#even with the dynamic switch you absolutely nailed the vibe

[sallymew4]

@mtndw-whteout's little toi cured me of my very rational fear of toichiro. if you too want miracles made go read their fic the listless on ao3 NOW !!!!!!

prediction of how seri and toi's relationship is gonna go [joke]

[annyeongffs]

#𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧: 𝘁𝗯𝘇 𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀.

𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗺𝘂𝘁. 𝗇𝗈 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗈𝗋𝗌!

𝘅𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝖼𝗎𝗍. 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝖻𝖽𝗌𝗆-𝗂𝗌𝗁, 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗍.

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧: soft / hard

◈ in my other dom! tbz headcanon, i said sangyeon would be a middle-ground dom. however i think that when it comes to brat taming, he’d be a bit harsher; likes giving you your “punishments”, talks dirty and calls you names to put you in your place, etc etc. i don’t think he’d be too fond of restraints though… he strikes me as the kind of guy who wants to hold your hands with his own instead of actually tying you up. and yes, i could 10/10 see sugar daddy sangyeon calling his bratty s/o a “spoiled little brat” while fucking their brains out. *evil laughter*

𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛: soft / hard

◈ we all know how much i support the soft brat tamer jacob bae agenda!!! mans would say the nastiest things to you if you misbehave, especially in public… he’d press himself up against you and whisper “why aren’t you being a good girl, hmm?” if you try to rile him up in front of ppl. also i feel like jacob is into mild bondage when brat taming; i.e binding his s/o’s wrists with his own tie or maybe a scarf,, making them suffer by not letting them touch him.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧: soft / hard

◈ younghoon strikes me as a soft dom, so naturally i think he’s not too big on brat taming… however if his s/o is acting bratty, he probably wouldn’t be opposed to some less kinky taming; i see him channeling that icy coldness of his and refusing to give you what you want until you stop being a brat, maybe even bending you over his knee and making you count. though you’d probably have to make him pretty annoyed for that to happen, it wouldn’t be impossible.

𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐞: soft / hard

◈ mans is downright nasty. hyunjae probably loooooves it when his s/o is being a brat because it would (a.) fuel his ego as a hard dom, (b.) give him a chance for some serious degradation, and (c.) allow him to tie you tf up. i see hyunjae wanting to call you “slut” or “spoiled little princess” as he tames you; would have pretty good punishments i.e making you choke on his cock til you submit. i also think he’d be into orgasm denial with this, not letting you cum until you’re back to being a good girl.

𝐉𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧: soft / hard / in the middle

◈ juyeon gives me major brat tamer vibes! while he probably isn’t into restraints as much, i could really picture him taming you by spankings, edging, etc. i bet he’d secretly love to take you over one knee and make you count, or to see you struggling to obey when he brings you to the edge time after time. but if you’ve been a brat then you can expect not to cum that night.

𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧: soft / hard

◈ being a big ol’ switch, i think kev would go all in when it comes to brat taming. (at least when he isn’t the one being a brat OwO) he’s probably kinky as hell so expect ropes, gags, spankings, etc… anything and everything it takes to make his s/o obedient when he’s domming. will insult you in the sexiest ways; probably puts possessive words in front of the names he calls you i.e “my little cumslut” instead of just calling you a cumslut. now when he’s the brat, it’s a very different story…

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐞: soft / hard / in the middle

◈ remember how i said chanhee will show you your place if you act like a brat? yeah,, that place is bent over his knee. he isn’t as hard of a brat tamer as hyunjae or hak… but chanhee has no patience for spoiled little attention whores (and will tell you as much as he makes you suck his fingers). will call you names and deny you your orgasms all night long, teaching you a lesson by not allowing you to cum until he knows you’re back to being good for him. also i feel like he’d be pretty into teasing you in front of others as payback; maybe forcing you to stay quiet at a movie theater as he edges you with his mouth.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐦𝐢𝐧: soft / hard

◈ his vibes are kinda tricky to nail down, but in the long run i don’t see changmin being really into taming. idk why but he feels like a lover who wants to cherish soft moments with his s/o, more than he wants to explore kinkier stuff like brat dynamics. however, that being said, everyone has their limits- and if you happen to push him to his, expect to be railed like the world is ending. he’d make you take orgasm after orgasm, overstimming to the max and not letting up until you safeword him. he might secretly have a thing for seeing you cry from stimulation too…

𝐇𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧: soft / hard

◈ with this guy? oh honey, you better say your prayers now… because haknyeon is NOT gonna take it easy on you. you wanna play? fine, but expect to be degraded, spanked, edged, and teased until your entire body is crying for release. he’d ask you questions while pounding into you, asking you why you behaved so badly and not letting you cum until he likes your answer. would probably tie you to the bed and make you beg for him to touch you… i think haknyeon is basically the hardest brat tamer out of the whole group. strikes me as the kind who’d even set some rules and who would seriously enjoy punishing you if you break them.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐨𝐨: soft / hard

◈ sunwoo would be absolutely filthy as a brat tamer!! he’d probably tease you back if you’re trying to get a rise out of him in public… imagine him fingering you below the table at dinner to teach you a lesson sheesh! he strikes me as the kind of tamer who would take a lot of pleasure in the foreplay,, like making a show of it, making your body overly sensitive before he fucks your brains out. he’d probably rly be into giving overstim as a punishment: “aww, you can’t take it? too bad. you should’ve behaved yourself earlier if you can’t handle this.”

𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜: soft / hard

◈ eric doesn’t rly hit me as a guy who would be hugely into brat taming… but maybe if his s/o is being bratty, he’ll step up a bit and reinforce who’s in charge. he’d probably like to make you suck him off as a punishment, forcing you to let him fuck your throat until he’s satisfied; if he’s feeling a little wild, he might even edge you to teach you your lesson, and if you’ve really pushed him then he might finish it off with some overstim. i don’t see him being very keen on brat taming as a whole though.

—

>> cc @ annyeongffs, no reuploading content without permission. posted june 24, 2021.

[mercy-burning]

Love Birds

Part of Mercy’s 1k Celebration: A collection of Spencer Reid x Reader requests to celebrate 1,000 followers.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Some meddling from the BAU helps Reader and Spencer come to their senses. Category: FLUFF Warnings: None really, just brief mentions of sex, some kissing, implied smut, mutual pining, and the word ‘damn’ at the end I guess? Word Count: 3.2k

Full Request: “...a blurb? Where the sexual tension between reader and spencer is very high and everybody is like ‘get a room’ so when they finally do it spencer tells penelope and reader tell emily so the next day penelope gives him those strawberries in chocolate that say ‘best dick ever’ and emily gives reader a cake that say ‘i finally get sex’ and reader and spencer are so embarrassed” —Anonymous

MASTERLIST | 1K MASTERLIST

NOTE: Gotta love some good, ol’ fashioned BAU meddling, am I right? 😂 I took the prompt and made it just a little different, but I hope it’s still okay! Hopefully the overall vibe is still what you imagined 🥰

***

Everyone was watching them. Truthfully, it was a wonder they hadn't noticed by now, but that was most likely to be expected from two people who were obviously in love with each other and still hadn't done anything about it yet.

Three years now. That's how long it had been since Y/N joined the team, and from the first day, she and Spencer were glued at the hip. She was the only one who actively listened to and laughed at his long, obscure jokes, and as their friendship blossomed, he stared following her around like a lovesick puppy. It was sickly-sweet, truth be told.

And the longer it went on, the longer they danced around the inevitable, the more fed-up the BAU got.

Currently, Spencer and Y/N were reading a book together. Like, they were actually reading together, sitting side by side while they took turns reading aloud. They did it every day when they came into work, and when they finished one book, the other person would pick the next one.

"I want to say it's annoying, but it's actually kind of sweet," JJ pointed out, peering through the blinds in Hotch's office, where they all gathered to spy on their friends.

"Yeah, but they've been doing it for almost two years," Emily stated. "You'd think that by now they'd have at least kissed..."

"Maybe they have and they just... haven't said anything?"

Penelope piped in this time, shaking her head. "No, Y/N would have told me, she tells me everything. And I mean everything."

"Well, what about Reid? Has he said anything to you?" JJ asked, turning to Derek.

He sighed. "No. But you know how he is, if he could avoid telling me anything at all about his love life, he would. And he has."

"Well, maybe you should say something to him," Emily suggested.

"You know he'll just shut me down and deny it."

"Then Garcia should do it."

She thought about it for a second before turning to Derek. "I am excellent at getting information out of people."

Suddenly the door opened, and everyone turned around to see Hotch entering his office, stopping for a second to take them all in before closing the door behind him.

"Sir, we can explain—" Penelope started.

Hotch held up a hand and made his way to his desk. "You're spying on them, aren't you?"

A quiet chorus of mumbled 'yes' and 'yes, sir's sounded through the room before he actually sat down with the most miniscule of smiles.

"I'd say to make sure you all leave one at a time so they don't catch on, but something tells me they wouldn't notice anyway."

***

A few hours later, the team made their way to the jet in little groups.

Firstly, Penelope pulled Spencer away into her office for a 'special meeting' that he was only slightly concerned about. But when she finally closed the door, he found it was nothing like what he expected to hear.

The first words out of her mouth were, "When are you going to tell her?"

"I'm... I'm sorry?"

Her face scrunched as she pointed a finger at him. "Don't play dumb with me, 187, I may not be a profiler, but I know love when I see it. You and Y/N are perfect for each other, and you guys are literally driving us mad with the sexual tension."

"I—Garcia, we're just friends, I... I don't..."

"Look, you've got a plane to catch, so I'm not gonna keep you any longer, but everyone can see it, Reid. You two? You're practically soulmates."

He really didn't know what to say after that. So he wordlessly turned and made his way to the jet alone, thinking the entire way there about what Penelope had said.

Soulmates? Love? Sexual tension?

Of course he'd always thought Y/N was pretty. And there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she was the one person on the team he knew he could come to when he had something he was excited to share, because she was always down to hear him talk. And... he never really realized it until now, but it always warmed the deepest parts of his soul when he saw how her eyes lit up at the chance to hear him talk—to just listen to what he had to say.

He thought back to every time they read together, how her leg always brushed against his and how it always seemed to comfort him. How her voice when she read aloud always seemed to put him in a trance, like a lullaby. She was his warm place, his safety net...

But... that was totally normal for friendships, right? More often than not, platonic friendships carried that warm familiarity that also came with romantic ones. It wasn't uncommon.

Still, it set off an explosion of fireworks in Spencer's stomach to just think about sitting next to her on the jet.

Meanwhile, everyone else was there, going through some files on the case when Emily sat down in front of Y/N and cleared her throat.

"What's up?" Y/N asked politely with a small smile.

"Nothing, it just... I saw you and, uh... Dr. Reid looked pretty comfy this morning."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, uh... Were we reading too loud? We've been trying to keep it quieter because we figured it was a bit unconventional—"

"No, no," Emily laughed, thinking to herself how absolutely perfect they were for each other. "I mean... You were really close... Like maybe you're... into him."

"O—oh... Well, I—I don't... Um..."

With another laugh, Emily reached her hand out to reassure her. "I'm not trying to put you on the spot, Y/N, it's just that we've all... noticed how close you guys have gotten over the years and it looked like maybe you two..."

"Oh! Oh, no, uh... We—we're not together or anything, I... He's my best friend. That's all."

By the redness that colored Y/N's cheeks, Emily wasn't buying it one bit. Yet, she indulged her, nodding and patting the little table in front of her before getting up to move to a different section. "If you say so."

She walked away, leaving Y/N with a newfound... tension within her that she couldn't really shake. And it only amplified when Spencer walked onto the jet and took his usual seat next to her.

They greeted each other with small waves, but something felt off. And when his hand brushed up against her leg on accident, she felt a light buzz course through her veins, like some type of switch had been flipped.

It's only because of what Emily said, Y/N thought. She just got in my head, that's all this is.

But the longer the day went on, after landing in Idaho and setting up at the precinct, the buzz only amplified. Every time he said her name, she felt it kick up, and likewise, whenever she said his, he felt the thrum of his chest get heavier.

Everyone could tell, too, though they seemed rather amused by it all. While Y/N and Spencer were out at the ME's office, Emily, JJ, and Derek sat at the table in their temporary office and talked it over.

"I actually feel kinda bad," JJ said. "I mean... It seems like they're just being awkward around each other now..."

"That's not a bad thing... It just means they're finally starting to come to their senses," Emily countered with a wave of her hand. "They'll be fine."

Derek scoffed with a smile. "Yeah, I give it 'til the end of the case. Without work to distract themselves from each other, there's no way they won't say something."

Sure enough, the topics of conversation walked through the door just then, immediately putting distance between themselves on opposite sides of the table. And before anyone could say anything else, Spencer jumped the gun, going into detail on what they discovered about the case.

***

"We won't be heading home until tomorrow morning, so I booked us all rooms at the hotel on main street. I'll give you your keys when we get there. Good work, everyone, get some rest."

Hotch disappeared into the night, leaving the rest of the team to pack up a few things in their office before following him.

Y/N chatted happily with JJ, but deep inside she was nervous. Because everyone had been acting strange all day, pairing her and Spencer up every chance they got, and it was impossible to miss all the fake 'I wasn't looking at you guys' stares into space that they all constantly adorned.

