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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Mazda RX-8 Prices Paid and Buying Experience
899 messages, Last post on May 01, 2007 at 12:09 PM
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I just got my new RX8 2 weeks ago from Schaefer & Strohminger Mazda (SandSAuto) in Baltimore. I test drove one there and about a month later started seriously pricing. Their internet sales manager quoted me the $500 over invoice price, and then the sales rep who I was originally dealing with (Lou) closed the deal. I got a blue 6speed with Grand Touring package (MSRP 31,100 as you all probably know), then got them to price it $500 over invoice. Since I've been out of college less than 2 years, I was able to add on the $500 recent graduate rebate to get it for invoice. I got them to add on a spoiler and tape deck for $700 (they matched an offer I had from another dealership on the Eastern shore of MD). The only negative there was the sales manager trying to do a hard-sell of some extra maintenence packages. All in all it was an excellent buying experience that I would recommend to anyone else. Although I would highly recommend getting a number of quotes from various dealers and getting people to match down. As a side note, I live in Northern Virginia and wasn't very impressed with the prices or dealers in that area. My favorite was the Mazda dealer near Tyson's corner where all the Grand Touring models came with Navigation systems whether you liked it or not. Then add on an extra $2995 for "features" like leather treatment, stripes, etc. |
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| Got a mail ad from a dealer in Wakefield, MA, where I once had my Aurora serviced while back home. I get more ad material from them than I get locally from dealers here in KY. Anyway, they sell Mazdas, Isuzus, and Olds and their latest mailout say they have 40 RX-8s available from $22,995!!! I find that hard to believe on the price, but I thought I would pass it on. The last mailing I got from them in August or Sept. also said they had 40 available. My local dealer here had like 4 at the highest, haven't checked lately to see how many are left. | |
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All, I just bought a Titanium RX-8 last week with Grand Touring, appearance, polished rotary packages, MSRP of $32,564, for $29,705. I don't know if it'll help everybody, but here's a couple things I did that might be useful (in no particular order): 1. Test drove the car on two different occasions without making a commitment, but definitely left the impression that I'd be back. 2. Test drove other sports cars to make sure the RX-8 was what I really wanted. After driving the 350Z, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Audi TT, I felt positive the RX-8 far exceeded these cars in comfort, amenities, appearance and value. 3. Decided on a definite option group and color that wasn't the only car in three states  . Remained committed to that package and color, but a little flexible on stuff like 1 CD vs. 6 CD, spare tire, cargo net, etc. 4. Had a "best price" guesstimate from the eventual dealer I bought from on the model I wanted. 5. Shopped online and by phone within a 200 mile radius, using the price I got as everybody else's baseline. 200 miles is not far to drive for $500 to $1000. The nearest Mazda dealership will service your new car even if you didn't buy it from them. 6. Said a polite goodbye to dealers who weren't flexible. 7. Kept the source of my low quote to myself even though other dealers asked "where did you get that price?" I assured them I wanted to keep my sources confidential, but that it was a "real price". 8. Had my financing already lined up. 9. Haggled over the phone with the other dealers until I got what I felt was their best price. I got two really good quotes from this. 10. Went back to the original dealer with the new information, and the "bad news" that it looked like I was going to be taking my business elsewhere since I could save a substantial sum ($300 to $500). This puts the ball in their court as to whether to play or not. If you've been polite and forward, they'll probably hang in there with you, but if you've been obnoxious and rude, they may let you walk. 11. Be prepared to walk off the lot, politely but firmly, if they don't meet or beat the best price. 12. Shopped just after the first of the month...I would have thought I'd gotten a better deal, and was told by the dealer that their best price was "month end only", and next week it would be higher. Well, the next week when I bought it, it was $500 lower than their month end price. Surprise, surprise. 13. I didn't push for the final $100 I was looking for...I felt we could stop right there and everybody would be happy. Well, I would be happy anyway. 14. The dealer that had 40 RX-8's said he was getting full sticker on all them. Poor buyers...not enough sense to shop around, or too much disposable income to care. 15. Have about five dealerships within 40 or 50 miles, so I felt good about my prospects. Well, that's enough. Just to let you know it can be done. Be ready to walk away...even though it's a great car, it's still just a car, and there are lots of them out there for sale. Have fun shopping, and hopefully you get a great deal too! |
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Great post....I'm sure you did fine on your deal. Now go enjoy the 8. |
