I plan to order an RX-8 GT manual in May 2004 or later.

Based on your experience with the car should I order a 2004 model, or ask to wait to get delivery of a 2005 model later in the year ?

Thanks

Why pre-order?

Did you check the inventory at the dealers lately?

average is 20 manual and 5 autos for each dealer....

if you can wait, you don't need to pre-order la.

If you don't want a car until May then you might as well wait until September and get a 2005 model.

There is a big chance that a lot of little bugs (AC, oil light, CEL, HP, fuel economy etc) might be fixed or improved - if Canzoomer can improve HP/fuel economy by tweaking the fuel controller (good job BTW!) then perhaps Mazda can too. And there is also a chance that items that are standard in other parts of the world (CD-changer, auto climate control, wing mirror puddle lights, headlamp washers etc) will become standard in the USA - if the car is already selling for well below MSRP after three months in the market then added content (that Mazda already offers elsewhere) could make the car more competitive in the USA.

In light of the news on the engine failures I would definitely wait. The design of the lubrication system is something that should be bullet proof since it is a single point of failure that results in a dead car. Wait for the 05.

If the Burlington location of halfon is Burlington, Ontario, then cars aren't sitting available on dealer lots. There's supposedly only 700 2004 RX-8s available in all of Canada (I don't know how many have been delivered yet), and talk a few months ago was that there would only be 700 2005s brought in as well. The timing might also be a problem - when is Mazda Canada going to change to the 2005 model year?

halfon, you might not have much flexibility in your timing - there might not be any 2004s available at all by May. Talk to your dealer or Mazda Canada!

Regards,
Gordon

Picked up my rear rotary accent at the dealer today, they say the car is selling much better that expected. Cars are spending an average of less than a week on the lot. All are selling for MSRP, no problem. No reason they know of to reduce prices with the way they are selling. Other than possibly more option to choose from in 05 (not confirmed), I see no reason to wait.

Not the case in Jersey, check out this dealer.

http://www.msmazda.com/newsite/msindex.html

way too many in columbus. Want a deal come over to ohio:-D