Evolv

iTrader: (1)

Time to stop this rumour before it gets blown out of proportion.

Mazda Canada has not made any changes to pricing, options or models for the 2004 series being delivered between now and next fall.

If you're talking about changes to the 2005 model that will be delivered in the fall of 2004, only god and felix wankel know what will happen then :D

TT2RX8

It's funny.. when I started the thread, I was afraid to be "flame"... then to my suprise, many of you had the same feeling.

Rotarian said:
-------------------------------------------------------
Well, TT2RX8 has summed up my feelings, emotions and turmoil exactly!
-------------------------------------------------------

If funny, that since I can barely write english... I could somehow express what most of us feel Imagine if I had written my feeling in "french"... everybody would be crying like babies:p

Anyway, I think that there is no right or wrong decision... we do what we feel.

I'll keep watching the forum... and who knows.


Btw, Wing, I had the same experience at the Nissan dealer when I went for a test drive; all the salemen sat in the car, talked about it and let me test drive a 350Z then a G35C... I guess that next summer, when I'll go with my "Saturn", they won't even be interested in letting me test drive a Sentra :D

Evolv

iTrader: (1)

Don't worry about it. Nissan wants to sell sell sell, anyone who drives onto their lot qualifies for a test drive.

Wing

I'm not sure if a paint chip is normal wear and tear or not. I think it would be but it says "excluding excess wear and tear and physical damage"

So who knows?? But my paint chip is getting less and less noticeable everyday. At first I was thinking, hell trade it in so you don't have to live with this mess for 5 years or something.

Now looking at, that is not a factor at all (not that it really was). More buffing and it will be perfect.

SQ88

Well...I droped off the letter this morning and I am keeping my 8. I have been going back and ford again and again and came to the conclusion that... I only live once and enyoye while I can.

This was the same reason that I bought the 8 initially and since there is no major problem with the car, I have no reason to think that I made a mistake purchasing this car intially. Mazda repurchase offer is very tempting but I see the $500 and free maintenance as the bonus instead. They did torture me for the offer. As for the HP shortage, I will deal with that in the future.

Thank you all for sharing your feelings and thoughts about the 8. It is truely unique and one of the kind sport car. I did several comparisions with many other cars as an alternative to my 8 but none appear to come close for the price of the 8.

THANKS GUYS...



:D :D

Jasper_the_2nd

Just filled out my letter and will mail it this afternoon.
I decided to keep my 8. I like it too much to send it back, even though the buy back makes more sense to me logically.

Of course, having decided, I'm expecting a problem to be caused by the new oil pan being put on today that will leave me stranded in the middle of a cell dead zone at 2 a.m. this weekend...

westie

Hi Guys:

I don't usually say much on the forum, just like to read your witty comments and keep up with the news but our FL friend got me motivated to tell you my experience.

I share your pain!!! I agonized about this but we have decided to cave and we are sending the car back.

We loved this car when we saw it at the Toronto auto show and we ordered it right away. Since we got it mid-August I have fallen more and more for it. Like some of you we have been getting followed, getting thumbs up, getting swarmed on the highway by kids in CIVICS and it is kinda neat. There is usually a small crowd around the car when I return to a parking lot. I make sure I don't run late now so I can answer their questions or let them sit in the car. I don't want to be rude to "OUR" fans. Man, this celebrity life is tough!!! LOL

I was willing to overlook all of the glitches until I realized how bad our fuel mileage actually was. We are still getting 16L/100km even though I have tried all of your suggestions ie. driving like granny, no A/C, regular gas etc. I gave the dealer a chance to fix it (soot at tailpipe/running too rich therefore bad mpg) but they don't know why it's happening or how to fix it. They apparently have not had a technical bulletin on this. They also look forward to having my car in so they can all examine it, since apparently, I have the first and only one they have worked on. Now that's a scary thought! Their solution is to wait until 5000km when they say it should improve. Now the question I had was; does something magically happen to the ECU program at 5000km to improve the mileage? Blank stares!

