Hi, what are some points and reasons I can use on my Mazda dealer to get a lower price on the RX-8?

So far, I know I should get quotes from many dealers, but thats pretty much it.
Should I use a carsdirect.com quote too?

I'm weary of this scenario: They say 500, I say how about 400, and they say sorry.

 

Well, I would point out that it is the tail end of the (very long) 2004 model year...

Also, the cars are not exactly flying off the lot. As of earlier this year, there was a 115 day supply of RX-8s on hand for the average dealer, and each dealer was selling 2.9 RX-8s per month. This is hardly the mark of a "hot" car (even though I love mine).

I would not settle for anything over invoice price at this stage of the game, and many dealers offer less than invoice.

Good Luck!

---Dave

 

This is a great thread, and one I need right now!
The big thing dealers keep saying is "We have to pay for lights" so I throw in... "That's what your dealer holdback is for (2% for Mazda, $533)
The 'admin fee' is the one I haven't been able to counter too well I try to give the answer about dealer holdback, but haven't had any budge yet.
Also the factory to dealer $750 I heard on here and on Edmunds (based on the dealers volume sales), the dealer simply stated "That's not true" There doesn't seem to be a way for me to prove it, I guess when I visit the dealer 'for real' I will print the information and show them, that may work.
I haven't recently negotiated any lower than invoice and with the admin fee they want to charge that gives an effective price of several hundred (I was quoted $500 at several places in Tampa) over invoice

I would use carsdirect as a negotiating point if the instant quote they give is below invoice, for Tampa it was significantly over invoice.

I hope this is helping rather than asking more questions!

 

First, I recommend this site:
http://www.beatthecarsalesman.com/index.html

Second some comments and advice from someone who just did it (last night):
I don't know what the admin fee is, I didn't get charged one.

I went to two quote services online. All they did was mail my request for quote to each of the same dealerships. In fact the same salesman at the same dealerships. Unless there is something better I wouldn't bother going to multiple quote services. The important thing is getting the "Internet sales" guy to give you an email quote from the dealerships you will buy from and maybe some you don't want to buy from but use as leverage. They *HATE* putting something down in writing because you can "shop" it with other dealers. You should be able to send a comment in your quote requests - I put something like "Please don't waste my time with MSRP quotes, I'm a serious buyer." I don't know if it helped, but the second round of quotes I got was lower than the first. But as noted below: it got me something below invoice in email but I probably didn't play it right and ended up right at invoice when it came down to it.

Although I had email "offers" of up to $200 below invoice & a verbal "we'll go to $250 below invoice" once I got into the dealership the best I could do was invoice. (For one thing, I hadn't gotten an email offer from the dealer I was buying from.) I *did* push them up $800 on my trade in - which in sum was better than I expected. Essentially we ended up negotiating on BOTH the trade-in value AND the bottom line price. Made it much more complicated and harder to keep up - remember they're pros and have software built just for playing these number games out.

What I feel (now) like I should have done was shopped multiple dealers and mailed the offers from one to the other till I got an offer that no one would beat - I didn't play super hardball because I wanted to buy from this dealership. Just understand that an email offer does not constitute a real enforcible offer.

Also, something that gave me more leverage was that you can go to MazdaUSA.com and get the dealer's inventory - I even tracked my dealers sales over two weeks (they sold 4) and pointed out their still high inventory on '04s.

In the end, no two deals are the same - don't go in expecting the best possible deal. Go in working to make the best deal you can and if it is good enough sign on the bottom line and buy - if not walk.

Also, and this is only a helper - I previously shopped my loan and came in with a Capitol One blank check. I told them I had outside financing but would go with them if they made it worth my while - I ended up getting a better rate through them - but I know I wouldn't have without the prior approval.

Also, I came in with an advanced calculator with loan amortization functions built in, so when they started throwing numbers out I was able to guage how much impact they had on my payment, how much interest over the life of the loan, etc. Not required, but for a nerd like me it made a good safety blanket.

Just picked mine up last night and I'm too excited to work! I just want to find some long sweeping curves and Zoom Zoom!