Not to mention the fact that ever since Emily even brought it up to her, Spencer also seemed nervous around her. Their whole dynamic had been thrown off, and now she could barely look at him without immediately looking away and wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Now that the thought has been planted in her head, it's all she can think about, and it's very distracting. And knowing how... interested her friends seem to be in her predicament, the biggest fear she has at the moment is that she and Spencer will be rooming together.

As they got into separate cars and headed to the hotel, she fiddled with her thumbs, picking at the chipped nail polish and hoping that she'll get to rest easy.

And as Hotch handed out room keys in the lobby, she felt her heartbeat pick up, Emily and JJ sharing a key and Derek walking off with his own.

And then he said the one thing she was afraid of, and it almost froze her completely.

"I was only able to get two rooms with double beds, so you guys will have to share, if that's alright."

At that point Y/N would have rather shared a bed with Rossi, because that would have been less awkward. But she and Spencer both nodded, he took the key, and they both silently made their way to the room, keeping their heads low.

Even as they finally stepped into the room the air felt fragile, like one wrong move could break it and send them into space, where there wasn't enough breathable oxygen to keep them alive. And much like in the office today, they kept their distance on opposite sides of the room, separated by the bed.

It was Spencer who broke the silence first.

"I can take the floor if you want..."

The small, sweet way he said it almost made her heart shatter. "O—oh no, you don't have to. That would be silly."

"Are you sure? Because I can—"

"No, it's okay, really. I don't mind."

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, before Y/N's phone buzzed in her pocket, and she turned around to answer the call.

As she walked into the bathroom, answering, "Hi, Mom," before shutting the door, Spencer let out a long breath and rubbed his eyes, wondering how he was going to get through the night. He also wondered if Penelope had talked to Y/N as well, because this awkwardness they were experiencing was most certainly double-sided. And if that was the case, did that mean... she was in love with him, too? Firstly, was he even sure he was in love with her in the first place?

Maybe a little, he decided, thinking back to practically every single moment they've ever spent together. And as he quickly changed into pajamas and situated himself in bed, he thought about what it would be like to kiss her. Is that something he would want to do? Could he see himself kissing her over and over again for the rest of his life?

He had his answer when she walked out of the bathroom, wearing shorts and a tank top, her hair out of its ponytail and cascading down her shoulders as she plopped her phone down on the chair in the corner of the room and walked to the bed.

He tried to look away, but he couldn't. And he was thankful in a way for this newfound uneasy air between them, because she refused to look at him, and it gave him all the clearance he needed to follow her trail around the room.

But when she finally settled into bed, and as he felt her weight dip beside him, Spencer looked down at his lap. He was afraid the close proximity would give him away.

She cracked open a book and read in silence for a few seconds before she turned to him. "Did... Is this distracting? I can stop and we can just go to sleep if you're tired..."

"Oh, n—no, it's not distracting. You're fine. I was, um... I was going to grab a book of my own anyway."

He swung his leg over to get out of bed, but Y/N stopped him. "Well, um... I, uh... I know we're already in the middle of a different book, but if you wanted to, we could, um... read this one together? I—I think you'd like it, it's about the—"

"Sure. I—I'd um... I'd like that. Whatever it's about, I'm sure I'll like it. Y—you know, since you said it was good. You have good taste, so I t—trust your judgement."

He was just rambling now, and hearing Y/N laugh a little, he internally berated himself for letting it get awkward again.

Nevertheless, she opened up the covers to get underneath, and slowly scooted closer to him. Once their knees touched, they both jumped a little, but Spencer cleared his throat and Y/N busied herself by trying to find the first page, neither of them commenting on the obvious shock of butterflies that shot through both of their insides at the tiniest contact.

"Do you mind if I start?" she asked softly, turning her head slightly to the side so she could see him. He nodded, giving her the go ahead, and she turned to the page, focusing on the words in front of her.

Unsurprisingly, it was easy for them to get into a familiar groove. They took turns reading each few pages, and stopped in between to discuss things they'd read. It also wasn't surprising to find that they gradually got closer, their arms and legs now completely touching side by side and their faces dangerously close as they leaned down to read.

Spencer had just finished reading a chapter, reaching out to turn the page, and Y/N seemed to have the same thought, because her hand collided with his in a way that left no room for subtlety, or drawback to avoid that it even happened. Their pinkies interlocked, and Y/N found herself entranced by the curves and peaks of his hand. How each of his fingers slightly twitched at the contact, and how prominent the veins in his forearm were.

Her heartbeat picked up, and his did, too, as he focused on how tightly her pinkie was curling around his own, desperate not to let go.

"Y/N," he whispered. It wasn't a question, nor a warning, but it rolled off his tongue softly as if it was the sweetest word he'd ever had the pleasure to say. It was just one little word, her first name, conveyed with such adoration and obvious pining that he was afraid he'd scared her away.

But she held his pinkie tight, the book resting open beneath them on their adjoined knees, and then looked over at him.

And her eyes held the same weight as her name on his lips.

It was unclear of who moved first, but it happened so fast that surely it didn't matter. In a flash, their lips were joining in soft desperation, and rather than locking pinkies, Y/N shifted her hand to weave all their fingers together. The squeeze he gave her hand made her sigh against his mouth, and it was all the most relieving thing in the world.

After she pulled away, he chased her face for a second, not wanting it to end. But his eyes flew open and when he saw her staring back at him, her lips slightly puffed and her eyes almost hungry, he knew he didn't have to worry about the moment ending any time soon.

The book was long forgotten right then, tossed across the room somewhere as their clothes soon followed.

***

"So, how do you think the love birds got along last night?" Emily asked to no one in particular as the group gathered in the lobby.

Derek snickered. "If they came to their senses, I'm sure they got along just fine."

Everyone laughed at that, just as said love birds made their way to the lobby.

"Sleep well?" JJ asked, obviously trying not to smirk.

"Mhm," they both mumbled in response.

They were going to leave it alone, but that's when Rossi showed up, peering over in Spencer's direction. Then he pointed briefly to his neck. "You got a little something there, genius."

Everyone clapped excitedly, Emily letting out a low whistle and Derek rounding it off with a loud and proud, "Atta boy!"

The redness on both Y/N and Spencer's faces didn't clear up the entire way home.

And after the text that Emily sent out to Penelope, it was looking like it might get even worse.

***

"Welcome home, my beautiful family! Come on, I have something special for everyone in the round-table room."

Penelope led the way, Y/N and Spencer bringing up the rear.

"I'm sorry about this morning," she whispered. "I really didn't even notice I'd made a mark, I—"

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I... I guess they kinda knew we'd get to that point eventually anyway."

"Yeah... I just wish it wouldn't have happened so soon, you know? We're never gonna live this down."

She wasn't expecting him to lace his fingers with hers, and the action made her smile.

They'd fallen a bit behind, so when they finally caught up to everyone in the room, it was terrifying to see them all with knowing, mischievous smiles. And before Y/N could explain, Spencer started speaking.

"Okay, okay, yes. Y/N and I... finally... got together last night. But you can't make it weird, and I'm not going to let you make it weird, because—"

"Ohh, it's a little late for that, boy wonder," Garcia said, giggly and holding out a cake box.

Spencer and Y/N looked at each other briefly before taking a look, immediately gasping and going red.

It was a small cake, shaped like a heart with a red trim of frosting around it. And right in the middle, in pretty red cursive, were the words, "We finally had sex!"

"Penelope!" Y/N whined and shoved her face into Spencer's chest, the heat radiating off her face like a space heater on high blast.

The howling laughter that erupted from everyone else in the room was something neither of them would forget.

But even through the curtain of embarrassment, Y/N and Spencer both knew that beyond it awaited a very promising relationship, especially with friends who supported them. Even if that support manifested in rather... enthusiastic ways.

And, despite the initial embarrassment of it all, the cake tasted pretty damn good.

PERMANENT TAGLIST: 

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If you would like to be added to the taglist, feel free to message me or leave a comment, and I’ll add you!

[nari-nim]

yeosang as your boyfriend

nari note: kicking off the bf series with this king. who do you want to see next? creds for gif goes to @holy-yeosang​

Let’s be honest, you might have to make the first move with him

But it’s worth it because yeosang is actually such boyfriend material

He takes comfort in established familiarity and warm-heartedness, so likes taking things slow and understanding your personality more than anything

Shy boi at first even as y’all are dating

It can take a long time to reach the point he’s super comfortable. 

But please be patient with him because he really has super intense and strong feelings for you

Super playful and chaotic once he feels max comfortable around you!!

Type to be quiet around others but then rambles nonstop with you. Would be so funny too, he has so many hot takes he was holding in 

Can be unpredictable, but not in a bad way! 

More like he just stares at you in such a straight face until you get slightly worried, but he just feeds you three pocky sticks, kisses your lips as you are munching in confusion, and then leaves

Also please he’s so funny??? Like it’s not the type of humor like Wooyoung who just is so loud and makes everyone laugh, but the type where he makes such snarky or intellectual jabs at the situation/those around him

So it just ends up with the two of your snickering on the side

So many inside jokes

So much laughter, always 

Definitely the type to tease you as his form of flirting

Enjoys personal attention and lots of eye contact when talking about literally anything that comes to mind

Really likes just sitting with you somewhere cozy and talking about life for hours and hours on end

Once he’s comfortable, he’s actually so adorably expressive and unafraid to return PDA

While he may struggle with emotional expression at times, physical affection can stand in loving words for him

While not as touchy as San or Wooyoung, he isn’t afraid to have the two of you be in your own world

Sits close to you at any given opportunity and quietly takes care of you

Like offering you snacks first, moves your hair behind your ears, urges you to wrap you arms around his, gives you his jacket

He’s the type to love you quietly

Actions speak louder than words, and his actions are so incredibly thoughtful and attentive

For example, he may not be tripping over himself to tell you just how much he loves you 24/7 but he never fails to open soft drinks for you after the one time your nail broke in front of him when you tried to pry the metal tab open, he literally ignores the group chat but makes sure he bids you good morning and good night because he’s seen how happy they make you feel, etc

Ok but he is so kind even if he rarely voices it. You can absolutely count on him to be there for emotional and practical support whenever it’s needed.

Very trusting in the relationship

He is really understanding of you having friends/a life outside of him so he’s less likely to get jealous

Really rational in disagreements

Sometimes it can get hard to read his expressions, so it’s important you both learn to communicate a lot to keep the relationship healthy! He’s actually really good at voicing his thoughts and opinions well once he has the space to do so

Values reciprocation

Will do aegyo to make you blush or sway things in his favor. And then will proceed to hide his face immediately after

please he is Adorable

You’re his hype man. He will also then get super shy, but loves every single second of it. Secretly wants you to hype him up nonstop

I think he secretly really enjoys words of affirmation as his primary love language (receiving).

Compliments can be a little rare from him, so when he does compliment you, you know he really means it!! 

And he will roast you

Sometimes, he has his fun by occasionally starting some verbal sparring followed by intense making up. 

Like he’ll choose a topic and say something so wild about it just to see your expression. Pushes your buttons a little before either one of you has to shut the other up through a make out session or a bet

Just very trustworthy, loyal, loving and faithful as a whole uwu

NSFW after this

With that being said, he’s a switch

I don’t see power play being as big of deal for him tbh, he likes to go with the flow with what you both feel like during the moment

literally his preference to dom or sub may actually depend on you and the dynamic of the relationship

when he’s dom, he’s soft or hard depending on the mood as well

but ngl I’m leaning on that hard dom agenda

Sex with him can start out a bit vanilla at first

He’s so careful and wants you to be comfy :’)

But give it a few rounds and lots of communication, his kinky ass will take over

Takes a lot of joy in pleasing you, and can take this to an extreme where he just wants to watch you cum again and again and again from his touch

Um can be a bit of a sadist 

Type to ask you if it hurts while overstimulating you and says “good” when you moan in affirmation 

Secretly has a thing to see you cry 

Also really likes edging

He likes driving you so desperate to the point you’re begging him to let you cum

As you’re reaching and moaning for him he’ll say in a teasing tone “oh really, what do you want? You want my cock? Hm? Is that it?” 

Just to hear your pleady whines

That mocking tone will send shivers down anyone’s spine 

Oh My God you cannot tell me he won’t have a degradation kink (giving)

Also the type to be like “use your words” while he’s going down on you and then proceed to suck your clit extra hard, making you unable to form coherent sounds through your loud moans. It then becomes his excuse to edge you for yet another round because you didn’t use your words, did you?

Whew, anyways

Grab onto his biceps while he rails into you and notice how they flex underneath you as he starts pounding harder in response

Likes to show off his gains by pushing you up against a wall 

Also likes it when you top him

Likes hearing you really vocal, even though he’s more on the quieter side when he isn’t dirty talking

Usually just groans when hitting an extra sensitive spot or when you give a particularly good blowjob that day

Likes having you go down on him as foreplay, but prefers penetration as an end goal

Into the classic missionary and launchpad positions so he can see your expression clearly as he overstimulates/edges you

Likes seeing you look up at him through those teary eyes <3

But also very into doggy style

Likes fucking you into the sheets in general, so any position adjacent to that is on his favorites list

um his fingering game is so strong

In the mornings, likes slowly fucking you from behind while spooning you so he can also grab onto your tits or play with your clit

His end goal always is to make you feel so fucking good, it just manifests differently than service tops like Seonghwa or Yunho

Very private about your sex life and not into public sex at all

Possessive in that way. Only he can touch you like that, see you like that, hear your moans like that, etc

Likes hearing you confirm that 

“Only I can make you scream like this”

“Who fucks you this good, huh?”

