I just talked to my dealer (car) today. The salesman there is excellent, a certified car nut like us (yes, he will be in Detroit on Sunday), and his information for us Canadians has always been pretty reliable in the past.

At the dealer launch of the 6, the head of Mazda Canada indicated the following Canadian prices for the RX-8: Low output starting at $43,500 CDN, with the fully loaded Hi output at $49,600 CDN. No details on "fully loaded" except that it did include the automatic for the Hi output, whenever that becomes available. So, the dealer expects a Hi output 6 speed to be about $48,300 CDN fully loaded (although I don't know about nav...)

Anyway, it gives us a pretty good idea, I think, of how Mazda Canada will be pricing the car.

 

Given the prices that were announced for the US,
at an exchange rate of 1.55 the base 6 spd would be 41 000.

Since prices are lower in Canada ~ 1.2 x US price, so at least 32 000. My guess is around 34 000 for the base.

There's no way the price is going to be more than the exchange rate. i.e. cheaper in the U.S.

 

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It better be lower than that, I'm hoping for around $39K 6 spd 250hp base.

 

There will be many factors which will influence Mazda Canada's pricing strategy, and I don't think that the exchange rate is high on the list of factors. Looking at the wide range of vehicles sold and comparing prices model for model, your "exchange" factor of 1.2 is wildly optimistic, IMHO. Even if it is not, there is nothing to say that the allotment of cars here versus the U.S. allotment will allow a pricing strategy that comes close to a 1.2 factor.

Mazda Canada's allotment of RX8's will be significantly lower than the U.S., even on a per capita basis. Mazda Canada's primary goal will be to price competitively with the 350Z, which the prices I was quoted do. Also, these prices compare closely with the prices mentioned in the Canadian World of Wheels article.

Frankly, I would love it if the 6 speed base 250HP were only 39K. I just don't think it is going to happen.

 

My guess is $34,500 base...$43,000 is ridiculous in my opinion.

 

no, i don't think that $43K is out of reality, willingness to pay on these cars is enormous, but unfortunately not all of us have as much as we'd be willing to pay for it...

if this car goes for less than $40K base, i'd be shocked. add $3-4k for the hi-powered 6speed with no options on that.

 

Perhaps so, but the dealership I have been dealing with on this for almost a year now has NEVER indicated that the car will be priced below the low $40K mark.

 

What else have you been told reference release dates? The last dealer I called said that release would be in 2004 and the one before that was in September. The canadian mazda site hasn't been updated in months.

The upper $40k mark doesn't seem unreasonable when compaired to the 350Z.
A tricked out Z-Car is going for around $48k canadian and $34 yankee.
If they are saying all dressed up an 8 is $32 american then $45 canadian should be in the right ballpark.

 

I'm curious, are there any cars that currently sell in Canada for MORE than the direct conversion rate?

I know most cars sell here for less, but I guess anything is possible.

 

But if the base is $5K US cheaper that's about $8K Cnd which is around $37K base.

 

i really hope the price for the 8 ends up being less than 40k for the hi 6spd (i'll settle for up to 42k)....

what other cars are also in the 8s price range, which would be the competition? the Z? s2000? 3 series bmw?

 

the 1.2 is the lowest rate i now of, so as i said it would cost AT LEAST that much.

but i have to revise my estimate of 34 000, i've been looking at some prices and it seems that 37-38 thousand is more likely.

 

I was told that the dealers will be introduced to the car (for familiariztion, etc.) around late March, so that I could expect to get a car by late May early June. This jives with the release dates announced for the U.S. at the NAIAS. The caveat here, of course, is that the 6 was supposed to be here in September of last year, and it is just getting to the dealers now... Apparently this is a common Mazda Canada problem, according to a couple of dealers I have spoken to, so September could be that dealer's "pessimism from experience" date.

All I can say about the accuracy of the information I have provided here is that I trust that it is the information from Mazda Canada as it has been relayed my salesman. In other words, I am very confident he isn't making up a bunch of numbers just to keep me happy: I believe that they are the prices Mazda Canada is planning at this time. It would seem to make sense that they should be at bit lower, but I don't think that is the plan for now.

 

Typically there's a 1-2 K gap between models, and more often a slight overlap. The Mada6 loaded will top out at 32-33K Cdn, hence ~34K starting point seems more likely. Considering how cheap (relatively) Mazda was able to offer to the US, I would imagine they'll continue that trend in Canada.

IMO, The RX-8 should be targeted against caparably sized Japanese performance sedans (Acura TSX, loaded Altima), not the Z (*way* too much coin @ mid 40's for a V6 in a 3200+ lbs chassis). Even the G35 RWD sedan with comparable HP/weight ratio starts at under 40K, and that's an Infinty!

