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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Mazda3 Prices Paid and Buying Experience
4326 messages, Last post on Dec 02, 2009 at 1:45 PM
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| I just bought my car from Browning Mazda about 3 weeks ago & had an absolutely fantastic experience. My Copper Red Mazda3 hatch has a 5-sp manual & just wheel locks & a bumper guard, and stickered for $18015. I, however, bought the car for $14,998 thanks to a great advertised special that the dealer was running. But the awesome part of the deal was the sale itself. I was in & out of the dealer with the car in 3.5 hours, financing & all. The people there were professional & one headache w/the extended service contract was resolved within 2 weeks of purchase. **If you want an extended warranty from them, be sure to specify that you want a Mazda Extended Protection Plan!** The dealer wants you to believe that they respond to Internet things very well, but they don't. Aside from that, they're very nice people, the dealership is lovely, and I love the car! | |
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Replying to: dc_driver (Jul 18, 2006 1:08 pm) That is because the DC assessment fee is built into the invoice. It's not an extra charge. Sites like Edmunds and Kelly BB do not calculate the regional assessment fee built into the invoice. That is why their invoice prices on the cars is always a few hundred lower then the actual invoice. That is a constant problem with customers, they think I am trying to rip them off, or they think I am showing them a "false" invoice. My invoices have a New York assessment on them.
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Jul 19, 2006 7:51 am) Also, for the record, I have purchased many a new vehicle in both VA and Maryland and have always used Edmunds or KBB invoice as a guide. The invoice prices have always matched up. Your point is very valid, just not in the case of a Maryland or VA dealer.
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Jul 19, 2006 7:51 am) DC assessment fees Ad fees Dealers Daughter needs new braces fees Dealers Wife's restauraunt is going under fees Are all legal and legit (as long as they aren't discriminatory based on race religion or sex) That said, a bottom line bid totalling 2800 off MSRP including $500 in various fees is still superior to a bid of $2000 off MSRP with no fees. Keep your eyes based on price. Since this is a prices paid forum its notable the gal a few posts ago got a hatchback mazda 3 for almost $3000 off msrp (1200 under invoice?) and didn't seem to work too hard to get it. The Hatches seem to move slower here in Southern Ohio too. I have seen numerous 05's even on the lots. |
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Replying to: djp9a (Jul 17, 2006 8:38 am)  you probably made up money left on the table (if any) on that. --jjf I recently purchased a Mazda 3 S with the following options: Automatic, Moonroof/6 CD changer, Side Air Bags and Side Curtains Package and wheel locks. For the vehicle, I paid $18,700 (including destination). For Out the door, it came to $19,650. It was in Fairfax, Virginia, where the sales tax on cars is 3.20 percent. It was very difficult to find a dealer that had the car with the options I wanted. I'd appreciate anyone's opinion on whether the price I paid was too high, too low, etc. |
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Replying to: dc_driver (Jul 19, 2006 8:44 am) It is a regional assessment. I guess people in Maryland are in the DC region. The region is determined my Mazda North American Operations. I'm a CT dealer, and I am in the New York region. Everyone I sell a Mazda to that live in CT pays the NY assessment. It's an advertising fee Mazda build into the invoice. As I said before, Mazda places it in the invoice, not the dealer. Every single Mazda sold in North America has a region assessment on it. Every one. So, if the vehicle is sold in Maryland, it's obviously in the DC region, therefor, anyone that purchases a Mazda there will pay the DC regional assessment, no matter where you live. |
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Replying to: vancewade (Jul 17, 2006 2:51 pm) I get 19,900 for the car and dest.(MSRP?) and your are paying 21000 ...over msrp? or even invoice? This seems way too high unless I am missing something and not good. Keep it simple MSRP,invoice (if you know it) and then offer(s) with all fees. Congrats on being froggy and faxing up to 400mi? round trip. Putting 10 -20 dealerships in a competitive bidding situation is the best way to get the lowest price on any commodity. Which is what new cars are. You should get 50 60% response rate Negotiating by phone # and talking to the Sales or Fleet Manager (not internet sales manager) 2-3 of them will prove to be the best and most eager. Emphasize to your responses you are getting bids from 10+ dealers and you are definitely buying before the month ends. You look forward to doing business with them. If they equivocate tell them you will definitely be buying by the end of the month and something like "Give me your best ""Im a sales manager who wants to book a low profit deal at the end of the month"" shot." Numerous may say what a waste of time it is.... they all pay the same price... etc. As a general rule