Tronics

Mazda didn't rip you off. You just made a bad choice. You're going on and on about how if you returned your car you could have gotten it cheaper. Did you expect Mazda to come to your house and tell you, "btw we're lowering the price on the RX-8 so you should return yours". Don't be so ignorant, you made a conscious decision to buy and KEEP your car. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. Mazda is doing a fine job at keeping the rotary alive.

rx8daniel

Mazda didn't lower the price. No, I didn't expect that. Xyntax, you're totally missing the point, give me a break. I'm not better and don't feel glory for it. As I said, I expect most to not understand. Prove it if you must. Perhaps the thread title I chose was a little hasty - maybe "I have another reason to somewhat doubt the economic viability of the decision I had to make within the timeframe allotted us early owners of the new Mazda RX-8 that I had to make despite the hazy picture of what the true HP versus the 250 development objective HP Mazda stated back in January of 2002 and had in their specifications they printed even as late as January 2003 and further printed in magazine advertising dated September 2003 and whether or not that would truly diminish the demand and yes, sooner than later, the market price of the car that I had agreed to pay MSRP for based on those pre-stated specifications before I had the chance to test drive the car." Oh wait, maybe that would have been a little too precise and maybe just a little like a run-on sentence. And I have never in this thread blamed anyone. Technically, I didn't pay a premium in the sense that I paid over MSRP which is often the case with a new model's initial production. I can't help think that the HP issue has diminished the perceived value of the car by much of the general car-buying public. A lady in my company bought one but I think it was more for 'cute' than for 'sports car'. I finally talked her into checking the oil in her automatic as she approaches 5000 miles.

wahoo

There is a premium to buying the first car. There is a premium to buying a new car. In Georgia, I can save $2000 in taxes alone by buying a "used" car driven off the lot.

Sounds like you are upset cause you feel Mazda is punishing you for doing the right thing. There are people that are taking advantage of Mazda's return policy to buy back into a cheaper, newer car. It's interesting that someone put the value of the Mazda incentives to keep your car at $1700. Makes you wonder how much people are really saving buy returning and re-buying.

Another random thought, would Mazda be insured against a problem like this? Would some of the cost of returns and maintenance payments be claimed under a policy? Or is this a straight line item loss for Mazda?

Wahoo!

Haris

Umm, maintanance and $500 will probably be over $1500.

I dont now on RX8 but this is how its on my protege.

7K miles Tune-up - $150
15K miles tune-up - Dont know the price I think its like $200.

Oil changes for 3 years. That's 45K miles average. Lets do some math now. 45000/3000 miles is 15. That means you have to do about 15 oil changes. So that's about $30 per oil change which is total of about $500. There are bunch of other maintanance and stuff I dont know about RX8. Just look at this. All this total is $1300. Few more things and your RX8 will end up cheaper than the ones on the lot now.

Genom

Also some think that getting a lower price now would have been better. When I was buying a car I had a budget I set and stuck to. If the car had been just another 950 bucks I would have had to get something else and I would have. For the money I was willing to spend this was my best deal, and I have no problem seeing cars out now for less. Like everything in life, once it's out for a while it gets cheap. Be it computers, cars, books, etc.

Of course, 50 years from now it will be a collectors item, but thats a bit mroe of a long term thing :D

Napboy

I'm not sure, but I may be the first to have done this. Last Friday, turned in my 8. They gave it a once over, then gave me my check. I left there a couple hours later with a brand new Winning Blue with Sport Package for much less. How much less you ask? I paid sticker for the first one and I got the second one for $600 over invoice. I got the same exact car, but with Nav this time. Am I happy I did it? Hell yeah! I got a newer car, Nav, and paid $800 bucks less the second time around.

brownchiro

I never considered returning my car. Similar to rx8daniel I preordered, etc. I knew my build date, ship date, date in Midlothian port. I knew the VIN and tracked it on this forum. A replacement would not be the same.

nk_Rx8

This is exactly what I said everyone should do way back if you paid MSRP or more. Use the original as a free months or so rental car!

