Old Phart,
My '04 8's build date was 9/03 and I bought it used with 10k miles from a Nissan dealer. I took it into a Mazda dealer and got it caught up on all the TSB's and now am averaging about 18 city and and 22-23 highway, and that's with me revving the engine pretty high.

As for the waiting for the Fall for the price to drop, I got mine (GT, Navi, appearance, splash guards) for only 20900, and it hasn't given me a single problem in the 2 months I've had it. So just keep you eyes open.

 

Another important factor to be considered is the remaining warranty period. I took my early build (5/03) in for TSB work (headlamps, battery, brakes and a/c) and the dealer kept the car for seven days. It seems that parts are not "stocked" and most repairs take an inordinate amount of time. All the more reason, in my opinion, to find a vehicle with the most time/mileage left in the warranty period. The free loaner service is a godsend for those of us who rely on our transportation daily.
By the way, my early build averages 17 mpg in city traffic, very close to what the EPA mileage estimate said it could attain. Some get better, some get worse, but the same can also be said for newer built models. The only real problem with this car is the way your facial muscles hurt from smiling so much while you drive it!

 

OMG, that is hilarious! :D I knew about the cup holders but never fathomed the trunk being that heated up.

PS. No offense, but I'm rolling on the floor reading the posts that start "Old Phart..." I know that's your sn, but it sounds like we're picking on you and then giving you very objective advice.

 

More about trunk heat ....dont' keep extra oil in your trunk or you'll be burning it on both ends

 

Maybe I should have asked this question before I put money down on the car this afternoon, but the only "substantive" things I could find as differences between the 2004 and the 2005 were

1) the neat 2005 folding key fob
2) the 2005 radio is satellite radio ready

I'm hoping there's nothing else out there. This thread seems to support that notion.

Have I missed something?

Oh, I put money down on a new '04 GT that was a lot less than another dealer's '05 sport.

Hunter

 

- You can get white but you can't get yellow.

- Windshield washer reservoir is translucent rather than BLACK with a dip stick.

 

Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure I read this in the Australian forum but haven't seen it mentioned in U.S. posts -- do the xenons come with headlight washers?

 

Not in the US.

 

Yeah headlight washers, like automatic climate control, must violate some US government regulation somewhere. Otherwise there would be no good reason to omit them from the US market!