My main problem is with the range of the car. This is a CRITICAL flaw. In this day and age it is not acceptable to have a car with only a 375km range. I don't want to spend every other day at the gas station and in Toronto it is imperative to try and stock up on Mondays for the week, before the price jumps 10c/L. If we take long trips up north I don't want to worry about where the next gas station is. To put this in perspective; when I tow a 4000kg boat with a 5.7L gas engine Chev Suburban I get the same mileage. The (optional) fuel tank is 159L however, not 60L like the RX8 and that gives us a range of 1000km TOWING THE BOAT! Of course I don't tow the boat very far nor does it get towed back and forth to work every day!

Thanks to this forum and you guys I have known more about this car than either Mazda Canada (MC) or the dealer even down to knowing when we picked it up in August there was a good chance of a buyback. Depending on your point of view the fact that the forum is the definitive source of info is either good or scary!

In the end I realized I can't complain about the car after Oct 1 if I don't take the buyback so I decided to take my letter to MC in Scarborough in person rather than mail it. I was half hoping to be talked out of returning it. I met with the executive that is in charge of the buyback program. He's a nice reasonable guy named Richard Panneton, (416) 609-9909 X2454, e-mail: RPanneto@mazda.ca and he sat down with me to hear my reasons for returning the car. On behalf of the forum I gave him an earful.

He told me that MC is aware that Canadian cars are running rich and have advised Japan. He presumed they would write a new program for the ECU but it would take 8-12 months to implement the change due to goverment regs, emissions etc. He also told me that I was one of few that have complained about the mileage and also that of 500 buyback letters sent out I was the 5th wanting to return the car. Guys, that is not the sense I get when I read the forum. I think they are downplaying the feedback they are getting or you are not complaining. Do anyone see a pattern here? Miata, RX8 etc. Enough said!

By the way, he told me that when they started to see problems with the car he thought he better drive one so they gave him a demo for the day, and he did experience some of the glitches but said he didn't have it long enough to put gas in it. It kind of bothered me that MC didn't give the executive in charge of the car one of his own. It reaffirmed my decison to get rid of it. It seems to be common sense that I can't complain about the mileage after Oct 1 if I don't take it back now. On the positive side thanks to MC we have enjoyed free use of a cutting edge sports car (that you probably couldn't even rent for any price) for what will be 2 months. Thanks MC! I'll keep this in mind when we need a new van.

This is how he said MC will handle the buyback. After Oct 1 they will figure out how many of us want to return the car. During the next 2-3 weeks they will call us with about 1 week's notice of a return appointment at the dealer. This should give us time to arrange another car. A district manager will meet you at the dealer and inspect the car. He said it would be just like a standard lease return, normal wear and tear etc. The exception is the mileage. He said they are going to ignore that, stating that we should go out and enjoy the car over the next few weeks. I feel the need of a ski holiday.....is there snow at Sunshine or Lake Louise yet? LOL

The district manager will present you with a MC cheque on the spot for the full amount you have paid incl. Mazda accessories. In the case of a lease your downpayment, taxes fees etc will be paid. Monthly payments will be credited back to your account as if the lease had never happened.

This is a very sad situation because we love this car. I think that the mysterious 1 week delay some of you talked about in Vancouver was to change the ECU program to deal with emissions perhaps. This would explain the missing HP and bad mileage. My personal opinion is that they let this car out of the factory without working out the bugs. While this is quite common with other car companies the difference is that everyone else uses old fashioned PISTON engines. Their bugs are restricted to the car. Mazda on the other hand has introduced a radical new design of sports coupe with a radical new (international design of the year) renesis rotary engine. The potential bugs in this car are increased exponentially. I hope you guys keeping the car buy the super extended warranty!

We have decided on an Infiniti G35 coupe which although more expensive is now cheaper than the RX8 when you factor in fuel costs. It also has a back seat, 280 verifiable HP, 4yr/100k warranty, a block heater, winter wheels and tires and just about every option known to man is standard. I know it's not a true sports coupe but it's the only thing that comes reasonably close to the RX8, plus I just found out the dealer gives you a free Infiniti loaner when you are in for service. That's a nice touch!

Perhaps we could plan another meet in Woodbridge (Sat/Sun preferred) since I was travelling and couldn't make the one a couple of weeks ago. It might be nice for some on us who have had to make this difficult decison to attend a wake. It's been nice to meet you guys on line, I've learned a lot and will continue to monitor the site to see how you all make out. I hope you can make use of the info I have gathered as you try to make your own personal decisions this coming weekend.

Wing

WOW, that is probably one of the most informative posts I have read on this forum!