Napboy

You're not the only one.:D

8_wannabe

Don't know about the rest of you but with free maintenance for 50,000 miles I'm on schedule 2. In fact, I'm sitting at Hine Mazda right now in San Diego getting my 5000 mile check. That pushes the value of the free maintenance up by 50 percent. After 50K miles I'll revert to schedule 1 if I still have the car.

Xyntax

Touche... you have a point. There's always a healthy balance between things.

8_wannabe

Waaa freakin' waaa. Aren't we all victims. Daniel, despite your protestations that we misunderstand you, you are playing the victim card. Unless you are underage and/or mentally incompetent you are presumed to be able to make informed decisions and contractual agreements. If there was a deficit of information by the time you had to decide, and this left you feeling uncomfortable, you had the chance to return the car, take a step back, and re-evaluate the situation. You were online here at that time; you understood the implications of your decision in an information deficit; why even bring it up now? Hey, I could have studied bio-engineering 20 years ago and been making a fortune today. I didn't, so who do I blame for not explaining all that to me 20 years ago?

To answer other comments about markdowns, I'm sitting here at Hine Mazda (they have internet computers in the customer lounge.) Their online inventory says they have 32 RX-8s. I walked around and looked. they have seven. One has no dealer options, and it is selling at MSRP. The other six have dealer installed options, mostly $1400 worth of dams, spoilers, etc. They are marked with the Hine Discount of $1500. So, are these cars $1500 off MSRP? I don't think so. Maybe a few hundred, but we all know how profit on dealer markup works. It's interesting that the one with no add-on's has no discount. BTW, not one of them has navigation meaning they're not likely to discount one that does. They're probably all claimed before they get to the lot.

Bottom line on a too-long post: Discounts ain't what they appear, and these folks are getting their cars just in time for winter (granted, a San Diego winter.) I had my car all summer long and it felt great. I have no regrets.

Xyntax

Seriously, all cars go this way. They come out with a higher price and by the end of the year or before the new versions come out, they get cheaper. Mazda did not rip you off. Sorry about your problem, like I said, I could have been you. I suggest you let it go and enjoy your car.

If you choose to dwell on how Mazda ripped you off, just think what you are going to do when you find out what your RX-8's KBB value is after 12 months :D

red_rx8_red_int

I didn't have the option of the buy back because my car was delivered on 8/25. My options were refund my deposit and not take the car or take the car with the 500 debit card and free maintainance for warranty period.


You may have gotten a new 8 with DVD for 800 less, but you're out the debit card and free maintainance. Therefore, the 2800 (dvd plus 800) savings need to be reduced by 500 plus the cost of maintainance. As long as the new 8 is not more problematic than the old 8 I say you did good. But it was a gamble, I'm surprised that one can get an 8 for 600 over invoice this early. Maybe the dealer felt they made enough profit on the initial sell at msrp to cut you a break that they wouldn't do for anyone else.

To the original thread starter-of course you pay a premium for an early new model. I understand the gut feeling, but let your higher reasoning powers prevail. You got exactly what you bargained for. We all knew prices would drop. Wait another 6 months and there may be rebates from mazda and discounts from dealers bringing the total price to well under invoice. Car sales are universally down I believe.

RodsterinFL

Exactly Exactly.

It could be worse, imagine how those S2000 owners felt that paid $10,000 over sticker. That overpricing went on for some time here though the amount dropped to about $5000 later. THere were also those who paid over MSRP for the 8.

eclps0

off topic here but damm that was such a funnt a$$ movie.the dog part with teh pastrys(OMG that was sick but very humurous).

wleonard

Yes. Waiting on checks and dealer drop off. Will save $1200 to $1500 on a new should I choose. Plus more colors (BLUE!) and options to choose from.

I'm only out the blood, sweat and tears from 5 Zaino coats.

