a new article posted in the media forum say's and i quote:

 

Alrighty...back to the topic.

I delivered the deposit check to my dealer today and asked her about demo models. She said that she was expecting to have a car delivered in mid-June to early-July to be used as a demo and that I'd be the first person she called for a test drive! :D Guess being first on the pre-order list gets you a few perks, huh?

Now, to knock Mazda even more on their lack of informed employees (I've gone on and on in other posts about the jackass they had at the LA Auto Show) but the genius at the dealership takes the cake! The auto group consists of a few other dealerships and the lady I was supposed to meet with was over at the Acura shop when I first arrived. They sent me in with some dude named Chuck who then proceeded to ask me how many horsepower the car was going to have, when it was going to start shipping and where I found out so much about it. After answering all of his questions the #$%@ said, and I swear this is a direct quote "I can't figure out why they're callin' this an RX-8 if they're not going to put a rotary engine in it." I about wet myself....

 

i think that person has some relatives working around here at mazda dealers. this is comptletely in comprehensible to me. what the hell is going on at these dealers !

 

It's amazing how friggin' retarded, yet arrogant these guys are isn't it? I don't know about you guys.....but I always get this sense around these jackasses like they think every customer that walks onto the lot is some 16 year old chick who knows nothing about cars.

I'm glad I personally know my salesman, and that he is a total Mazda freak. However, I had to tell him too when the pre-sell announcement was made by Mazda. That was even a few days after I got the e-mail from Mazda NA about it. They knew nothing about it either at their dealership, but got the info they needed that same day.

Pretty sad that the consumers are more informed about what is going on with the pre-sell than representatives of the company. Don't you think they would have gotten the same e-mails from Mazda NA about this stuff that we got?

 

Got one for you:
A guy I know goes to the Mazda dealer in Lakeland, Florida and asks a salesman about the RX-8. His response was "what is an RX-8?" He tells him it is the new sports car that Mazda is putting the Rotary engine in, not sure if the guy is kidding or not. So the salesman says "we don't make a Rotary engine". Needless to say he walked away and went to a manager that said he didn't know much about it but gave him a brochure on it. haha

Amazing huh? Let's hope the mechanics are better informed in case we need them. :-)

 

WTF! what is going on with the dealers

 

Many dealers are multi car-line or "dualed" up with another make. Other makes have made their gravy money in volume, and those are the ones they focus on. Face it, Mazda dropped off the profit radar a few years back and were heavily rebated. Dealers better get committed, especially Mazdaspeed dealers. It's best is to find a stand-alone exclusive dealer who only sells and services Mazdas, not "Joe Smith GMC/Hyundai/Volvo/Lincoln Mercury/Mazda." Dealers who can make a profit selling Mazdas only are pretty rare, but are a gem to find. The less shared brands the better.

 

Toadman makes a very good point. I have to admit that like many I haven't looked at it from the dealer's perspective. In a way, clueless dealers are a blessing in disguise. At least we have the luxury of being able to tell which dealers/sales staff are true enthusiasts (which is of course defined by interest in and knowledge of Mazdas :D ) and which are memorizing the manufacturer's sound bytes on the models that they want to push. When in doubt check for that sparkle in the eyes when they talk about rotary engines.

 

Based on what I have read so far today from Rotarynews and the Brit magazine, I am probably going to get the Z4 and pass on the RX-8. It just doesn't sound all that exciting to me. YMMV.

I will let them keep my deposit for now and when it comes in, I will thrash it on my pre-refund test drive and report my findings back to everyone. :p

Of course, the chance exists I will fall for the RX-8 and take it, assuming I have not received the Z4 yet... I changed my color to red interior and Alpine White exterior, which is an April build. The cars should arrive within weeks of each other.

 

make sure that the dealers you look into are Mazda "Elite" dealers for your best service.

http://mazdausa.com/dealers/default....p=&did=&state=

follow the link to find a dealer near you. their certifications should be listed on the page you pull up for their dealership

 

The one I went to was!!! Cush Mazda in Escondio, CA!!!

 

Don,

Did you plan on getting the 2.5l or the 3.0l? I ask because most of the criticisms of the RX-8 are about torque and speed. The Z4 2.5 starts at the price of a loaded RX-8 and does 0-60 in 7.1 seconds. If you want the 3.0 you're gonna have to kick in $40k base to get 0-60 in 5.9 which should be less than half of a second quicker than the 8. Personally I can think of plenty of things I would change about the RX-8 but then I look at what the other companies are offering for the money and I find that the RX-8 comes closest to what I am looking for. If I were you I might consider putting up the $30k for the 8 and put $10kinto after market mods. You should end up with something that wipes the floor with the Z4.

Steve

 

I see Z4's all the time down here....on the street sitting onthe dealer lot.. 4-5 deep...

(Momentum BMW in Houston is a huge dealer though)

I think they are cool and rightfully the next step in the small-ish BMW roadster scene.... but the car for me is too much of a toy compared to the useability of a RX-8 or any other car aside from a Miata.

