wombaticon

Among North Texas dealerships I've encountered significant, widespread resistance to my attempts to have a 2006 ordered to spec. Everyone I speak with wants to do a 2005 dealer locate, despite my specific instructions to the contrary. I know the lead time on an order can be several months, which is why I'm trying to get it in there right now.

Has anyone else had similar experiences in purchasing their 8?

Aseras

they want to get rid of leftovwer 05's no more holdback, and they are depreciating. typical.

Tigster

yup it doesnt surprise me, they want to move the 2005's first. If you have to have a 2006 just wait until they are released, but you'll get a better deal on a 2005.

wombaticon

I get that they want to get the 05's off the lot - I would, too. My concern is that I won't get a good enough deal on an 05 to counter the year's worth of depreciation I'll be purchasing along with it. I haven't seen that the 06 has significant differences on the MT, so that's not my issue. This is my first new car, so I'm skeptical of anything that's been sitting around for a year in someone else's care.

BunnyGirl

I had that problem at first. They said 06's weren't available yet and they had no idea IF they were coming out, so I should just buy an 05 since there are tons of them around. Well, I had already sent an email to Mazda's customer service asking when they would become available and how to do about doing a special order. They referred me to another person who then told me how to go about it and gave me a phone number for my dealer to call to get it done, and then changed the specs on one of their first two cars alotted. This was started in the beginning of November and completed by Nov. 22. My car allegedly will be here by the end of January but I don't know for sure. I think I still have the number but I don't think it would help you much since I live in Oregon and it is a different region you would have to go through.

If you do a special order from scratch, I was told it would take 3-4 months since it has to go to the end of the line.

This is my fisrt car, EVER, so I am going crazy waiting.

Glyphon

1. just because its an 05 doesn't mean that its been sitting around for a year. it possible for it to only be 2-3 months old.

2. when the 05's were released, some people were able to score new 04's at around $7k off, which definately beats a year's worth of depreciation.

3. cars are terrible investments because of their extremely rapid depreciation rates, which is why GAP insurance is sold...the car depreciates in value faster than most people can pay it off. so personally, i wouldn't even bother using that as a criteria for buying a regular production car. now, if you are planning on keeping this car for 20+ years as a show car in immaculate condition, then that might be another story. but even then, it won't pay off as an investment for at least 15 years, if not longer.

my $0.02 on the situation. its your money, do with it what you like

wombaticon

BunnyGirl - Soooo, since they batch-order based on how many want the same specs, sounds like I really need to do what you did: get someone competent, refuse to waffle on the 2006; be ready to wait until May. Cripes. Time to crunch some numbers and cement my budget for the year, right quick. I don't mind waiting, but my '97 Grand Prix is looking/feeling/driving like @#$%. No time to waste.

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

I'd just push for an excellent deal on a '05.

wombaticon

Glyphon - I'm not one to turn up my nose at well-presented advice/opinions. Thanks for the perspective. I'm not so much worried about depreciation as I am damage to the car from being on the lot - dings, scratches, and worst of all, paint-fade from the sun (I plan to get the ground effects accessories from Mazdaspeed and I don't to have to get the entire car repainted in order for the new to match the old). If it were only 2-3 months on the lot, no biggie, I suppose.

I'm assuming the more available 2006 there are, the lower they'll be willing to drop on 2005's if I push them. (BunnyGirl, I know your stance on penny-pushing car-buyers from reading other threads; I merely don't want to get taken. )

Speaking of which, BunnyGirl, what convinced you to go for the 2006 instead of a 2005? Still trying to weigh the pros/cons.

wombaticon

I've received several emails from dealers in response to my inquiries about certain option packages, and several were in the 200-300-over-invoice range. Don't crucify me for asking in this thread, guys, but while I'm here I'm wondering what a good deal on a 2005 would be at this point.

wombaticon

And yes, I've seen the recent "good deal rx-8" thread where the guy got a 2005, GT package, appearance package, MT for approx. 30K invoice, but I'm wondering how far a dealer might cave just to get it off the lot. I'm new at this - never dealt with a dealership before.