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I got a grey RX-8 (six speed, medium touring pacakge - I don't like leather seats) a month ago, ended up paying $28,100 for it. Had to order the MP3 player from trussvillee, and had the dealer install it as part of the deal. I live in-between Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC. I ended up getting it from a Mazda dealer in lancaster, PA. Found the invoice price on the net and got my financing from lending tree. I sent emails to all the dealers within about 100 miles. Visited the nearest Mazda dealer, who tried to sell me a Grey with the GT package and 250 miles on it! I decided to myself that I'd pay about a grand under invoice for what amounted to a used car (to me, atleast. it had a delaware mazda dealerships stickers on it), but he wouldn't take it. So, off to lancaster. I don't know why the dealers are unwilling to deal on RX-8s. I have seen one other on the road. My friends have seen two in our area. The dealers have literally dozens on the lots, and afaik its the same ones. In the case of my local dealership I know their stock level never changed over the six week period I was shopping. I love the car, but the gas mileage sucks (15mpg!) hopefully it will get better once I get past 2000 miles. Oh, yeah, the tires suck in the snow. And ice. And wet. I gotta get Pirelli snowsports real soon. Budget another $1000 for tires for this car if you live somewhere with weather. |
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gixxer2go says "even though it's a great car, it's still just a car"......just a car?!?!?...excuse me?!?...hello?.....and then GGuy has to go and agree with him?!?...did the Cubs just win the World Series?...did hell just freeze over?....oh no!! "just a car"....."just a car"....oh, the inhumanity.... this car is the closest I'll ever get to having a super model as a girlfriend...... scary eh?.......LOLOL!!!......now, to paraphrase Mini, "Let's all go Rotor!"...... |
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And I thought I was the only one who had to get out more. Cheese, do you sleep inside your vehicle at night and smoke cigarettes together the next morning? As remarkable as cars are, I understand what gixxer was saying. It does irritate me though when people say a car is just there to get you from point A to point B. I feel like slugging them. First, these people usually can't afford more than or have the imagination for anything but a Ford Taurus. Second, they are inconsiderate since they usually say stupid things like this around or to a car enthusiast. I wonder if anyone has driven up at work in their RX-8, felt proud of it, and a co-worker who drives a Geo (or equivalent) responds with a "hey, yeah, I was thinking about getting one of those, but I just can't rationalize spending that much money on a car. My Geo does the job I need it to...gets me from point A to point B. Plus, cars are bad investments. They depreciate, don't you know?" This is when the RX-8 owner just sighs and shakes his or her head like when you see a person wearing black dress socks while wearing shorts. Cars DO represent a part of the person riding in them. Obviously, it shouldn't be the most important thing, but it does tell people a lot about you. With the RX-8, you have fun, it's practical, it's a great value, and of course, it gets you from point A to point B ---in style! |
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LOL...!!!!! While the RX8 is probably the most significant high volume car announced over the last 5 years or so, it is, after all.....a car. That said, as carliker said, there are those who view a car as basic transportation and don't understand the fascination we have with them. Those are the same folks who wouldn't even think of doing any "heel and toe" or understand the visceral thrill of running a car to 9K RPMs or taking a corner 20 MPH above the rated speed limit (and shooting out the other end like a slingshot), or "snicking through" 6 speeds of a light, precise transmission, or steering that's almost "telepathic". The folks that view cars the same way they do their refrigerators, tend to buy Malibus, Accords, Camrys, Tauruses. They couldn't care less about driving dynamics. They just want to get from point A to point B. Those of us who view getting to the mall or the grocery store an adventure will drive the RX8, S2000, 350Z, Cobra, Corvette (OK, I know most Corvette drivers will never, ever exploit the car's potential, but they do want to look like they can), etc. Those that want to look like they are excited about driving, but don't want to put out the effort will drive the Celica, Tiburon, Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Mustang (6 cyl), etc. Nothing wrong with that, either. I'm sure I will have "ticked" someone off with those assessments. No harm, no foul. |
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I think it all comes down to an appliance vs. extension-of-self view of cars. I think all RX-8 owners are part of the latter. Carliker - That Geo story was pretty funny. You can have the same conversation about watches! Also, I think the concept of value is in the eye of the beholder. I personally value certain intangibles my RX-8 provides me that increases the "value" of the car above quantitative metrics ($/hp, etc). I consider any extra level of payment for an RX-8 over the payment for a basic Geo as part of my discretionary/recreational spend and compare accordingly. So you could argue that, if a Geo monthly payment is $200, then your (RX-8 payment - $200) is the premium you place on the non-appliance/emotional/intangibles you place on the car. |
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I had a similar conversation with a colleague last week. He was "chiding" me for keeping the RX8 in the garage and driving it only in "fair" weather. He also got on me about driving the Civic as a 2nd car. His point was, I'm a walking contradiction. I don't know that I can disagree with him. If I could find a car that offers me the thrill of driving and style of the RX8 in a $5,000 package (what I shelled out for the Civic), I would jump all over it. Unfortunately, that would mean I'd have to go to the used sports car market. That's something I've been burned by many times in the past. People just don't seem to take care of sports cars as well as they do the more mundane wheels out there. Every used sports car I've ever bought has brought me grief. After I'm done running the wheels off of the Civic (while the RX8 continues to receive a lot of TLC), I'll probably look at a used Prius (5 years old, or so) to carry on service as the "taken for granted" stepchild in my automotive family. |
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