i don't see why not, they are listed as port installed options and the cars have not reached port yet. go talk to your dealer =)

 

certain can and cannot be installed at dealer. according to mazda, the nav cannt be added at dealer, however, the rotary pkg and 6 cd changer can be.. I emailed them and asked :D

They also said an MP3 is available and can also be installed at the dealer. Although they didnt describe the player, I sent them another email asking the deal on the MP3 player. Will post back when I hear from them.

 

from mazda..

 

what the hell are they talking about? the price is on the website!!

 

leaving room to gouge of course heheh

 

Just wondering, has anyone asked if the 6-disc changer will still cost about $500 if we buy it outright after purchase of the vehicle? I figure I can try the single-disc unit for a while, SINCE MAZDA IS SCREWING THE PRE_ORDER LOYALISTS (sorry, just had to say that :D), and if it's too much of a hassle I can get the 6-disc unit later.

 

yea I do feel a bit screwed ...

but my take is getting the MP3 player because its cheaper than the 6CD.. plus you can stick more MP3s on 1 disc than you could tracks on 6 discs.

 

what are you complaining about my hawaiin freind? you didn't even really order a car!:p :D :p

 

Hahahaha, you know what.. you are EXACTLY right muhahah...

maybe not screwed.. jaded perhaps. :D

 

LOL... not that you haven't had your own string of problems.

btw what island do you live on? i spent a couple of weeks on kauai a few years ago and it was one of the best places i have ever been. i have been to oahu also but kauai was our honeymoon so that made it even better:D

 

On Oahu.. glad to hear ya liked the islands. Yes, it's a great place.. expensive as s#it.. but you cant beat the atmosphere, weather, or chickies.. hehehe.

Yup, Kauai is one of the nicer "homey" laid back islands.. more greenland than Oahu. As Oahu is Waikiki-ized..

 

Amen. As long as it can read CD-RW's, so I can change my driving mix as easily as swapping out one of the disks in a changer.

I already have all 500+ CD's in our collection ripped to my server - burning a custom MP3 CD-ROM will be a whole lot more convenient than digging through the racks to find a half dozen CD's.

 

Just curious, eccles - how much hard disc did that require? Maybe MP3's the way to go for me too.

 

Mp3s all depend on the bit rate u encode it at. 128, 160, 192, etc... depending on the bit rate the sizes differ from about 3mbs up. Also depending on the length of the track. That being said about 4 to 7mbs per track is what your looking at. Cds have the ability to hold 700mbs if you don't take overburning into account. so about 100 - 170 tracks per CD, which is obviously alot more then a 6disk CD changer. The problem I have with mp3 cd players is that most of them take forever to load at the beginning because they have to scan through the CD before playing. Another problem is with so many avaliable tracks its hard to find the song you want to hear unless you have alot of organizing skills and categorize your songs by artist, genre, or what ever. I wonder how the mp3 cd player on the rx8 is going to be though. If it loads quick I will most likely take that over a 6disc cd changer expecially with the difference in price.

 

Our MP3 repository is currently at around 50GB.

I tend to rip at high bitrates, since we play the MP3's on the good gear at home as well as in the car. If you only want to play them in the car, where high fidelity is somewhat of an oxymoron, you could easily rip them at a lower bit rate, thus needing less storage on your PC. With hard disks being so cheap these days, that's not so much of an issue, but a lower bit rate would also allow you to fit more on a single CD-ROM.

 

I spoke with my dealer last night and he claims the dealer cut is 8% on accessories including the 6 CD changer.

He further advised if I was considering the 6CD changer to definitely get it as a port option. If purchased later, the labor to install will add $250 minimum. This is based on their experience with adding the changer to other Mazdas and amount of disassembly required to swap the modules.

 

if it comes to the port with the single player, what do they do with them when they put in the changer? send them back? or does it get to the port without any module there?

 

It is quite possible that they are added at the port. Hadn't thought about it. I'll have to see if my dealer happens to know.

 

Has there been any information about the CD/mp3 player? If the option isnt port installed then are the dealers going to kill me with their labor charges?

 

When you say installed at port.. who is doing the install if its not the dealer?

 

Seems to be much more happening at the port than unloading our cars and trucking them to the dealer. I never realized that emissions equipment is added at the port. And the car has to pass emissions inspection or it doesn't leave the port. I think he initially said the car may be at the port up to two weeks. (Dealer told me that MPV did not pass when it first came over. They were all held at ports until Mazda reworked design and got new parts there to install and get emission approvals.)

Whether the work is done by Mazda employees or contracted out to some company that works on several or all the imports, I don't know. I would tend to think the contract route (and a Mazda Quality Control inspector) is more cost effective.

 

Treken,

I'm sorry but there isn't just an 8% mark-up on accessories. Port installed options are their big money makers. The 8% your dealer is feeding you is a bunch of bull. $460 dealer cost? Acording to Edmunds.com, the average mark-up for optional packages is 15% on the 2004 RX-8. And I would bet at least 25% for port-installed options. That would put that $500 changer option at $400.

I also don't know where you get your Head Units swapped out. But it is $50 tops anywhere you go. $250 is ridiculous.

-Mr. Wigggles

 

It has been confirmed. The invoice is $400

-Mr. Wigggles

 

Only $100 markup? That doesn't leave you much Wigggle room! BAHAHAHAHA :D

 

Did I mention that all Canadian Spec models get the 6 CD deck standard? Perhaps I mentioned it before, I don't remember.
....Perhaps the part I missed was that it was $3000 cheaper....No, I am pretty sure I didn't forget that, maybe it was the part about standard Sport Suspension or big wheels? Oh, thats right, it was the spare tire and the high pressure headlight cleaners that I forgot....................silly me.
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