Good luck,
-Dennis

 

i was able to negotiate $1k under invoice w/out much hassle on a 6spd Touring edition, u got to take what's on their lot though

be careful though, if u don't mention the rebates, dealers will keep those rebates to themselves, so make sure it's negotiated price - REBATES that belongs to you.
and make sure you UNDERSTAND ALL NUMBERS they throw at you, if you don't, make them explain to you every single details,

i spent 6 hrs at the dealer negotiating and test driving, it wasn't a terrible experience, but not the best experience,

after everything was done and said, the dealer asked for a deposit while i was filling out the financing application, hands were shook and we finalizing the paperwork,

i said NO DEPOSIT, my word is good enough, if they want a deposit, i'll give them a $20 in my wallet and that's enough, i am firm on the no deposit rule, after all that they let me walk out the door b/c i refused to put down a deposit, but their lost, i wasn't playing games, and i know i can get pretty much the same price at the next 10 dealers around long island

every dealer i emailed using edmunds, all of their replies said all their rx8 will sell at invoice, plus rebates, didn't even need to negotiate to get that,

 

Bottom line for negotiating a good price>> you've got to be willing to walk away. There are plenty of dealers, you've got what they want (cash, actual cash or loan or lease, whatever), and therefore you've always got the upper hand. Remember this always!

If you aren't willing to walk you will never keep the upper hand.

Be a consumer, shop multiple dealers, and be firm but polite. Consider how much time you want to spend negotiating (ie what is your time worth).

Lastly, you've got to be smart enough to recognize when you've actually negotiated a good deal so you can take it.

Logic's your rule... emotion makes you a fool. (HIDE the new RX-8 lust in your eyes!) Rich

 

When are the 05's coming - most of the new 04's on dealer lots are about to have birthday cakes?

 

If you are ready to deal now, it's the right time as they always want to chalk up another sale for the end of the month.

 

gt1, how much above invoice is CarsDirect in Tampa? Until recently here in L.A., they were $1,000 above invoice and then dropped it to $350 over to stay competetive. That's when I decided to use them for my purchase (the $350 was worth not having to waste an entire weekend goiing from dealer to dealer and haggling). It sounds like you're still shopping. You might want to track CarsDirect for a while longer and see if they drop their price in Tampa as the model year closes out. (P.S. I guess that I'm gt2--my initials.)

 

I don't remember the exact amount but Carsdirect was something like $1000 over invoice.
I ended up at $1500+ under invoice (including their dealer fee $499) just have to take what cars they have on the lot though.
My new learning experience is that I told them I would just order a 2005 and I mentally didn't have any emotion on the 2004. They needed to sell a few more 2004's to meet their quota and basically asked me to make an offer, so I offered something crazy like $3500 under invoice (but it was almost done in a humorous manner). Of course they didn't take it but their counter offer was a few hundred under what I was originally going to offer (and I thought that was good!)
The other thing is the relationship, I really tried to be very nice, to make it easy for them to work with me, yet I showed them I had done the research as well and had been working with them over the phone for about a week on various deals.

 

You have to be kidding. $1k under invoice?! $1500 under invoice?

Is this real?

 

How are you guys getting under invoice on a purchase? I thought the incentives were for leases only?

I talked to a dealer 2 weeks ago and he claimed the incentive was for leases only as well. was this BS?

 

Last weekend of the month. Dealer needed a few more cars to sell to meet their incremental bonus payout. The car I bought was born in October '03, but luckily has all the TSB's completed. I am sure the time on the lot was a factor in my luck.
One thing noone can tell us is how desperate a particular dealer is to sell a car, factors that simply are not available...
Another dealer I went to, knew I wanted a particular car on their lot (I even tried to have another dealer transfer) so they tried to sell the car for $100 over invoice and wanted their dealer fee of $400. They totally refused to negotiate!
Anyway, if anyone is near St. Petersburg Florida and wants a good deal I can highly recommend Lindell Mazda, speak to Sonny Gonzales and tell him I sent you (he hasn't offered me any referral $, I am simply spreading the word about a good dealer)

 

I guess I just don't understand how a dealer can make any money by selling a car for $1500.00 under invoice.

 

A dealer doesn't have to make money on a car if selling that car will help them reach a quota where by they receive money for *every* car they sold.
www.fightingchance.com has some good information about this.