Showing respect out on the road..

HOW you drive and what kind of car you’re in can have a massive impact on the way other road users react to you, research shows.

The so-called unwritten rules of the road and urban myths about motoring manners were checked out by Bristol Street Motors – part of the same group as Scotland’s Macklin Motors.

Classic car owners will be pleased to hear that 45 per cent of motorists are more careful on the road around them.

Comfortingly for those with “precious cargo” children on board, 31 per cent would let family car drivers out at a junction over other types of vehicles.

In fact, 44 per cent of motorists said they are more courteous to cars with a “baby on board” sign, with an extra 22 per cent responding “maybe”.

But it’s not all about the kids, as 54 per cent of motorists are more courteous to older folk on the road.

Disappointingly, though, younger drivers, who are more likely to have recently passed their test and so will be more nervous and inexperienced, receive the least amount of courtesy on the road – with a consideration rating of just 12 per cent.

Surprisingly, despite van drivers often getting a bad name, 20 per cent of motorists would be more likely to give way to light commercial vehicles over other types of motors – the secondhighest figure in the survey results.

Unfortunately, the vehicle type that motorists would be least likely to give way to at a junction would be a convertible, with only two per cent responding that they would.

Meanwhile, 25 per cent of motorists can’t help but compare cars when a similar machine drives past.

The study also asked UK motorists whether they would consider holding up drivers on purpose if they considered them to be driving to fast.

Some 53 per cent said they might, while 27 per cent confirmed they had done so in the past. However, 16 per cent also said they would consider “racing” a sports car if one drove alongside them.

And buyers should feel confident about the Japanese car maker’s track record when it comes to innovation.

As an example, when others were ditching sports cars and convertibles, the marque introduced the affordable MX-5 to the world in 1989 and it became an instant global success.

More recently, Mazda has made huge technological and engineering strides with internal combustion powerplants to drastically improve efficiency in a way that rivals can only dream of.

And, impressively, the firm has applied that same forward-thinking approach to its first all-electric offering.

So, looking at the day-to-day motoring needs and desires of most families, Mazda opted for a more lightweight drivetrain with smoother power delivery than many electric competitors.

Technical wizards also paid close attention to enhancing the chassis performance of the MX-30 using a system called Electric G-Vectoring Control Plus. If that all sounds a bit complicated, I can tell you what it means in reality is that you get a car which behaves exactly like the very best of those with traditional engines.

I’ve just had a first drive of one of the first models made for the UK market around the Falkirk area and rural Stirlingshire and it left me grinning from ear to ear.

Acceleration was rapid yet smooth and the braking equally effective – I couldn’t tell when it was switching between energy regeneration and hydraulic action.

Paddle shifters on the multi-function steering wheel added to a sense of driver engagement in the way they might do in a “traditional” automatic.

Click to the left and you’ll feel like you’re putting the brakes on, which aids power regeneration and is great going downhill. Flick the right paddle and it’s as if you’ve just given the car extra oomph.

I loved this feature, which was enhanced by a driving position that felt quite sporty yet easily provided a high-riding, clear view ahead.

The steering was wonderfully responsive and the suspension set-up coped admirably with some terribly potholed back roads.

In fact, the overall sense of agility and capability also inspired confidence on the