If premium vehicle owners can’t tell the difference between a Mazda and something like an Audi A4 or a Mercedes-Benz C-Class, questions need to be raised.

For starters, has the Japanese automaker caught up to the German giants when it comes to building premium automobile interiors? Short answer would be no, although Mazda has made great strides in terms of cabin quality in recent years.

So flipping that around and asking yourself if anyone could realistically believe that the Mazda6, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 are comparable, we’d have to say yes, especially if those people aren’t car enthusiasts.

There’s another option to consider, of course. Let’s say those “real people” are actually actors. It would explain why they would say they prefer the Mazda6 to the other cars – which apparently they couldn’t recognize since Mazda went and covered up the Mercedes and Audi badges.

As to what those people thought of the Mazda6, one of them says it felt intuitive to drive and that its exterior design was to his liking, whereas both enjoyed the quality of the interior.

Still, the part where they pull the stickers from the Mercedes and Audi’s front grille remains a little suspect.

VIDEO