Time2Share

I turned in my black/black GT 6sp with Nav last Friday. I had driven it 7000 miles, and will say that it was about perfect. The dealer did the oil pan change and a computer update to fix the check engine light (turns out the remote fob can acvtivate the light, the service guy downloaded an update from Mazda and updated the car computer, which fixed the problem). I always got 21-23 mpg, conusmed 1 quart of oil every 2500-3000 miles and never had any of the little problems or complaints that others seem to have. Horsepower was not an issue, the car was plenty fast enough for me.

Why did I do the buy-back deal? Economics baby! I was one of the first to get an 8 in Seattle, and I paid MSRP. Now that the dealers here are loaded with them (and I mean loaded, my dealer has got 20 on the lot, all unsold) you can buy them for a good discount of MSRP. So, seconds after I signed the buy-back paperwork for the old 8 and got my check from Mazda, I signed the paperwork and bought a new 8. I got a black/black-red GT 6sp with Nav, appearence pkg., rotary accent pkg. and rear spolier. And, I got a $3000.00 discount off MSRP, so the new, better equipped 8 cost less than the old 8.

So, I got to drive the first 8 7000 miles for the cost of gas and insurance, had all the thrill of being one of the first to have an 8, and got a new 8 with more stuff and paid less money. This is a better deal than the free service/$500 offer by a long shot.

B-Nez

Everyone has the right to do what they choose, and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. However, for daniel to gripe about Mazda's loyalty to it's customers in the same breath that you lament not ripping them off by selling back your used RX-8 and buying a new one is pretty shitty, in my opinion. Loyalty goes both ways. The buyback program is a bump in the road to the return of the rotary. A loyal rotorhead would respect that, and not screw with the future of the platform and the engine like that because of greed. Don't misunderstand me. Anyone - rotorhead or not - who was dissatisfied with the car SHOULD have returned it. What we are talking about is returning it to save a buck at Mazda's expense. Is it wrong or unethical? No. But, if you'd like to see the rotary thrive, or the RX-7 introduced, then maybe you should show a little loyalty.

LesPaul

Am I the only person troubled by taking the buy-back then buying another RX-8? It appears technically legal and, on the one hand, a savvy use of money. But on the other hand, it seems inconsistent with the purpose of the buy-back: you are unhappy about the HP issue and want rid of the car. Seems like a smart money move but bad karma.

compaddict

I feel that by turning in my car and getting a new one reverses Mazdas bad karma!

Vince

rx8daniel

I'll add this: I do not feel it was a bad thing to sell the car back. Mazda employees who get to buy them will be highly grateful. To me, it is nearly pointless whether one then turns around and buys another 8, or another car, or no car. It says a lot of good things if they buy another 8, but money talks in this country (not like it doesn't in others, I know) - but the point I want to add is that one thing that makes sense to buy another RX-8 after selling one's back to Mazda is service. My 2nd oil change - and I know I'm not the only car that has been inside my dealer's small Mazda service area (they sell Caddy,Dodge,Saab and VW at this location also) because I've asked them. There's been at least several others [and one buyback that they accomodated by holding for Mazda to pick up] - took me 1, 2, 3, 4 trips to get right. At this point, I don't really trust them to be able to understand, perform, much less perform correctly, future maintenance on my rotary. I know, there are other dealers. But this one is a mile from work etc etc etc. I'll be checking out another that's on the way home on my 45 mile commute, as I saw a 2nd gen 7 in outside their garage one evening after hours. But I'd truly just as soon do my own oil changes as pay my dealer. Free changes makes it tough - I may let them try one more after this. OTH - because of the goofs on my 1st 2 changes [yeah, they screwed the first one only on account of the service order said '5 quarts 10W30' and they couldn't verify correct oil added] - I got all new oil in the car at 4K and 2 changes on my 2nd change - one at 7803 and another at 8076, so I know my oil is very fresh and clean.