“C’mon, say it louder.” 

Has one hell of a degradation kink (giving) me thinks

Likes it when you talk back, lowkey likes brat taming when he’s in a dom mood

But does like teasing you in public and keeping it like that until you both find a bedroom, gets off on the idea of you both having to hide your neediness in public

Very little people expect that from just seeing you both together in regular settings 

But little do they know despite the two of you innocently sitting together eating brunch with the team, leaving a few inches for jesus, y’all just had the freakiest sex before getting there. Like you’re literally shifting around in your seat as the soreness kicks in, and Yeosang is smirking ever so slightly at your discomfort

Will rest a heavy head on your upper thigh for a few seconds, brushing his pinky finger against your clothed clit through the thin fabric of your outfit, as he reaches for the bread basket 

Likes hearing that little gasp leaving your lips

Knows he’s leaving you very frustrated and will use that to his advantage later

The whole time, he has the most innocent, fair expression on his face

when he’s a sub tho?

similar vibes. wants you to feel good. 

Still wants to dirty talk, but it’s far more subservient now

one quick way to get him into subspace

if you push him far enough, then he’s so pouty and clingy and fucking cute

It’s so rare to see him like this but always such a treat

favorite positions is to have you ride him and he’ll play with your tits

or he’s still fucking you into the sheets but you are 100% in control

Just imagine him all whiny and teary as he fucks into you, begging you to let him cum as your clench your walls purposely around him, making him yelp as he tries to still his shaking thighs to wait for your signal

actually can be quite obedient as a sub

truly will do his best to be your good boy 

Anyways, aftercare is pretty good with him. He’s very caring and gentle and checks in a lot with you (he better, usually he fucks quite a few rounds out of you)

If he’s fucked out tho, make sure he is also taken care of! As a sub, he follows your orders so well so he’ll probably fall asleep so fast after intensely cumming for the nth time 

At the very least wipes you both down clean with a warm washcloth and kisses you to sleep

Likes spooning you at the end :’)

give him his cuddles </3

masterlist

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

Uppast's Cats Tour Comments: Act 1

note: i'm referring to the cats by their show names, however I may use the actor's name for a specific comment!

Overture

They did this SO well! I definitely missed seeing the cast in the aisles, but they projected the green eyes onto the stage, and it was the perfect amount of creepy/weird/hypnotizing.

I absolutely love the lights slowly being raised while shining all the spotlights, it sets the vibe PERFECTLY

also saying this now: the orchestra was incredible!

Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats

right off the bat, we’ve a super sweet Demestrap moment, with Munkustrap checking on Demeter after the car! It was adorable!

Devon's voice is SO good for Munkustrap, also the man is TALL OH MY GOD

Tugger didn't get his "can you say of your bite that it's worse than your bark" line, which I was a little disappointed about. However, Zach as Bill Bailey is absolutely 10/10.

Brianna… the babiest Sillabub… so precious... so small...

There were some Victor and Gus moments, with them either standing near each other or sharing looks/touches, so if anyone ships them, y'all got your rarepair moment!

THE BOOT WAS SO LOUD LMAO

They use the set so well!

The Naming of Cats

creepy, wonderful, everything I want from this number

A handful of the cats got right to the edge of the stage where the lighting was, so they were all glowing, and it was the BEST vibe.

Taylor was staring into my soul during the last verse so now I can say I've been vibe-checked by Coricopat.

Invitation to the Jellicle Ball

Hyla is the PERFECT Victoria!!!!! She's so incredibly graceful, she had the sweetest expression on her face, and ugh it was flawless.

Paul is also just an amazing Mistoffelees.

Munkustrap had literally the sweetest moment with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer and I almost started crying. Right before Jennyanydots' song, when everyone's getting into place, Mungo and Rumple immediately went to Munkustrap and were cuddling his legs, and he gave them pets, and just oh my god T_T

Gumbie Cat

OKAY SO I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THE KITTEN SQUAD SO MUCH MY HEART

When everyone's setting up for Jennyanydots' song, after the nuzzles, the lights start to switch, and the kitten squad was trying to catch the lights on the ground while Munkustrap was looking at them with the fondest expression and i swear i cried a little bit over how cute they were.

SKIMBLE LOVES HIS WIFE SO MUCH AND WAS HELPING HER GET THE KITTENS INTO THEIR MICE COSTUMES

Plato, Alonzo, and Mungojerrie were great cockroaches, 10/10

The Gumbie Trio was so good! Their voices sounded amazing together, and they were all just having so much fun!

SO MUCH MAMA JELLY AND SON TUMBLE I FEEL SO HAPPY

I'm going to go more in-depth in my Kitten Squad post!

Rum Tum Tugger

The way Zach said "Who will it be?" was absolutely amazing, i loved it, 10/10 character introduction.

Jennyanydots stomped off when he interrupted her accolades, she was very upset.

Zach and Devon nailed Tugger and Munkustrap's sibling dynamic PERFECTLY, Devon was the best Tired Older Brother Munkus.

Yeah, this number pretty much confirmed Zach as my favorite Tugger.

Mistoffelees and Cassandra did some lounging together in the background on the car.

Chelsea's Bomba is absolutely *chef's kiss*, I adore her

Obviously Tugger and Mistoffelees did their little dance, and it was wonderful. I'm not sure if other shows had Mistoffelees do this, but he went between Tugger's legs at the end of his little solo and Tugger was just vibing.

MY FAVORITE MOMENT THOUGH had to be near the end of the song, Munkustrap was 100% getting into it, and Tugger went over to him and was teasing him, poking him, and it was the cutest brother interaction.

They did have the camera! Zach did some very Tugger poses, and it was great.

Grizabella the Glamour Cat

haha Tugger went to hide behind the metal bars on the furthest side of the stage away from Grizabella, I'm in ✨pain✨

Sillabub goes to touch Grizabella, Grandpa Skimble pulls her back and starts scolding her, I want to hug the baby.

No, but I did really love that moment. It's off to the side, but you can see him giving her a talking to, and she's trying to say something back, but he's very firm.

Mungojerrie egged George on to scratch Grizabella, George sweetie don't be mean.

Taylor has such a perfect voice for Grizabella, and I loved her look!

OKAY SO LAUREN AND CHELSEA'S VOICES

Lauren's voice is so smooth and suave, and Chelsea's voice has a little growl that almost made me pass out, like ma'am i'm in love? But their voices mixed together, as well as how slightly different they are was such a great choice, and I kind of hope that other future productions take note and have two actresses with vastly different vocals for Demeter and Bombalurina.

Bustopher Jones

Mistoffelees and Victoria go to great Bustopher together and it was the cutest thing, they were so excited to see him!

Munkustrap immediately grabbing Mungo and Rumple by the necks and steering the gremlins away from the Very Important Cat.

Tugger was keeping watch so Munkustrap could be silly with everyone else during Bustopher's number, and that's not something I'm forgetting. Usually, obviously, Munkustrap's sort of in the background, standing, watching, and not really interacting. But Tugger switched places, and was up on the scaffolding watching, and it was CUTE!

My Tuggandra crumbs, thank you Zach and Lexy, I'm indebted to you both.

Tugger literally was just lounging on the car during the end of Bustopher's song, just waving his arms around, and I love him.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

Elana (Teazer for this show) had the PERFECT Rumple giggle!

They're so silly, I love them

They made the best facial expressions, especially when Mungo "stole" Rumple's pearls.

Very dramatic gremlin twins, jumping all over the place, not caring about anything!

They were so confident at the end of their song when they went to walk off, and immediately went into "oh shit" mode when Munkus, Plato, and Alonzo came out.

Run through the legs of Munkus! See Munkus, this is why you need to not stand with your legs apart when you're attempting to control kittens.

Old Deuteronomy

Saying it again, Devon and Zach are SUCH a good Munkustrap and Tugger.

The babies were so excited to see Old Deut! They could barely contain themselves, and then got cuddles! (Also Tanto was with the kittens and i love that for her, let her be a kitten!! I definitely got "big brother Cori/little sister Tanto" vibes)

Everyone's getting Deut nuzzles!!

Tugger did a VERY dramatic shimmy at his dad, and Deut laughed, and I cried.

Tugger and Munkustrap standing on either side of their dad!!!! He's so proud of them!!

Jellicle Ball

Sillabub was hiding on top of the oven before the Ball, sweet baby T_T

George got to sing with Old Deut!! Happy boy!!

TUMBLE FLIPS TUMBLE FLIPS TUMBLE FLIPS

Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks being the Supervisors!!

There was a really sweet Jellylorum and Alonzo moment (def going to talk more about it in the Alonzo post), but my "Jellylorum is Alonzo, Tumble, and Pounce's Mom" hc is feeling SO VALIDATED TONIGHT

I've said this so many times, but I adore that Plato and Victoria get their own little solo before their Big Solo. It's so sweet, and Hyla and Adam have wonderful chemistry!

Tugger chases Bomba offstage before The Moment, and I love that for them

CUDDLE PILE!!!

Munkustrap and Demeter cuddled together in the corner away from the pile and I want to sob because they were just so sweet, her head was on his shoulder, and he was holding her, and literally everyone in this show has such good chemistry with each other.

Tugger looks up with the psychic twins during Grizabella's reveal, once again making me think that Tugger and Munkustrap have magic like their brother.

OH AND TUGGER DID THE STUPIDEST LITTLE DANCE WHERE HE WAS SHAKING HIS BUTT AND HAVING FUN AND MUNGOJERRIE LAUGHED AT HIM AND THEY HAD A MOMENT AND IT WAS GREAT

Memory

ouch ouch ouch

Jennyanydots blocks the stairs up to Deut's tire so Grizabella can't go to Deut, my heart

steering the babies away from Grizabella even though Silla wants to give her a hug.

Taylor you hurt me in the best way possible

I always get emotional over Grizabella's dance before her song, it's such a telling moment, but unfortunately I don't think everyone understands that it's supposed to be a serious moment and not funny.

Deut sits on his tire the entire song and it's HEARTBREAKING

At the very end, Grizabella does the reaching back, and Deut reaches forward, and if you're sitting in the right spot it looks like they're touching and i'm NOT OKAY

[uzunofu]

My dash brought me several posts on the same topic at once, and since I couldn't choose which one to reblog, I decided to make a separate one and tag the OPs, lol. @jaebald @withinsnow @grewlikefancyflowers

I love both vers and switch!wangxian (a friendly reminder that switch and vers are different terms) because reading the same kind of smut over and over is boring and I start skipping, but initially I was in favor of switching them precisely because of power dynamics. And not WWX being the badass YLLZ and thus being the one more suited to topping (what even is that logic, heavens) — no, it was about how during the course of the book we see WWX vulnerable physically and emotionally, injured, distressed, needing help. (Even more so in the show, but CQL has a different relationship dynamic altogether, and since their preferences in CQL aren't expressed, I can vibe with nearly anything.) We see him like that way more than we see LWJ like that. LWJ is the love interest who, in the present timeline, swoops in and saves him, who takes care of him, who is the rock WWX can lean on. In the past timeline, the Xuanwu cave is the only time we see LWJ in distress.

Thematically, it fits that in his second life WWX finally gets that one person in his corner, finally has someone who will help him and stand by his side. Thematically, WWX can fight his own battles, but it's nice when he doesn't have to. I can acknowledge all of that and still wish that we had more moments of LWJ in a position of vulnerability and WWX being his rock.

For me, it's not about their power objectively. They're both shown as badass during the plot. It's about how LWJ, despite his adorable drunk shenanigans and offended princess act, fulfills the narrative role of the LI saving the MC. That's why I adore WWX's tendency to swoon over LWJ being soft and cute, to call him a good boy, to fuss over his dirtied robes, to treat him like a spoiled princess. It evens it out somewhat.

It's also why I like their sexual dynamic as it is presented in the book (chapters 111 and 112, I didn't read the incense burner extras) — despite WWX physically bottoming, he is the one who takes initiative, who tells LWJ what he wants him to do ("Wouldn’t it be convenient if you take off your forehead ribbon and tie my hands up?"), who plays at being a helpless victim with gleeful abandon. He plays at it. He blabbers not because he wants LWJ to shut him up but because he wants to egg him on. He laughs, he has fun, he doesn't take any of it seriously even in the heat of the moment. Their dynamic isn't the typical dom/sub you see in fics, or the typical smut, which is why fics that have them as vers or switches tend to get it right more often since they throw "typical" out of the window. Funnily enough, I have seen more BJYX (the actors' CP, if you're out of the circle) fics nail that exact dynamic than actual wangxian fics.

Sometimes people have physical preferences, and maybe WWX isn't into sticking it in or LWJ isn't into taking it. Sometimes people have psychological preferences, and maybe WWX isn't into doing the work, he wants to be a pillow princess and feel pampered (hello to LWJ bathing and dressing him, that man is the best, WWX really lucked out). Sometimes those two overlap, which is why people tend to conflate top/bottom with dom/sub and probably why the "YLLZ is a top" take exists — when you're into someone being forceful and powerful in life and you want to see them behave that way in bed, it doesn't usually translate to envisioning them topping from the bottom. When I see that take, it usually comes across as someone wanting WWX to be absolutely in control and drive the encounter. But if we look at MXTX's books, the ship that is the most traditional one in this sense is actually hualian. From the glimpses we get of Xie Lian remembering their first time, it was exactly that.