THANKS! Ten thumbs up!

It is possibly they haven't gotten many returns yet, I suspect that most will be arriving just before the dealine. I'll be sending mine out tonight in next day xpresspost.

Thanks for the information about the buyback, that is absolutely fantastic! I was a little worried about how they were going to handle returning my money. I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait long for it!

If I do decide to buy another car it makes it easy for me to take that cheque and pay "cash" for the next car. Keeping my current financing intact and not having to reapply.

Although I'll probably just pay it outright for now.

Nice to know they MIGHT fix this, maybe they will have a fix before I re-buy.

Also thank you for this guy's e-mail I will be contacting him. It seems it would be worth the time. If they have not heard too much about the issues, apparently we aren't complaining enough.

Thanks!

rotorian

Awesome post Westie!
Thanks for the added info. I mailed my letter on Tuesday.

I think we should try for 1 more meet in the GTA before Winter, and before some of us give the car back.

Freddy

Just a note of thanks to the members! I have been following the forum since June and purchased a Black GT from Kramer on Aug 8 as it was not spoken for.

Having owned a RX 7 and a Miata I still love the 8 and my 2 kids are not impressed it's going back. I think they love it more than me! I hope I can turn around and buy a Titanium GT in the spring, but only if I am convinced that milage has been improved. The best I ever saw was 420km on a 300km highway trip!

The problem with the G35 is those in the back seat crown themselves on the window. Not a huge consideration but still a consideration. I really hope to get a RX8 again when they get it right.

I understand there have been 22 sold here in Calgary. I have yet to see another on the road.

Thanks for all the info on the board . I checked Canada Post and my letter was received (expresspost) today. Now I wait, and drive.

Happy motoring

Redshift

iTrader: (2)

For give me if this is somewhat rambling, but I've been working 12-14 hour days for a couple weeks striaght now.

Yesterday I was completely undecided.
I dropped by the Mazda dealership, talked to my sales guy (who has now become sales manager) to investigate some options.

Anyway, I made a 500km-ish road trip today for work with the RX-8.
At the end of the trip, I had rediscovered my love for the car. Decision made! Easy!

Dropped in at the dealership (just down the road from my house) to check out a used 323 he'd mentioned for a winter beater.

Anyway, that's when he comes back to me with the details he had to check on for the previous nights scenario.
Here's how it would go down:

I return the RX-8 and get my money back.
I take the portion of the cheque that is for the relatively small car loan I have, and pay that off.
He has a Titanium Grey 2003.5 MazdaSpeed Protege that he will cut me a smokin' deal on. 4-year lease for $500 per month. (I can write of the payments on my taxes, so the lease is a perk)
Then, next spring I take the cash from the portion of the RX-8, and outright by the car I always wanted, a 3rd Gen RX-7 Turbo.. which can and will be my toy/project/race car.
I then have the MazdaSpeed as a fun/good looking/economical/reliable and warrenty having daily driver, with the RX-7 rocket in the garage.
All for $500 per month.

Very temtping. I am once again conflicted...

Evolv

iTrader: (1)

You are getting such a great deal because.

1. Its almost winter

2. The new Mazda3 is arriving soon

3. The Mazda3 sport has a 2.3 liter engine that out performs the MSP and comes with some kick *** handling.

4. He can't sell the MSP, like every other dealer out there.

5. He's a car dealer, and wants to sell you one of his vehicles.

Having said all that, the MSP is one sweet ride :D

Redshift

iTrader: (2)

Oh, I know all the reasons WHY he's cutting me a great deal. Doesn't make it any less of a great deal though.

I don't like the Mazda 3 anyway... their cars kept getting better and better looking (2nd Gen Miata to Mazda 6 to RX-8) but it all fell apart with the 3.

Tough call.. and I don't really see how I can lose with either option.

Freddy

Remember, MC wants the letter in their hot little hands Oct.1...not postmarked ect.

Expresspost took 3 days from Calgary despite written claims.....does this sound familiar...maybe there is a buyback or some extra stamps here!

Wing

I sent my letter in yesterday via xpresspost. Guaranteed next day to Toronto. The way I see it is, if it doesn't make it by Oct 1st, Canada Post owes me $45 grand!

