One underlying issue about many discussions on this board seems to be the lack of certain options/accessories/etc.

My question is, why has Mazda North America decided to remove things from the Japan standard equipment list and assuming they had a good reason, not offered it as an option?

Some examples:

1. Automatic Climate control - car is already built for it, why not include it.
2. Headlight washers - would be a fairly easy dealer upgrade....would only mean more money for them.
3. Easy install accessory stuff: start button, light up shifter, MD player, etc....again easy money.

I guess overall, I only see them preventing themsleves from earning money and making the customers unhappy. Where is the logic?

Mazda is viewed as a good brand in Japan. It is perceived as a low cost entry level brand in the US and therefore they are trying to keep the price down. Remember that the third Gen RX 7 sold like a rotting corpse, and the perception at Mazda was that had alot to do with price and the perception of value that the marketplace has concerning Mazda. I Would guess that that would have something to do with it.

Personally I'm more annoyed that I can't get the rear fog light even as an add on accesory in this country. That's an option I could really use.

The MD player is available in the US.

I stopped trying to understand their thinking awhile ago

you are so right doc! it wouldn't make the car any more expensive to offer the other accessories. in fact it should increase their profit by not having to make cars with for instance different wiring harnesses. the puddle lights, that we don't have here in the states, in the side mirrors for one example. there are two seperate wire harnesses, one that has hookups for the lights and one that doesn't. actually that makes 4 harnesses if you remember that the grand touring has heated mirrors; heated, heated w/lights, not heated, not heated w/lights. and that lighted shift knob for the mt? how much you want to bet that the shifter is not pre-wired here in NA? not to mention the rear fog light. and since we are on the topic i've said this many times before and i think several times today already: can i please have a sunlight silver lip spoiler!?

Even as a low cost entry brand there's nothing wrong with offering pricey options--like the nav system--as add-ons. It can add to the marque cachet even if few make the purchase.

Given options like automatic climate control and parking distance control have already been designed and produced for the JDM, I can't see many reasons to exclude offering those options here. In fact the only one I can come up with is a sort of snob appeal by keeping some goodies japan-only.
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Is this one of those submit a suggestion, win a million dollars? Oh OK then, well how about this Mazda:

FIRST STEP: Make ONE RX-8

BUT!! Sell all markets the self same low cost RX-8 that your corporate soul may feel it needs to offer. Then offer ALL options and option Pkgs, whatever, for US to decide WHAT WE WANT IN OUR RX-8.

Call it 'Design Your Own RX-8'!

SECOND STEP: {hint - there isn't one}

Now was that so hard? See, like it would streamline at least some operations, saving money SOMEWHERE. You customers - ALL OF THEM - would be HAPPIER! {that's a good thing.} Everyone wins!

Why not just "do it"? :confused:

There are a couple of reasons why the US gets a decontented RX8.
First, cost, the target price for the car to be brought to the states was $30,000 or less. They managed to do this with all but the GT pkgs.

Second, ordering combinations for the dealers. As it stands right now, if a dealer was to just keep one car of each color and each pkg., it would have to have 112 RX8's sitting on the lot. That doesn't take into consideration the different color interiors in the GT pkgs.

Eventually, as development costs are recovered and the Yen/Dollar rate stays the same or gets better, you'll more than likely see content added. They've got to do something for the 2005 year model. 30 to 40 HP would be a nice place to start.

Originally posted by Spin9k
... ALL OF THEM - would be HAPPIER! {that's a good thing.} Everyone wins!

Why not just "do it"? :confused:

Yes, please!

:D

is it that hard to make a gt without the sunroof for the states? other countries can get the leather without the sunroof. hell australia doesn't get it at all!

Thanks, budaman makes me feel better about giving mine back:D :D :D

Well, there must be some reason, but if this is it, I don't buy their logic at all. First off, no one said anything about these items being standard. As options, they wouldn't increase the price of the standard packages by a single cent. To your second point, dealers are obviously not keeping all 112 flavors on their lot now, so who cares if there are 112 or 212?

jds

Originally posted by budaman
There are a couple of reasons why the US gets a decontented RX8.
First, cost, the target price for the car to be brought to the states was $30,000 or less. They managed to do this with all but the GT pkgs.

Second, ordering combinations for the dealers. As it stands right now, if a dealer was to just keep one car of each color and each pkg., it would have to have 112 RX8's sitting on the lot. That doesn't take into consideration the different color interiors in the GT pkgs.