I'm not into telling people what they should or should write, nor am I into judging other people's fanons. Fandom is transformative. It makes sense that people would change stuff to their liking. But when you take a canonical dynamic that is subverting the stereotypes both from a "personality" perspective (the reserved one topping, the bold one bottoming) and from a smut perspective (the top taking cues, the bottom remaining himself instead of getting overwhelmed and lost in his own head) and try to claim it homophobic, that's where I draw the line.

[samsoleil]

9 and 10?

ask game

V I am sending the most fond vibes in your direction I hope they make it there okay!!

10. Your favourite season and why.

Honestly? Either S2 or S11.

Season 2: Sam has psychic powers and Dean is terrified that his brother might actually be bad, but is still ride or die for him. This is where we can see their relationship flourish without the search for John hanging over their heads. But y'know what does hang over their heads? John telling Dean he'll either have to save Sam or kill him, and Sam who is desperate to be saved and willing to be killed. And then!! when Sam dies!!! Dean saves him in the worst possible way!!!! Also, it's visually gorgeous. You've got the high contrast vibes from S1 but slightly less desaturated and you've still got the grainy film texture. An excellent time.

Season 11: Listen. I still think it should have been Chuck sending Sam visions. And I don't particularly care for the B plot. But Sam and Dean peak in this season for the first time since pre-s4 and it was amazing. It's the immediate aftermath of Sam literally unleashing  "a force on the world that could destroy it" to save Dean. Codependency at its peak. And in two mid-season episodes they absolutely nail the S2 energy. I mean, establishing beyond any doubt that Dean loves Sam? And then making him think Sam is dead in the very next episode? Where Sam is also the dictionary definition of BAMF? Not to mention, Sam is just. so understanding of Dean and his messy feelings about Amara. Love that for them.

9. What episodes best encapsulates the brother’s relationship? Does this change throughout the series? Doesn’t have to be the best episode btw.

To answer the second question, the brother’s relationship very obviously changes throughout the show. It’s obviously very codependent from the get go (especially from Sam’s perspective! Literally unendurable), and it varies in toxicity. Some seasons they are very soft! Some seasons I want to shout at Sam to run for the hills and never return. And then there are some episodes in seasons where their relationship is literally awful that are wonderfully tender (like 08x21 when Dean says “You gotta let me take care of you, man”). 

Imo, S1-3 are peak brothers. S4/5 are excellent to watch but not the most tender. S6 is on thin fucking ice. S7-10 are, generally speaking, when I would absolutely be willing to kill a man (Dean), but are still SO compelling because these crazy kids are devoted and have no moral boundaries when it comes to the other. S11 is a return to the good stuff! I haven’t seen the seasons after that but from what I have seen, Sam becomes a Dean apologist and Dean just gets worse. But they’re still codependent, so that’s fine. “You were gonna leave and you weren’t even going to tell me?” and “What about me? Would you trade me?” are baller lines. Sam is a grown man but he’s out here saving the world by being Dean’s baby brother. Iconic of them.

OKAY so. First question. I originally had several episodes per season but I have to limit it to 2, this is going to be too long otherwise. Also, as you well know, I've only watched up to 12x06, so I won't include S12 here. 

Episodes (and explanations) under the cut!

Obviously, both 01x01 Pilot and 15x20 Carry On. Literally the perfect bookends for this show. I don’t need to elaborate.

01x05 Bloody Mary - Has the moment where Dean actually has an emotional conversation with his brother, because he’s switched on to Sam’s emotional needs. He was willing to let Sam blame him for Jess’ death so that Sam didn’t blame himself! And near the end it has the iconic line "You're my brother and I'd die for you." Dean, right? No! It was Sam!! Anyone with any sort of reservations about whether Sam cared about Dean in early S1 can refer to this episode. It’s episode 5!! of the whole show!! and it has that line!!

01x11 Faith - Sam has absolutely no regrets about someone dying to save Dean's life. In retrospect, this episode says a lot about how much Sam loves Dean.

02x01 In My Time of Dying - Sam can sense that Dean is there, either through psychic powers or because they are soulmates. Both are good. Also, Dean is told that he may have to kill Sam, which influences their dynamic for the rest of the show <33

02x21 All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1 - Dean, on his knees in the mud, telling Sam's corpse that it'll be okay and screaming his name. That is all. Also, after thoroughly chewing out a victim earlier in the season for selling his soul to save a loved one, Dean sells his soul to save a loved one. 

03x08 A Very Supernatural Christmas - Sam decorated a Christmas tree with pine air fresheners to give Dean a Christmas. Obsessed.

03x11 Mystery Spot - Dean dies repeatedly, then dies for good for about 6 months, and Sam becomes a ruthless hunter in order to bring him back. Dean spends longer dead in this episode than he actually does at the end of S4.

04x14 Sex and Violence - Dean's siren is literally just a version of Sam that is devoted to Dean and would do anything he says. 

04x22 Lucifer Rising - Bobby coming for Dean's life. The VOICEMAIL!! Dean acting as though them being family is a cure-all and saying he'll beat Sam up, but also apologising. I'll take it. And then, of course, the voicemail Sam hears, which is more or less what Dean said in 04x04, and that being what tips him over the edge. The edge, of course, being killing Lilith to avenge Dean’s death, which has been his quest since the end of S3. Excellent.

05x16 Dark Side of the Moon - Ohoho. This episode. You know why this episode is here.

05x22 Swan Song - Same as the above! Dean who doesn't have a plan, just doesn't want his little brother to die alone. Sam, who fights off the devil himself and (essentially) kills himself to save his brother and the car they call their home. That memory sequence, for me, gave Sam the power not to save the world, but to save his brother. The world was just a bonus.

06x11 Appointment in Samara - "Dean doesn't care about me, he just cares about his little brother, Sammy, burning in hell. He'll kill me to get that other guy back." Dean's anger at himself for screwing up and forfeiting Sam's soul was. a lot. Also, Sam begging for his life and Dean just continuing anyway? Horrific. But very testament to their relationship at this point. Dean wants Sammy back and he WILL kill this other guy to do it.

06x22 The Man Who Knew Too Much - Sam being right about the consequences of having his soul put back in. And "You know me. You know why. I'm not leaving my brother alone out there."

07x03 The Girl Next Door - I was tossing up between this and 07x02 but. this has some flashbacks to past Sam!! Unfortunately, it also has Dean punching Sam for using the Impala, the car they both rely on to get around. And Dean murdering Sam's childhood friend for killing rapists. This isn’t an episode that makes you think “Awh, they’re codependent!”, it’s an episode that makes you send Sam vibes screaming at him to get out.

07x14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie - Ever think that maybe Sam fears clowns because he associates them with being abandoned? Also, nostalgia vs reality.

08x09 Citizen Fang - The voicemail from S4 is still hanging over our heads. Dean asking “Does that sound like the Benny we know?” and Sam replying “I don’t know Benny.” Dean keeping Benny away from Sam because Sam is apparently the one who will kill monsters with no nuance or remorse. But this episode is on the list specifically because of how pivotal the line "Yes, I do – too well. In fact, every relationship I have ever had has gone to crap at some point. But the one thing I can say about Benny – he has never let me down." is in absolutely wrecking Sam's mental health down the road!

08x23 Sacrifice - For obvious reasons! “You know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was? It was how many times I let you down!” and then Dean’s speech of blatant lies. It sounded good, though. Dean really is that devoted, but unfortunately he has amnesia.

09x01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here - Autonomy violation. This is what advanced care directives are for. Dean being so dependent on Sam that he would violate his autonomy and trick him into consenting to possession. Dean will do anything to keep Sam alive, including destroy Sam.

09x16 Blade Runners - The parallels between Colette and Sam are unbearable. “Drop the blade.” Also, Dean becomes SO feral when Sam’s cheek gets cut.

10x19 Book of the Damned - Sam’s speech! “But I can’t do it without my brother. I don’t want to do it without my brother. And if he’s gone, then I don’t….”

10x24 Brother's Keeper - Ahahahahaaa. Sam kneeling down in front of Dean and letting him kill him, if he wants. Dean not doing so. Please do not emulate this relationship in your real human lives.

11x04 Baby - Obvious reasons. Also, the perfect example of how these two communicate. Dean clearly states his opinion so that Sam has something to base his arguments around, and then Sam provides his perspective. That meta about how Dean and Sam communicate and how Sam is the major decision maker opened my eyes. Impeccable takes.

11x16 Safe House - The thing Dean loves being Sam (and Sam being genuinely relieved that it was!!). Sam propping Dean’s sleeping body against the fridge while saying “I got you! Stay with me.” Him cradling Dean in his arms and patting his head and Dean being SO confused but not fighting it.

11x17 Red Meat - Okay, I lied about the 2 per season thing, I just needed all three of these episodes. They are too good to not include. Dean joking to hide how scared he is for Sam? Being willing to let all three of them die just because he thinks Sam is dead? Attempting/committing suicide to try to bring him back? Sam fighting through immense pain to get back to his brother? This episode is so good. They are absolute lunatics (affectionate).

[lunarspearedaa]

@warraigoe​  asked : fave disney blogs !!

                    send a character & i’ll name my favorite rp blogs | accepting.

            Somehow I feel like this is your Revenge, bUT I LOVE!!! MY FRIENDS!!! SO MUCH!! I CAN’T EVEN BE MAD! I can promise I’ll probably forget some people because when I do these things, suddenly I forget literally everybody I know and love writing with SO JUST KNOW THAT I ADORE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY DISNEY MUTUALS!!!! 

          So of course I have to start with @dreamtcloud​ bc ROCK IS EVERYTHING. We vibe so well with every single one of our characters, but to be specific to disney, I will have to go with Webby and OG Darkwing as my faves! (Yes I know you all expected me to say Gyro and there is a reason I picked other characters uwu). But just from discord shenanigans and the little bit that Rock has written for them so far, they have really managed to nail Webby and OG Drake. Rock is fantastic and basically at this point if you’re following me you should be following them too, we’re a package deal. Honestly, we share a braincell and 90% of the time our braincell is on vacation. We’re dumbasses but we own it uwu 

@briilliance​ - they write a lot of disney muses and i love them aLL. BUT to be more specific, some of my ultimate faves on their list are: Mabel, Pacifica, Huey, Launchpad, Panchito and Fenton!! I can hear their voices in everything Alex writes (LP is like, my ultimate ultimate fave - Alex writes him SO WELL OKAY) and they’re just an absolute delight! 

@voidfcllen​ - ZAK ALSO WRITES INCREDIBLY ON POINT CHARACTERS!!! Drake, Gladstone, Louie and Boyd  -  I adore them all!!! I have so much fun plotting shenanigans and honestly just weeping about all of these characters together. 

@scroogemcdork​ / @tychcros​ / @rcwrittcn​ - Toxi is a huge part of why I ended up watching DT17 tbh! Toxi puts so much into their DT muses, and it is honestly inspiring. On another note, their GF muses??? good shit good shit, I love their Ford more than anything else, and we will never 4get our first interaction was just crippling angst. I adore Toxi sm and 10/10 would recommend following them.

@warraigoe​ / @ragefeathers​ - OF COURSE I GOTTA REP HARI !!! I would die for Hari, their muses are all so well written and their Donald??? ONE OF MY FAVES EVER. It’s super fun writing with Hari because they have such fresh takes and also we write a lot of the same characters, so we can switch up dynamics fairly often! I’m super glad I got the chance to know Hari and be their friend, they’re honestly a delight to be around. I couldn’t ask for a better friend to have! 

@yoakkemae​ - gets mentioned too because Ben. ALWAYS BEN. I love their Ben more than I love air. Everything Satan has done with Ben is genius and their canon for him is really the canon I follow for Descendants at this point. I would die for Satan and I have deff already sold my soul to them sO YEAH. THAT’S A THING. 

@spiriitum​ - So like I feel like I just have to talk about how much I love Emma’s Varian, even though we don’t really interact on this blog??? I still love our twin au for Varian and Vitas,  even if I’m not really on my blog right now. WE STAN EMMA IN THIS HOUSE! 

HONORABLE MENTIONS BECAUSE NOW I’M JUST TOO TIRED TO KEEP WRITING HOW MUCH I LOVE PEOPLE BUT I STILL WANT TO INCLUDE LITERALLY EVERYONE BC I DO LOVE U ALL, I’M JUST L A Z Y: 

                    @wcrldtcp​ | @guidebookheld​ | @gearloosened​ | @isolatedocean​ | @irnmaidn​ | @novumsomnium​ (again these are more from my varian blog & i’m not over there rn -- but i love evie’s cassandra so much and all of terra’s muses are chefs kiss ) | and i’m sure there are MORE but my brain is completely fried. 

                   Just know that I adore you all. You’re all fantastic and this RPC honestly makes me so happy uwu

[dylanreviewsthings]

Poppy's "Am I A Girl?" May Be The Most Bewildering Album Of The Year

It’s no mystery that Poppy is one of the most left-field artists in the pop world, but her latest record really takes that sentiment to another level. Poppy’s Am I A Girl? may be the most bewildering album of the year, but in the best way possible.