its better to get the names of the sales/fleet managers and direct your fax directly to them. Then negotiate by phone, not email. They may handle it personally taking a commission to a salesperson off the table if possible (good for you) or delegate it. Get the number to their personal fax line or the machine closest to them (if it differs from the fax #on the website or dealer locator) Narrowing it down to the best 2 or so dealers before you even walk into a dealership is smart. In any event regardless of fees , if you find for example a NC dealer who bids 18,000 with all fees, and another who bids 18200 with all fees A1000 under invoice or more seems to be possible (especially the hatch). Many times dealers will let a few go for a no or low profit deal (or even a loss?) to savvy negotiators towards the end of the month of a popular seller to prove sales power and guarantee a continuing or increasing allotment of a popular seller. Good business sense. Numerous other reasons exist. Your canvassing a wide number helps you find the dealer(S) in such situations if they exist that month. Keep in mind that despite invoice, Msrp and advertised dealer inscentives being public, you have no idea what their profit is on a machine. In the last decade an increasing amount of profit on new cars has been in the form of unadvertised inscentives usually based on sales performance and customer satisfaction indexes. More than 70% of dealer profits come from used cars and the service dept. I sold cars for a number of years, and many times found myself responding to customer objections with (as I was trained) "We gotta make something on this". If I had a $20 bill for every time I made this remark I'd be retired, whether I grossed $50 or $3000 on the deal, depending on how I read the customer. Regards --jjf Just sent out faxed requests for bids to dealers a couple hundred miles in every direction from our home in North Carolina. Got what I think is a good bid from a Maryland dealer (details below, if anyone wants to analyze). But it includes a $240 "Washington D.C. Assessment fee" in addition to the $99 processing fee (which I know MD dealers charge). I can find no online reference to any such legitimate fee. In addition, I can't imagine why I'd have to pay anything to the District of Columbia when I'm buying a car in Maryland and when I live in North Carolina. I'd love to get everyone's feedback on whether this is legit. Here's the deal: 5-door, Mazda3 S-GT base price: $18,135 Sunroof/Bose/6CD bundle: $1,148 Wheel locks: $32 Destination: $560 Tag and title: $83 (including $15 MD temp. license so I can drive it back to N.C.) Processing: $99 Washington D.C. Assessment: $240 N.C. Highway use tax (this is def. legit; it's instead of sales tax): $632.07 Total out-the-door: $21,784.07 OTD minus tax, tag, title= $21,069 Thanks in advance for your insights. --Vance |
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Replying to: vancewade (Jul 17, 2006 2:51 pm) Vance- I get 19,900 for the car and dest.(MSRP?) and your are paying 21000 ...over msrp? or even invoice? This seems way too high unless I am missing something and not good. Keep it simple MSRP,invoice (if you know it) and then offer(s) with all fees. Congrats on being froggy and faxing up to 400mi? round trip. Putting 10 -20 dealerships in a competitive bidding situation is the best way to get the lowest price on any commodity. Which is what new cars are. You should get 50 60% response rate Negotiating by phone # and talking to the Sales or Fleet Manager (not internet sales manager) 2-3 of them will prove to be the best and most eager. Emphasize to your responses you are getting bids from 10+ dealers and you are definitely buying before the month ends. You look forward to doing business with them. If they equivocate tell them you will definitely be buying by the end of the month and something like "Give me your best ""Im a sales manager who wants to book a low profit deal at the end of the month"" shot." Numerous may say what a waste of time it is.... they all pay the same price... etc. As a general rule its better to get the names of the sales/fleet managers and direct your fax directly to them. Then negotiate by phone, not email. They may handle it personally taking a commission to a salesperson off the table if possible (good for you) or delegate it. Get the number to their personal fax line or the machine closest to them (if it differs from the fax #on the website or dealer locator) Narrowing it down to the best 2 or so dealers before you even walk into a dealership is smart. In any event regardless of fees , if you find for example a NC dealer who bids 18,000 with all fees, and another who bids 18200 with all fees A is greater than B and the choice is simple, unless we have to drive 400mi to save $200... not cool. Getting the total emphasizing with ALL fees (itemized) and everything is good anyway lest we drive 200 mi and get a nasty $500 "Dealers daughter needs expensive dentalwork fee" or such by the F&I guy who knows you drove a long way and trys a fast one. Rare but not so rare either. DC assessment fees Ad fees Dealers Horsetrack losses fees Dealers Wife's restauraunt is going under fees Are all legal and legit (as long as they aren't discriminatory based on race religion or sex) They may be itemized, included in his offer hidden or non