BunnyGirl

I had a job interview in mid October and they told me I would have to get my license by the end of the year so I could go through job training (so finally did that a few weeks ago, been driving for years, though) and then that I had to get a car by spring. Well, last year I had decided what I wanted to get and was intending to buy a car for my 25th b-day (end of January). Since I needed to get the car I started searching dealer inventories for Oregon and Washington to see if anyone had what I wanted still available in an 05 and they didn't, really. I have to have the blue one so I looked for those, and at that time there were two available in Oregon and Washington, one an automatic and one a manual. Well, the requirement of my second job said I had to have a manual and navigation, which neither one actually did. I figure if they didn't have the spoiler or somethign like that I could have it added when I bought it.

Since I was out of options then I contacted MNAO to see about getting a special order set up. I did that around mid November and by Nov. 22 my car specs and order were finalized. MNAO told me 8-10 weeks since they just changed the specs on one already quite early in the building order. My car was supposed to have been built Nov. 1 but was pushed back to Dec. 1 and I was given a build date of Dec. 14, and it it supposedly still on schedule to be here at the end of January to first week of February. West Coast gets them first.

I am also going through Costco for my car (priced at $400 over invoice plus can still receive available discounts/rebates at the time) so I had to contact them to find out what dealership to use so I could give them the information for my order. It started out frustrating but actually went pretty smoothly.

Also, try going to a MAZDASPEED dealer since I was told they are supposed to get the 06's first.

rodrigo67

I was in my local dealer last week and they had 1 2005 rx8 left on the entire lot. I asked him when the 06's were coming out. He checked and said they don't expect any before April...

BunnyGirl

Where state are you in??? It could be that your local dealer isn't a high volume dealer or a MAZDASPEED dealer so they are way back in the list to get some or that they were just now able to get their own orders in as opposed to automatically being given some. Then again, MNAO told me that depending on your region it could take until sometime in March, manuals coming out before automatics. I had been told that they are releasing all the information at the Detroit Auto Show and that they would start transporting cars from port shortly after that time.

I don't know for sure their schedule and details, but you could try checking with MNAO to see if they have any further updated information from what I was told last week. Of course, your region is probably different, too.

Detrich

Bunny,

Have you been officially given a VIN# from MBNA or your dealer? If your car is built, your order number converts into a VIN#. Call Mazda's cust service at (800) 639-1000 and have them check the status of your car and tell you if a VIN's been assigned. They will be able to look in the computer to see where exactly it is physically- ie on the assembly line, on the ocean, or at port etc. When I ordered mine, it actually showed up at the dealer ahead of schedule and totally made my weekend.

BunnyGirl

Cool!!!! At the time I got the information it was between Christmas and New Year's. My dealer is supposed to tell me "something" this week, I guess whether or not he got updated information from Mazda or not on anything he is waiting for from them. I didn't have the VIN from my dealer when I spoke to someone from MNAO but I told him what my car was (specs, color, et cetera) and what dealer it was going to and he was checking stuff in his computer and he told me it was high enough up in the build order that it should be part of the shipment that was to be sent last week (wasn't actually shipping day yet that week when I talked to him, so he didn't know how many were going to make it into the first shipping, although he said about 500 were supposed to go out). He said if it didn't make that cut off, it would be in the next shipment which is expected to go out, I believe, on Jan. 9, he said. I asked for my VIN number but he told me I was supposed to get that from my dealer, who hasn't gotten any information from Mazda since Thanksgiving.

So, at this point I am lacking the official confirmation with VIN number on what is going on. If I haven't heard any more in the next two weeks I will be calling again because it will be closer to the time I was told to expect my delivery, originally the last week of January.

Last week he said 3-6 weeks before they hit the dealership (then saying he thinks they will arrive at dealers within one to two days after the close of the Detroit Auto Show, which is Jan. 22.) He also said they were planning on them starting to become available in the Portland area to coincide with the Portland Auto Show, which is at the end of the week I was told to expect my car, the last day of the auto show being my b-day in the 29th. I know planning isn't doing, so we'll see.

Thanks for the info!!! I'll see if I can dig something more up!!!!

Detrich

If you put a deposit down, then you get an official order# from the dealer. And, as soon as the car goes into production that order# converts into an official VIN#, period. That is how simple it is. Even MBNA will be able to look up your order# and VIN#.