Am I A Girl? kicks off in the weird way you’d expect it to. ‘In A Minute‘ kicks the record off with Poppy’s mechanical popstar voice, the sweet instrumental adding a fun and carefree atmosphere to add some sense of humanity to Poppy’s voice. In this record, it feels like Poppy is trying to discover whether or not she’s a robot or a human. ‘In A Minute’ dives into that with the chorus: “Cash my check, got paid, yeah, I did it / I haven't done my nails in a minute.“ The following track ‘Fashion After All‘ gets even more serious with it as Poppy talks about doing her makeup and all things fashion. Admittedly, this song is super catchy and infectious in all the weirdest ways, and Poppy really does a good job at selling herself as the weirdest popstar. Other tracks see her get even more into it, like the blunt ‘Chic Chick‘ (“Chic chick, I'm a chic chick, I'm a chic chick / If you don't like it suck my dick“ is an incredible line) or the uncomfortably accurate ‘Iconic.’

The first few songs may be relatively weird, but this album quickly gets even stranger. The middle of the record is actually pretty chill, with summery tracks like ‘Aristocrat‘ with Garibay and ‘Time Is Up‘ with Diplo. Things start picking up with a bit more edge and drive with the alternative ‘Hard Feelings,’ which gets pretty heavy. Title track ‘Am I A Girl?‘ brings more alternative rock vibes… and then things get really wild. Grimes features in the “special” track ‘Play Destroy.’ Grimes and Poppy are probably the dynamic duo of weird in the pop world, and this track really sells that. Starting off with a literal nu metal riff before kicking into the sweetest, dreamiest verse of the entire album, ‘Play Destroy’ literally switches things up on the fly. It’s almost the opposite of what you’d expect from this collaboration. ‘X‘ closes the record on a giant note, guitars roaring and drums pounding before Poppy goes back into a very Beatles-esque, light jam. Then the distortion kicks back in, and you have absolutely no idea what’s going on. This album is a clusterfuck in the wildest and amazing ways.

Poppy’s Am I A Girl? may be the most bewildering album of the year, but in great ways. You truly can never understand what’s going on, but all the while Poppy delivers great melodies, hooks, and memorable lines. You won’t forget this album simply because of how unpredictable it is, but at the same time you can’t help but love it. Poppy may be the weirdest popstar out there, but you have to appreciate how daring she is.

Favorite Tracks: Hard Feelings, Fashion After All

Least Favorite Track: Iconic

Rating: 78 / 100

Stream or buy Am I A Girl? on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify:

[jesusvasser]

2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Despite all the wistful reminiscing about the demise of the Great American Station Wagon by enthusiasts too young to recall their mid-century heyday, truth be told most of those wagons weren’t really all that special. The average kids of the era were being shuttled about in ubiquitous land barges like the Ford Country Squire and Chrysler Town & Country. Few would have had any interaction with big block-powered rarities like the Mercury Colony Park or Chevrolet Kingswood Estate, let alone an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with a stonking Rocket V-8, four-on-the-floor with a Hurst shifter jutting out from the floor in front of the bench seat, and its slick glass roof.

Imagine now for a moment how today’s sport/utility vehicles will be remembered some half-century hence. Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be thought of as the Country Squires and T&Cs of the day, but thanks to the wealth of fire-breathing M and AMG-badged monsters, 707-horse Trackhawks and the like, the modern equivalent of the musclecar-era super wagon won’t be so rare. This leaves fun and engaging outliers like Mazda CX-5, which lines up well with the Vista Cruiser.

Yes, we know, their powertrains are wildly different, but stay with us here. The new CX-5 has been styled to help it stand out in a veritable sea of look-alike crossovers, much like the Olds wagon did. And it has decent road manners and ride quality, without trying to be a tall, five-seat MX-5 Miata, just as the Vista Cruiser wasn’t trying to be a family-size 4-4-2.

We actually had the past in mind when we chose to add a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring to our Four Seasons fleet, though we weren’t thinking as much of classic wagons as we were of the 2013 CX-5 we also had in for a long-term evaluation. That first-gen CX-5 wowed us with how enjoyable it was to drive for a midsize crossover, and it never gave us a bit of trouble (though it spelled plenty for an unfortunate deer that struck it head-on). We wanted to see if the second-generation CX-5 could repeat the feat.

One feat the midsize Mazda crossover has been pulling off almost singlehandedly is levitating the fortunes the small, independent Japanese automaker. At one point during 2018 the CX-5 outsold Volkswagen’s Atlas, Tiguan, and Touareg combined. We don’t need to remind you that Mazda’s mainstream SUV sales help ensure a future for cars like the MX-5 Miata.

And while we adore the Miata, an area where we’ve had some issue with it as well as the CX-5 is in the motivation department. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four with 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque under the hood of the CX-5 sounds good on paper and likely offers more than adequate power for most of its intended customers. But we’re not most buyers. We wanted more go.

“Mazda is outperforming its competitors on every front when it comes to look and feel at a given price point,” senior editor Nelson Ireson says. “The only thing that’s not leading the game is powertrain tech, and that’s pretty obvious once you get behind the wheel.

“It’s not that it lacks power so much as it lacks low-end torque, requiring a good thrashing to make the hustle of a quick merger or short on-ramp,” Ireson continues. “That, in turn means engine noise and vibration, which spoils the polished, controlled, sorted vibe found in every other aspect of the CX-5.”

At around 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, the CX-5 gets up to speed acceptably, but as Ireson and others on staff found out, it lacks some giddy up in situations where you could use more of it.

“My biggest complaint is that the car’s dynamic proficiency highlights its lack of power, especially for passing on the freeway,” social media editor Billy Rehbock says.

Some editors wondered whether the 227-horse turbo four from the CX-9 would fit under the CX-5’s hood, perhaps as some sort of Mazdaspeed version (remember those, Mazda fans?). There is one other engine option coming soon (or at least we keep hearing it is) for the 2019 model year, however, in the form of Mazda’s long-awaited 2.2-liter turbodiesel four, which is tentatively rated at 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It should add the low-end grunt Ireson was looking for while marginally increasing fuel efficiency over the gas-powered engine.

Speaking of mpg, during our time with the CX-5 we recorded an average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg, which limboed under the EPA’s 26 mpg combined figure. It’s not all that surprising though considering how much we normally keep the hammer down around town—all in the name of evaluation, mind you.

“Could it use more power?” editor-in-chief Mike Floyd asks. “Of course, but then you start to sacrifice miles per gallon, and that’s a bad idea from a selling point perspective.”

Feelings throughout the staff were basically reversed when the subject turned to the CX-5’s dynamic chops. Although some thought it a bit softer than the first-gen model given its bigger dimensions and tuning that seemed more toward the comfort end of the spectrum, the new CX-5 was lauded for its precise steering that offers more feedback than most of its segment competitors, and overall poise on all manner of pavement.

Ireson sums up our thoughts well: “Ride quality is a careful balance of snappy handling and bumpy-road comfort. The steering is the crossover equivalent of extremely sporty, which is to say, not like you’d find in a sports car, but much closer to that ideal than the usual pile of mashed potatoes served to crossover drivers.”

The sentiment was much the same when the topic turned to the CX-5’s exterior style, which featured a killer Soul Red Metallic sheen on our test vehicle and attractive 19-inch rims. Praise was nearly universal for the Mazda’s sheetmetal, a design that takes some chances but generally speaking works instead of sticking out for the wrong reasons. It’s one of the key differentiators between the CX-5 and the rest of the midsize crossover crowd.

“Mazda continues to be at the forefront of design in the segment, and the new evolution of this design language is even cleaner,” associate editor Conner Golden says. “The CX-5 also looks a fair bit more expensive than it really is.”

That premium feel at an affordable price point philosophy extended to the interior. Materials had a near luxury look to them, and yet weren’t so precious as to worry about the effects of the sort of family travel for which this two-row SUV is intended. Given the comfortable cabin seating was swathed in a bright “parchment” white, keeping it clean was a bit of an issue, but thanks to a proper detailing it looked pretty much good as new when we turned it in.

It wasn’t all roses when the inside was mentioned. The familiar Mazda family of controls, including the rotary center dial that scrolls through audio, navigation and the like, received mixed reviews. ““There are some wonky things about the rotary dial infotainment setup,” Floyd says. “But it works. Screen seems a bit small given the competitive set [7-inches].”

At least one editor was unimpressed with the tiny sunroof. But for just north of $34,000 all in, the Grand Touring model was praised for its generous list of standard equipment and impressive suite of safety tech. Says Floyd, “I was impressed with the full-stop adaptive cruise control, and the head-up display also has a blind spot warning that’s pretty cool looking.”

The L.A. staff mostly used the CX-5 as a daily commuter, weekend errand-runner, and for the occasional short trip, but it got a cross country workout thanks to yours truly, who drove it north by northeast, through Reno, Nevada, and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before heading back to the Motor City.

Once there, the Mazda CX-5 often had its back seat folded, with sheets, blankets, and doggy beds protecting the interior from a surfeit of collie hair. (There were frequent stops at powerful car wash vacuum stations.) My wife and I also used it to help relay an adopted dog to his new owner. Thanks to the CX-5 and Above and Beyond Transport, an English setter named Murphy had a comfortable ride from Detroit to Marine City, Michigan, his last 50 miles of a journey that began in Goochland, Virginia. We also used it for a couple of 360-mile round trips to our “Up North” cabin with the big dog in the family, a 100-pound rough collie.

During its 19,000 plus mile stay in our care, the CX-5 proved absolutely trouble free, with the only maintenance being a couple of oil changes and switching on and off a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter rubber that we sourced from our friends at Tire Rack.

Rehbock nailed the team’s thoughts on our overall experience with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 well: “Perhaps no other affordable crossover fulfills our magazine’s mantra of ‘No Boring Cars.’ The CX-5 was never a punishment to drive. It boasts precise steering, well-tuned suspension and good throttle response,” he says. “I liked Mazda’s easy-to-navigate infotainment system. The white leather chairs were comfortable, supportive and stylish. The metallic red paint is one of the best colors on sale, and it’s a shame more cars don’t wear it.”

Chalk up at least one young enthusiast who will have fond memories of this family wagon some four or five decades hence.

Our 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

AS-TESTED PRICE $34,435

ENGINE 2.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4, 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm/185 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD SUV

EPA MILEAGE 23/29/26 mpg (city/highway/combined)

L x W x H 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in

WHEELBASE 106.2 in

WEIGHT 3,655 lb

0-60 MPH 8.6 sec

TOP SPEED N/A mph

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 563/19,345

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 756.36

OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY 24.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $2,403.66

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.18

MAINTENANCE 3x Oil change/inspection, $209.17

RECALLS AND TSBS None

OUT OF POCKET 4x Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, mounting and balancing, $765.70 Remount original all-season tires, $95.00

OUR OPTIONS

Premium Package, $1,830 (Head-up display with traffic sign recognition, power passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, windshield deicer); Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, $595; Rear bumper guard, $125; Retractable cargo cover, $250

The post 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Despite all the wistful reminiscing about the demise of the Great American Station Wagon by enthusiasts too young to recall their mid-century heyday, truth be told most of those wagons weren’t really all that special. The average kids of the era were being shuttled about in ubiquitous land barges like the Ford Country Squire and Chrysler Town & Country. Few would have had any interaction with big block-powered rarities like the Mercury Colony Park or Chevrolet Kingswood Estate, let alone an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with a stonking Rocket V-8, four-on-the-floor with a Hurst shifter jutting out from the floor in front of the bench seat, and its slick glass roof.

Imagine now for a moment how today’s sport/utility vehicles will be remembered some half-century hence. Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be thought of as the Country Squires and T&Cs of the day, but thanks to the wealth of fire-breathing M and AMG-badged monsters, 707-horse Trackhawks and the like, the modern equivalent of the musclecar-era super wagon won’t be so rare. This leaves fun and engaging outliers like Mazda CX-5, which lines up well with the Vista Cruiser.

Yes, we know, their powertrains are wildly different, but stay with us here. The new CX-5 has been styled to help it stand out in a veritable sea of look-alike crossovers, much like the Olds wagon did. And it has decent road manners and ride quality, without trying to be a tall, five-seat MX-5 Miata, just as the Vista Cruiser wasn’t trying to be a family-size 4-4-2.

We actually had the past in mind when we chose to add a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring to our Four Seasons fleet, though we weren’t thinking as much of classic wagons as we were of the 2013 CX-5 we also had in for a long-term evaluation. That first-gen CX-5 wowed us with how enjoyable it was to drive for a midsize crossover, and it never gave us a bit of trouble (though it spelled plenty for an unfortunate deer that struck it head-on). We wanted to see if the second-generation CX-5 could repeat the feat.

One feat the midsize Mazda crossover has been pulling off almost singlehandedly is levitating the fortunes the small, independent Japanese automaker. At one point during 2018 the CX-5 outsold Volkswagen’s Atlas, Tiguan, and Touareg combined. We don’t need to remind you that Mazda’s mainstream SUV sales help ensure a future for cars like the MX-5 Miata.

And while we adore the Miata, an area where we’ve had some issue with it as well as the CX-5 is in the motivation department. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four with 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque under the hood of the CX-5 sounds good on paper and likely offers more than adequate power for most of its intended customers. But we’re not most buyers. We wanted more go.

“Mazda is outperforming its competitors on every front when it comes to look and feel at a given price point,” senior editor Nelson Ireson says. “The only thing that’s not leading the game is powertrain tech, and that’s pretty obvious once you get behind the wheel.