 

In the case of the Mazda6, Mazda Canada made a deliberate decision to delay the introduction to January, so that they can market the Mazda6 as a 2004 model. The original plan was to introduce a 2003 Mazda6 in September, as you noted (I have one of Mazda Canada's 2003 Mazda6 brochures!) - but it's not just a delay, it was deliberately held back to allow the newer model year to be used (in the US and Canada, a model year can only be produced across one Jan 1 date - so theoretically a 2004 Mazda6 could be built from Jan 2, 2003 to Dec 31, 2004).

Regards,
Gordon

 

Remember that the equally matched performance Z was in the LOW $40s when it first came out... They built the market and gradually raised the price to upper $40s today and I'd bet it keeps going.

Do you think Mazda will start again and introduce the Z in the low range or take advantage of the elevated market propogated by Nissan and kill us all from the start?

 

Not that I'm aware of. Some cars sell for about the exchange rate (Subaru WRX, some Saabs, Mercedes come to mind), but I don't know of any that sell for more than the exchange rate.

 

Well, I hope the original poster's source is wrong. But its definately possible, as others have pointed out, that would price the base version close to the Canadian base 350Z (which is overpriced IMHO).
Mazda has an average multiplier of 1.22 over U.S. prices in most cases. However, the MS Protege is 1.31 here, and we don't get the proximity alarm and embroidered floor mats the U.S. gets on their car.
An over-40 price for the base car would be an unprecedented high multiplier for Mazda, but if Nissan is doing it, why would Mazda undercut them so severly that they'd be cutting their profits by an unnecessary amount?
I hope the base 6-speed starts in the mid-low 30's. I hope I hope I hope. But only time will tell.

 

There is no way Mazda will undercut their potential profits but I think that your multiplier formula doesn't take trim level into consideration.
Try these formulas and let me know:
base models: $Cdn = 1.2064
loaded models: $Cdn = 1.3668
Average : $Cdn = 1.3118

I didn't use the MS protege for the models but throw it in as a average or loaded model (it's definitly not base) and the numbers are close. If anybody with ACURATE Mazda 6 prices i'd be intersted to see if this is closer. It gives the 8 coming in at 31k<=RX8<=42k

 

The primary reason for the RX-7 FD leaving North America was lack of sales / high prices. This applied to the 300ZX TT, Supra, RX-7, Mitsu 3000GT, etc. I priced out an R1 in 1994 for about $40,000. IMO, there is no way Mazda will start pricing at the same level as the last generation.

I, for one, will be very disappointed in Mazda if they gouge Canadians on the exchange rate. As previously mentioned, the current multiplier is 1.25-1.35 depending on trim. Using 1.35 on a Sport model comes out to $38,000--and a base model a little over $36,000. Sounds about right--and jives with what my local dealer indicated.

One of the reasons I won't consider a WRX is the 50% mark-up over the US car. Not when Audi, Lexus, Honda, Acura, BMW, and even Porsche are offering price discounts in Canada to offset the currency differences. Nissan appears to be gouging as well on their 350Z and G35C.

 

Ever notice how people who don't buy cars often (ie. not leasing say every 3 yrs)... go OMG cars are now so expensive???

If the RX-8 comes in at 40K, you can't say that is the same price as a RX-7 in '94, so it is too expensive and you won't buy it. If you take a 3% inflation rate over 8 years, 40K in today's money is less than 32K in '94 money.

Unless you are retired and are on a fixed income, I'm sure you are making quite a bit more now than you were in '94, so think of it in those terms...

Don't forget that in addition to inflation the loonie has been doing some serious devaluation over the last 8 years, so if the price is "only" 40K, we are "fortunate"

I'm just bummed out that, my Expedition lease is up on the 26th of Jan and I couldn't wait for the RX-8...

 

This is exactly what I am hearing from my dealer.

 

In my opinion, the rx8 (as much as I like it and want one) isnt enough of a competitor to be priced similar to the 350z. That thing is already over priced as it stands.

 

I really don't know why Mazda is comparing the Z to the 8... One is 2 door/2 seater, and the other is 4 door/4 seater. Maybe as a marketing bonus the two share comparable performance numbers, but that's no reason to start justifying their pricing strategy on it! Personally, I believe I'm an exact match to the RX-8 market segment (32 with a kid, owned an FD for 6 years), yet I not once did I look at the Z. Why not the G35, or the new Maxima, or the new Acura TSX as competitors? Those are cars I'm keeping a close eye on as well...

To get me in the showroom, I need a $36K with the Sport package (base, with Xenons, 18" rims and larger brakes, DSC and traction control). I'm also hoping the 24mpg is average, and based on US gallons. A large part of the reason I sold the FD was because it was such a pig on gas. 24mpg average may not sound so bad now (actually, yes it does...), but think of the how long you'd like to own the car, and how much gas will be in 3-5 years...