Evolv

iTrader: (1)

Good luck collecting that lmao

Redshift

iTrader: (2)

ARRRGHHH... I don't know what to do.
I want to get this letter sent back today.

That MazdaSpeed is a nice car, and I've always wanted an RX-7 TT, but this RX-8 is just damn sexy....

I need a SIGN. (Looks outside for lighting bolt)

Wing

I would like to thank Westie again.

I sent a lengthy e-mail to the contact he provided and I was called today to discuss it with him. He seems very pro-active and concerned about issues with the vehicle.

I expect he will return my call around 2:30 as he is out of the office till then.

Wing

I would like to thank Westie again.

I sent a lengthy e-mail to the contact he provided and I was called today to discuss it with him. He seems very pro-active and concerned about issues with the vehicle.

I just spoke to Richard at Mazda. He was very interesting in hearing my experiences and mentioned that my issues are being brought up with upper management and to the district managers to bring up with the dealer.

He also noted that since this car is top priority for mazda any complaint or issues you have are brought up to the upper management. Also that if you bring your car in for ANYTHING, a tech notice is served to Mazda in Japan about the issue. They will compile these and look for ways to resolve them later.

He also explained the buyback very throughly as did Westie, it will take a few weeks to get your money but they will give you the cheque the day you return your vehicle. Also the cheque will be in your Name and the financing institution if there is financing involved.


The other interesting thing to note was that he stated prices of the car will probably rise next year but the next year car will not be different from this years, they will be the SAME car. I would suspect prices will go up with inflation the 2004 350z's are up $500 from last year as well. But a mear increase of $500 should be easy enough to negotiate.

He also confirmed that the cars will be available to only mazda canada employees and that so far they have 6 or 7 to process. And they have received phone calls about people complaining they can't find a car, so they KNOW that there is still interest in this car.

The best part was when he told me he had my file on his desk and that he had a photocopy of my letter because the original was up on an executives desk

LiQuiDLaM

Okay, i haven't received a letter from MC so I called them and told them that i picked up the car on Aug 26th! My dealer is telling me that I am eligible for the $500 / free maintenance but MC tells me that I'm not on their list of eligible customers! I picked up the car on Aug 26th , which is the last day for having the buyback option! *can someone confirm this for me* MC told me to send them another copy of my contract cause the first one seemed to be shrunk for some reason and they will review it again! I thought as long as I bought the car within the given date I have the option to take the $500 or sell back the car! And I'm running low on time!

Smoker

Redshift, keep the car.

Here's why:

1) You couldn't stop yourself from telling people how much you love this car
2) Even the lure of a good deal cannot convince you to get rid of it which means your love goes beyond just dollars and cents for this car.
3) The RX-8 is good enough to be a daily driver...... and there WILL BE another RX-7 TT in the future !!!
4) You haven't sent the letter back because you are looking for a reason to convince you to keep your car. Which only implies one thing: YOU WANT TO KEEP THE CAR cause you know you'll be happier with it !!!

Hope this helps.

Smoker

oh yea here's the sign........ :D

Evolv

iTrader: (1)

Hey LiQuiD

Did you buy the car just so you could return it or get the $500.00/maintenance deal?

radarguy

HI - I posted this in another thread and was directed to this forum...

After talking to Mazda and them representing that I should get the full purchase price back including dealer addons, I sent in my buy-back slip last week along with the bill of sale/contact. I received a message from Mazda Canada today saying they are ready to process the buy back but are unwilling to repurchase / refund the dealer add ons - rust-proof module, leather guard, paint coat etc. Has anyone else run into this issue?

This knocks a big chunk of change of the repurchase. ( I never went wrong with the paint coat before as it has kept the finish on my other vehicles looking fine - the leather guard was a waste of cash and looks even more so now but it was essentially offest but a package discount.)

The rust proof module is removeable but I am not sure about the transferability of the warranty for it.

The rest of these items are on the car - they weren't aftermarket add ons they were part of the original sale albeit with the dealer, not Mazda Canada. This was a package deal but then split up on the bill of sale.

Not such a good deal now. May have to rethink this. Looking at the acknowledgement, I have not declined the offer so I could argue the Maintenance package offer should still stand.

Comments?

mdmaclean

I would assume that if you said you really wanted to keep the car, they would not force you to return it. If you do want the package you would have to send them something quickly on Monday...