“It’s not that it lacks power so much as it lacks low-end torque, requiring a good thrashing to make the hustle of a quick merger or short on-ramp,” Ireson continues. “That, in turn means engine noise and vibration, which spoils the polished, controlled, sorted vibe found in every other aspect of the CX-5.”

At around 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, the CX-5 gets up to speed acceptably, but as Ireson and others on staff found out, it lacks some giddy up in situations where you could use more of it.

“My biggest complaint is that the car’s dynamic proficiency highlights its lack of power, especially for passing on the freeway,” social media editor Billy Rehbock says.

Some editors wondered whether the 227-horse turbo four from the CX-9 would fit under the CX-5’s hood, perhaps as some sort of Mazdaspeed version (remember those, Mazda fans?). There is one other engine option coming soon (or at least we keep hearing it is) for the 2019 model year, however, in the form of Mazda’s long-awaited 2.2-liter turbodiesel four, which is tentatively rated at 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It should add the low-end grunt Ireson was looking for while marginally increasing fuel efficiency over the gas-powered engine.

Speaking of mpg, during our time with the CX-5 we recorded an average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg, which limboed under the EPA’s 26 mpg combined figure. It’s not all that surprising though considering how much we normally keep the hammer down around town—all in the name of evaluation, mind you.

“Could it use more power?” editor-in-chief Mike Floyd asks. “Of course, but then you start to sacrifice miles per gallon, and that’s a bad idea from a selling point perspective.”

Feelings throughout the staff were basically reversed when the subject turned to the CX-5’s dynamic chops. Although some thought it a bit softer than the first-gen model given its bigger dimensions and tuning that seemed more toward the comfort end of the spectrum, the new CX-5 was lauded for its precise steering that offers more feedback than most of its segment competitors, and overall poise on all manner of pavement.

Ireson sums up our thoughts well: “Ride quality is a careful balance of snappy handling and bumpy-road comfort. The steering is the crossover equivalent of extremely sporty, which is to say, not like you’d find in a sports car, but much closer to that ideal than the usual pile of mashed potatoes served to crossover drivers.”

The sentiment was much the same when the topic turned to the CX-5’s exterior style, which featured a killer Soul Red Metallic sheen on our test vehicle and attractive 19-inch rims. Praise was nearly universal for the Mazda’s sheetmetal, a design that takes some chances but generally speaking works instead of sticking out for the wrong reasons. It’s one of the key differentiators between the CX-5 and the rest of the midsize crossover crowd.

“Mazda continues to be at the forefront of design in the segment, and the new evolution of this design language is even cleaner,” associate editor Conner Golden says. “The CX-5 also looks a fair bit more expensive than it really is.”

That premium feel at an affordable price point philosophy extended to the interior. Materials had a near luxury look to them, and yet weren’t so precious as to worry about the effects of the sort of family travel for which this two-row SUV is intended. Given the comfortable cabin seating was swathed in a bright “parchment” white, keeping it clean was a bit of an issue, but thanks to a proper detailing it looked pretty much good as new when we turned it in.

It wasn’t all roses when the inside was mentioned. The familiar Mazda family of controls, including the rotary center dial that scrolls through audio, navigation and the like, received mixed reviews. ““There are some wonky things about the rotary dial infotainment setup,” Floyd says. “But it works. Screen seems a bit small given the competitive set [7-inches].”

At least one editor was unimpressed with the tiny sunroof. But for just north of $34,000 all in, the Grand Touring model was praised for its generous list of standard equipment and impressive suite of safety tech. Says Floyd, “I was impressed with the full-stop adaptive cruise control, and the head-up display also has a blind spot warning that’s pretty cool looking.”

The L.A. staff mostly used the CX-5 as a daily commuter, weekend errand-runner, and for the occasional short trip, but it got a cross country workout thanks to yours truly, who drove it north by northeast, through Reno, Nevada, and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before heading back to the Motor City.

Once there, the Mazda CX-5 often had its back seat folded, with sheets, blankets, and doggy beds protecting the interior from a surfeit of collie hair. (There were frequent stops at powerful car wash vacuum stations.) My wife and I also used it to help relay an adopted dog to his new owner. Thanks to the CX-5 and Above and Beyond Transport, an English setter named Murphy had a comfortable ride from Detroit to Marine City, Michigan, his last 50 miles of a journey that began in Goochland, Virginia. We also used it for a couple of 360-mile round trips to our “Up North” cabin with the big dog in the family, a 100-pound rough collie.

During its 19,000 plus mile stay in our care, the CX-5 proved absolutely trouble free, with the only maintenance being a couple of oil changes and switching on and off a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter rubber that we sourced from our friends at Tire Rack.

Rehbock nailed the team’s thoughts on our overall experience with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 well: “Perhaps no other affordable crossover fulfills our magazine’s mantra of ‘No Boring Cars.’ The CX-5 was never a punishment to drive. It boasts precise steering, well-tuned suspension and good throttle response,” he says. “I liked Mazda’s easy-to-navigate infotainment system. The white leather chairs were comfortable, supportive and stylish. The metallic red paint is one of the best colors on sale, and it’s a shame more cars don’t wear it.”

Chalk up at least one young enthusiast who will have fond memories of this family wagon some four or five decades hence.

Our 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

AS-TESTED PRICE $34,435

ENGINE 2.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4, 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm/185 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD SUV

EPA MILEAGE 23/29/26 mpg (city/highway/combined)

L x W x H 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in

WHEELBASE 106.2 in

WEIGHT 3,655 lb

0-60 MPH 8.6 sec

TOP SPEED N/A mph

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 563/19,345

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 756.36

OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY 24.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $2,403.66

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.18

MAINTENANCE 3x Oil change/inspection, $209.17

RECALLS AND TSBS None

OUT OF POCKET 4x Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, mounting and balancing, $765.70 Remount original all-season tires, $95.00

OUR OPTIONS

Premium Package, $1,830 (Head-up display with traffic sign recognition, power passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, windshield deicer); Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, $595; Rear bumper guard, $125; Retractable cargo cover, $250

The post 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[eddiejpoplar]

2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Despite all the wistful reminiscing about the demise of the Great American Station Wagon by enthusiasts too young to recall their mid-century heyday, truth be told most of those wagons weren’t really all that special. The average kids of the era were being shuttled about in ubiquitous land barges like the Ford Country Squire and Chrysler Town & Country. Few would have had any interaction with big block-powered rarities like the Mercury Colony Park or Chevrolet Kingswood Estate, let alone an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with a stonking Rocket V-8, four-on-the-floor with a Hurst shifter jutting out from the floor in front of the bench seat, and its slick glass roof.

Imagine now for a moment how today’s sport/utility vehicles will be remembered some half-century hence. Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be thought of as the Country Squires and T&Cs of the day, but thanks to the wealth of fire-breathing M and AMG-badged monsters, 707-horse Trackhawks and the like, the modern equivalent of the musclecar-era super wagon won’t be so rare. This leaves fun and engaging outliers like Mazda CX-5, which lines up well with the Vista Cruiser.

Yes, we know, their powertrains are wildly different, but stay with us here. The new CX-5 has been styled to help it stand out in a veritable sea of look-alike crossovers, much like the Olds wagon did. And it has decent road manners and ride quality, without trying to be a tall, five-seat MX-5 Miata, just as the Vista Cruiser wasn’t trying to be a family-size 4-4-2.

We actually had the past in mind when we chose to add a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring to our Four Seasons fleet, though we weren’t thinking as much of classic wagons as we were of the 2013 CX-5 we also had in for a long-term evaluation. That first-gen CX-5 wowed us with how enjoyable it was to drive for a midsize crossover, and it never gave us a bit of trouble (though it spelled plenty for an unfortunate deer that struck it head-on). We wanted to see if the second-generation CX-5 could repeat the feat.

One feat the midsize Mazda crossover has been pulling off almost singlehandedly is levitating the fortunes the small, independent Japanese automaker. At one point during 2018 the CX-5 outsold Volkswagen’s Atlas, Tiguan, and Touareg combined. We don’t need to remind you that Mazda’s mainstream SUV sales help ensure a future for cars like the MX-5 Miata.

And while we adore the Miata, an area where we’ve had some issue with it as well as the CX-5 is in the motivation department. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four with 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque under the hood of the CX-5 sounds good on paper and likely offers more than adequate power for most of its intended customers. But we’re not most buyers. We wanted more go.

“Mazda is outperforming its competitors on every front when it comes to look and feel at a given price point,” senior editor Nelson Ireson says. “The only thing that’s not leading the game is powertrain tech, and that’s pretty obvious once you get behind the wheel.

“It’s not that it lacks power so much as it lacks low-end torque, requiring a good thrashing to make the hustle of a quick merger or short on-ramp,” Ireson continues. “That, in turn means engine noise and vibration, which spoils the polished, controlled, sorted vibe found in every other aspect of the CX-5.”

At around 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, the CX-5 gets up to speed acceptably, but as Ireson and others on staff found out, it lacks some giddy up in situations where you could use more of it.

“My biggest complaint is that the car’s dynamic proficiency highlights its lack of power, especially for passing on the freeway,” social media editor Billy Rehbock says.

Some editors wondered whether the 227-horse turbo four from the CX-9 would fit under the CX-5’s hood, perhaps as some sort of Mazdaspeed version (remember those, Mazda fans?). There is one other engine option coming soon (or at least we keep hearing it is) for the 2019 model year, however, in the form of Mazda’s long-awaited 2.2-liter turbodiesel four, which is tentatively rated at 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It should add the low-end grunt Ireson was looking for while marginally increasing fuel efficiency over the gas-powered engine.

Speaking of mpg, during our time with the CX-5 we recorded an average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg, which limboed under the EPA’s 26 mpg combined figure. It’s not all that surprising though considering how much we normally keep the hammer down around town—all in the name of evaluation, mind you.

“Could it use more power?” editor-in-chief Mike Floyd asks. “Of course, but then you start to sacrifice miles per gallon, and that’s a bad idea from a selling point perspective.”

Feelings throughout the staff were basically reversed when the subject turned to the CX-5’s dynamic chops. Although some thought it a bit softer than the first-gen model given its bigger dimensions and tuning that seemed more toward the comfort end of the spectrum, the new CX-5 was lauded for its precise steering that offers more feedback than most of its segment competitors, and overall poise on all manner of pavement.

Ireson sums up our thoughts well: “Ride quality is a careful balance of snappy handling and bumpy-road comfort. The steering is the crossover equivalent of extremely sporty, which is to say, not like you’d find in a sports car, but much closer to that ideal than the usual pile of mashed potatoes served to crossover drivers.”

The sentiment was much the same when the topic turned to the CX-5’s exterior style, which featured a killer Soul Red Metallic sheen on our test vehicle and attractive 19-inch rims. Praise was nearly universal for the Mazda’s sheetmetal, a design that takes some chances but generally speaking works instead of sticking out for the wrong reasons. It’s one of the key differentiators between the CX-5 and the rest of the midsize crossover crowd.

“Mazda continues to be at the forefront of design in the segment, and the new evolution of this design language is even cleaner,” associate editor Conner Golden says. “The CX-5 also looks a fair bit more expensive than it really is.”

That premium feel at an affordable price point philosophy extended to the interior. Materials had a near luxury look to them, and yet weren’t so precious as to worry about the effects of the sort of family travel for which this two-row SUV is intended. Given the comfortable cabin seating was swathed in a bright “parchment” white, keeping it clean was a bit of an issue, but thanks to a proper detailing it looked pretty much good as new when we turned it in.

It wasn’t all roses when the inside was mentioned. The familiar Mazda family of controls, including the rotary center dial that scrolls through audio, navigation and the like, received mixed reviews. ““There are some wonky things about the rotary dial infotainment setup,” Floyd says. “But it works. Screen seems a bit small given the competitive set [7-inches].”

At least one editor was unimpressed with the tiny sunroof. But for just north of $34,000 all in, the Grand Touring model was praised for its generous list of standard equipment and impressive suite of safety tech. Says Floyd, “I was impressed with the full-stop adaptive cruise control, and the head-up display also has a blind spot warning that’s pretty cool looking.”

The L.A. staff mostly used the CX-5 as a daily commuter, weekend errand-runner, and for the occasional short trip, but it got a cross country workout thanks to yours truly, who drove it north by northeast, through Reno, Nevada, and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before heading back to the Motor City.

Once there, the Mazda CX-5 often had its back seat folded, with sheets, blankets, and doggy beds protecting the interior from a surfeit of collie hair. (There were frequent stops at powerful car wash vacuum stations.) My wife and I also used it to help relay an adopted dog to his new owner. Thanks to the CX-5 and Above and Beyond Transport, an English setter named Murphy had a comfortable ride from Detroit to Marine City, Michigan, his last 50 miles of a journey that began in Goochland, Virginia. We also used it for a couple of 360-mile round trips to our “Up North” cabin with the big dog in the family, a 100-pound rough collie.

During its 19,000 plus mile stay in our care, the CX-5 proved absolutely trouble free, with the only maintenance being a couple of oil changes and switching on and off a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter rubber that we sourced from our friends at Tire Rack.

Rehbock nailed the team’s thoughts on our overall experience with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 well: “Perhaps no other affordable crossover fulfills our magazine’s mantra of ‘No Boring Cars.’ The CX-5 was never a punishment to drive. It boasts precise steering, well-tuned suspension and good throttle response,” he says. “I liked Mazda’s easy-to-navigate infotainment system. The white leather chairs were comfortable, supportive and stylish. The metallic red paint is one of the best colors on sale, and it’s a shame more cars don’t wear it.”

