slide on and off.  …

This winter, we continue to run the Michelin X-Ice tires on the CX-5. Thery have done the job in getting through anything this climate threw at it. These tires always maintained grip, even without the intervention of the all-wheel drive system. A sign that we also picked the right tools for the job. 

Soon, we will put away the X-Ice tires for the all-season Michelin Defender tires. If the temperatures warm up, we should do that. We have embarked on receiving a new run of review subjects, so that opportunity will present itself. 

Thinking about the past 20,000 miles in the V&R Machine, it is no longer a question whether we chose the right vehicle or not. We did. Based on the criteria George had for a team car, it has fulfilled everything we expected from it. And, then some. 

You know what makes a good car? Let’s say you “know” how to get somewhere in your routine. You end up passing your exit or turn to go to that place. You make up for it by using an alternative route without doing anything stupid doing so. But you did not fret or get upset that you missed that turn. 

When you are home or away, you can’t help but look at it. That sense of pride that for two years this vehicle has become a part of your life – and, in this case, your work. 

However, there is an imminent change of scenery for the V&R Machine. An upcoming relocation will shift the CX-5 from Saint Paul to near Princeton, Minnesota. It will go from urban enclave to rural landscape. However, it’s primary base will continue to be Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. That is where our team car is based out of and, thusly, maintained. 

It has been such a fixture in the Twin Cities. It has stretched its legs beyond the state line a few times in the course of two years. It survived a couple of winters, and all other seasons Minnesota threw at it. It has taken its place in many accessible parking spaces, as it became my oversized mobility device. 

The V&R Machine now enters its third year in our care. As it reaches a milestone odometer reading, will it still be that trusty steed we took home for its second run at ownership? Especially when it will soon turn four years old coming from the factory in Japan. 

All photos by Randy Stern