Jan Van Vuuren is the first to admit he wasn't always a Mazda enthusiast. Today, however, few people speak about the brand with more conviction, affection or first-hand experience.
His relationship with Mazda began almost unexpectedly. As a kid, he grew up with Mazda 616s and RX2s and, later, with Mazda 323s and Mazda Midge. He recalls his late brother driving a Mazda 323 1300.
Later, as a sales representative, he drove a Ford Falcon XR6 and his employer pressured him to buy a smaller, more economical vehicle. With three boys to accommodate, Jan exchanged the large, four-litre Ford for a Mazda 626. At the time, the decision felt unlikely. “I remember thinking, ‘What am I doing going from a big four-litre car to this little Mazda?’” he recalls.
The Mazda 626 soon changed his mind and, as it turned out, opened the door to a relationship with Mazda that would span years, models, family journeys and countless memories. Sometimes, Wonderrrr awaits in the choices you least expect.
Jan kept the vehicle for approximately eight years and travelled around 296,000 kilometres in it before it was stolen. Despite the substantial mileage, he remembers the car as exceptionally reliable and economical to maintain. While it required a clutch replacement and some minor gearbox work over its life, Jan believes its overall dependability was remarkable, given how extensively it was used.
That experience marked the beginning of an enduring connection with Mazda.
“For me, it is the combination of engineering, reliability and value for money,” says Jan.
Over the years, that loyalty extended across different Mazda models, including his Mazda6 2.0-litre SkyActiv, which became particularly special to him. Affectionately known as “DR SEXY” because of its number plate, the car is a fitting symbol of just how personal Jan’s relationship with Mazda has become.
For Jan, “DR SEXY” is not simply a nickname. It captures the pride, familiarity and character he associates with the vehicle, a car he knows intimately and one that has become woven into his everyday life. His enthusiasm is grounded in years of real-world ownership. Mazda vehicles have carried Jan and his family on holidays, camping trips and caravanning adventures, often loaded with luggage and equipment and required to tow significant weight. The biggest expense over the 10 years and close to 350 000km, was a clutch replacement.
He speaks particularly fondly of Mazda’s 2.0-litre petrol engine, which impressed him with its power and torque while towing. For Jan, however, the most meaningful part of Mazda ownership has never been found only in performance figures or technical specifications. It is found in the memories accumulated along the way.
That is where Mazda’s idea that Wonderrrr Awaits becomes particularly meaningful. Wonderrrr is not always a grand destination or a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Sometimes it is found in the road travelled together, in an unexpected detour, in discovering what a vehicle can do, or simply in looking back and realising how many of life’s moments happened along the journey.
His Mazda’s have been present during family holidays, long-distance journeys and important stages of his children’s lives. They have transported the family, towed their caravans and become familiar companions in their everyday experiences.
“It’s not just a car sitting in the garage,” he says. “It’s been part of our family life and our trips together.”
Over time, Jan’s appreciation for Mazda has become something of a family affair. His children share his interest in the brand; his eldest son currently drives a Mazda CX-5, and conversations about vehicles within the Van Vuuren family often return to Mazda.
“Mazda has almost become a little family obsession,” says Jan, mentioning that at one stage, dad and his three sons all had Mazda6's.
His attachment is so strong that he has considered keeping his current Mazda even when it's time to buy something newer. Rather than parting with it, he could see it remaining in the family as a shared vehicle.
Jan’s enthusiasm also extends to Mazda’s latest generation of vehicles. A test drive in the Mazda CX-60 left a particularly strong impression.
The CX-60 represents Mazda’s move into a more premium segment, combining substantial proportions and confident performance with the craftsmanship, driver focus and attention to detail associated with the brand. Jan was struck by how quickly and effortlessly the vehicle performed despite its size.
“For such a big, substantial vehicle, the way it moves is incredible,” he says. “Within a very short distance, you realise that Mazda has done something special with it.”
His appreciation for Mazda is not limited to the most powerful or highly specified models. Jan believes one of the brand’s strengths is its ability to provide an enjoyable, well-equipped ownership experience across its range.
He recalls comparing an entry-level Mazda6 with a considerably more expensive premium vehicle and being surprised by how much standard equipment the Mazda offered. Features such as climate control, cruise control, automatic wipers, park-distance control, electric seats, airbags, ABS and an onboard computer contributed to his view that Mazda offered exceptional value for money.
“That’s what impressed me,” he says. “You get so much value and car for your money.”
Jan also admires the longevity of Mazda’s design and engineering. In his view, even an older Mazda can retain a contemporary presence alongside newer vehicles, demonstrating the thought and care invested in the original product.
His story reflects the kind of loyalty that cannot be created through a single advertisement, showroom visit or test drive. It develops gradually, through hundreds of thousands of kilometres, dependable performance and the role a vehicle plays in the lives of the people who own it.
What began as an uncertain move from a large Ford into a practical Mazda became a long-term appreciation for the brand’s reliability, engineering, performance and value.
More importantly, it became part of the Van Vuuren family story.
When asked what Mazda has given him beyond transportation, Jan’s answer is immediate.
“Memories.”
Those memories include roads travelled, caravans towed, holidays enjoyed and children growing up around the family’s cars.
They also capture the essence of Wonderrrr Awaits: the belief that some of the most meaningful experiences are discovered through movement, often when and where you least expect them.
“When you have a car that has given you that many kilometres, that many memories and that much reliability, it is difficult to simply get rid of it,” he says.
Jan may not have started as a Mazda fan, but the vehicles, journeys and experiences that followed made him one of the brand’s most passionate advocates.
His story is a reminder that sometimes Wonderrrr awaits not only on the road ahead, but in the memories collected along the way.
For Jan, a Mazda is no longer simply a car.
It is part of the family.