Chalk up at least one young enthusiast who will have fond memories of this family wagon some four or five decades hence.

Our 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

AS-TESTED PRICE $34,435

ENGINE 2.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4, 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm/185 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD SUV

EPA MILEAGE 23/29/26 mpg (city/highway/combined)

L x W x H 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in

WHEELBASE 106.2 in

WEIGHT 3,655 lb

0-60 MPH 8.6 sec

TOP SPEED N/A mph

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 563/19,345

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 756.36

OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY 24.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $2,403.66

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.18

MAINTENANCE 3x Oil change/inspection, $209.17

RECALLS AND TSBS None

OUT OF POCKET 4x Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, mounting and balancing, $765.70 Remount original all-season tires, $95.00

OUR OPTIONS

Premium Package, $1,830 (Head-up display with traffic sign recognition, power passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, windshield deicer); Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, $595; Rear bumper guard, $125; Retractable cargo cover, $250

The post 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Despite all the wistful reminiscing about the demise of the Great American Station Wagon by enthusiasts too young to recall their mid-century heyday, truth be told most of those wagons weren’t really all that special. The average kids of the era were being shuttled about in ubiquitous land barges like the Ford Country Squire and Chrysler Town & Country. Few would have had any interaction with big block-powered rarities like the Mercury Colony Park or Chevrolet Kingswood Estate, let alone an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with a stonking Rocket V-8, four-on-the-floor with a Hurst shifter jutting out from the floor in front of the bench seat, and its slick glass roof.

Imagine now for a moment how today’s sport/utility vehicles will be remembered some half-century hence. Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be thought of as the Country Squires and T&Cs of the day, but thanks to the wealth of fire-breathing M and AMG-badged monsters, 707-horse Trackhawks and the like, the modern equivalent of the musclecar-era super wagon won’t be so rare. This leaves fun and engaging outliers like Mazda CX-5, which lines up well with the Vista Cruiser.

Yes, we know, their powertrains are wildly different, but stay with us here. The new CX-5 has been styled to help it stand out in a veritable sea of look-alike crossovers, much like the Olds wagon did. And it has decent road manners and ride quality, without trying to be a tall, five-seat MX-5 Miata, just as the Vista Cruiser wasn’t trying to be a family-size 4-4-2.

We actually had the past in mind when we chose to add a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring to our Four Seasons fleet, though we weren’t thinking as much of classic wagons as we were of the 2013 CX-5 we also had in for a long-term evaluation. That first-gen CX-5 wowed us with how enjoyable it was to drive for a midsize crossover, and it never gave us a bit of trouble (though it spelled plenty for an unfortunate deer that struck it head-on). We wanted to see if the second-generation CX-5 could repeat the feat.

One feat the midsize Mazda crossover has been pulling off almost singlehandedly is levitating the fortunes the small, independent Japanese automaker. At one point during 2018 the CX-5 outsold Volkswagen’s Atlas, Tiguan, and Touareg combined. We don’t need to remind you that Mazda’s mainstream SUV sales help ensure a future for cars like the MX-5 Miata.

And while we adore the Miata, an area where we’ve had some issue with it as well as the CX-5 is in the motivation department. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four with 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque under the hood of the CX-5 sounds good on paper and likely offers more than adequate power for most of its intended customers. But we’re not most buyers. We wanted more go.

“Mazda is outperforming its competitors on every front when it comes to look and feel at a given price point,” senior editor Nelson Ireson says. “The only thing that’s not leading the game is powertrain tech, and that’s pretty obvious once you get behind the wheel.

“It’s not that it lacks power so much as it lacks low-end torque, requiring a good thrashing to make the hustle of a quick merger or short on-ramp,” Ireson continues. “That, in turn means engine noise and vibration, which spoils the polished, controlled, sorted vibe found in every other aspect of the CX-5.”

At around 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, the CX-5 gets up to speed acceptably, but as Ireson and others on staff found out, it lacks some giddy up in situations where you could use more of it.

“My biggest complaint is that the car’s dynamic proficiency highlights its lack of power, especially for passing on the freeway,” social media editor Billy Rehbock says.

Some editors wondered whether the 227-horse turbo four from the CX-9 would fit under the CX-5’s hood, perhaps as some sort of Mazdaspeed version (remember those, Mazda fans?). There is one other engine option coming soon (or at least we keep hearing it is) for the 2019 model year, however, in the form of Mazda’s long-awaited 2.2-liter turbodiesel four, which is tentatively rated at 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It should add the low-end grunt Ireson was looking for while marginally increasing fuel efficiency over the gas-powered engine.

Speaking of mpg, during our time with the CX-5 we recorded an average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg, which limboed under the EPA’s 26 mpg combined figure. It’s not all that surprising though considering how much we normally keep the hammer down around town—all in the name of evaluation, mind you.

“Could it use more power?” editor-in-chief Mike Floyd asks. “Of course, but then you start to sacrifice miles per gallon, and that’s a bad idea from a selling point perspective.”

Feelings throughout the staff were basically reversed when the subject turned to the CX-5’s dynamic chops. Although some thought it a bit softer than the first-gen model given its bigger dimensions and tuning that seemed more toward the comfort end of the spectrum, the new CX-5 was lauded for its precise steering that offers more feedback than most of its segment competitors, and overall poise on all manner of pavement.

Ireson sums up our thoughts well: “Ride quality is a careful balance of snappy handling and bumpy-road comfort. The steering is the crossover equivalent of extremely sporty, which is to say, not like you’d find in a sports car, but much closer to that ideal than the usual pile of mashed potatoes served to crossover drivers.”

The sentiment was much the same when the topic turned to the CX-5’s exterior style, which featured a killer Soul Red Metallic sheen on our test vehicle and attractive 19-inch rims. Praise was nearly universal for the Mazda’s sheetmetal, a design that takes some chances but generally speaking works instead of sticking out for the wrong reasons. It’s one of the key differentiators between the CX-5 and the rest of the midsize crossover crowd.

“Mazda continues to be at the forefront of design in the segment, and the new evolution of this design language is even cleaner,” associate editor Conner Golden says. “The CX-5 also looks a fair bit more expensive than it really is.”

That premium feel at an affordable price point philosophy extended to the interior. Materials had a near luxury look to them, and yet weren’t so precious as to worry about the effects of the sort of family travel for which this two-row SUV is intended. Given the comfortable cabin seating was swathed in a bright “parchment” white, keeping it clean was a bit of an issue, but thanks to a proper detailing it looked pretty much good as new when we turned it in.

It wasn’t all roses when the inside was mentioned. The familiar Mazda family of controls, including the rotary center dial that scrolls through audio, navigation and the like, received mixed reviews. ““There are some wonky things about the rotary dial infotainment setup,” Floyd says. “But it works. Screen seems a bit small given the competitive set [7-inches].”

At least one editor was unimpressed with the tiny sunroof. But for just north of $34,000 all in, the Grand Touring model was praised for its generous list of standard equipment and impressive suite of safety tech. Says Floyd, “I was impressed with the full-stop adaptive cruise control, and the head-up display also has a blind spot warning that’s pretty cool looking.”

The L.A. staff mostly used the CX-5 as a daily commuter, weekend errand-runner, and for the occasional short trip, but it got a cross country workout thanks to yours truly, who drove it north by northeast, through Reno, Nevada, and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before heading back to the Motor City.

Once there, the Mazda CX-5 often had its back seat folded, with sheets, blankets, and doggy beds protecting the interior from a surfeit of collie hair. (There were frequent stops at powerful car wash vacuum stations.) My wife and I also used it to help relay an adopted dog to his new owner. Thanks to the CX-5 and Above and Beyond Transport, an English setter named Murphy had a comfortable ride from Detroit to Marine City, Michigan, his last 50 miles of a journey that began in Goochland, Virginia. We also used it for a couple of 360-mile round trips to our “Up North” cabin with the big dog in the family, a 100-pound rough collie.

During its 19,000 plus mile stay in our care, the CX-5 proved absolutely trouble free, with the only maintenance being a couple of oil changes and switching on and off a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter rubber that we sourced from our friends at Tire Rack.

Rehbock nailed the team’s thoughts on our overall experience with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 well: “Perhaps no other affordable crossover fulfills our magazine’s mantra of ‘No Boring Cars.’ The CX-5 was never a punishment to drive. It boasts precise steering, well-tuned suspension and good throttle response,” he says. “I liked Mazda’s easy-to-navigate infotainment system. The white leather chairs were comfortable, supportive and stylish. The metallic red paint is one of the best colors on sale, and it’s a shame more cars don’t wear it.”

Chalk up at least one young enthusiast who will have fond memories of this family wagon some four or five decades hence.

Our 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

AS-TESTED PRICE $34,435

ENGINE 2.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4, 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm/185 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD SUV

EPA MILEAGE 23/29/26 mpg (city/highway/combined)

L x W x H 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in

WHEELBASE 106.2 in

WEIGHT 3,655 lb

0-60 MPH 8.6 sec

TOP SPEED N/A mph

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 563/19,345

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 756.36

OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY 24.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $2,403.66

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.18

MAINTENANCE 3x Oil change/inspection, $209.17

RECALLS AND TSBS None

OUT OF POCKET 4x Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, mounting and balancing, $765.70 Remount original all-season tires, $95.00

OUR OPTIONS:

Premium Package, $1,830 (Head-up display with traffic sign recognition, power passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, windshield deicer); Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, $595; Rear bumper guard, $125; Retractable cargo cover, $250

The post 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jesusvasser]

2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Despite all the wistful reminiscing about the demise of the Great American Station Wagon by enthusiasts too young to recall their mid-century heyday, truth be told most of those wagons weren’t really all that special. The average kids of the era were being shuttled about in ubiquitous land barges like the Ford Country Squire and Chrysler Town & Country. Few would have had any interaction with big block-powered rarities like the Mercury Colony Park or Chevrolet Kingswood Estate, let alone an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with a stonking Rocket V-8, four-on-the-floor with a Hurst shifter jutting out from the floor in front of the bench seat, and its slick glass roof.

Imagine now for a moment how today’s sport/utility vehicles will be remembered some half-century hence. Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be thought of as the Country Squires and T&Cs of the day, but thanks to the wealth of fire-breathing M and AMG-badged monsters, 707-horse Trackhawks and the like, the modern equivalent of the musclecar-era super wagon won’t be so rare. This leaves fun and engaging outliers like Mazda CX-5, which lines up well with the Vista Cruiser.

Yes, we know, their powertrains are wildly different, but stay with us here. The new CX-5 has been styled to help it stand out in a veritable sea of look-alike crossovers, much like the Olds wagon did. And it has decent road manners and ride quality, without trying to be a tall, five-seat MX-5 Miata, just as the Vista Cruiser wasn’t trying to be a family-size 4-4-2.

We actually had the past in mind when we chose to add a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring to our Four Seasons fleet, though we weren’t thinking as much of classic wagons as we were of the 2013 CX-5 we also had in for a long-term evaluation. That first-gen CX-5 wowed us with how enjoyable it was to drive for a midsize crossover, and it never gave us a bit of trouble (though it spelled plenty for an unfortunate deer that struck it head-on). We wanted to see if the second-generation CX-5 could repeat the feat.

One feat the midsize Mazda crossover has been pulling off almost singlehandedly is levitating the fortunes the small, independent Japanese automaker. At one point during 2018 the CX-5 outsold Volkswagen’s Atlas, Tiguan, and Touareg combined. We don’t need to remind you that Mazda’s mainstream SUV sales help ensure a future for cars like the MX-5 Miata.

And while we adore the Miata, an area where we’ve had some issue with it as well as the CX-5 is in the motivation department. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four with 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque under the hood of the CX-5 sounds good on paper and likely offers more than adequate power for most of its intended customers. But we’re not most buyers. We wanted more go.

“Mazda is outperforming its competitors on every front when it comes to look and feel at a given price point,” senior editor Nelson Ireson says. “The only thing that’s not leading the game is powertrain tech, and that’s pretty obvious once you get behind the wheel.

“It’s not that it lacks power so much as it lacks low-end torque, requiring a good thrashing to make the hustle of a quick merger or short on-ramp,” Ireson continues. “That, in turn means engine noise and vibration, which spoils the polished, controlled, sorted vibe found in every other aspect of the CX-5.”

At around 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, the CX-5 gets up to speed acceptably, but as Ireson and others on staff found out, it lacks some giddy up in situations where you could use more of it.

“My biggest complaint is that the car’s dynamic proficiency highlights its lack of power, especially for passing on the freeway,” social media editor Billy Rehbock says.

Some editors wondered whether the 227-horse turbo four from the CX-9 would fit under the CX-5’s hood, perhaps as some sort of Mazdaspeed version (remember those, Mazda fans?). There is one other engine option coming soon (or at least we keep hearing it is) for the 2019 model year, however, in the form of Mazda’s long-awaited 2.2-liter turbodiesel four, which is tentatively rated at 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It should add the low-end grunt Ireson was looking for while marginally increasing fuel efficiency over the gas-powered engine.

Speaking of mpg, during our time with the CX-5 we recorded an average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg, which limboed under the EPA’s 26 mpg combined figure. It’s not all that surprising though considering how much we normally keep the hammer down around town—all in the name of evaluation, mind you.