Must be nice to have toys like that though

 

The Z4 was one of the cars I was really excited to see when I went to the Detroit show. I was left less than impressed. The design of the car is odd (IMHO) and aesthetically just seems to miss the point . My biggest surprise was that there was no line to see the car - no crowd -- no apparent interest. The Mini display was next to the Z4 (BMW) and it seemed thousands of people we waiting in long lines to sit and touch the dozen cars they had -- but nobody at the Z4 -- not sure this bodes well for the car. When I was at the show Mini and Hummer were the only displays that had longer lines than the RX-8 :D

 

The Z4 is massively ovepriced. Not to mention excessively ugly from most angles - I drive past Momentum BMW every day and see the same ones in the lot week after week. If BMW dropped $10k off the 2.5/3.0 'loaded' price then it would be a worthy Miata/S2000 competitor (but I would still prefer a Miata to the 2.5 and the S2000 to the 3.0).

I specced out a Z3 3.0 last year after a test-drive and it came to $46k and was nowhere near as fun as the $32k Honda S2000 I put a deposit down on (refundable of course). Above $44k you might as well get a Boxster if you like the looks (I hate it, but it is fun and going below MSRP).

 

In repsonse to various posts:

Regarding my Z4: I would get a Z4 3.0 with the sports package, so it would be a very fast car, clearly faster than the RX-8. Car and Driver got it to 60 in 5.4 seconds, not BMW's 5.9.

Regarding the S2000: Don't like the styling, or the 2.0L four cylinder for $32k. A great track car, but I will be driving on the road.

Regarding the Boxster: I bought one on the day after Thanksgiving, 1999 and found out about the engine failure issue just before delivery- after doing a little research and found out what a problematic car it was, I cancelled the purcahse and got my money back (after my lawyer sent the dealership a letter...)

I won't buy ANY car that has shown a propensity to blow engines in the past! No Boxsters for me. The interior is a bit cheesy anyway.

Regarding Z4 styling: I kind of like it, especially with the top down. LOVE the interior. Of course, this is purely subjective.

On modding the RX-8: I don't want to modify the car and take it our of warranty- and ultimately, I still only have a $30,000 car. God help me if it gets stolen...

Really, selling the Miata and getting a Z4 makes more sense. I would have less cars to insure and less hassles with registrations, service appointments, etc. It may not be practical, but it IS a toy... my G35 is my daily driver. I would not want to trade the Miata on the RX-8 because after owning a roadster, I think I will always want one. I love the Miata but would like something a little bigger and faster that I will be willing to take on a trip on the interstate. Two hours on the interstate in a Miata with the top up is not fun...

As for all the toys, I am single, no debt other than my G35, and no GF is sucking any money out of me. To finance my car habit, I work on weekends as a photographer @ $600/day, so two days a month and I get to drive nice cars. Not a bad deal. I have a pretty good job, but I am not rich...

 

Looks like you've certainly thought it through, and I agree it would be very nice to have a roadster as a 'spare' car - I will be looking at a '94 Miata next year for my fix (the RX-8 or a G35C will be my daily driver to replace the IS300).

I can't think of any negatives about the Z4 apart from styling (very subjective) and the $42k cost for a 3.0 + Sport (which you've addressed) so for your needs I think it will be a great vehicle. I had a blast in the Z3 at all engine speeds, but liked the 'Jekyll and Hyde' S2000 more at VTEC. Enjoy the Z4 when it arrives in April and let us know how it compares to the RX-8. Good luck.

 

I'm getting it for $1800 over invoice- it was like $41,000 even.

 

Wow that's pricey...

I'd get a 330Cic (convertible) for that kinda cash

 

True- but it is a convertible, not a roadster!

 

do not do it!!!!!!!!

you have to vary your engin speed
the motor running at 1k rpm for an extended amount of time didn't mean anything

you drive train has to break in too, all the tranny gears and everything else and you want everything else to match.

btw, every thing is relative, if you kept your car under 4k from 0-1000 mile as your break in, and when the dial hit 1001 miles and you red line it, does it make sense?

how about keep it under 4k rpm for 500 miles, then for every 100 miles you raise 1k rpm?
0-500 miles - 4k max
500-600 - 5k max
600-700 -6k
700-800 - 7
800-900 -8
900-1000-9k

why change the oil at 500/1k/2k/3k interval? what happen to the additives they put in the original batch that helps sealing and seating? Personally i wouldn't change the first batch after the "recommended oil change"

then right after that, i'll go synthetic, yeah yeah, i know the "risk" but morden engine are build at much higher tolarance and they are not meant to last as long as they used to :D plus, cars comes with Syn oil to start, i.e. Porsche, Audi.... why can they do it that a rotory (it better be tight tolerance) cannot

my $0.02

 

It's not about tolerances at all. It's the fact that in a rotary engine oil is injected directly into the combustion chamber to lubricate the seals--similar to a 2 stroke engine. If the synthetic oil does not burn completely or cleanly, you end up with ashing, fouled spark plugs, and clogged cats. Some synthetics burn off well, others do not, and it's this very inconsistancy that synthetics are not recommended by the manufacturer, although there are many synthetics proponents that will debate otherwise. But the old dino v. synthetics debate is for another thread... (^_^)

 

alright point taken
then explain the initial oil change interval?