If you didn't put down a deposit, then the dealer is not obligated to sell you the exact car that you selected. And, that would explain why they didn't give you an order# or a VIN#.

---

BunnyGirl

$500 deposit presold, listed at the dealer under my name in their system, so as not to be available for purchase except by me. I called (after my last post) and the sales manager that handled this is actually off until Monday, so I will call then to check on things. Thanks!!!!

Detrich

Cool.

Did the dealer give you a hard copy of the purchase order (with the po#) and a receipt for your deposit? If they did not give you the above 2 items, then they are either highly incompetent or trying to be dishonest. All they do is sell cars. So, I find it very hard to believe that they could've honestly "forgotten" to give it to you.

If you didn't get a hard copy of the PO and a receipt, I would go down there as soon as possible and talk to whichever on-duty sales manager is there and get it right away. Once you have the PO#, then you can call MBNA and have them check the status.

If you come back empty-handed, then they are stalling for some unknown reason. This should not be that complicated.

BunnyGirl

I have a receipt and a confirmation email of my order. MNAO told me my car is shipped, but said they can't get a "100% confirmation" until the VINs are updated in their system, which they expect to be done soon (apparently a slow down with the information updates in their system with the holidays and people being off). I don't know if this is BS but that is what the man on the phone told me today. He said it should be about three more weeks now.

jisoo26

Maybe it's a little premature but congrats on the purchase I'm also in Portland and planning on getting my 8 in a few months. *w00t*

BunnyGirl

Thanks!!!!

fourflush

congrats on your purchase Bunny Girl! Have you negotiated the selling price yet? When i put my order in in october the pricing for the 06's wasnt out yet. I have been sitting on my hands for the last few months waiting for any news that they have come in. I got a couple of calls from the dealership letting me know that production had slipped and they didn't know when they would ship. But as far as i know pricing for the 06 is not out yet. I am eager to see how much the price when up (expecting 1.5% - 2%) so i can start wrangling with my dealer.

I guess i will have to give them a call tonight and see what they say.

BunnyGirl

I am going through Costco so it is locked it at $400 over invoice and then I can get available discounts off that price. The MSRP for my car is $36,104 and invoice is $32,720. When I talked to MNAO I was told to expect the same pricing on a manual as the 05 price since they kept pricing the same on several of their other vehicles. I don't know for sure yet. I left a message today to find out any further information on my car at this point. I was originally told to expect my car Jan. 27 to Feb. 17. I had been given a build date of Dec. 14. I am not sure if that was supposed to be when production in general started or for my car, and was told that they were shipping out 500 of them the week between Christmas and New Year, which was supposed to include my car. I don't know if this actually happened or not. I am hoping to find out soon. I know two to three weeks ago I was told that RX-8's in general were supposed to become available for purchase on the West Coast at the end of January by Mazda's customer service people and I was told originally that my car was close enough to the beginning of the line that it was in the earliest production batch. I guess I will just have to wait and see at this point.

I am hoping everything is still on schedule and, if not, that they can at least give me an approximate date of when to expect my car. I have been very anxiously awaiting it. This is actually my first car (at 25).

I was told to expect the official pricing to be up on their website when the autoshow ends. I found this but other people on here told me it was probably wrong when I posted it, so who knows.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/conf...=RX8&zip=97233

I hope you get your car soon, too!!!!

P.S. What state are you in???

fourflush

I just got a call from my dealer today. he said that my car now officially has a vin number so I'm excited. He told me i should expect it in late february early march. This is about what i expected given what all i have read online and what not. I didnt get a chance to talk to him (he left a message on my phone) so i cant confirm that the pricing didnt change. however if you say that Mazda is keeping then level for this year then i am going to go with that. my car msrp'd at a little over 34000 and invoiced for a little over 31000 if i remember correctly. I am going to shoot for the same deal of just a hair over invoice. figure if i can lock them into that then discuss my trade in the deal should go smoothly.

Oh, i'm in pheonix, AZ. so i dont know if we get our cars the same time cali does or if we have to wait for the next shipment.


Sorry for the slow reply ive been really busy and hadnt had a chance to check in with my dealer