“Could it use more power?” editor-in-chief Mike Floyd asks. “Of course, but then you start to sacrifice miles per gallon, and that’s a bad idea from a selling point perspective.”

Feelings throughout the staff were basically reversed when the subject turned to the CX-5’s dynamic chops. Although some thought it a bit softer than the first-gen model given its bigger dimensions and tuning that seemed more toward the comfort end of the spectrum, the new CX-5 was lauded for its precise steering that offers more feedback than most of its segment competitors, and overall poise on all manner of pavement.

Ireson sums up our thoughts well: “Ride quality is a careful balance of snappy handling and bumpy-road comfort. The steering is the crossover equivalent of extremely sporty, which is to say, not like you’d find in a sports car, but much closer to that ideal than the usual pile of mashed potatoes served to crossover drivers.”

The sentiment was much the same when the topic turned to the CX-5’s exterior style, which featured a killer Soul Red Metallic sheen on our test vehicle and attractive 19-inch rims. Praise was nearly universal for the Mazda’s sheetmetal, a design that takes some chances but generally speaking works instead of sticking out for the wrong reasons. It’s one of the key differentiators between the CX-5 and the rest of the midsize crossover crowd.

“Mazda continues to be at the forefront of design in the segment, and the new evolution of this design language is even cleaner,” associate editor Conner Golden says. “The CX-5 also looks a fair bit more expensive than it really is.”

That premium feel at an affordable price point philosophy extended to the interior. Materials had a near luxury look to them, and yet weren’t so precious as to worry about the effects of the sort of family travel for which this two-row SUV is intended. Given the comfortable cabin seating was swathed in a bright “parchment” white, keeping it clean was a bit of an issue, but thanks to a proper detailing it looked pretty much good as new when we turned it in.

It wasn’t all roses when the inside was mentioned. The familiar Mazda family of controls, including the rotary center dial that scrolls through audio, navigation and the like, received mixed reviews. ““There are some wonky things about the rotary dial infotainment setup,” Floyd says. “But it works. Screen seems a bit small given the competitive set [7-inches].”

At least one editor was unimpressed with the tiny sunroof. But for just north of $34,000 all in, the Grand Touring model was praised for its generous list of standard equipment and impressive suite of safety tech. Says Floyd, “I was impressed with the full-stop adaptive cruise control, and the head-up display also has a blind spot warning that’s pretty cool looking.”

The L.A. staff mostly used the CX-5 as a daily commuter, weekend errand-runner, and for the occasional short trip, but it got a cross country workout thanks to yours truly, who drove it north by northeast, through Reno, Nevada, and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before heading back to the Motor City.

Once there, the Mazda CX-5 often had its back seat folded, with sheets, blankets, and doggy beds protecting the interior from a surfeit of collie hair. (There were frequent stops at powerful car wash vacuum stations.) My wife and I also used it to help relay an adopted dog to his new owner. Thanks to the CX-5 and Above and Beyond Transport, an English setter named Murphy had a comfortable ride from Detroit to Marine City, Michigan, his last 50 miles of a journey that began in Goochland, Virginia. We also used it for a couple of 360-mile round trips to our “Up North” cabin with the big dog in the family, a 100-pound rough collie.

During its 19,000 plus mile stay in our care, the CX-5 proved absolutely trouble free, with the only maintenance being a couple of oil changes and switching on and off a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter rubber that we sourced from our friends at Tire Rack.

Rehbock nailed the team’s thoughts on our overall experience with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 well: “Perhaps no other affordable crossover fulfills our magazine’s mantra of ‘No Boring Cars.’ The CX-5 was never a punishment to drive. It boasts precise steering, well-tuned suspension and good throttle response,” he says. “I liked Mazda’s easy-to-navigate infotainment system. The white leather chairs were comfortable, supportive and stylish. The metallic red paint is one of the best colors on sale, and it’s a shame more cars don’t wear it.”

Chalk up at least one young enthusiast who will have fond memories of this family wagon some four or five decades hence.

Our 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

AS-TESTED PRICE $34,435

ENGINE 2.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4, 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm/185 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD SUV

EPA MILEAGE 23/29/26 mpg (city/highway/combined)

L x W x H 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in

WHEELBASE 106.2 in

WEIGHT 3,655 lb

0-60 MPH 8.6 sec

TOP SPEED N/A mph

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 563/19,345

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 756.36

OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY 24.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $2,403.66

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.18

MAINTENANCE 3x Oil change/inspection, $209.17

RECALLS AND TSBS None

OUT OF POCKET 4x Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, mounting and balancing, $765.70 Remount original all-season tires, $95.00

OUR OPTIONS:

Premium Package, $1,830 (Head-up display with traffic sign recognition, power passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, windshield deicer); Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, $595; Rear bumper guard, $125; Retractable cargo cover, $250

The post 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[eddiejpoplar]

2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Despite all the wistful reminiscing about the demise of the Great American Station Wagon by enthusiasts too young to recall their mid-century heyday, truth be told most of those wagons weren’t really all that special. The average kids of the era were being shuttled about in ubiquitous land barges like the Ford Country Squire and Chrysler Town & Country. Few would have had any interaction with big block-powered rarities like the Mercury Colony Park or Chevrolet Kingswood Estate, let alone an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with a stonking Rocket V-8, four-on-the-floor with a Hurst shifter jutting out from the floor in front of the bench seat, and its slick glass roof.

Imagine now for a moment how today’s sport/utility vehicles will be remembered some half-century hence. Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees will be thought of as the Country Squires and T&Cs of the day, but thanks to the wealth of fire-breathing M and AMG-badged monsters, 707-horse Trackhawks and the like, the modern equivalent of the musclecar-era super wagon won’t be so rare. This leaves fun and engaging outliers like Mazda CX-5, which lines up well with the Vista Cruiser.

Yes, we know, their powertrains are wildly different, but stay with us here. The new CX-5 has been styled to help it stand out in a veritable sea of look-alike crossovers, much like the Olds wagon did. And it has decent road manners and ride quality, without trying to be a tall, five-seat MX-5 Miata, just as the Vista Cruiser wasn’t trying to be a family-size 4-4-2.

We actually had the past in mind when we chose to add a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring to our Four Seasons fleet, though we weren’t thinking as much of classic wagons as we were of the 2013 CX-5 we also had in for a long-term evaluation. That first-gen CX-5 wowed us with how enjoyable it was to drive for a midsize crossover, and it never gave us a bit of trouble (though it spelled plenty for an unfortunate deer that struck it head-on). We wanted to see if the second-generation CX-5 could repeat the feat.

One feat the midsize Mazda crossover has been pulling off almost singlehandedly is levitating the fortunes the small, independent Japanese automaker. At one point during 2018 the CX-5 outsold Volkswagen’s Atlas, Tiguan, and Touareg combined. We don’t need to remind you that Mazda’s mainstream SUV sales help ensure a future for cars like the MX-5 Miata.

And while we adore the Miata, an area where we’ve had some issue with it as well as the CX-5 is in the motivation department. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four with 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque under the hood of the CX-5 sounds good on paper and likely offers more than adequate power for most of its intended customers. But we’re not most buyers. We wanted more go.

“Mazda is outperforming its competitors on every front when it comes to look and feel at a given price point,” senior editor Nelson Ireson says. “The only thing that’s not leading the game is powertrain tech, and that’s pretty obvious once you get behind the wheel.

“It’s not that it lacks power so much as it lacks low-end torque, requiring a good thrashing to make the hustle of a quick merger or short on-ramp,” Ireson continues. “That, in turn means engine noise and vibration, which spoils the polished, controlled, sorted vibe found in every other aspect of the CX-5.”

At around 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, the CX-5 gets up to speed acceptably, but as Ireson and others on staff found out, it lacks some giddy up in situations where you could use more of it.

“My biggest complaint is that the car’s dynamic proficiency highlights its lack of power, especially for passing on the freeway,” social media editor Billy Rehbock says.

Some editors wondered whether the 227-horse turbo four from the CX-9 would fit under the CX-5’s hood, perhaps as some sort of Mazdaspeed version (remember those, Mazda fans?). There is one other engine option coming soon (or at least we keep hearing it is) for the 2019 model year, however, in the form of Mazda’s long-awaited 2.2-liter turbodiesel four, which is tentatively rated at 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It should add the low-end grunt Ireson was looking for while marginally increasing fuel efficiency over the gas-powered engine.

Speaking of mpg, during our time with the CX-5 we recorded an average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg, which limboed under the EPA’s 26 mpg combined figure. It’s not all that surprising though considering how much we normally keep the hammer down around town—all in the name of evaluation, mind you.

“Could it use more power?” editor-in-chief Mike Floyd asks. “Of course, but then you start to sacrifice miles per gallon, and that’s a bad idea from a selling point perspective.”

Feelings throughout the staff were basically reversed when the subject turned to the CX-5’s dynamic chops. Although some thought it a bit softer than the first-gen model given its bigger dimensions and tuning that seemed more toward the comfort end of the spectrum, the new CX-5 was lauded for its precise steering that offers more feedback than most of its segment competitors, and overall poise on all manner of pavement.

Ireson sums up our thoughts well: “Ride quality is a careful balance of snappy handling and bumpy-road comfort. The steering is the crossover equivalent of extremely sporty, which is to say, not like you’d find in a sports car, but much closer to that ideal than the usual pile of mashed potatoes served to crossover drivers.”

The sentiment was much the same when the topic turned to the CX-5’s exterior style, which featured a killer Soul Red Metallic sheen on our test vehicle and attractive 19-inch rims. Praise was nearly universal for the Mazda’s sheetmetal, a design that takes some chances but generally speaking works instead of sticking out for the wrong reasons. It’s one of the key differentiators between the CX-5 and the rest of the midsize crossover crowd.

“Mazda continues to be at the forefront of design in the segment, and the new evolution of this design language is even cleaner,” associate editor Conner Golden says. “The CX-5 also looks a fair bit more expensive than it really is.”

That premium feel at an affordable price point philosophy extended to the interior. Materials had a near luxury look to them, and yet weren’t so precious as to worry about the effects of the sort of family travel for which this two-row SUV is intended. Given the comfortable cabin seating was swathed in a bright “parchment” white, keeping it clean was a bit of an issue, but thanks to a proper detailing it looked pretty much good as new when we turned it in.

It wasn’t all roses when the inside was mentioned. The familiar Mazda family of controls, including the rotary center dial that scrolls through audio, navigation and the like, received mixed reviews. ““There are some wonky things about the rotary dial infotainment setup,” Floyd says. “But it works. Screen seems a bit small given the competitive set [7-inches].”

At least one editor was unimpressed with the tiny sunroof. But for just north of $34,000 all in, the Grand Touring model was praised for its generous list of standard equipment and impressive suite of safety tech. Says Floyd, “I was impressed with the full-stop adaptive cruise control, and the head-up display also has a blind spot warning that’s pretty cool looking.”

The L.A. staff mostly used the CX-5 as a daily commuter, weekend errand-runner, and for the occasional short trip, but it got a cross country workout thanks to yours truly, who drove it north by northeast, through Reno, Nevada, and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before heading back to the Motor City.

Once there, the Mazda CX-5 often had its back seat folded, with sheets, blankets, and doggy beds protecting the interior from a surfeit of collie hair. (There were frequent stops at powerful car wash vacuum stations.) My wife and I also used it to help relay an adopted dog to his new owner. Thanks to the CX-5 and Above and Beyond Transport, an English setter named Murphy had a comfortable ride from Detroit to Marine City, Michigan, his last 50 miles of a journey that began in Goochland, Virginia. We also used it for a couple of 360-mile round trips to our “Up North” cabin with the big dog in the family, a 100-pound rough collie.

During its 19,000 plus mile stay in our care, the CX-5 proved absolutely trouble free, with the only maintenance being a couple of oil changes and switching on and off a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter rubber that we sourced from our friends at Tire Rack.

Rehbock nailed the team’s thoughts on our overall experience with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 well: “Perhaps no other affordable crossover fulfills our magazine’s mantra of ‘No Boring Cars.’ The CX-5 was never a punishment to drive. It boasts precise steering, well-tuned suspension and good throttle response,” he says. “I liked Mazda’s easy-to-navigate infotainment system. The white leather chairs were comfortable, supportive and stylish. The metallic red paint is one of the best colors on sale, and it’s a shame more cars don’t wear it.”

Chalk up at least one young enthusiast who will have fond memories of this family wagon some four or five decades hence.

Our 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

AS-TESTED PRICE $34,435

ENGINE 2.5L DOHC 16-valve I-4, 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm/185 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD SUV

EPA MILEAGE 23/29/26 mpg (city/highway/combined)

L x W x H 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in

WHEELBASE 106.2 in

WEIGHT 3,655 lb

0-60 MPH 8.6 sec

TOP SPEED N/A mph

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 563/19,345

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 756.36

OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY 24.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $2,403.66

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.18

MAINTENANCE 3x Oil change/inspection, $209.17

RECALLS AND TSBS None

OUT OF POCKET 4x Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, mounting and balancing, $765.70 Remount original all-season tires, $95.00

OUR OPTIONS:

Premium Package, $1,830 (Head-up display with traffic sign recognition, power passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, windshield deicer); Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, $595; Rear bumper guard, $125; Retractable cargo cover, $250

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