Eventually, as development costs are recovered and the Yen/Dollar rate stays the same or gets better, you'll more than likely see content added. They've got to do something for the 2005 year model. 30 to 40 HP would be a nice place to start.

Well, In Australia, mazda obviously want to make some money off the optional extras like;

$400 aus for illuminated gear shift knob
$500 aus for the side vent highlights
$700 aus for a spoiler
$500 aus for scuff plates

et al....

at least we get the headlamp washers with the xenon headlights in the leather pack.
and at least 18" wheels come standard (although I dont really fancy having to replace the tires on those)

For one, the dealers! We have to buy the cars from Mazda. They don't just give them to us. We also have to pay interest on them. It would be great if we could operate on a buy and then order basis with the customer, like the preorder program(we all know how well that worked) but the American public really doesn't like to wait 3 months to get a car. So, we have to make decisions on what we think will sell and stock accordingly. The general public loves options, but doesn't want to pay for them. A good example is cars with ABS as an option. It's a great safety feature, and has finally become an option that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but in this area, they are always the last cars sitting on the lot at the end of the year, so every year, the dealers order fewer and fewer. I would love for all these things to be standard on the RX8 if they could keep the price the same, but when even a large dealer only gets allocated 20 to 30 RX8's a month, you just can't stock too many different optioned vehicles.

Many of the items people are talking about could be dealer-installed options. No need to stock extra cars for those.

jds

Originally posted by budaman
For one, the dealers! We have to buy the cars from Mazda. They don't just give them to us. We also have to pay interest on them. It would be great if we could operate on a buy and then order basis with the customer, like the preorder program(we all know how well that worked) but the American public really doesn't like to wait 3 months to get a car. So, we have to make decisions on what we think will sell and stock accordingly. The general public loves options, but doesn't want to pay for them. A good example is cars with ABS as an option. It's a great safety feature, and has finally become an option that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but in this area, they are always the last cars sitting on the lot at the end of the year, so every year, the dealers order fewer and fewer. I would love for all these things to be standard on the RX8 if they could keep the price the same, but when even a large dealer only gets allocated 20 to 30 RX8's a month, you just can't stock too many different optioned vehicles.

Originally posted by bureau13
Many of the items people are talking about could be dealer-installed options. No need to stock extra cars for those.

jds



Exactly!

The only 2 outcomes for making these things dealer installed options would be:

1. Increased revenue for Mazda and the dealer
2. Increased customer satisfaction.

Sounds like win win to me.....

Well-- As either the Church Lady or Rosanne Rosanna Danno said - Never Mind! Making these items Dealer installed would be great as long as you have a Dealer that you trust the Service Dept. and you can absorb the labor charges associated with putting them on if you can't install them yourselves. One added benefit if they were to become available is that if they were included when you purchased the RX8, they would carry the full 4 yr/50,000 mile warranty instead of the 12 month if bought after the fact.

Originally posted by budaman
Well-- As either the Church Lady or Rosanne Rosanna Danno said - Never Mind!

It was Rosanne Rosannadana. The church lady would have said, "Hmm, I wonder who is responsible for making marketing decisions like that. Let's see... hmm, now could it be SATAN!!"

Originally posted by budaman
For one, the dealers! We have to buy the cars from Mazda. They don't just give them to us. ... A good example is cars with ABS as an option. It's a great safety feature, and has finally become an option that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but in this area, they are always the last cars sitting on the lot at the end of the year, so every year, the dealers order fewer and fewer.

Sadly, that's all to true.

:(

When I bought my MP5 this last Feb. I wanted my next car to have ABS breaks! The Dealership and I were looking all over for one (for over 4 weeks) with ABS brakes -- and we found a few, but they were loaded with other options I didn't want and not in my perfered color choice .... So I was out of luck and we checked around the whole gulf states and ever a few other states but could not find one in the color and options that I wanted...

:p

... I was originaly looking at getting a celica, but had even worse luck (the dealers flat out told me I would not find it, but I could direct order it, but it would take at least a year for it to get to me...) and was highly concidering the RSX because it does comes "standard," but I opted for the MP5 because of the extra 4 doors (better for a family of 4) and Mazda was offereing 0 down/ 0%.

I just wish that the RX-8 had already come out a few years back as originaly hoped!

;)

Thanks for setting me straight. Hadn't watched an old SNL in a while, but that line has always stuck with me. It's the perfect comeback when you might be wrong. Thanks Gilda!