existent. If they want to compete they will drop the fees or lower the price and keep the fees. It doesn't matter What matters is lowest price OTD. (sales tax or hwy tax from your state is a constant) Bid one off the other and see if any are especially eager the last 4 days of the month with any callbacks. If one dealer proposes a 18000 offer + 600 in processing and title fees etc, this is obviously superior to a 18900 offer with no fees for the same car. (To get silly a 10,000 offer with $8100 in fees is the best to demonstrate a point) IF you truly get a standout deal far away and your requirements arent exacting obviously offer your business to get some of the locals to meet or beat it. Emphasize they will be stop one for all service (where most dealership profits are anyway) and to all they will get the highest customer satisfaction score for any surveys on this purchase you can provide. (Don't underestimate this) When you finally walk in to the 1-2 standouts don't be afraid to walk out and sleep on it. If they are close by. Especially if we have a few days left in the month (Anyone responsible spending a lot of money would do so no? , or "that Focus is a helluva lot cheaper and may meet my needs" )If they say the offer will vaporize, good for this minute only if you walk out, give a amused smile as you graduated kiddiegarten long ago) You may get a cell call within the next few days with a lower bid for your business, or a salesman stopping you in the parking lot with a lower offer. And you can always walk right back in and accept immediately or in a day or two. As long as its before "witching hour " (end of month). The mazda 3 sedan seems to be more popular than the hatch, and 1000 under invoice or more seems to be possible (especially the hatch). Many times dealers will let a few go for a no or low profit deal (or even a loss?) to savvy negotiators towards the end of the month of a popular seller to prove sales power and guarantee a continuing or increasing allotment of a popular seller. Good business sense. Numerous other reasons exist. Your canvassing a wide number helps you find the dealer(S) in such situations if they exist that month. Keep in mind that despite invoice, Msrp and advertised dealer inscentives being public, you have no idea what their profit is on a machine. In the last decade an increasing amount of profit on new cars has been in the form of unadvertised inscentives usually based on sales performance and customer satisfaction indexes. More than 70% of dealer profits come from used cars and the service dept. I sold cars for a number of years, and many times found myself responding to customer objections with (as I was trained) "We gotta make something on this". If I had a $20 bill for every time I made this remark I'd be retired, whether I grossed $50 or $3000 on the deal, depending on how I read the customer. Regards --jjf Just sent out faxed requests for bids to dealers a couple hundred miles in every direction from our home in North Carolina. Got what I think is a good bid from a Maryland dealer (details below, if anyone wants to analyze). But it includes a $240 "Washington D.C. Assessment fee" in addition to the $99 processing fee (which I know MD dealers charge). I can find no online reference to any such legitimate fee. In addition, I can't imagine why I'd have to pay anything to the District of Columbia when I'm buying a car in Maryland and when I live in North Carolina. I'd love to get everyone's feedback on whether this is legit. Here's the deal: 5-door, Mazda3 S-GT base price: $18,135 Sunroof/Bose/6CD bundle: $1,148 Wheel locks: $32 Destination: $560 Tag and title: $83 (including $15 MD temp. license so I can drive it back to N.C.) Processing: $99 Washington D.C. Assessment: $240 N.C. Highway use tax (this is def. legit; it's instead of sales tax): $632.07 Total out-the-door: $21,784.07 OTD minus tax, tag, title= $21,069 Thanks in advance for your insights. --Vance |
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What are you really saying here? That post is waaayyyyy to longggggg. I got lost 1/2 way through it, as I suspect most did also. The Sandman 
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After much debate between the two halves of my brain I am still in a dillema. I like both the civic and the mazda 3 hatch. 1. For mazda owners, how reliable is the car? 2. I wanted to get the same features and options the civic ex has into the mazda 3 hatch, so I was thinkin the S Touring (AT) with only the moonroof package(for now). After calculating this on mazda's site it comes to a little over 20k (not too bad for all the options and safety features i guess). 3.If any of you own this type of setup listed above, how much did you end up paying? 4. I guess in the longrun the mazda is a couple thou cheaper? *oh no minor venting period ahead*: Since the CA amongst other dealers think its an excellent idea to markup the civic with rediculus numbers-23,999+tax+tags+emissions+docfees+whatever else they can think of tacking on the OTDP- I can understand a little bit of a markup but yuck.) I dunno anymore 5. I really love the hatch, and can't stand regular trunks(you can fit so much more) but I like the civic ex. well i guess my whole point is i need some guidance or something. Have a good day everyone .
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